Unusual awards of an unusual country. Japan's highest honors. Awards for participation in the Japanese war
Dedicated to the 90th birthday Anatoly Vasilyevich Ivankin(1927-1990), famous Soviet writer, military pilot of the 1st class, military adviser in the Republic of Syria, in 1975-1977 the head of the tactics department of the Kachinsky Higher Aviation School, and in 1981-1990 the director of the Volgograd Panorama Museum "Battle of Stalingrad".
Before posting the new material of colleague Chechako1, I had to re-read Anatoly Ivankin's book "The Last Kamikaze". The novel shows the events that took place in the history of Japan from 1941 to 1945, when the Soviet troops defeated the Kwantung Army, finally undermining the samurai spirit of the army of the Land of the Rising Sun and, thereby, putting an end to relations with Japan, which began in late XIX century, and in the XX continued by Tsushima and the Russo-Japanese War.
Editor-in-Chief SAMMLUNG / Collection Alexey Sidelnikov
"Let's give Siberia to our divine mikado!" And then came the sobering...
Morimoto
One of the books about the war, read back in Soviet time, became the book of Anatoly Ivankin "The Last Kamikaze".
To be honest, neither before nor after works of art about Japan, about the war with Japan during the Second World War, I did not come across.
And the book became a kind of source of knowledge about this "side of the coin" of the war.
The plot twists like this:
- a certain Japanese taxi driver Takahiro enters the cinema hall for a film about kamikaze pilots, sees on the screen people he personally knows, including the commander of the kamikaze pilot detachment Yasujiro Hattori.
The following is a story about Yasujiro from Nagasaki, about his formation as a pilot, about his mentors, life, participation in the attack on Pearl Harbor, combat episodes, Okinawa, about August 05, 1945, about the fact that his last flight as a kamikaze was not took place “for reasons beyond the control of the victim”, that after passing the last rites before the failed flight, he changed his name, and now the taxi driver Tahakiro is the former Yasujiro Hattori.
In short, it is twisted like in a Brazilian TV series about an unfortunate slave on a Mexican ranch.
But this book also became the first collision with the names of Japanese orders, of which before that I had heard only about the Rising Sun of the captain of the Varyag.
There was no Internet then, therefore, apart from the names, it was really impossible to find out anything.
But if I had the Internet then, I would have learned the following.
“In early December, Yasujiro was discharged from the hospital. He walked without a cane, almost without a limp. But the general state of health remained weak and depressing. The medical commission temporarily did not allow him to fly, giving him a month's leave to visit his family.
Throwing off the dressing gown, which had become disgusting after many months of illness, soaked through with the smells of medicines and disinfection, he put on new form, just brought from the tailor. The old one, with all its possessions, went down with the Akagi. While he was in the hospital, he was given the rank of lieutenant commander, and another award adorned his uniform chest - Order of the Golden Kite - the highest award for flying merit.»
“Yasujiro was stunned by what he heard. From such an angle, he had never looked at his life, service and his ideals. If he had heard these speeches from someone else, he would have thought that it was a communist speaking, an underminer of the foundations of the empire, a corrupter of the consciousness of loyal subjects. But he heard this from sensei, his most authoritative teacher, captain of the 3rd rank, whom the mikado himself noted the highest flying award - the Order of the Golden Kite».
“In front of the formation - a young lieutenant commander with tired eyes of a mature man. Correct facial features, high forehead - a truly noble samurai, Lieutenant Commander Yasujiro Hattori! He has a white scarf on. Chest decorates Order of the Golden Kite - an award for high flying prowess. In his hand is a flask of rice vodka. He approaches the pilot standing on the right flank. The pilot's burial suit makes him stand out from the ranks of officers dressed in regular uniforms. This is Yasujiro Hattori's second-in-command Lieutenant Ichihara, the same Ichihara Hisashi whose masculine face with a suppressive, cruel gaze now towers on the facade of the cinema.
The lieutenant licked his parched lips, looked distantly past the commander, barely managed a smile, and accepted the last cup of sake with a bow.
The order was established by decree of Emperor Mutsuhito on February 18, 1890 as an award solely for military merit.
The name is based on the legend of the golden kite sent by the gods to the first Emperor Jimmu during his unification of Japan.
Legend has it that the first emperor of Japan, seeking to unite the country divided among the princes, was defeated, and then the gods who sympathized with him sent a golden kite to advise the emperor to resume the battle at dawn and attack from the east. The rays of the rising sun and the radiance of the falcon blinded the enemies, and the emperor won.
Its sign (the order had seven degrees) is very complex, multi-colored and full of military paraphernalia.
It is based on ancient banners with a golden kite crowning them.
The creators of the order thought out its symbolism well. The order has become a symbol of Japanese militarism. Many Japanese soldiers and officers were awarded this order for "blinding" the peoples of Korea, China and Southeast Asia with machine gun and cannon fire.
After the end of the Second World War and the occupation of Japan in 1946, payments to holders of the order were canceled, and on May 30, 1947, the award itself was canceled by a decree of the occupying government.
I have only one kite in my drawer - the lowest degree of the period of the Second World War.
The badge of the order as a “pancake with red caviar” is relatively infrequent (non-everyday), simple, flat, and at the same time heaped up and “delicious”.
Well, it goes without saying that the Order of the Golden Kite was not a purely flying award, just as the Order of the Sacred Treasure was not an award for financiers, and the Rising Sun for meteorologists and astronomers.
Well, about sake, about the ritual of drinking - the Japanese army and navy have a beautiful tradition of award and commemorative sakeshnitsa.
