As the southern part of the Liaodong Peninsula was ruled by Japan as the Kwantung Leased Territory, leaving Manchukuo with very little coastline, the leadership of the Japanese Kwantung Army regarded the development of a Manchukuo navy to have a very low military priority, although it was politically desirable to create at least a nominal force as a symbol of the legitimacy of the new regime.
History
When the Imperial Japanese Armyinvaded Manchuria in 1931, they were accompanied by a detachment from the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN), which provided for coastal defense. However, the main naval requirement for Manchuria was the defense of its extensive border river system with the Soviet Union. Immediately after the Manchurian Incident of 1931, Kuomintang Northeastern Navy Vice-Minister Shen Honglie and Fleet Commander Xian Gongzhe deserted their posts. Local Kuomintang commander Captain Yin Zuqian (尹祚乾) met with Japanese forces at Harbin and agreed to turn over his fleet of five river gunboats to the Imperial Japanese Navy in Harbin on 15 February 1932. This flotilla formed the core of the Sungari River Defense Fleet (Chinese: 江防艦隊) under the State of Manchuria.
The Sungari Fleet was active on the Sungari, Amur and Ussuri rivers from 1933, and received additional gunboats from Japan. However, it proved hopelessly inadequate during the Pacification of Manchukuo, and the Japanese instituted numerous training programs in an attempt to raise its capabilities. Reserve or retired Japanese officers were assigned to the Sungari Fleet, and Manchukuo cadets were sent to study navigation and gunnery at the Imperial Japanese Navy Academy.
In November 1938, IJN units were withdrawn from Manchukuo, ostensibly because the training levels of the Imperial Manchukuo Navy had risen to acceptable levels, but in reality because of the ongoing political conflict between the Japanese army and navy over who had control over Manchuria. As a result of the withdrawal, the Navy Department in Manchuria (駐滿海軍部) was abolished in November of that year.
In November 1939 the navy (or more specifically, the River Defense Fleet; 江防艦隊) came under the control of the Manchukuo Imperial Army, and was renamed Upper River Force (Chinese: 江上軍).[1]
In 1942, most of the remaining Japanese personnel serving with the River Force were also withdrawn. As half of its officer class was Japanese, this left a huge gap in capabilities and the performance of the River Force deteriorated rapidly. Many ships became inoperable, and their anti-aircraft guns were demounted and used in land-based operations. At the time of the Soviet invasion of Manchuria, the River Force was completely unready for combat, and disintegrated in face of the overwhelmingly superior Soviet forces.
Manchukuo Navy Main Flotilla
Manchukuo Imperial Navy shipAichi D1A of the Manchukuo Imperial Navy
The Sungari River Fleet operated armored cars on the frozen rivers during wintertime, when their gunboats could not be deployed.
Manchukuo Imperial Navy land units
The Manchu Imperial Navy land units were formed from Japanese and Manchu crews, together with Manchukuo naval security police. They were charged with watching ports and naval bases, and guarding dams. Organized into two units of 500 men each, they were armed with light weapons and machine guns.
