This is an on-going project, which I have worked with on and off for some years, thus it is not finished yet. However, I've decided to publish what I have at the present anyhow to see if any of the readers of this site could add more info on this very little known but still very interesting conflict. So, if any of you have anything to add or correct, please contact me!

Also, in the end of the document there is a link to an excel-document with all known claims and listed for comparison.

The Battle of Khalkhin Gol was the decisive engagement of the undeclared Soviet-Japanese Border War, fought between the Soviet Union, Mongolia and the Empire of Japan in 1939. The battle was named after the river Khalkhin Gol passing through the battlefield. In Japan, the battle was known as the Nomonhan Incident after a nearby village on the border between Mongolia and Manchuria.

Background

In 1939, Manchuria was a puppet state of Japan, known as Manchukuo. The Japanese maintained that the border between Manchukuo and the Mongolian People's Republic was the Khalkhin Gol, which flows into Lake Buir. In contrast, the Mongolians and their Soviet allies maintained that the border ran some 16 kilometres (10 miles) east of the river, just east of Nomonhan village.

The principal occupying army of Manchukuo was the Kwantung Army of Japan, consisting of some of the best Japanese units in 1939. However, the western region of Manchukuo was garrisoned by the newly formed IJA 23rd Division at Hailar, under General Michitaro Komatsubara and included several Manchukuoan army and border guard units.

Soviet forces consisted of the 57th Special Corps, forward deployed from the Trans-Baikal Military District, responsible for the defence of the border between Siberia and Manchuria. The Mongolian troops mainly consisted of cavalry brigades and light artillery units, and proved to be effective and agile, but lacked armour and manpower in sufficient numbers.

May

Ground Operations

Soviet and Mongolian troops returned to the disputed region and Azuma's force again moved to evict them. This time things turned out differently, as the Soviet-Mongolian forces surrounded Azuma's force on 28 May and destroyed it. The Azuma force suffered eight officers and 97 men killed and one officer and 33 men wounded, for 63% total casualties.

VVS

After the first combat, the 22 IAP, commanded by major Nikolay Glazykin, was urgently sent to the area with four eskadrilyas (35 I-15bis and 28 I-16 tip 10s). On 26 May, they first ferried across near Baintumen and then onto Tamsag Bulag.
A short while later, the 38 SBAP commanded by kapitan Vladimir Artamonov, were also relocated with its 59 SBs.

On 27-28 May, the Soviet air regiments suffered heavily losses in combat. In these combats 70 and 22 IAPs had taken part and Soviet officially admitted the loss of twelve pilots KIA and 14 fighters (mostly I-15bis and some I-16 type 5s) to the end of May 1939.

IJAAF

As early as 12 May, an emergency detachment comprising units from 2nd Hikoshidan, the so-called Rinji Hikotai (Provisional Air Group) was dispatched to Hailar airfield about 160km north-east of Nomonhan. As for the fighter units, Rinji Hikotai initially comprised only of the 24th Sentai (Commander Lieutenant Colonel Kojiro Matsumura, who commanded the whole Rinji Hikotai) consisting of two chutais with 19 Ki-27s and the 10th Sentai with six Ki-15s and six Ki-30s. The 24th Sentai arrived in the Khalkhin Gol area on 18 May.
In the evening on 13 May, the commanding general of the Kanto-gun (Kwantung Army) placed the 10th and 24th Sentais under the command of the 23rd Division.

From 18 May, the 24th Sentai sent single chutais alternately to Kanjur Miao, from where their Ki-27 patrolled the Mongolian-Manchurian border.
On 24 May, it was joined by 11th Sentai (Commander Lieutenant Colonel Yujiro Noguchi) with four chutais of 56 Ki-27s.

A reconnaissance flight by a Ki-15 from the 10th Sentai in the end of May reported the presence of 66 Soviet aircraft on Tamsag Bulag airfield and two chutais from the 11th Sentai under the command of Colonel Yujiro Noguchi was despatched to the area to counter these numbers, the 1st and 3rd chutai moving to Caiyansua on 24 May.

Aerial Operations

21 May 1939
Chiyoji Saito of the 2nd chutai, 24th Sentai, claimed one Polikarpov R-Z (in fact a R-5) over the border as the second victory of the Incident.
This was a R-5 liaison aircraft on its way to the 6th MPRA Cavalry Division and the pilot Suprun was killed while the observer, Arkhipov safely parachuted.

22 May 1939
Three Ki-27s from the 1st chutai, 24th Sentai, led by Captain Saji Kani (leader of the 1st chutai) patrolled over the Khalkhin Gol. Three I-16s were spotted crossing the border, but six more attacked. In the ensuing combat, Captain Kani and Sergeant Major Yutaka Kimura each were claiming one I-16 whilst Sergeant Major Tatsumi claimed a third from another formation of these aircraft.
The 70 IAP reported that three I-16s and two I-15bis encountered five A5Ms (in fact Ki-27s) during a border patrol over the river at 12:20. They lost one I-16, which was shot down and its pilot I. Lysenko was killed in a close combat after having been separated from the group. The other four Soviet pilots turned and brought their fighters home safely.

23 May 1939
An SB flown by pilot Koshkin was damaged while landing at Bain-Obo-Somon, an airfield that was unfamiliar to the pilot.

25 May 1939
Soviet fighters flew some 60 combat sorties during the day.

26 May 1939
Nine Ki-27s of 11th Sentai attacked twice that number of I-16s of 70 IAP claiming nine for no loss (other sources claim that one Japanese aircraft was lost.

At the same time, ten Ki-27s from the 24th Sentai attacked a Soviet formation over Lake Buir-nur, claiming three shot down (1 I-16, 1 I-15bis and 1 R-Z) without any losses.

Sergeant Major Shogo Saito of the 1st chutai, 24th Sentai, fell behind his comrades. He pursued what he thought was the element leader's aircraft, only to find that he had caught up with a formation of I-15bis. Diving on these, he claimed two shot down.

1st Lieutenant Shoichi Suzuki from the 1st chutai, 24th Sentai, was on his way back to base with engine troubles when he encountered and shot down a large reconnaissance aircraft of unidentified type.

These losses aren't verified with Soviet records and in fact, it seems that no Soviet sorties was flown during the day, suggesting that the combats reported by the Japanese this day might have been those on 27 May.

27 May 1939
Eight I-16 tip 10s from 1st eskadrilya 22 IAP lead by polkovnik Timofey Kutsevalov departed from Tamsag Bulag to Hamar Daba on a dry lakebed near the Khalkhin-Gol River and some 30km from forward enemy units and lay in wait there. Should Japanese aircraft appear, their job was to scramble and intercept them. The fighters instructed by their leader, not to cross the borderline even in hot pursuit of enemy aircraft. The day saw three group scrambles in pursuit of enemy incursors, none leading to any result but in the evening, a wing of three Japanese fighters appeared overhead flying over Mongolian territory at 2,500m.
Kutsevalov rapidly scrambled his pilots but unfortunately, his own aircraft refused to start together with another. The six that managed to take-off flew east without having formatted for combat, merely following each other in the order of departure. They had reached 2,000m by the time the encountered the Japanese fighters, two flights of six Ki-27s from 1st chutai, 11th Sentai, led by Captain Kenji Shimada. The Japanese attacked in a tight combat formation, diving from superior heights of about 1,000m and moving faster. Deputy eskadrilya CO starshiy leitenant Nikolay Cherenkov tried to format his aircraft in a defensive circle but two I-16s were forced to leave the combat with failing engines making use of the I-16s superior dive speed and left westward, landing on the steppe without reaching their airstrip. As the pilots left their cockpit to signal that all was well, they instead witnessed Cherenkov's demise. His aircraft was fatally hit by Warrant Officer Hiromichi Shinohara and left a black smoke trail on its way to impact and explosion.
Attempting to flee, the remaining I-16s dived nearly to the ground. A Ki-27 got rather to close for effective aiming, but was nevertheless attacked by Kapitan Savchenko, who's fire tore part of the fuselage and control surface covering. The Japanese aircraft made off trailing smoke. Savchenko's engine then begun to lose power. At extremely low level, he had no chance manoeuvring and while crash-landing, his aircraft flipped over, killing him instantly.
Leitenant Aleksandr Pyankov was attacked from behind when he tried to escape, and he belly-landed wounded. As he did so, the last of the attackers strafed him. Though covered by armour, a 7.7mm bullet glanced across his face. He managed to keep cool despite the second wound, jumping clear after the last Japanese fighter had flown overhead and using the subsequent interval to run from his burning I-16. He then faced three exhaustive days on the steppe before coming across an armoured column, which rescued him.
The 1st eskadrilya was thus almost completely wiped put, only a shot-up I-16 returned from the encounter with 12 bullet holes. Two pilots died, one was wounded, and the unit was left without airworthy aircraft.
The returning Japanese pilot (six or nine depending on source) reported that they had engaged twice as many I-16s at an altitude of 3,300m, claiming nine shot down for no losses. Four of the claims were credited to Warrant Officer Shinohara while three more were credited to Captain Shimada. Sergeant Major Eisaku Suzuki chased an I-16 over the Khalka River. He forced it to land, then strafed it and set it on fire for his first victory.

