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| Mural of the the Successful Red Attack of 11 February 1922 |
The battle of Volochayevka, fought near the Amur River, almost 500 miles north of Vladivostok, is one of the most notable battles of the Russian Civil War. It occurred on 5–14 February 1922 near Volochayevka station on the Amur Railway, not far from Khabarovsk. In November 1921, the Far Eastern White Army launched an offensive against the Far Eastern Republic, supported by Japan, which wanted a foothold in the Russian Far East. The White Army, based in Vladivostok, advanced into the north of Primorskaya Oblast, following the railroad and the Ussuri River, occupying cities, towns, and villages and capturing Khabarovsk.
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| Ju-Quran Hill, Key Position on the Battlefield & Location of Volochayevka |
At dawn on 10 February 1922, in severe cold and deep snow, Blyukher's Red Army attacked the White positions. The Reds had 7,600 soldiers with hundreds of machine guns, 30 field guns, and two light machine gun tanks. The White Army had 4,950 soldiers equipped with 13 guns and many fewer automatic weapons. The Red attack of 10 February was repulsed with heavy losses. One of the Red tanks was knocked out and the other broke down. Wounded died quickly in the -30 °C (-22 °F) temperatures. Blyukher regrouped on 11 February, then attacked again on 12 February. This time, the 3rd and 6th Regiments broke through the wire and, after fierce fighting, the Reds captured Ju-Quran Hill around noon. This rendered the White position untenable, and Molchanov retreated.
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| Present-Day Memorial and Museum |
On 13 February, Molchanov's White forces retreated past Khabarovsk and the Red Army entered the city. The Red Army was too exhausted to effectively pursue the White Army, which escaped encirclement. However, White military fortunes continued on a downward path after this battle, and the last remnants of White and Japanese forces in the Far East surrendered or evacuated by 25 October 1922.
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