Timeline of the First Sino-Soviet War (June 1934-March 1935), First Stage (June 1934-August 1934), Pt. 1
Author's Note: Refer to the AO map and force dispositions posted earlier.
Siberian Front: The Chita Operation
2 a.m, June 2nd, 1934: The war opens with Kliment Voroshilov's Siberian Front charging pell mell from Chita on the Trans-Siberian Railway towards Manzhouli. 850,000 Soviet troops surge forwards towards Qiqihar, blissfully unaware of the fact that the area will soon become heavily mountainous and has essentially no roads west of Haliar.
Pre-war photoreconnaissance analysis by 38th Army commander Peng Dehuai indicate that the Siberian Front has been poorly organized, with its logistical assets and reserve troops scattered across the steppe. Its main combat elements are widely dispersed. Although Peng's initial orders from Zhang Xueliang are to mount a static defense at Hulunbuir to block off the main road leading to Qiqihar, he has a better idea. Prior to the start of the invasion, he has requisitioned every truck, tank and airplane in the Harbin Area Group Army as well as half the fuel and ammunition reserves available in Manchuria. Most importantly, he "requisitioned" a large shipment of radio sets originally meant for the Xibei San Ma troops in the Inner Mongolian theater, which will have severe consequences later.
8 a.m, June 4th, 1934: The 38th Army fights a small skirmish with troops of the Siberian Front at the town of Manzhouli before retreating towards Haliar.
Due to the presence of large Chinese armored formations in the area, Voroshilov believes that the main Chinese concentration of armor in Manchuria is with Peng's 38th Army and uses his pull with Stalin to divert fuel and ammunition shipments meant for Mikhail Tukhachevsky's Trans-Baikal Front. Voroshilov continues to charge forward.
Morning of June 6th, 1934: As expected, the Siberian Front runs into extremely heavy resistance from General Ye Ting's 40th Army at Hulunbuir. Dug in German made 88mm AA guns, doubling as anti-tank guns, make a horrific mess of Voroshilov's already disorganized spearhead formations. Voroshilov's artillery train, strung out along the steppe and still mostly in limber, is essentially a non-factor. Other elements of the Siberian Front manage to take Mordaga and Mohe. Still, Voroshilov presses on, undaunted by the losses. Repeated massed infantry assaults on Hulunbuir are cut down by pre-sighted Chinese artillery concentrations. Russian artillery pieces are for the most part, entirely without ammunition and basically useless as the bulk of Voroshilov's trucks are still being unloaded from the railhead at Chita.
Evening of June 13th, 1934: After a week of heavy fighting at Hulunbuir, the Siberian Front is forced to withdraw, having taken over 35,000 casualties. Peng's 38th Army immediately counterattacks as the sun sets. In a sporadic and confused night action, 20 years prior to the invention of image intensifying devices, the 38th Army manages to scatter the Soviet rearguard and by morning has recaptured Manzhouli.
Morning of June 14th, 1934: Voroshilov initially planned to retreat back to Manzhouli and wait for his artillery train before continuing. Voroshilov himself is safely ensconced at Chita, largely unaware of what's happening on the front. In the meantime, panic sets in on the Siberian Front as division and corps commanders are scattered by the 38th Army's well organized troops. The 38th Army is quickly moving to capture the Siberian Front's scattered supply trains and surrounding large numbers of enemy troops who are often carted off to the Chinese rear in their own trucks.
June 16th-17th: Konstantin Rokossovsky, one of Voroshilov's army commanders, attempts to rally the flagging Soviet forces, who are now in full rout. Commissar Lev Mekhlis sees this as insubordination and immediately orders Rokossovsky's arrest and summary execution, however, the NKVD troops supposed to carry out the order are in Chita at the moment. Rokossovsky and his staff are captured outside of Mohe by 38th Army troops. As such, Rokossovsky's formal sentence is Death in Absentia.
Voroshilov tells Mekhlis to go fuck himself and that he will not allow such an order to be carried out. Rokossovsky wasn't exactly trying to defect to the enemy after all.
June 18th-June 25th: The 38th Army destroys much of the Siberian Front's supplies and manages to capture over 300,000 Soviet troops strung out along the steppe between Hulubuir and Chita. General Voroshilov is hastily trying to organize a relief column with fresh troops and tanks as they get off the Trans-Siberian Railway, but he has trouble organizing the troops into a proper relief force. When they are finally organized, the relief force is surrounded and cut apart
June 28th: Chinese troops surround Chita. However, defenses around the city have been dug in pretty solidly and the 38th Army is running out of ammunition and aviation fuel. Voroshilov informs Peng that he is willing to fight to the death. Peng, although able to use captured Russian fuel supplies, is running out of artillery shells. He decides to retreat eastwards along the Trans Siberian Railway, ripping up as much track as possible before moving south by mid-July.
In addition to the troops. Peng has captured over 10,000 Soviet trucks and a huge amount of fuel. This will come in handy later.
Peng wins an overwhelmingly victory against the Soviets and cements his reputation as a fearsome commander, but down south, things aren't looking so great.
Even still, this frees up significant mobile forces for operations on the Manchurian plain as the Siberian front is rendered combat ineffective for the duration of the Manchurian Conflict.