28 May 1939
Japanese fighters covered strike and reconnaissance aircraft over the front. At daybreak, 40 aircraft appeared over the Khalkhin Gol and struck Soviet and Mongolian troops there. This led to an order for the 70 IAP to bring two eskadrilyas of 20 aircraft to readiness at Tamsag Bulag. They were scrambled but recalled after a single zveno of I-15bis had sortied. The three biplanes went off, never to return after encountering nine Ki-27s from the 11th Sentai.

The 22 IAP received a similar standby order at the same airfield. Aviopolk CO, major Nikolay Glzykin led ten I-16 tip 10s and the same number of I-15bis in parade-like formations but failed to find any enemies. On their return, as technicians began to readying the aircraft for further sorties, they were scrambled again. The monoplanes were always first to get ready and so the commander could only scramble them. The ten I-15bis of the 4th eskadrilya led by Deputy Aviopolk CO major Pavel Myagkov were 25 minutes late in the air. Thus, tactical coordination was broken at the very outset of the coming encounter. Errors in ground directions and the lack of radios meant they lost the opportunity to finding the Japanese, and their limited fuel forced them to return after a short patrol.
Left without the cover of the faster I-16s, the ten I-15bis were surprised from above by 18 Ki-27s led by 11th Sentai CO Colonel Yujiro Noguchi. The Japanese had not only numerical superiority, but also tactical advantages in speed and height. Meeting the Soviets head-on, they first set the leader, major Myagkov, alight. He dived for the ground and managed to put out the flames, but as he levelled off, his pursuer caught up with him and shot him dead.
Eskadrilya CO kapitan Balashov was also shot. His head wound made him lose consciousness for an instant, but seconds before impact he came to and summoned the strength to bring his stricken machine to the airfield. Left leaderless, the Soviet fighters scattered in an attempt to flee their Japanese pursuers and the encounter was turning into a rout for the Soviets. Four of their pilots died, one was missing in action, two were wounded, one was forced to bale out from his burning fighter to re-join the unit four days later, and a sole survivor managed to bring his shot-up I-15bis to the airfield.
One of the shot down pilots were leitenant Boris Lobanov, who parachuted and suffered severe injuries upon landing. His injuries were so bad that he was sent back to the Soviet Union on 31 May.
It seems that the VVS suffered totally 12 aircraft shot down while claiming 3 victories (claimed by the I-15bis from 22 IAP). The time for these combats were reported at 07:30-10:30.
The Japanese returned with the loss of a single Ki-27 when Lieutenant Mitsutoshi baled out and landed in hostile territory. 2nd Lieutenant Tomoari Hasegawa of the 1st chutai, 11th Sentai, landed in hostile territory and flew him out.
Totally during the day, the 1st and 3rd chutais of 11th Sentai claimed an extraordinary 42 victories (!) (21 victories by the 3rd chutai) during two combats for the loss of a single Ki-27 (Lieutenant Mitsutomi) during the day.
Warrant Officer Hiromichi Shinohara of the 1st chutai claimed one R-Z and five I-15bis, cutting the cords of the parachute of one of his victims with his wingtip. Sergeant Major Masao Ashida of the 3rd chutai claimed one victory while Sergeant Major Tomio Hanada (3rd chutai) claimed two despite constant stoppages of his guns. Sergeant Major Saburo Kimura (3rd chutai) spotted four I-15bis and closed to within 10 metres of one, recognising it as a Russian aircraft before shooting it down at Hara Hill. Sergeant Major Bunji Yoshiyama of the 1st chutai claimed one I-15bis.

The 24th Sentai was also in the air during the day but didn't claim anything.

June

Ground Operations

Throughout June, there were continuing reports of Soviet and Mongolian activity on both sides of the river near Nomonhan, and small-scale attacks on isolated Manchukoan units.

VVS

One of the reasons to the Soviet weakness against 11th and 24th Sentais of the JAAF in May had been that most of the higher commanders in Soviet regiments based in Mongolia and Far-East Military District had been relived form their posts and arrested by NKVD during the 1937-1939 purges period. One example was the staff of 22 IAP, which during the transport to the front in Mongolia in May 1939 got their commanders down to the eskadrilyas commanders arrested. A second weakness was the Polikarpov I-15bis, which was inferior to the JAAFs Ki-27s.

22 IAP had been the second regiment arriving in Mongolia.

70 IAP was based on an airfield called “Leningrad”, which was very primitive and out in the hot sun in an open space with no hangars, no trees and no shadow.

The 38 SBP had arrived in Mongolia by June. This unit was equipped with 59 SBs.
By this time the number of SBs in the 150 SAP had been brought up to 57 aircraft.
These two regiments, combined to form the 100 SAB, operated a total of 116 SB bobmers.

In the end of June, the first 20 I-153s arrived in Mongolia. The aircraft were transported to Czita where they were assembled and checked before being sent to Tamsag-Bulag. Totally Soviet sent 70 I-153s to this conflict (28 June - 15 November 1939). 17 of these were lost in combat and 6 were lost in non-combat accidents.
Shmushkevich ordered to pull out the best pilots from 70 IAP and to form an eskadrilya under the command of major Sergey Gritsevets, who until this had flown the I-16.

IJAAF

On 23 June, the 11th Sentai's 1st and 3rd chutais moved to Hailar.

The greater part of the 1st Sentai arrived at Caiyansuo on 26 June, where the 1st chutai rejoined its parent unit.

In the end of June, the Japanese forces consisted of three fighter sentais, totalling between them eight chutais, together with six heavy bomber, one light bomber and two reconnaissance chutais.

Aerial Operations

17 June 1939
Soviet aircraft began a series of attacks from this date and onwards.

19 June 1939
In the evening, IJAAF were ordered to move forward to airfields near Nomonhan (Nomen Kan).

22 June 1939
At 15:00, 22 I-16s and 14 I-15bis scrambled for the area of Khalkhin Gol River estuary and Khukhu-Undur-Obo. At 15:42 they became entangled in combat with two groups of Ki-27s. The first enemy formation consisted of 12 fighters and the second of 27. Eight I-15bis were lost in air combat, two I-16s were set alight on the ground and one was shot down. In return the Soviet pilots claimed seven Japanese fighters as shot down. At 17:34 the Japanese pilots broke off the combat and escaped in direction of Gandzur.
At 15:40, twelve I-16s and 14 I-15bis from 22 IAP scrambled and became engaged with Ki-27s. They returned at 17:15 and three I-16s and six I-15bis failed to return. One I-16 and one I-15bis forced-landed in the area of Hill 704. One pilot was found wounded and admitted to the hospital. Starshiy leitenant Anton Blazko was KIA in the Tamsag Bulag area.
At 16:57 twelve more I-15bis and ten more I-16s from 22 IAP took off for the battle area. They saw no enemy planes and returned at 18:10. According to the pilot Golubev one Ki-27 was destroyed on the ground in enemy territory during the first mission.
The Japanese reported that Soviet fighters crossed the border at Amkuro, south-east of Kanjur, and the 2nd chutai of the 24th Sentai took off to intercept, followed by the 1st chutai. The 2nd chutai encountered a reported 60 fighters and in the ensuing combat claimed 18 shot down for the loss of four; including the CO Captain Shigenobu Morimoto (Class 42), Sergeant Major Yoshio Yoshino (NCO67), Sergeant Major Kunizo Ishizuka (NCO73), which all three were killed and Sergeant Major Yotutaka Miyajima (NCO54) who was taken POW. A fifth fighter force-landed and the pilot returned later. Meanwhile, the 1st chutai joined the combat somewhat later, claiming six more victories.
An hour later, there was another alarm and the 1st chutai took off again, engaging ten plus I-15bis and a similar number of I-16s. The 2nd chutai had followed, and at once entered the fight, the 24th Sentai’s units together claiming 25 further victories, this time without loss. It seems that eight probables were also claimed.
During the second engagement, Captain Saiji Kani (leader of the 1st chutai) claimed five victories and later described the combat:

"How many enemy aircraft there were; but we have the courage, like eagles pursuing swallows, and overwhelmed the enemy. About 5.30 pm I spotted 25-26 more flying at about 2,000 metres - on the first pass one was going down in flames, and one by one others went down in the same way - more new enemy aircraft appeared and entered the battle - they were all around - we left the area of fighting and returned. There were many hits in the wings and tail of my aircraft."