I also bought two of these army cups. They belong to the service in the 19th and 35th infantry formations.
“A few days after this conversation, an unfamiliar sailor of the 1st article with Rising Sun medal attached to a hospital gown. He was shell-shocked: his head and hands were shaking, and tears of resentment rolled from his eyes. Stuttering strongly, the sailor first told what he had received the award for. Their guard was sunk by an American destroyer about thirty miles from Truk Island. When the Yankees began to pick up the sailors, he did not want, like some cowards, to climb onto the deck of an enemy ship. He preferred death to capture and sailed away from the destroyer. Those Japanese sailors who refused to surrender were shot by the Americans. He escaped only because he was alone and far from the group holding on to the rubble.
“When I was talking in the ward about my feat,” he said, sniffling, “non-commissioned officer Gozen said that, apparently, I used to be just a cretin, but now, after a shell shock, I have become an idiot with a medal.
Yasujiro almost smiled. This Gozen knew how to give a precise definition.
- He condemned my feat, Mr. Senior Lieutenant, saying that clever man I would give up in my place. In general, this Godzen is carrying out red propaganda. Yesterday he said that war brings ordinary people only grief is that war invalids, whatever heroes they may be, are not needed by either the family or the state. And he called the Japanese people obedient cattle, which generals and admirals drive into battle.
- Well, - Yasujiro stopped him, - I will deal with him today and punish him. Thank you for your vigilance and honesty. You acted like a true patriot. And now I ask you not to tell anyone about our conversation. This is a military secret.
The flattered sailor of the 1st article froze at attention, as if Yasujiro was about to pin another medal on his washed-out robe.
To be honest, when I re-read this episode, "Schweik" is not what smelled. Schweik's "newspaper convoy stories" are pathetically intertwined with this story.
Yes, the Order of the Rising Sun is the most famous of the Japanese orders. And its two lowest degrees - the seventh and eighth, the awarding of which has been discontinued since 2003, are called medals in some sources.
In April 1875, one of the most famous and beautiful modern orders, the Order of the Rising Sun, was officially approved. It already embodies all the principles of the Japanese order system, the entire schedule of subsequent awards, taking into account both national traditions and the simplicity and sophistication of Japanese applied art.
The sign of the Order of the Rising Sun, which has eight degrees, symbolizes japanese coat of arms and a flag. The center of the order, the sign of which repeats the star established for the two highest degrees, is a sparkling red sun. This effect is achieved in an unusual way - the cent is a concave mirror covered with a lens of red glass - a cabochon. Thirty-two white-enamelled golden rays of various lengths emanate from the center. The sign is attached to a green pendant depicting the leaves and flowers of the sacred tokwa tree - paulownia. And the two lowest degrees of the order are an enlarged pendant, which is worn separately, like a medal. The ribbon of the order is white with red stripes along the edges.
Japanese phaleristics is a secondary interest for me, but I acquired the lower degrees of the order - 8th, 7th and 6th degree.
The eighth and seventh degrees are simple and beautiful.
The sixth is something Martian. Rarely, when the idea of the culture of the country can be illustrated in the minds of its orders.
The European "crossing", in principle, is the same, monotonous - a cross, a crown, swords.
Japan is just the case when its own, unique. Memorable immediately. Simplicity, uniqueness, nationality.
Here I photograph and admire how it shimmers.
“I wonder how he will be celebrated for an unprecedented raid on Hawaii? Of the highest Japanese orders, he did not have only Order of the Chrysanthemum, but they were awarded only to members of the imperial dynasty and crowned persons. Maybe they will give him another rank and make him a member of the imperial council - Genro?
I don't have the Order of the Chrysanthemum and never will.
The Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum (Jap. 菊花章, kikkasho :) is the oldest of the Japanese orders.
The badge of the order on a large ribbon was established by Emperor Meiji in 1876; the degree of the order with the order chain was added on January 4, 1888. Although formally it has only one degree, there are two types of the order: the Order of the Chrysanthemum with a chain and the Order of the Chrysanthemum with a large ribbon. Unlike European orders, posthumous awards are also possible for Japanese orders.
The chain of the order is awarded to subjects of Japan only posthumously. An exception is made for the heads of foreign states, to whom the chain of the order is awarded as a sign of special honor.
The Grand Ribbon is the highest distinction that can be awarded to a Japanese citizen during his lifetime. Apart from members of the imperial family and foreign heads of state, the Great Ribbon was awarded to only three living Japanese subjects and eleven posthumously.
The badge of the order is a four-pointed gilded badge with rays of white enamel, in the center of which is a disk of the sun of red enamel. Between the rays is a yellow enamel chrysanthemum flower with green enameled leaves.
With the help of a pendant in the form of a yellow enamel chrysanthemum flower, the badge is suspended from the order chain or the Grand Ribbon rosette.
The star of the order is similar to a badge, but without a pendant. Worn on the left side of the chest.
The large ribbon is a red shoulder ribbon with dark blue stripes along the edges. Worn over the right shoulder.
Well, indirectly, according to the events of the history of the 20th century with the participation of Japan, reflected in Japanese phaleristics.
The quote is great, but that's what the topic is to read, right?
The main one is highlighted in bold.
“Kenji Takashi poured the remnants of Smirnovskaya into glasses.
- Let's drink Russian vodka for Japanese Siberia, We must conquer it for the empire!
- Banzai! Yasujiro and Hoyuro shouted.
- For the new Tsushima! For the new Port Arthur!
