The Spassk operation (), also known as the storming of Spassk, was an attack by the People's Revolutionary Army (NRA) of the

Far Eastern Republic The Far Eastern Republic ( rus, Дальневосточная Республика, Dal'nevostochnaya Respublika, p=dəlʲnʲɪvɐˈstotɕnəjə rʲɪsˈpublʲɪkə, links=yes; ), sometimes called the Chita Republic (, ), was a nominally indep ...

(DVR) on the forces of the White

Zemskaya Rat The Zemskaya Rat or Zemstvo Host () were the White armed forces in the Amur region, formed from the White Guard troops in Primorye, which existed between July and October 1922. History The Zemskaya Rat was formed on July 23, 1922, by a decree of ...

Spassk Spassk () is the name of several inhabited localities in Russia. Modern localities ;Urban localities * Spassk, Penza Oblast, a town in Spassky District of Penza Oblast * Spassk, Kemerovo Oblast, an urban-type settlement in Tashtagolsky District o ...

. The attack took place between 7 and 9 October 1922 during the NRA's Primorsky operation to take control of

Primorye Primorsky Krai, informally known as Primorye, is a federal subject (a krai) of Russia, part of the Far Eastern Federal District in the Russian Far East. The city of Vladivostok on the southern coast of the krai is its administrative center, an ...

, the last major operation of the

Russian Civil War The Russian Civil War () was a multi-party civil war in the former Russian Empire sparked by the 1917 overthrowing of the Russian Provisional Government in the October Revolution, as many factions vied to determine Russia's political future. I ...

. During the operation, the NRA forces stormed Spassk, one of the major settlements of Primorye and an important center of resistance of the Zemskaya rat, clearing the path to

Vladivostok Vladivostok ( ; , ) is the largest city and the administrative center of Primorsky Krai and the capital of the Far Eastern Federal District of Russia. It is located around the Zolotoy Rog, Golden Horn Bay on the Sea of Japan, covering an area o ...

Background and planning

In 1921, Japanese troops built a strong fortified region on the approaches to Spassk, the main defenses of which consisted of seven field forts, joined by trenches and covered by three to five layers of barbed wire. The fortified region was defended by the Volga group of Major General

Viktorin Molchanov Viktorin Mikhailovich Molchanov () (January 11, 1886 in Chistopol, Governorate of Kazan – January 10, 1975 in San Francisco), was a Russian Major-General and a participant in the White movement. Biography Molchanov was born in 1886 to par ...

, numbering more than 1,800 infantry and 700 cavalry with nine guns and 28 machine guns. In late 1922, the NRA advanced into Primorye with the goal of destroying the Zemskaya Rat and taking Vladivostok. For the operation, the NRA command assigned the 2nd Priamur Rifle Division the mission of taking forts one and three. With up to 5,000 men, 22 guns and 200 machine guns, the division was split into two columns, one on the left and another on the right. The overwhelming numerical and equipment superiority of the Reds was strengthened by the help of partisans commanded by Mikhail Volsky, operating in the rear of the defenders.

Operation

After the beginning of the offensive, the right column, led by 2nd Priamur Division commander

Yakov Pokus Yakov (alternative spellings: Jakov or Iakov, cyrl, Яков) is a Russian or Hebrew variant of the given names Jacob and James. People also give the nickname Yasha ( cyrl, Яша) or Yashka ( cyrl, Яшка) used for Yakov. Notable people People ...

, consisting of the 6th Khabarovsk Regiment and a battalion from the Separate Far Eastern Cavalry Brigade, two batteries and an armored train, attacked Fort No. 1 while the left column, led by

Stepan Vostretsov Stepan Sergeevich Vostretsov (Russian: Степан Сергеевич Вострецов; 29 December Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="nowiki/>Old Style and New Style dates">O.S. 17 December1883 – 2 May 1932) was a Soviet military ...

with the 5th Amur and 4th Volochayevka Rifle Regiments and the Troitsko-Savsk Cavalry Regiment, the battalion of the junior commanders' school, and an armored train, attacked Fort No. 3. By the end of 8 October Soviet troops captured Fort No. 3, and on the next day together with partisans captured Fort No. 1 and other fortifications. Facing the threat of encirclement, the Spassk garrison abandoned the city. During the storming of Spassk the Whites lost more than 1,000 killed and wounded and roughly 300 captured. Red casualties were 187 killed and 420 wounded. The success of the storming, which opened the way to Vladivostok, was credited to the massive concentration of forces of the NRA for the main attack and close cooperation with partisans. For their performance in the operation, Vostretsov, Pokus, and several other commanders were awarded the

Order of the Red Banner The Order of the Red Banner () was the first Soviet military decoration. The Order was established on 16 September 1918, during the Russian Civil War by decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee. It was the highest award of S ...

References

Citations

Bibliography

* * * {{coord missing, Russia Military operations of the Russian Civil War in 1922 1922 in Russia History of the Russian Far East History of Primorsky Krai Battles involving Soviet Russia (1917–1922) Far Eastern Republic White movement Attacks on military installations in Russia Attacks on military installations in the 1920s October 1922