23 June 1939
The 4th chutai of the 11th Sentai claimed one victory.

Sergeant Major Ken-ichi Nakanishi (Sho-2) of the 24th Sentai was killed during the day.

Eskadrilya CO kapitan Pavel Korobkov from 70 IAP (I-16) claimed a shared Ki-27 (reported as an A5M) together with four other pilots.

24 June 1939
A Ki-15 reconnaissance flight led by Lieutenant Colonel Mayoshi of the 10th Sentai flew over Tamsag Bulag. They observed 135 aircraft including four TB-3 heavy bombers on the airfield.

Captain Jozo Iwahashi (CO of the 4th chutai) led the 4th chutai of the 11th Sentai to attack some 60 hostile aircraft east of Buyr Nur despite at a tactical disadvantage, claiming 12 for no losses during a morning combat. Two of these were claimed by Iwahashi himself (this was his first engagement), six were claimed by Sergeant Major Shoji Kato (Iwahashi's wingman) and one by Corporal Jiro Okuda.
Corporal Naoharu Shiromoto, who also flew as wingman to Captain Iwahashi was attacked by several Soviet fighters and chased down to low level. He managed to escape their passes, returning to claim one victory.
It seems that the VVS lost two aircraft while claiming 25.

In the evening, the 2nd chutai of the 11th Sentai engaged ten-plus I-16s, claiming three for one loss when 1st Lieutenant Ippei Amano (NCO29) was killed.

TASS reported the attack of 60 Japanese aircraft, which was countered by the same amount of Soviet aircraft. 25 Japanese aircraft were claimed as shot down,

I-16s from 22 IAP claimed three Ki-10s (reported as a ”I-96s”) over Lake Buir-Nur. These claims were made by starshiy leitenant Viktor Rakhov, leitenant Vasiliy Trubachenko and leitenant Yakimenko.

I-16s from 70 IAP was in combat with Ki-27s over the city of Bai-Hoshu where leitenant Platon Smolyakov claimed one, eskadrilya commander starshiy leitenant Mitrofan Noga a second and major Aleksandr Mochalin a third.
It is possible that this combat took place at 06:30 since 70 IAP lost two I-15bis and pilots in air combat at this time when starshiy politruk Boris Polavov and mladshiy leitenant Rachik Grigoryan were killed in the Khalkhin-Gol River area. Both are buried 15km from Tamsag Bulag.

Lieutenant Colonel Kojiro Matsumura CO of the 24th Sentai led the whole Sentai to intercept a formation of SBs from 150 SAP and their escorting fighters. Matsumura's newly appointed wingman Sergeant Major Yutaka Kimura claimed one SB destroyed, which raised his score to nine. His aircraft was then hit, and he was wounded by several 7.7mm bullets, only with difficulty escaping and returning to the unit’s airfield. He was to spend six weeks in hospital.

26 June 1939
Between 15:20-16:30, major Sergey Gritsevets of the 70 IAP claimed two enemy fighters over Ganzhur while leitenant Petr Poloz claimed a third. It’s possible that these were claimed in combat with the newly arrived 1st Sentai, which was involved in combat during the evening on this day claiming six Soviet fighters without losses. Whilst on their way to Caiyansuo airfield, the third element, comprising Sergeant Major Mitsuyoshi Tarui and Corporal Shinji Arai, encountered some I-15bis. As they prepared to give battle, they were bounced by a reportedly 50-60 more hostile fighters from above. The sheer numbers obviously caused confusion amongst the attackers, for the two Japanese pilots, joined by 1st Lieutenant Fujio Honma, who sped to their aid, managed to shoot down two each of their opponents, and escape unscathed!
After the combat, major Gritsevets landed his I-16 alongside the aircraft of his commanding officer, major V. Zabaluyev, who had been forced down in hostile territory, 60 kilometres behind the Japanese lines.
He first proposed to Zabaluyev to flown/escape in his aircraft, but he couldn’t persuade him to leave Gritsevets behind and they returned successfully with both squeezed into the cockpit.
For his effort, Gritsevets was decorated with a second Gold Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union on 29 August.
This wasn’t a unique incident during the Khalkhin Gol conflict and Japanese pilots landed behind enemy lines at least on five times to pick up stranded pilots.

According to Japanese sources, Lieutenant Suzuki intercepted three SBs and reported shooting one of them down.
In fact, not a single SB was lost on this date.

Starshiy leitenant Iosef Geibo's unit from 70 IAP reportedly claimed ten Japanese aircraft for the loss of three I-15bis.

27 June 1939
The Japanese launched heavy air attacks when the Japanese 2nd Hikodan struck the Soviet air bases in Mongolia. At dawn, a force of 57 heavy and light bombers led by Lieutenant General Tetsuji Giga took off from Hailar Airfield. The force included nine Ki-30s of the 10th and 16th Sentais, nine Ki-21s of the 61st Sentai plus twelve BR.20s of the 12th Sentai. From forward airfields they were escorted by 74 Ki-27s from all three fighter Sentais with the 24th Sentai flying top cover. On reaching Mongolia the force was divided into two task groups.
At Tamsag Bulag, a Ki-15 reconnaissance aircraft was spotted above the airfield and quickly was brought down. Soon observation posts began reporting a large enemy aircraft formation approaching. The alert was signaled immediately and about ten minutes later, the bombing began with the Japanese releasing their bombs from 3,500 to 4,000m having to make their way through the anti-aircraft barrier. Meanwhile, some Soviet fighters had already taken off, while others hurriedly taxied to follow them thus the Japanese bombing failed to meet its objectives. 34 I-16s and 13 I-15bis entered a short clash with the Japanese escort that was seemingly reluctant to fight and soon disengaged to follow the retreating bombers. The Soviets did not give chase but reported five enemy aircraft as shot down, including two bombers. Major Grigoriy Kravchenko of 22 IAP reported ”an R-97 shot down after pursuit” (which implied a Ki-15 in Soviet terms). The Japanese reported three Ki-27s (11th Sentai) and two Ki-15s (61st Sentai) as lost and acknowledged a single Ki-21 from the 61st Sentai making a forced landing in the Mongolian territory. The crew set the aircraft on fire before leaving aboard a similar bomber that landed nearby to collect them.
Meanwhile, the other group of Japanese bombers performed a raid on Bain Burdu Nor airfield where 70 IAP was deployed. Here the Japanese managed to take the enemy by surprise as Japanese saboteurs had cut the telephone lines between Russian observation posts and the regiment headquarters, and the Soviet fighters were caught on the ground. As a result, two I-16s were destroyed by direct bomb strikes, and a dozen fighters were shot down at take-off. The total losses amounted to nine I-16s and five I-15bis, and the human casualties included seven pilots killed and five wounded. One of the wounded was leitenant Vladimir Mironenko who was wounded in air combat while flying an I-15bis and subsequently evacuated to a hospital in the USSR. The Japanese left the field unbeaten to celebrate their success.
On the same day, the Japanese bombed Bain Tumen, where SB bombers and an escort fighter squadron were deployed. Five Ki-30s and 21 Ki-27 participated and casualties were limited to an I-15bis fighter shot down in a dogfight with Ki-27s. Ground losses included one technician killed and 19 wounded.
Totally, the Japanese bombers claimed 49 Soviet aircraft destroyed on the ground.
During these raids, the 24th Sentai, providing top cover, was able to claim only three victories.
The 1st Sentai claimed 45 without loss. Future ace Hitoshi Asano (22 victories) of the 2nd chutai flew his first engagement as No. 3 in the commanding officer's flight. A number of I-15bis were surprised as they were climbing, and Asano claimed eight shot down. Sergeant Major Megumu Ono of the 2nd chutai flew as the third aircraft in Captain Yamada's element. They attacked I-15bis climbing to intercept them, and against these, he claimed his two first victories. Muneyoshi Motojima of the 1st chutai claimed his first victory on his first mission.
1st Lieutenant Yoshihiko Yajima of the 2nd chutai, 1st Sentai, claimed his two first victories during the attack on Tamsag Bulag.
Whilst on the way to Tamsag Bulag, 1st Lieutenant Fujio Honma of the 1st chutai, 1st Sentai, collided with Corporal Shinji Arai from the same chutai, and Honma was forced to bale out into hostile territory. Sergeant Major Mitsuyoshi Tarui from the same chutai at once landed beside him and flew him back to base.
The 11th Sentai claimed 50 for just two losses! The killed pilots were 1st Lieutenant Sadayoshi Mitsutomi (NCO46) and Sergeant Major Kiyoshi Hori (NCO58). Totally three fighters were lost.
The 1st chutai claimed 26 victories over Tamasagbulag. Warrant Officer Hiromichi Shinohara of the 1st chutai, 11th Sentai, claimed eleven Soviet fighters shot down! Sergeant Major Koichi Iwase flew as wingman to Warrant Officer Shinohara in his first engagement. He fired off all his ammunition to no avail, receiving in return at least ten bullet holes in his own aircraft.
Sergeant Major Bunji Yoshiyama of the 1st chutai claimed three I-16s and one I-15bis. Whilst returning to base, he also landed to pick up Sergeant Major Eisaku Suzuki, who had force-landed east of Buyr Nur.
Warrant Officer Mamoru Hanada the leader of the 2nd chutai's third section claimed six aircraft destroyed.
2nd Lieutenant Yamato Takiyama of the 2nd chutai flew as a member of the section of Captain Koji Motomura, the chutai leader. During the combat Takiyama claimed an I-16.
Sergeant Major Saburo Kimura of the 3rd chutai, 11th Sentai, was surrounded by eight or nine hostile aircraft, but although he was hit, he escaped, claiming to have shot down four I-16s and three I-15bis. Kimura was hospitalized after this combat. The rest of the chutai's pilots added four further claims to bring the day's tally to 11.
Takaaki Minami of the 4th chutai, 11th Sentai, was pressed by seven enemy aircraft but he managed to claim three of them shot down even if his Ki-27was hit 36 times and he was pursued down almost to the ground. Here Sergeant Major Bunji Yoshiyama came to his aid, and he was able to get back to base.
Corporal Jiro Okuda of the 4th chutai, 11th Sentai, claimed three victories.
Corporal Naoharu Shiromoto of the 4th chutai, 11th Sentai, was strafing Tamsag Bulag when his aircraft was hit by AA fire and he was escorted back to base by Corporal Okuda, gliding the last few kilometres after his engine finally quit.
The Japanese strike had been ordered by the Kwangtung Army without getting permission from Imperial Japanese Army headquarters in Tokyo. Tokyo promptly ordered (on 29 June) the Japanese Army Air Force not to conduct any more strikes and reprimanded General Giga for the use of excessive force as the Japanese General Staff was haunted by the prospect of this 'local conflict' evolving into a full-scale war, for which Japan was not yet prepared. While this was all happening the two countries maintained diplomatic relations and kept on exchanging protest notes pertaining to any minor incident. The concern for the Japanese was that their mass raids on Mongolia could provoke the USSR to perform counterstrikes on targets in Korea and even Japan. As it turned out the Soviet Command had prepared plans for air raids against Japan, Korea and Manchukuo with dozens of military, industrial and transport targets pin-pointed. For instance, a route map was ready for a night raid on Tokyo to be carried out by two TB-3 heavy bomber regiments (up to 100 aircraft) and plans were also in place for heavy bombers to sweep along the Chinese Eastern Railway from Khabarovsk to a Trans-Baikal airbase and back. Two squadrons of the newest DB-3 long-range bombers had been already relocated to advanced positions along the Soviet bank of the Amur River. With the beginning of Khalkhin Gol combat operations, the Soviet Air Force regiments located along the South-eastern Pacific coast were placed in operational readiness, and their commanders received sealed envelopes with advance orders about the bombing targets. But the order to attack never came.