Morimoto put down his glass without taking a sip. His thick brows furrowed. Not a trace of recent gaiety remained. He realized that the time had come to tell the truth to these fledgling chicks who imagined themselves to be eagles, for arrogance and underestimation of the enemy always led to sad results.
- I see that I will have to tell what I didn’t want to talk about today ... Listening to you, I, as a commander, are pleased that you are striving for exploits in the name of the empire. But doesn't it seem to you that you expect to defeat the Russians too easily?.. When I was younger, I thought the same way as you. Yes, I'm not the only one. We rushed headlong into battle like fighting cocks, completely unwilling to reckon with the enemy. In China and Manchuria, we got away with it. Having achieved major successes, we thought that everything would continue to go the same way. We were ready to break without looking back through Mongolia to the Urals. "Let's give Siberia to our divine mikado!" And then came the sobering ... In the summer of thirty-ninth, we flew from Manchuria to the devil knows what wilderness. Desert. The trashy town of Khalun-Arshan. The rest of the world is connected by one line of the railway. Our detachment was thrown into the August fighting over the Khalkhin Gol river. At first we were lucky. The Russians flew old I-15 fighters. Our I-97s surpassed them both in speed and in armament. I remember one battle ... Twenty I-97s went to attack the ground troops. We were attacked by a dozen Russian I-15s. We got out of the fight, climbed to the side, and then fell on them from above. We had a qualitative and quantitative advantage on our side. We shot down all ten Russian fighters, but also lost seven of our own. The Russians fought heroically, they died, but not a single one left the battle, although from the very beginning it was clear that they lost this battle. Our assault on the Russian troops did not take place that day.
And then Stalin sent the latest I-15.3 and I-16 aircraft with cannon armament to Khalkhin Gol. And the pilots who returned from Spain flew on them. In the air began pitch hell. Every day, every sortie increased the account of our losses. On the twenty-eighth of August, my venerable older brother, Shojiro Morimoto, died before my very eyes. And he was a brave pilot with great experience. The day after the funeral, I flew out with the idea of avenging my brother's death. On this flight, I met with some Russian devil and almost followed Shojiro. I don’t know which of the aces piloted the fighter chasing me, Gritsevets or Kravchenko, but he did it superbly. Morimoto was silent for a moment, as if tripping over difficult names. I broke my I-97 until my nose bled, but I could not shake the enemy off the tail. The facial marks that Yasujiro asked about are from that fight. The plane caught fire, I left it and opened the parachute. The Russian slowed down and passed a few meters from me, and I, burned, bloody, hung on a silk rag between heaven and earth. It didn't cost anything for a Russian to slash at me with a burst from a machine gun or to chop with a wing along the lines of a parachute. But he didn't, and that's why I'm sitting with you, drinking cognac. Morimoto paused, looking at the smoke from his cigarette. - The devil understands them, Russians! They are either fierce in battle, like tigers, or generous to the defeated enemy. They don't look like us at all. But the Russians are a strong and brave people, and Siberia, where they live, is immense, impassable and brutally cold,
- My father left his leg there in the twentieth year, and he does not even want to hear about this Siberia, - Hoyuro, who was completely intoxicated, spoke out quite soberly. Morimoto approved:
“I don't want to face the Russians in combat anymore either. There are many other nations that can be pushed aside to give the empire more space. And the Russians? If I were a high strategist, I would leave them alone with their Siberia and polar bears.
Yasujiro listened to his commander anxiously. Is it really from him, Morimoto, invincible in sports and flying, imperturbable, bravest samurai, he heard these words?
In this passage, almost all military history Japan of the twentieth century.
1. Tsushima and Port Arthur. The war known to us as the Russo-Japanese 1904-1905.
Medal "Russian-Japanese War 1904-1905"
The medal for the war with Russia was established by Imperial Edict No. 51 of March 31, 1906. It has a diameter of 30 mm and is made of light gilded bronze. On the obverse there are crossed flags of the army and naval forces of Japan, above them the imperial coat of arms - a chrysanthemum, under the flags in the lower part of the medal there is a coat of arms - paulownia. The back shows a traditional stylized Japanese shield, on which the inscription "Meiji 37-38 Military Campaign" (1904-1905) ("Meiji 37-38 nen sen'eki") is vertically inscribed in hieroglyphs.
The Japanese shield is framed by branches: on the left - palm, on the right - laurel. By the time the medal was established, palm and laurel as traditional symbols were characteristic of the award systems of Western countries and were not previously used by the Japanese.
The pendant is of the usual articulated type, with an attached bar, on which there is an inscription "Military medal". The ribbon has a width of 37 mm, made of moire silk. Its coloring follows the colors of previous military medals: green with 3 mm white edges, but with the addition of a 9 mm blue stripe in the center, symbolizing military victories at sea.
The military conflict between Japan and Russia was largely predetermined by the presence of deep contradictions in the imperialist interests of the two countries, although for a long time it did not seem inevitable to the tsarist government.
Having decided to begin preparations for war with Russia, Tokyo spent most of the indemnity received from Beijing under the Shimonoseki peace treaty on the modernization of the army and navy. It is curious that a loan to cover the costs of paying indemnities was provided to China by Russian banks, which actually financed military preparations against their own country in this way.
2. Siberian campaign to Russia.
For participation in the military campaign of 1914-1920.
On April 4, 1918, two Japanese employees of a commercial company were murdered in Vladivostok. On April 5, the Japanese, under the pretext of protecting Japanese subjects, landed troops in the city. Following the Japanese, troops of other countries also landed in Vladivostok. On June 29, 1918, with the help of rebellious Czech prisoners of war, Soviet authority. The military operations of the allied forces were led by the Japanese General Otani.