July

Ground Operations

The two armies continued to spar with each other over the next two weeks along a four-kilometre front running along the east bank of the Khalkhin Gol to its junction with the Holsten River. Zhukov, whose army was 465 miles away from its base of supply, assembled a fleet of 2600 trucks to supply his troops, while the Japanese suffered severe supply problems due to a lack of similar motor transport.

On 23 July, the Japanese launched another large-scale assault, sending the 64th and 72nd regiments against the Soviet forces defending the Kawatama Bridge. Japanese artillery units supported the attack with a massive barrage that consumed more than half of their ammunition stores over a period of two days. The attack made some progress but failed to break through Soviet lines and reach the bridge.

The Japanese disengaged from the attack on 25 July due to mounting casualties and depleted artillery stores. They had suffered over five thousand casualties to this point but still had 75,000 men and several hundred planes facing the Communist forces. The battle drifted into stalemate.

VVS

On 16 July, 56 IAP arrived equipped with a mix of I-16s and I-153s.

SB units carried out 224 combat sorties from 3 to 5 July and its highly likely that the twelve SBs reported as lost in the period from 28 June through 12 July were actually lost on 3-5 July.

IJAAF

During the first ten days of July, the fighters were regularly heavily engaged, the 1st Sentai recording combats on 3, 4, 5 and 10 July, during which 80 victories were claimed without loss!, The 11th Sentai claimed 205 destroyed and six probables between 23 June and 11 July, although ten pilots were killed and four more were wounded. The 24th Sentai made 43 claims (including some probables) during 3, 4 and 8 July.

By 21 July, the 24th Sentai had flown more than 170 missions, been engaged in 20 combats and claimed 157 victories.
On 23 July, the reported 22 serviceable Ki-27s available and in the next three consecutive days, they claimed a further 42 victories for the loss of three killed and two wounded.

Engagements on 23, 24, 25 and 29 July brought 117 more claims for the 11th Sentai.

Aerial Operations

3 July 1939
Both 1st and 24th Sentais were involved in combat during the day.
During the evening, Corporal Jiro Okuda of the 4th chutai, 11th Sentai, pursued a formation of SBs for 12 minutes, shooting one down - one of the first bombers to be claimed during the Incident.
This was probably a SB from 150 SAP, which was lost probably in the Nomon-Khan-Burd-Obo area between 15:00-17:00 with starshiy leitenant Vasily Bokov (CO 150 SAP) being KIA.

A Ki-21 (s/n 87) from 61st Sentai was shot down by AA fire at the left bank of Khalkhin Gol River and the crew was KIA; pilot Sergeant Kaoru Ohi, bomb aimer 1st Lieutenant Hideo Sawairi, rear gunner Staff Sergeant Akira Shiraishi and forward gunner Staff Sergeant Yasuo Nagata.

A Ki-10 (s/n 219) from 10th Sentai was shot down by AA fire at the vicinity of a fording head of Khalkhin Gol River. The pilot 1st Lieutenant Shirabe was WIA but the observer 2nd Lieutenant Sabrô Takahata was KIA.

The Soviet forces made claims for 32 Japanese aircraft during the day.

Starshiy leitenant Pavel Mityagin and leitenant Aleksandr P’yankov from 22 IAP (I-16) both claimed a shared reconnaissance aircraft (”in group”) over Khamar-Daba.
Starshiy leitenant Georgiy Khontulev claimed two shared Ki-27s during the day; both claims were made ”in group”. Starshiy leitenant Viktor Rakhov and mladshiy leitenant Aleksandr Smirnov from 22 IAP claimed a shared Ki-27 (reported as a ”I-97”) together with five other pilots over a place reported as site no. 10.
It seems that this last claim was made together with pilots from 70 IAP since eskadrilya CO kapitan Pavel Korobkov from 70 IAP (I-16) claimed a shared Ki-27 also together with six other pilots in the same area so it looks that this was the same combat.

Near the Khamardaba Height, in conditions of heavy haze, one of the Soviet SB groups bombed friendly forces.

4 July 1939
While approaching their targets, Soviet SBs were fired upon by a group of Ki-27s that had come down from the clouds in a head-on attack. The Japanese fighters came under defensive fire from the twin ShKAS machineguns in the forward cockpit of the bombers. SB navigators reported shooting down four Ki-27s.
It seems that three SBs from 150 SAP was lost (one of them in the Buy-Nur area) when they were shot down by fighters. Known aviators KIA are pilot starshiy politruk Ivan Borvinchenko, pilot starshiy leitenant Anton (Anatoly) Novikov, pilot starshiy leitenant Nikolay Perevyasko, gunner/bombardier leitenant Mikhail Nikitin, gunner/radio-operator starshina Pavel Anisimov and gunner/radio-operator starshina Nikolay Goloborodko

Both 1st and 24th Sentais were involved in combat during the day.

Sergeant Major Goro Furugori of the 3rd chutai, 11th Sentai, shot down a SB and then an I-16. He then cut the strings of his opponent's parachute with the right wingtip of his aircraft, returning with lengths of cord still attached. That night he found a string on his Shamisen (Japanese banjo-like instrument) had been cut!
During the evening, Sergeant Major Tomio Hanada of the 3rd chutai, 11th Sentai, had claimed three victories when Captain Takashi Fujita, leader of the chutai, was seen baling out of his blazing Ki-27; Hanada at once provided cover for his commanding officer's descent, then landed nearby and flew the badly burned pilot back to base.

In the evening, Captain Tashiro led the 2nd chutai of the 24th Sentai to intercept a formation of SBs and I-16s over Buir-Nur. In the fight that followed, Sergeant Major Koji Ishizawa claimed two but was hit, being wounded in the head and right leg. However, he only remained in hospital for two weeks before returning to combat. The Japanese fighters totally made claims for 53 destroyed and 15 probables

Around 15:40, starshiy leitenant Vitt Skobarikhin, leitenant Anton Yakimenko and leitenant Nikolai Grinev of 22 IAP (I-16) claimed a shared Ki-27 (reported as a ”I-97”) together with seven other pilots between posts nos. 92-93.
Ten pilots claimed five shared Ki-27s (reported as a ”I-97”) over Post No. 93 at the same time. Six of the pilots were starshiy leitenant Nikolay Arsenin, starshiy politruk Arseniy Vorozheykin, leitenant Ivan Krasnoyurchenko, leitenant Sergey Podorozhnyy, leitenant Silin and leitenant Vasiliy Trubachenko. It seems that kapitan Vasiliy Gugashin and leitenant Vasiliy Novikov-Il’in (both from 70 IAP in I-16s) also took part in these claims since it’s known that they claimed five shared ”I-97s”.
Starshiy leitenant Skobarikhin also claimed two Ki-27s (reported as ”I-96s”) south-east of Khalkhin-Sume and a third Ki-27 (reported as a ”I-96”) north-east of Khalkhin-Sume together with another pilot, possibly starshiy leitenant Fedor Golub. Starshiy leitenant Golub also claimed an additional individual Ki-27.
Leitenant Grinev also claimed an additional Ki-27 (reported as a ”I-96”) north-east of Lake Buir-Nur.
Major Grigoriy Kravchenko claimed another individual Ki-27 (reported as a ”I-96”) in the Khalkin Gol area.
Leitenant Aleksandr P’yankov claimed three shared Ki-27s, Georgiy Priymuk also claimed three shared Ki-27s, starshiy leitenant Pavel Mityagin claimed two while starshiy leitenant Viktor Chistyakov claimed one Ki-27 (reported as a ”I-96”) and one shared Ki-27 (reported as a ”I-97”) ”in group” (these claims are probably included above). Starshiy leitenant Vasiliy Vuss, leitennt Ivan Groshev and starshiy leitenant Mark Shpan also claimed one shared Ki-27 each (reported as a ”I-97s”) ”in group” (probably included above).

Eskadrilya CO kapitan Pavel Korobkov from 70 IAP claimed three shared Ki-27s at around 15:40 together with four other pilots.
70 IAP lost one pilot at 16:45 when eskadrilya CO starshiy leitenant Vladimir Alekseevich Kochubev (born 1918) was shot down in his I-16 (s/n 2153142) and did not return. According to some data, he was buried in Bain-Tumen but according to other data, he was not found. In addition, there is information that he was captured, and he did not return from captivity.

5 July 1939
The 1st Sentai was involved in combat during the day.
Sergeant Major Muneyoshi Motojimaof the 1st chutai claimed three enemy fighters shot down. Some ten others then surrounded him, but with a series of sharp turns, he eluded these, shot down one more, and returned to base.

A SB from 150 SBP, attacked by Japanese fighters suffered serious damage to the wing spars and fuel tanks but the pilot managed to hide in the clouds. Inexperienced in instrument flying, the pilot stalled the SB into a spin but managed to level off and land safely. When the aircraft was inspected, it was found that the aileron control rods, ailerons, engine cowlings, propellers, two fuel tanks, several fuselage frames, and many other load-carrying elements had been shot through. After the inspection and minor field repairs, the SB was ferried to Irkutsk for extensive repairs.

Starshiy leitenant Vitt Skobarikhin of 22 IAP (I-16) claimed a shared Ki-27 (reported as a ”I-97”) south of Bain-Hishu together with another pilot; this was possibly starshiy politruk Vladimir Kalachev, who also claimed a Ki-27 as a shared with another pilot.. Leitenant Gavriil Raykov claimed a second Ki-27 at an unknown place and starshiy leitenant Viktor Chistyakov claimed a third.

A SB from 38 SBP was shot down in air combat around noon over Halun-Arshan. In the combat a Japanese fighter was claimed shot down and credited to starshiy politruk Ivan Nikolayevich Baranov (unclear if he was aircraft commander or pilot) before he perished in the crashing SB.

Leitenant Vasily Shkomov from 70 IAP (I-16) was shot down in a dogfight and evacuated wounded to a hospital.

Totally during 4 and 5 July, the Soviet forces claimed 24 Japanese aircraft shot down.

6 July 1939
17 Japanese fighters claimed 26 victories while losing two aircraft from 11th Sentai when 1st Lieutenant Naoyuki Daitoku (Class 48) was taken POW and Sergeant Major Ryuichi Kitayama (NCO60) was killed. Warrant Officer Mamoru Hanada of the 2nd chutai, 11th Sentai claimed two I-16s shot down, he then ran out of fuel. He force-landed but returned safely to base next morning.
1st Lieutenant Datoku was captured unconscious and with his face badly burnt. He was released on 27 April 1940 together with Major Fumio Harada (captured on 29 July) but both were forced to commit suicide by the Kenpai tai shortly after their release.

The Soviets reported 21 Japanese fighters shot down during the day.

I-16s from 22 and 70 IAPs were in combat with Ki-27s (reported as a ”I-97”) in the Lake Uzur-Nur area at dawn.
Starshiy leitenant Vitt Skobarikhin of 22 IAP claimed one off Lake Usur-Nur. This Ki-27 was claimed in a ”taran” ramming attack. This was the first of this kind during this conflict and he was awarded the Gold Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union for this feat. Starshiy leitenant Viktor Rakhov claimed one over the lake while leitenant Ivan Krasnoyurchenko claimed one and two more as shared with five other pilots (including leitenant Sergey Podorozhnyy and major Mikhail Reznik). Starshiy leitenant Georgiy Khontulev claimed one destroyed Ki-27 while leitenant Vasiliy Trubachenko claimed one destroyed Ki-27 and two more shared with four other pilots.
Leitenant Nikolay Zherdev from 70 IAP claimed two Ki-27s south-west of the lake. Leitenant Vasiliy Novikov-Il’in (70 IAP) claimed two shared Ki-27 ”in group” but it’s not know with which other pilots.
Leitenant Georgiy Solyankin from 22 IAP was killed when his I-16 was shot down during this combat.

Major Timofey Kutsevalov from 56 IAP (I-16) claimed a Ki-27 (reported as a ”I-97”) during the day.

7 July 1939
Nine I-153s of the 70 IAP patrolled along the border. They weren’t allowed to cross the border due to orders from Shmushkevich. Major Sergey Gritsevets led the formation and the I-153s were covered by a group of I-16s led by squadron leader Chistiakov from 22 IAP. Over the Khamar-Daba Mountain they encountered Japanese Ki-27s and according to a pre-planned plan Gritsevets turned his formation around as if fleeing. The Japanese, mistaking the I-153s for I-15bis took the bait and followed in hot pursuit. The I-153s turned around again and attacked the surprised Japanese. The Soviet pilots quickly claimed four Ki-27s without losses and the retreating Japanese was also attacked by the I-16s. According to Japanese sources, two Ki-27s were lost although no pilots were killed.

Elven pilots from 22 IAP (I-16) claimed a shared Ki-27 (reported as a ”P-97”) south of Lake Yanhu. Pilots included starshiy leitenant Georgiy Khontulev, starshiy leitenant Aleksandr Murmylov, leitenant Aleksandr P’yankov, starshiy leitenant Viktor Rakhov, leitenant Ivan Sakharov and mladshiy leitenant Aleksandr Smirnov.
Mladshiy leitenant Viktor Nikiforovich Plakhov (Plokhov) was shot down in air combat in his I-16 and killed.

8 July 1939
The 24th Sentai was involved in combat during the day.
Totally IJAAF fighters claimed 50 victories during the day for the loss of three aircraft and one pilot killed; Sergeant Major Kyusuke Goto (NCO72) of 24th Sentai.

Fighters from 22 IAP were heavily involved in combat and starshiy politruk Ivan Podgorny (I-15bis) claimed a Ki-27 between post nos. 92-93 as did starshiy leitenant Viktor Rakhov while starshiy leitenant Aleksandr Murmylov (I-16) claimed two more. Kapitan Konstantin Kuzmenko (I-16) claimed two shared at the same place, one shared with another pilot and one shared with two other pilots. Starshiy leitenant Samson Andreyev (I-15bis) claimed a second Ki-27 at an unknown place. Andreyev was then wounded and he was evacuated to a hospital in the Soviet Union. Starshiy leitenant Viktor Chistyakov (I-16) claimed one shared Ki-27 with another pilot (Kuzmenko?). Starshiy politruk Vladimir Kalachev, leitenant Aleksandr P’yankov, starshiy leitenant Mark Shpan and starshiy leitenant Vasiliy Vuss claimed one Ki-27 each.
Starshiy politruk Nikolai Bibik from the same unit was shot down in combat in his I-16 in the Nomon-Khan-Burd-obo area.