The number of the Japanese contingent in the fall of 1918 reached 72 thousand people (the American expeditionary force numbered 10 thousand people, the troops of other countries - 28 thousand). Under the auspices of Japan, the USA, France and England, the White Guard detachments of Semyonov, Kalmykov and Orlov were formed in Manchuria, and the detachment of Baron Ungern was formed in Dauria.
By October 1918, Japanese troops occupied Primorye, the Amur region and Transbaikalia. By the summer of 1922, 15 capitalist states de jure or de facto recognized soviet state. Dissatisfaction with the intervention in Japan, the threat of a military defeat of the Japanese army by units of the People's Revolutionary Army and partisans advancing on Vladivostok forced the Japanese command to sign an agreement on the withdrawal of their troops from the Far East.
October 25, 1922 Vladivostok was liberated. Japanese troops remained only in Northern Sakhalin, until the signing of the Soviet-Japanese Convention of 1925 on the establishment of diplomatic relations. During the occupation, Japan increased its gold and foreign exchange reserves by misappropriating a significant part of Russian gold.
The medal was established by Imperial Decree No. 41 of February 1920 to reward the Japanese who participated in the battles of the World War in 1917-1918 in the Mediterranean, the intervention in Siberia in 1917 and the occupation of Vladivostok until 1922 with the wording "for participation in the military campaign of 1914- 1920" There are ten hieroglyphs on the reverse - "For the military campaign of 3-9 years of the Taisho era" (Taisho sannen naishi kyunen sen'eki) (1914-1920).
3. “In China and Manchuria, we got away with it. Having achieved great success, we thought that everything would continue to go the same way.”
September 18, 1931, accusing the Chinese of "sabotage" on railway, Japanese troops began capturing Chinese cities on the Southern Moscow Railway and disarming the Chinese garrisons. Within five days they occupied all the most important settlements Manchu provinces of Mukden and Jilin. In the next three months, the Kwantung Army completely captured three provinces in Northeast China. This war of conquest was called the "Manchurian Incident" in Japan.
On September 21, the Council of the League of Nations began to consider the complaint of the Chinese government in connection with the armed invasion of Japan. After a three-month discussion, at the suggestion of the Japanese representative, an international commission was formed, headed by the British Lord V.R. Litton. She began to familiarize herself with the situation in Northeast China in the spring of 1932. However, the Japanese, having decided to present the commission with a fait accompli, inspired the proclamation of the puppet state of Manchukuo there on March 1, 1932.
October 2, 1932. The Lytton Commission published a report recognizing Japan's act of aggression against China, and also confirming that Manchuria was an integral part of the latter. The resolution of the Assembly of the League of Nations of February 24, 1933, on this report contained a demand for the withdrawal of Japanese troops from Northeast China, although it also recognized Japan's "special" interests in this area. Tokyo responded to the resolution by withdrawing from the League of Nations and expanding its aggression. On the day this document was adopted, Japanese troops invaded the province of Rehe and soon occupied it. Then began their advance into Heibei Province. By the end of May 1933, the Japanese units approached Beijing and Tianjin.
On May 31, 1933, the Chinese representatives were forced to sign an armistice agreement with the Japanese command, according to which Beijing recognized the Japanese control over Northeast and part of North China.
This medal, established by Imperial Edict No. 255, was made of bronze and has a width of 30 mm. On a hinged pendant there is an ornament symbolizing a growth of moss. There is a metal bar with the traditional inscription: "Medal for the military campaign". On the top of the obverse is the imperial coat of arms (chrysanthemum), under which is depicted a kite sitting on a traditional Japanese shield. Behind the kite, beams of light diverge. The reverse features images of army and navy helmets against a backdrop of cherry blossoms. There is an inscription of ten characters: "The incident of the period from the 6th to the 9th year of Showa" (1931 - 1934).
The ribbon of the medal is 37 mm wide, made of moire silk. There are stripes along the tape from left to right: 2.5 mm - dark brown, 6 mm - light brown, 5 mm - pink, 1.5 mm - gold, 7 mm - dark brown, 1.5 mm - gold, 5 mm - pink, b mm - light brown, 2.5 mm - dark brown. Cardboard box for the medal - black, on top - the name of the medal, filled with gilded hieroglyphs.
4. Chinese incident (including the events at Khalkhin Gol).
Medal "For participation in the Chinese incident" (Japanese-Chinese war 1937-1945)
Ribbon 37 mm wide, moire silk, with longitudinal stripes: 3 mm blue (symbolizing the sea and the navy), 3 mm light blue (sky and air force), 7.5 mm tan (yellow soil of China and, accordingly, ground forces), 3.5 mm dark pink (land of China watered with blood) and 2 mm bright red (blood and loyalty). The slat ribbon had pink stripes fading to brown, but it was never used as a ribbon for the actual medal. The award box is made of black cardboard, on which its name is applied in silver hieroglyphs.
On July 7, 1937, the Japanese invasion of Northern China. On this day, Japanese troops, conducting maneuvers, fired at the Chinese garrison. The Chinese also responded with fire. A battle began, which lasted until July 9, after which a truce was concluded. However, the conflict did not end there.
On July 14, the Japanese resumed fighting, and on July 26 they gave the Chinese an ultimatum to withdraw their troops from Beijing within 48 hours. The Chinese authorities rejected this demand, and the next day (July 27, 1937) began, in fact, full-scale military operations that did not stop for 8 years, until the end of World War II. In accordance with the "tradition", they received the name "Chinese Incident" from the Japanese militarists.