9 July 1939
18 Japanese fighters were involved in combat and claimed 28 destroyed and 1 probable while losing two aircraft and one pilot killed: Sergeant Major Toshio Nakada (NCO69) of the 11th Sentai.

Vasiliy Smirnov from 22 IAP (Polikarpov biplane) claimed two shared Ki-27 over Lake Naryn-Nur together with one other pilot. This was possibly mladshiy leitenant Aleksandr Smirnov (I-16), who claimed two shared Ki-27 (reported as a ”I-97s”) in the same area during the day. Leitenant Ivan Sakharov (I-16) claimed a third Ki-27 destroyed (according to some documents, Sakharov claimed this as a shared with another pilot).

Eskadrilya commander starshiy leitenant Mitrofan Noga of 70 IAP (I-16) claimed three shared Ki-27s (reported as A5Ms) north of Lake Uzur-Nur.
70 IAP lost starshiy leitenant Lavrentiy Tikhonovich Belokobylenko (born 22 August 1918) who was shot down in combat between 18:00-18:30 in his I-16. According to some sources, he was captured, from which he returned after the end of hostilities in the fall of 1939 but according to other sources, his body was found on 10 July 1939 and was identified by the number of the aircraft.

10 July 1939
The 1st Sentai was involved in combat during the day.

On take-off, Warrant Officer Mamoru Hanada (NCO38) of the 2nd chutai, 11th Sentai forgot his favourite brown muffler, which he usually wore in the air, and after claiming six I-16s shot down, he was hit in the thigh. He added a further victory, and then managed to land his Ki-27, which had only been slightly damaged, amongst friendly forces. He was at once removed to hospital where his leg was amputated, but he died on the morning on 12 July. In a period of about two weeks, the 26-year-old pilot had claimed 17 victories.

Totally 22 IJAAF fighters claimed 63 destroyed and 1 probable for the loss of 1 aircraft although no pilots were killed.

It is reported that the Soviet forces shot down eleven Japanese aircraft during the day.

In the morning, 22 IAP was in combat in the Huhu-undur-ob area and leitenant Petr Agafonov (I-153) claimed a Ki-27 while leitenant Pavel Solntsev (I-16) claimed a shared together with two other pilots (one of them was possibly leitenant Yakov Kurbatov). Eskadrilya commander kapitan Aleksandr Ivanovich Balashov (I-16) claimed one Ki-27 before he was wounded by a bullet in his abdomen, and he made a forced landing on the steppe. He was taken to hospital where he died of his wounds on 13 July. At the time of his death, Balashov had flown more than ten sorties over Nomonhan and taken part in five air combat.
Leitenant Pavel Mikhailov claimed a shared Ki-27 with another pilot (possibly starshiy leitenant Petr Grayevskiy) but neither place nor time is known.

Major Vyacheslav Zabaluyev from 70 IAP (I-16) claimed one Ki-27 while starshiy leitenant Aleksandr Khirnyy claimed a second (reported as an ”I-96”).

12 July 1939
20 fighters from the 1st Sentai claimed eleven victories but recorded its first losses when two pilots failed to return, Sergeant Masamitsu Wada (Sho-3) Corporal Masanao Ikegami (Sho-4) both being killed, whilst the unit commander Lieutenant Colonel Toshio Kato, baled out over Soviet-held territory. He had suffered severe burns, but he was rescued when Sergeant Major Toshio Matsu-ura landed to pick him up and flew him back to base in the fuselage. Meanwhile Sergeant Majors Mitsuyoshi Tarui and Muneyoshi Motojima strafed approaching tanks, which were attempting to intervene. Matsu-ura was decorated with the Kinshi Order, 5th Grade, for this rescue.
Sergeant Takayori Kodama of the 2nd chutai described the combat in a letter to his family:

"I fight well to shoot down 100 planes as my goal. The most desperate fighting till today was that of 12 July. Over Buyr Nur, I found 70 enemy aircraft consisting of I-15s and I-16s ... fought desperately in the confused battle in 20 minutes ... I fought against ten plus enemies, receiving 25 hits on my plane ... the propeller ceased to turn, and gliding over enemy ground forces, I managed to force-land in territory held by friendly troops. I shall from now on try to demonstrate my fighting technique..."

Corporal Hiroshi Sato (Sho-4) of the 24th Sentai was killed during the day.

According to Soviet sources, 16 Japanese aircraft were shot down during the day.

22 IAP (I-16) fought with Ki-27s (reported as ”I-97s”) and leitenant Pavel Solntsev claimed one over Huhu-Undur-obo while starshiy leitenant Vitt Skobarikhin, leitenant Nikolai Grinev and leitenant Vasiliy Trubachenko claimed a shared together in the same area. Four more individuals where claimed in the Huhu-Undur-obo area by kapitan Konstantin Kuzmenko, starshiy leitenant Aleksandr Murmylov, starshiy leitenant Viktor Rakhov and leitnant Viktor Gavrilov. Leitenant Ivan Krasnoyurchenko (I-16) claimed two shared Ki-27s over Huhu-Undur-ob with another pilot. Starshiy leitenant Fedor Golub and starshiy leitenant Vasiliy Vuss claimed a Ki-27 each at an unknown place as did leitenant Pave Mikhailov. Leitennt Ivan Groshev claimed two shared Ki-27s (reported as a ”I-97s”) ”in group” (probably included above).
Leitenant Trubachenko landed next to the Ki-27 shot down by him, Skobarhin and Grinev and collected the papers from the dead Japanese pilot.

Starshiy leitenant Iosef Geibo of 5./70 IAP (I-153) and Grigoriy Boychenko (from 70 IAP in a Polikarpov biplane) claimed a shared Ki-27 together with a third pilot over ”Marker 704”.

Major Timofey Kutsevalov from 56 IAP (I-16) claimed a shared Ki-27 (reported as a I-97”) ”in group” during the day.

13 July 1939
1st Lieutenant Tokuro Fukuda, third element leader of the 4th chutai, 11th Sentai was wounded during the day. At the time, Fukuda had claimed 11 victories.

Major Vyacheslav Zabaluyev from 70 IAP (I-16) claimed one Ki-27.

19 July 1939
Sergeant Major Buichi Namba (NCO65) of the11th Sentai was killed during the day.

21 July 1939
The 24th Sentai submitted claims for some 20 victories, whilst two of its own pilots force-landed.
2nd Lieutenant Shoji Kurono of the 2nd chutai took off led by Captain Tashiro. Ten I-15bis and 30 I-16s were engaged over Hui Plateau. Kurono at once claimed two of the latter shot down, but became separated and landed at another airfield.

Sergeant Major Shogo Saito of the 1st chutai, 24th Sentai claimed four victories and one probable. With his guns then malfunctioning, he saw that his leader, Lieutenant Shoichi Suzuki, was in difficulties and went to his aid, driving off his attackers although unable to fire.

Captain Keisuke Yamada (Class 45), 2nd chutai leader of the 1st Sentai, baled out over enemy territory and failed to return.

Sergeant Major Akira Ina of the 2nd chutai, 11th Sentai, made two claims before his Ki-27 was hit by AA fire, which blow a hole a metre wide in one wing. Believing that he could not get back, he dived with the intention of killing himself, but when nearly at ground level he found that he had control, and was able to limp his fighter back to base in a barely flyable condition.

Totally 24 IJAAF fighters made claims for 38 destroyed and 7 probables while losing one Ki-27 during the day.

TASS reported that in the area east and south-east of Lake Buir-Nur, the Japanese again violated the border with their aircraft. An air battle took place over the territory of the Mongolian People’s Republic in which up to 120 Japanese fighters assembled from different regions of Manchuria participated. On the part of the Soviet-Mongolian aviation, about 100 fighters participated in the battle. The battle lasted about an hour and ended on the Manchurian territory with the pursuit of Japanese-Manchu aviation. In this air battle, Mongol-Soviet aircraft shot down 14 Japanese aircraft, of whose crews two Japanese pilots were captured alive. It seems that the battle took place between 09:45 and 11:00, involving 22 and 70 IAPs.
Kapitan Grigoriy Boychenko of 70 IAP (I-15bis) claimed two Ki-27s (reported as ”I-96s”) in the Kama area while major Aleksandr Mochalin (I-16), kapitan Vasiliy Gaugashin (I-16) and leitenant Nikolay Zherdev (I-16) claimed one Ki-27 each over Kama district-No.9-No.22.
Starshiy leitenant Fedor Golub from 22 IAP (I-16) claimed one Ki-27 (reported as a ”I-97”) while starshiy leitenant Pavel Mityagin claimed a shared Ki-27 together with another pilot (probably leitenant Aleksandr P’yankov since it’s known that he claimed a shared with another pilot).
The I-15bis fighter flown by mladshiy leitenant Dmitry Artemyev and mladshiy leitenant Petr Varfolomeev (both 22 IAP) were shot down in combat in the Buir Nur area and the pilots were killed.