On March 30, 1940, a puppet "Central Government of China" was formed in Japanese-occupied Nanjing.
By the end of 1941, Japan captured Chinese territory with a population of about 215 million people. The most developed regions of the country, mainly the coastal Chinese provinces, where the largest cities were located, were in the hands of the Japanese. seaports and industrial plants, major railroads and waterways.
The original Imperial Edict No. 496 of July 27, 1939 was later supplemented by Edict No. 418 of 1944.
The medal was ordered to be awarded to soldiers heading to China until the summer of 1945. This award is quite common.
The medal is 30 mm in diameter and made of bronze. Its articulated suspension and bar are similar to previous military medals. The obverse depicts the mythological creature "brave raven" ("yata-no-karasu"), which sits on crossed army and naval ensigns. Behind him, rays of light diverge, and on top is the imperial coat of arms of a chrysanthemum. The reverse depicts images of mountains, clouds and sea waves made in the classical Chinese style, symbolizing North China, Central China and the Yellow Sea, respectively. The inscription on the back of the medal: "Chinese Incident".
The puppet state of Manchou commemorated these events with its medal.
Manchukuo. Medal "Military Border Incident" ("Nomon Khan"). 1940. Established by imperial edict No. 310 in memory of the battles with the Mongolian and Soviet troops at Khalkhin Gol
Mentioned in the book and the awards of the opposing side - the US Army.
“Fearing the admiral's wrath, even the doctors entered his chamber reluctantly. Hallsey forbade bringing him newspapers full of victorious articles.
Most of the time he lay on the bed, from time to time taking a flask of whiskey, which his adjutant secretly supplied. He was not even pleased with the order of the American Legion of Honor, sent to him by the president for the raid on Tokyo.
The Order of the Legion of Merit is a US military award given to military personnel. armed forces United States, as well as military personnel of friendly states, for exceptional and outstanding services and achievements in service in an emergency.
Proposals to establish an award for merit in emergencies have been made since 1937. However, only after the entry of the United States into the Second world war this idea has come to fruition. On December 21, 1941, it was proposed to establish the Medal of Merit. On April 3, 1942, this project was submitted to the US Secretary of Defense for consideration, while the original name was changed to the Legion of Honor. On July 20, 1942, the US Congress approved the project. The new award was planned to be awarded to the military personnel of the United States and the Philippine Commonwealth, as well as the military personnel of the allied countries in World War II.
On October 29, 1942, President Franklin Roosevelt approved the provision for the award, according to which it should be presented on behalf of the President of the United States. In 1943, the authority to award US military personnel was transferred to the Department of Defense.
The Order of the Legion of Honor for awarding US military personnel is not divided into degrees and exists in a single degree (“legionary”). The award is mainly intended for generals and senior officer ranks, but in special cases it may also be awarded to junior ranks.
Distinguished Flying Cross
"Charles, I'm being serious. This woman, among other things, has something in her bank account.
- My friendly advice - spit on her. Find another, and in a week or two, this gorgeous miss will fade from your memory. And now I will tell you great news: there is a telegram at the headquarters - the president has thrown us a cross for flying merit.
- You're not kidding?
Staff Sergeant Gorris swore he read the telegram with his own eyes. He says that tomorrow it will be announced officially.
- By God, I can’t believe that we were awarded, although I know that crosses will not be given in vain. We honestly deserve them."
“An accidental nail or splinter on the runway disrupted his sortie. But the unfortunate lieutenant was not alone this morning. Soon, the second "lightning" from the Mitchell group, which returned from the route, came in to land. It did not produce fuel from external tanks. The scolding of this young man about the failure of technology was even more outrageous and sophisticated - he was being prepared for three whole days for a top secret responsible flight, for which he hoped to receive at least the Cross for Flying Merit.
The Distinguished Flying Cross was instituted on July 2, 1926. The first recipient was Charles Lindbergh for his flight over the Atlantic in 1927.
From March 1, 1927, awards were made only among military personnel. Currently, awards of the cross are made for heroism and bravery in aerial combat.
Regards Chechako 1
Japan awards. Orders, medals, badges of the Second World War with photographs and descriptions.
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The reward system in the Japanese Empire began to take shape in the Meiji era. In early March 1873, a commission was organized to study foreign award systems. At the beginning of March 1873, a commission was formed to analyze foreign materials related to the award system.
Mukaiyama, the ambassador to France, having ascertained how great the prestige of the orders in the diplomatic circles of Paris, reported in March 1866 that in Western European states they were awarded orders and medals not only for military, but also for merits in the civilian field. Awards, Mukaiyama wrote, are made using gold, silver, and precious stones. Orders and medals are awarded not only to citizens of their own country, but also to rulers and subjects of foreign countries, the Japanese ambassador pointed out. Being a symbol of recognition of merit, they are highly valued in society, more than the promotion of a large amount of money.
The first award ceremony in Japan took place in 1874. For a long time, the appearance of Japanese awards remained practically unchanged, but the text on them could change (for example, since 1936, instead of “Emperor of Japan” - “Emperor of the Great Empire”).
Until the end of the war in 1945, the owners of orders and medals were respected in the Land of the Rising Sun, they were treated like heroes. But in connection with the surrender in World War II, the attitude towards military awards has not changed for the better. Japan's combat awards appeared in the markets and in second-hand stores. US military personnel traded Japanese orders and medals for cigarettes, food and other trifles, as a kind of "souvenirs". Japanese military awards could be seen hanging from geisha kimono belts, dog collars, etc.
After World War II, Japan's award system underwent dramatic changes. From May 1946, the Japanese cabinet abolished all military awards as "symbols of militarism". The 1947 constitution abolished all privileges and cash payments to those previously awarded. Only in case of death awarded with orders the first degree, an amount was allocated to pay for the burial rite.
Only in 1963 was the possibility of awarding Japanese awards restored (except for the Order of the Golden Kite and some medals). In 1964, the posthumous awarding of the dead combatants, as well as those who died in captivity, resumed. The total number of such awardees in 1988 was 2,049,071 people, about 90% of the awards are the Order of the Rising Sun of the seventh and eighth degrees.
On August 20, 1945, the last commander of the Kwantung Army, Otozo Yamada, surrendered to the Soviet troops, signing a surrender. Let us recall the combat path of this "invincible" army.
The combat history of the Kwantung Army begins with the Manchurian Incident of 1931. In general, originally the Kwantung Army ("kwantung" is translated from Japanese language as east of the Great Wall of China) was created mainly to protect the railway lines in China outside the Japanese colonies. Gradually, this army becomes the most powerful military group of the Japanese Imperial Army in its entire history.
So, in 1931, the Kwantung Army was instructed to take Manchuria under complete control. The officers of the Kwantung Army, in turn, proposed to the Imperial Headquarters to carry out a series of provocations that would justify the Japanese offensive. For example, an explosion on a railway guarded by the Japanese. And just a few hours after the explosion, Japanese troops storm Chinese military units, put Chinese soldiers to flight. Manchuria became Japanese.
Medal with the image of Emperor Pu Yi - the ruler of Manchuria. This medal was awarded to all participants " liberation campaign"Kwantung Army.
Over the next few years, the Kwantung Army participates in operations of various scales in China. The Japanese command carried out the patronage of the puppet state of Manchukuo, whose government Tokyo tried to present as the only legitimate power in civil war China.
Medal with the flag of Manchukuo.
In 1933, the Kwantung Army carried out Operation Nekka, the purpose of which was the final subjugation of the northern Chinese provinces to the government of Manchukuo and the spread of Japanese influence in Inner Mongolia. The operation lasted exactly six months, from January to May. The most famous episode of this conflict was the battle for the Great Wall of China, some sections of which changed hands repeatedly.
The highest order of Manchukuo "Order of the Pillars of the State"
Award from the Japanese government "For the defense of Manchukuo"
On July 7, 1937, the "Marco Polo Bridge Incident" began the Japanese invasion of North China. On this day, Japanese troops, conducting maneuvers, fired at the Chinese garrison. The Chinese also responded with fire. A battle began, which lasted until July 9, after which a truce was concluded. However, the conflict did not end there. On July 14, the Japanese resumed hostilities, and on July 26 they presented the Chinese with an ultimatum to withdraw their troops from Beijing within 48 hours.
The Chinese authorities rejected this demand, and the next day (July 27, 1937) began, in fact, full-scale military operations that did not stop for 8 years, until the end of World War II. In accordance with "tradition," they were given the name "Chinese Incident" by the Japanese militarists.
Medal "For the Chinese Incident"
When the large-scale Sino-Japanese war began in 1937, units of the Kwantung Army had been in a state of combat of varying degrees of intensity for six years, which turned the army in Manchuria into the most prestigious part of the Imperial Army.
Many Japanese officers dreamed of starting military career specifically in Manchuria, as this guaranteed rapid career growth. As a result, the Kwantung Army became a kind of incubator for the Japanese officer corps on the eve of the outbreak of World War II. The prestige of the Kwantung Army was little affected even by the unsuccessfully conducted operations in 1938 against the Soviet troops near Lake Khasan and on the Khalkhin Gol River.
Medal of Veterans of the Imperial Japanese Army - such "flowers" in the buttonholes were received by officers who served in combat conditions for at least 6 years.
An officer's medal, the name of which can be translated as "For courage in battle."
Japanese soldier's medal for participation in the battles in Manchuria. Only fighters of the Kwantung Army were awarded.
Medal from the government of Manchukuo for combatants in Manchuria.
Medal for the battles at Khalkhin Gol
The fighting on Khalkhin Gol is a local armed conflict that lasted from spring to autumn 1939 near the Khalkhin Gol River in Mongolian territory near the border with Manchukuo between the USSR, the MPR on the one hand and the Empire of Japan and Manchukuo on the other. The final battle took place in the last days of August and ended with the complete defeat of the 6th separate army of Japan. The armistice between the USSR and Japan was concluded on September 16, 1939.
According to official Soviet data, the losses of the Japanese-Manchurian troops during the fighting from May to September 1939 amounted to more than 61 thousand people. killed, wounded and taken prisoner (of which about 20 thousand are officially declared losses of the Kwantung Army). The Soviet-Mongolian troops lost 9831 Soviet (together with the wounded - more than 17 thousand) and 895 Mongolian soldiers.
Japanese Order of the Red Cross Society, which helped the wounded.
Red Cross medal from the government of Manchukuo.
A rare badge of a participant in the Russian-Japanese Sports Games. The fact is that a large Russian community lived in Harbin in those years, and many former officers of the White Army began to cooperate with the Japanese occupation authorities.
Toy soldier of the Kwantung Army.
The number of the Kwantung grouping on the eve of World War II was constantly increasing. When Japan declared war on the United States in December 1941, 1.32 million soldiers were concentrated in northeast China. Since Japan abandoned plans to invade the USSR and focused on the war with the United States, the most combat-ready units began to be withdrawn from the Kwantung Army.