23 July 1939
The 11th Sentai was involved in combat during the day and lost two pilots when 2nd Lieutenant Sueo Yamaguchi (NCO50) and Corporal Terunari Miyatani (Sho-4) both were killed. Sergeant Major Masao Ashida of the 3rd chutai shot down one opponent and then he spotted a further formation of 30 approaching. After attempting in vain to warn his fellow pilots by hand signals, he attacked alone, shot one down, and made good his escape.

1st Lieutenant Shozo Koizumi (Class 47), acting leader of the 1st chutai, 1st Sentai, was lost during the day.

Sergeant Major Shogo Saito of the 1st chutai, 24th Sentai, claimed a SB bomber, but was wounded by the return fire from the nine bombers of the formation.
Despite this, he was soon back in action, and by the end of the Incident had become the Sentai's most successful pilot, having claimed 25 victories (including some probables).

Sergeant Major Kusuhiko Shimomura (NCO67) of the 24th Sentai was killed during the day.

Totally 40 Japanese fighters claimed 43 destroyed and 8 probables for the loss of four fighters.

A Ki-30 (s/n 126) from 10th Sentai was shot down by enemy fighters on the left bank of Khalkhin Gol River, roughly 4 km west from Sambur Obo and the crew was killed; pilot Staff Sergeant Kôichi Miyazawa and gunner Corporal Chôjirô Uehara.

At noon, starshiy leitenant Vitt Skobarikhin of 22 IAP (I-16) claimed two shared bombers east of Lake Ike-Toshigai-Nur. The first was claimed together with two other pilots while the second was claimed together with seven others. He also claimed a Ki-27 (reported as a ”I-97”) over the Khamardaba area at an unknown time. Starshiy leitenant Fedor Golub was also involved in the claiming of the bombers. It seems that starshiy leitenant Vasiliy Vuss, leitenant Aleksandr Suchkov and mladshiy leitenant Viktor Ushakov also were involved in some of the claims since it’s known that all of them claimed a shared bomber ”in group” during the day (leitenant Suchkov claimed an additional Ki-27 as destroyed during the day).
Leitenant Ivan Krasnoyurchenko claimed one Ki-27 (reported as a ”I-97”) in the Khamardaba area. Over Khamardaba, major Grigoriy Kravchenko, kapitan Konstantin Kuzmenko and starshiy leitenant Viktor Rakhov claimed a shared Ki-27. Starshiy leitenant Viktor Rakhov also claimed a reconnaissance aircraft east of Nomonhan-Burd. Leitenant Vasiliy Trubachenko claimed one Ki-27 as a shared with two other pilots over Khamardaba.
Mladshiy leitenant Aleksey Danilin from 22 IAP was shot down and killed in air combat. He is buried in Bain-Tumen.

Leitenant Aleksandr Zlatoverkh, starshiy leitenant Pavel Kulakov and starshiy leitenant Sergey Timofeyev of 56 IAP (I-16) claimed a shared Ki-27 over Huhu-Undur-obo together with 11 other pilots.
56 IAP lost two pilots when kapitan Petr Shamray (CO of an eskadrilya) was shot down and killed in air combat. Leitenant Georgiy Petrovich Panevin (Ponevin) was also shot down and killed in air combat in the Buin-Nur area. Kapitan Shamray had flown 16 combat missions, taken part in 6 air combats and claimed 2 victories at the time of his death.

Eskadrilya commander starshiy leitenant Mitrofan Noga, leitenant Nikolai Aleksandrov and starshiy leyenant Filipp Sergeyev of 70 IAP (I-16) claimed a “I-94” together with nine other pilots south of Lake Uzur-Nur while kapitan Stepan Kuzin claimed a shared Ki-27 together with another pilot over Dungur-obo.

24 July 1939
The 11th and 24th Sentais were involved in combat during the day.

1st Lieutenant Shoichi Suzuki of the 1st chutai, 24th Sentai, claimed two victories during the day.

Haruo Takagaki, the youngest pilot of the 2nd chutai, 11 Sentai, claimed two victories during the day bring his total to nine, whilst flying a Ki-27 carrying the legend "Tokyo Shiden-go" on its side.

1st Lieutenant Suguru Ito (NCO43) (2nd chutai) and 1st Lieutenant Fujio Honma (Tokushi) of the 1st Sentai were killed during the day.
The loss of 1st Lieutenant Ito made 1st Lieutenant Yoshihiko Yajima the only officer pilot in the 2nd chutai and thus the acting leader of the unit.

Totally, 50 Japanese fighters claimed 29 destroyed and 14 probables for the loss of two fighters.

A Ki-30 (s/n 159) from 16th Sentai was shot down by enemy fighters at ”Komatsu” Height and the crew was killed; pilot Corporal Seiji Kamiide and gunner Sergeant Ichirô Miyazaki.

During a raid on Nomonhan-Burd-Obo in the morning, the 100 SAB lost twelve SBs.
The SB bomber of major P. V. Kostyaev, (150 SAP) collided with the SB bomber of starshiy leitenant G. I. Galata over the target. Starshiy leitenant Yevgeniy Ansonsky (in Kostyaev’s crew), zven commander and navigator in Kostyaev’s SB was killed in the forced landing and was buried on the battlefield.
Leitenant Alexey Vasrushkin, pilot in 150 SAP was killed when the SB he was piloting was shot down. Gunner-radio operator starshina Grigory Yefimovich (Yekimovich) Arzhanukhin (150 SAP) was killed when his bomber was shot down and he is buried on the battlefield.

Leitenant Pavel Solntsev, leitenant Viktor Gavrilov, starshiy leitenant Petr Grayevskiy, leitenant Boris Solomatin and leitenant Vasiliy Trubchenko of 22 IAP (I-16) claimed two shared enemy bombers over the Khamardaba Mountains together with three other pilots. It’s possible that this combat was against the Ki-30s from 16th Sentai, which lost one aircraft.
While trying to fire on a Japanese flyer in his parachute, leitenant Solomatin got his fighter snagged in the parachute and the I-16 was damaged. He was forced to make an emergency landing with a retracted landing gear and in this, suffered trauma and burns. Two days later, on 26 July, he was evacuated back to a hospital the Soviet Union.
Starshiy leitenant Viktor Chistyakov claimed a shared Ki-27 (reported as a ”I-97”) ”in group”.

The I-16s from 70 IAP were in combat during the day and Nikolay Viktorov and leitenant Ivan Tsatsulin each claimed an ’I-96’ while kapitan Veniamin Andreyev, leitenant Petr Artamonov, mladshiy leitenant Viktor Byvshev and leitenant Mitrofan Yakovlev each claimed a shared ’I-97’ ”in group”. Mladshiy leitenant Byvshev was shot down in air combat and made an emergency landing, wounded. He was evacuated back to hospital in the USSR.

25 July 1939
According to TASS, 19 Japanese aircraft was shot down during the day together with one balloon.

Major Grigoriy Kravchenko of 22 IAP (I-16) destroyed a Japanese balloon in the morning together with starshiy leitenant Viktor Rakhov and starshiy leitenant Vitt Skobarikhin.
In the afternoon, starshiy leitenant Viktor Rakhov and leitenant Viktor Gavrilov claimed a Ki-27 each over Khamardaba while leitenant Pavel Solntsev claimed a Ki-27 over the Khamardaba mountains.
At around 14:00, starshiy leitenant Andrei Akimov, zveno commander and adjutant of 22 IAP was killed in combat when following a Ki-27 and misjudging the altitude, he crashed into the ground in the Khamardab area.

Major Stepan Danilov from 56 IAP (I-16) claimed a shared Ki-27 together with another pilot north of Khamardaba in the afternoon. The second pilot was possibly leitenant Viktor Kustov, since it’s known that he claimed a Ki-27 together with a second pilot during the day.
Starshiy leitenant Petr Il’ich Afanasyev (born 1913) was shot down and killed in his I-16 in the Khamardaba area around 14:00.

Eskadrilya commander starshiy leitenant Mitrofan Noga of 70 IAP (I-16) claimed three shared Ki-27 (reported as A5Ms) over a place called “Moscow”. Kapitan Veniamin Andreyev and leitenant Ivan Tsatsulin each claimed an ’I-96’ over an unknown location while starshiy leitenant Vitaliy Belyakov claimed a shared ’R-94’.