The result of these decisions of the Japanese command was the reduction in the strength of the group to 600 thousand soldiers (11% of the 5.5 million Japanese army). And now, for the most part, these were not experienced, battle-hardened soldiers, but recruits who were transferred from the beginning of 1945 to Manchuria, foreseeing the imminent invasion of the USSR.
Most of the modern military equipment was also withdrawn from the Kwantung Army long before 1945.
Medal of a participant in combat operations in the Great East Asian War (this is how the Second World War was called in Japan).
In August 1945, the USSR declared war on Japan and launched an invasion of Manchuria.
Armament of soldiers and officers of the Kwantung Army
August 9, 1945, on the first day of the offensive Soviet army they had to overcome the most heavily fortified border areas. The troops of the 1st Far Eastern Front, striking from Primorye, broke through a strip of Japanese reinforced concrete fortifications and deepened into enemy territory up to 15 km, and the formations of the 2nd Far Eastern Front, having forced the Amur and Ussuri rivers with battle, captured bridgeheads on the right bank of the Amur. Even greater success was achieved by the troops of the Trans-Baikal Front, who stormed the Manchurian-Chzhalaynorsky fortified region.
Award set for sake. It was distributed to officers who showed courage in battle.
On August 10, the government of the Mongolian People's Republic joined the statement Soviet government on August 8 and declared war on Japan.
Sailor Pacific Fleet next to the dead Japanese soldier in the forest on Sakhalin.
On August 11, the People's Liberation Army of China also intensified fighting against the Japanese invaders. As a result of the first powerful blow of the Soviet Army, the very next day after the outbreak of hostilities, the Japanese government announced through the Soviet ambassador in Tokyo that it was ready to accept the terms of the declaration of July 2 (3), calling for its unconditional surrender. However, the Japanese command did not give the order their armed forces to lay down their arms, and the Soviet troops, crushing the resisting enemy, continued to carry out the tasks previously assigned to them.
Loading a torpedo with the inscription "Death to the Samurai!" on the Soviet submarine of the Pacific Fleet of the "Pike" type.
Despite the fierce resistance of the enemy, who used the advantages of the mountainous and wooded terrain and tried with all his might to delay the advance of the Soviet armies, his pace grew more and more every day. And as a result of the first five days of the offensive of the Soviet Army, the Japanese fortifications in Manchuria were broken through.
Soviet troops dismembered the Kwantung Army and by rapid advance in all directions did not give the enemy the opportunity to organize consistent resistance on the river and mountain lines.
Colonel of the Red Army with surrendered soldiers of the Japanese army.
On August 19, Japanese troops almost everywhere began to surrender. In order to accelerate this process, to prevent them from evacuating or destroying material values, airborne assault forces were landed in Harbin, Mukden, Changchun, Girin, Port Arthur, Far, Pyongyang, Kanko (Hamhung) and other cities.
Japanese merchants prepared for the arrival of Soviet soldiers by preparing posters with inscriptions in Russian.
Taking under guard Japanese warehouses in the zone of operations of the 53rd Army of the Trans-Baikal Front in the vicinity of the Chinese city of Fuxin.
Immediately after the signing of the surrender of Japan on September 2, 1945 and the end of hostilities, it was decided to take under the protection of the Soviet troops numerous military depots with food, weapons and other property located in China.
Negotiations between the Soviet command and representatives of the headquarters of the Kwantung Army on the terms of the surrender of Japanese troops.
On August 20, the last commander of the Kwantung Army, Otozo Yamada, signed the surrender. After the defeat in Manchuria, Japan no longer had significant forces left to conduct operations outside the country.
The sword of the commander of the Kwantung Army (photo from the Museum of the Kwantung Army in Port Arthur)
War flag of the Imperial Japanese Army.
Banner of the Kwantung Army.
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The Japanese award system is one of the youngest in the world in comparison with the history of the country. The first Japanese order was established in 1866, and the first military medal appeared in 1874. The formation of the award system in Japan is directly related to the demise of the Tokugawa shogunate at the end of 1867 and Japan's course towards Europe. It was with an eye on the Europeans that the Japanese award system was formed, which, in principle, did not prevent it from being very original and interesting. Like the classical European one, it consists of the highest awards, orders, medals and decorations.
The first thing that catches the eye when getting acquainted with Japanese awards is the basing of their design on the floral ornament of three plants: sakura inflorescence, paulownia and chrysanthemum flower. These flowers are the basis for the design of most of the awards. It must be emphasized that in the manufacture of orders and medals, the Japanese were very prudent in the use of precious metals. Mostly silver with gilding was used. And even then, during the war years, silver was replaced with silver alloys. At the same time, the use of colored hot enamels favorably distinguished Japanese awards in brilliance, in comparison with other countries.
The Japanese are very scrupulous approach to the creation of awards. Sometimes this process took up to three years. But the design of the orders of Japan from the moment of their establishment to the present day has not changed much, unlike their statutes. True, not all awards since those times have been honored and respected in our time. After the capitulation in 1945, the population of the country changed its attitude towards the awards, seeing them as "symbols of war and militarism." Then orders and medals appeared on the shelves of antique shops and in second-hand stores. The soldiers of the American occupation forces exchanged Japanese orders for cigarettes and food, seeing them as a kind of "souvenirs". There were cases when geisha hung other people's orders from kimono belts, and dog owners hung them from the collars of their four-legged pets.
It should be noted that there were very few orders in the Japanese award system, but the existing ones had a large multi-stage - 7-8 degrees. This made it possible to formally equalize in recognition of merit - to know and ordinary people. Naturally, the highest degrees of orders relied on the highest military command, the lowest - on the rank and file. But even this approach did not hide the stinginess of the Japanese in awarding orders. The number of those awarded orders (a little over 1 million people) is very small compared to the 80 million population of Japan at the beginning of World War II.
The number of military medals in Japan is also not large, and they are in the nature of commemorative awards, and not recognition of individual merits or heroism in the war. Therefore, medals were awarded to a large number of military personnel who participated in various military operations. They did not differ in special design, as well as in special respect among the awarded.
All the stinginess of the award system in Japan was blocked by the generosity of issuing award signs. As in any award system, in Japan, award signs played a supporting role. The first awards for distinction were established back in 1881, and were intended to reward ordinary citizens, including women, and were awarded for specific success in social activities and for "working for the public good".
Among the award signs, a special place is occupied by the "Medals of Honor" - a specific Japanese type of awards. In appearance - a medal, in fact - a badge, in value - higher than the level of an ordinary medal. It is noteworthy that the number of those awarded with "Medals of Honor" is much less than those awarded with orders, not to mention the usual medals and decorations. The prestige of such awards is high in Japan to this day. At the same time, such a medal can be easily obtained after donating a certain amount to the needs of the state.
The qualification insignia of the Japanese armed forces are presented sufficiently big amount detailed signs in the army and navy. In aviation, they didn’t bother much. Popular in the Japanese armed forces were commemorative signs and tokens dedicated to maneuvers and the end educational institutions and courses. Numerous public organizations assistance and assistance to the military also did not skimp on minting all kinds of thanks, distinctions, signs for achievement, and so on. Local authorities did not lag behind them, distributing various badges to military personnel.
Along with award signs in Japan, rewarding with gold, silver or lacquered bowls (glasses) for sake was practiced. Cups could be received not only by military personnel, but also by those who assisted in the work done by the main person awarded the badge for distinction.
The reigning spirit of militarism in Imperial Japan bestowed badges on almost the entire population. Signs such as "Soldier's family member" or "Soldier's father" could be found in any Japanese during the war years.
An important part of maintaining militarism in the country was the veneration of the fallen soldiers. The family of the deceased necessarily received, either from the state or from local authorities, some kind of award or letter, more often special bowls with a thank-you document.
1 - cotton working uniform;
2 - field uniform made of woolen fabric with white cotton lining. The lining was marked with the owner, model type (type 98) and the manufacturer's mark.
In a large inner pocket of his uniform, the soldier kept a soldier's pay book (2a), material allowance book (2b) and another document (2c) .;
3 - field cotton trousers with ribbons at the ankles;
4 - side bag sample 1938;
5 - the most common side bag of the 1941 model;
6a - leather waist belt (6b) type 30 (sample 1897) with two pouches for 30 rounds each and one "reserve" pouches for 60 rounds.
As a rule, two pouches were worn on a belt on the stomach, to the right and left of the buckle, and one on the back, the “rear” pouches were somewhat different in design from the front ones. An oiler (6c) was attached to the right end of the rear pouch. This pouch was larger in size and had not two, but three compartments for 20 rounds each, that is, a total of 60 rounds could fit in the pouch.
The infantryman had no right to use cartridges from the rear, reserve, pouch without a special order.
A loop is put on the belt, designed to fasten the sheath of a bayonet-knife. The scabbard had two narrow loops or one wide.
The belt was equipped with an open metal buckle - aluminum, copper or steel. The buckles were sometimes dyed dirty olive or black.
Throughout the war, the design of the waist belt did not change, but instead of leather, ammunition began to be sewn from fabric.
The belt was supported on the tunic by two loops sewn to it, one on the right and one on the left;
6c - oiler;
7 - an oval-shaped identification plate of a soldier measuring 32 x 50 mm; medallions were made of aluminum or copper.
Along the edges of the medallion there was one square-shaped hole.
The Japanese always cremated the dead, so a second medallion designed to identify the body of the slain was not required.
The medallion contained a minimum of information about the soldier (pictured below, on the left).
The inscription on the medallion was read from top to bottom: the top symbol is the type of troops, then the regiment number, the individual number of the soldier. On the officer's medallion (in the figure below, on the right), the surname and rank were also indicated;
8a - underwear;
8b - two pairs of socks;
8c - toiletries;
8g - small towel;
8d - a large towel;
8e - slippers;
9 - an early type backpack.
An infantryman's backpack was a simple shoulder bag with a large flap at the top.
On the inner surface of the backpack there were ribbons designed to fasten all sorts of things.
The old style backpack was made of leather and had a rectangular shape. The skin was stretched over a wooden frame.
Shortly before the start of the war, a cloth version of a bag backpack on a wooden frame appeared.
In wartime, such backpacks began to be made of waterproof fabric.
The dimensions of the backpack are 127 x 330 x 330 mm.
In the backpack they carried dry rations and personal items;
10a - an old type flask with a capacity of 1 pint;
10b - 2.5 pint type 94 flask.
The flask of the 1934 model was made of aluminum and painted in a dirty olive color, the lid of the flask was natural cork.
A metal lid-cup was put on top of the cork, connected to the flask with a ribbon - so as not to get lost.
The flask could be attached to the belt with vertical or horizontal straps.;
11 - a pot consisting of four items: a lid / plate, a round pan attached to the side of the pan, a bowl for soup and a bowl for rice.
The last two containers were connected by wire.
A simplified model of a pot with a capacity only for rice was also produced.
The bowler hat was placed in a quilted case, which did not allow the contents of the bowler to cool quickly in the cold.