The 1st, 11th and 24th Sentais were involved in combat during the day.
The 1st Sentai fought 70 I-16s over Khalkhin Gol, claiming 21 victories and 6 probables but 2nd Lieutenant Chozo Tagushi and Sergeant Major Misao Inoue (2nd chutai) were both badly wounded but managed to return to base.
The 1st chutai, 11th Sentai totally claimed ten victories on this day. After having claimed four victories, Warrant Officer Hiromichi Shinohara of the 1st chutai, 11th Sentai, was hit in the left wing-tank, and he was obliged to force-land in Soviet held territory, where his aircraft was surrounded by tanks. At once Sergeant Major Yutaka Aoyagi from the same chutai landed within 70m of his downed comrade. However, before they could take off again, Aoyagi was wounded by fire from the tanks. Sergeant Major Koichi Iwase (same chutai) after having claimed one victory saw Sergeant Major Shintaro Kashima of the 4th chutai baling out and landed alongside him. However, Sergeant Major Bunji Yoshiyama, who had claimed three victories during the combat, had already picked Kashima up, but Iwase's efforts were not to be in vain when he saw that Aoyagi's aircraft had been hit by fire from the Soviet tanks. Iwase therefore came down beside Shinohara's stricken Ki-27, taking off again with both Aoyagi and Shinihara in the rear fuselage of his Ki-27. The other pilots of the unit then strafed Aoyagi's Ki-27 to prevent it falling into enemy hands. Iwase was awarded a citation by the commander of the 2nd Hiko Shidan.
The 3rd chutai of the 11th Sentai claimed twelve victories during the day, five of these being claimed by Sergeant Major Tomio Hanada although his Ki-27 was damaged by debris from one of his victims.

1st Lieutenant Shoichi Suzuki of the 1st chutai, 24th Sentai, claimed one victory during the day.

Totally, IJAAF fighters claimed 59 destroyed and 5 probables for the loss of two pilots from 24th Sentai when Sergeant Major Kiyoshige Tatsumi (NCO66) and Corporal Shunji Takagaki (Sho-4) were killed.

26 July 1939
The 24th Sentai was involved in combat during the day.

Major Grigoriy Kravchenko, leitenant Ivan Sakharov and leitenant Vasiliy Trubchenko from 22 IAP (I-16) claimed a shared Ki-27 in the Khalkhin-Gol area.

29 July 1939
The 11th Sentai was involved in combat during the day.
Corporal Jiro Okuda of the 4th chutai, 11th Sentai, shot down one aircraft, cut the cords of the pilot's parachute with the wingtip of his aircraft as the later baled out, and then pursued and shot down another.

In the morning, some 20 I-16s made a surprise strafing attack on Arai airfield, where all the 2nd chutai, 11th Sentai's Ki-27s were rendered unserviceable.
A second wave of I-16s then pounced on five Ki-27s as they were in the landing circuit, Captain Saiji Kani (Class 44) (leader of the1st chutai) and 1st Lieutenant Shoichi Suzuki (Tokushi) of the 1st chutai, 24th Sentai, being shot down and killed and Sergeant Major Seki wounded. Kani reportedly tried to fight back but was shot down from an altitude of 200 meters, crashing north of the airfield. 1st Lieutenant Suzuki was hit in the head and killed.

Major Fumio Harada (Class 32), the new CO of the 1st Sentai, failed to return from his first sortie with the unit. He was shot down over Soviet territory and parachuted, He tried to commit suicide when he landed but was captured and taken POW. He was released on 27 April 1940 together with 1st Lieutenant Naoyuki Datoku (captured on 6 July) but both were forced to commit suicide by the Kenpai tai shortly after their release.

Corporal Takeo Fukuda (Sho-4) from the 1st Sentai was also reported as missing in action but was in fact taken POW.

Totally IJAAF fighters claimed 51 destroyed and 17 probables for the loss of at least four fighters.

It seems that the attacks on Arai airfield, north-west of Lake Uzur-Nur were made by the I-16s from 22 IAP.
During the first attack at around 07:15, seven enemy aircraft was claimed as destroyed on the ground by 18 I-16s led by major Grigory Kravchenko.
The second attack was made around 09:40 when ten I-16s attacked again led by major Kravchenko and claiming six Ki-27s destroyed on the ground.
During the last attack on Arai airfield, two Ki-27s (reported as ”I-97s”) were claimed in the air north-west of Lake Uzur-Nur, one each by leitenant Ivan Krasnoyurchenko (I-16) and leitenant Vasiliy Trubachenko (I-6).
Starshiy leitenant Viktor Chistyakov claimed one Ki-27 (reported as a ”I-97”) over Lake Uzur-Nur in the morning but it’s not know during which of the two attacks it was made. He was then wounded (same mission?) in air combat. The wound was sufficient serious that he had to be evacuated to hospital in the Soviet Union.

Around midday and towards the evening there was a combat over the Gurban-Bain mountain against ”I-97s” and again involving the I-16s from 22 IAP. Claims were made by major Kravchenko (one destroyed), starshiy leitenant Viktor Rakhov (one destroyed) and kapitan Konstantin Kuzmenko (one destroyed). A fourth was claimed as a shared between kapitan Kuzmenko, starshiy leitenant Aleksandr Murmylov and starshiy leitenant Fedor Golub.
It’s is reported that the pilot in the Ki-27 shot down by starshiy leitenant Rakhov, parachuted and was captured, thus indicating that this was Corporal Takeo Fukuda.

22 IAP made three additional claims for Ki-27s during the day at an unknown time when starshiy leitenants Murmylov and Rakhov claimed one each over the estuary of the Khalkhin Gol river while leitenant Ivan Groshev claimed a Ki-27 at an unknown place.

Mladshiy leitenant Mikhail Kralin from 22 IAP was killed in his burning I-15bis on the ground when his airfield was attacked by Japanese aircraft.

Major Stepan Danilov from 56 IAP (I-16) claimed a Ki-27 north-west of Lake Uzur-Nur.

70 IAP (I-16) claimed two Ki-27s over Nomunkhan-Burd-Obo as shared among 22 pilots including kapitan Veniamin Andreyev, kapitan Stepan Kuzin, kapitan Aleksandr Matveyev and major Aleksandr Mochalin. Kapitan Stepan Kuzin also claimed an additional Ki-27 over ”Kama” Point while major Mikhail Reznik claimed an Ki-27 at an unknown place.
Kapitan Andreyev was posted back to the USSR in August due to health reasons.

31 July 1939
Totally IJAAF fighters claimed 11 destroyed and 8 probables without losses.

The soviet forces reported that several air battles took place with five Japanese aircraft being claimed shot down.

22 IAP (I-16) reported that major Grigoriy Kravchenko claimed one Ki-27 east of Khamardaba, kapitan Konstantin Kuzmenko claimed one over Yanhu and starshiy leitenant Pavel Mityagin claimed two.

August

Ground Operations

Zhukov decided it was time to break the stalemate. He deployed approximately 50,000 Soviet and Mongolian troops of the 57th Special Corps to defend the east bank of the Khalkhin Gol, then crossed the river on 20 August to attack the elite Japanese forces with three infantry divisions, massed artillery, a tank brigade, and the best aircraft of the Soviet Air Force. Once the Japanese were pinned down by the advance of the Soviet centre units, the armoured units swept around the flanks and attacked the Japanese in the rear, cutting lines of communication, overcoming desperate Japanese counterattacks (one Japanese officer drew his sword and led an attack on foot against Soviet tanks), and achieving a classic double envelopment. When the two wings of Zhukov's attack linked up at Nomonhan village on the 25th, the Japanese 23rd division was trapped. On 26 August, a Japanese attack to relieve the 23rd division failed. On 27 August, the 23rd attempted to break out of the encirclement, but failed. When the surrounded forces refused to surrender, Zhukov wiped them out with artillery and air attacks. The battle ended 31 August with the complete destruction of the Japanese forces. Remaining Japanese units retreated to east of Nomonhan.

VVS

When they left Mongolia, major Sergey Gritsevets and his pilots handed over their I-153s to fleet aviation pilots. Fleet aviation pilots (ten from VVS-KBF and five from the Black Sea Fleet regiments) had been selected and sent by train to fight in Mongolia. Commander of it was major Novikov and among the pilots were future aces kapitan Aleksey Antonenko and Petr Brinko (both from KBF). They had arrived in the middle of June and been dispersed among the fighter eskadrilyas. In the first half of August they were all gathered again and after the recommendation from Gritsevets they reformed as a “fleet” eskadrilya with his unit’s I-153s.

Soviet pilots taking part in the Khalkhin Gol air war were awarded the highest rewards (including some Gold Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union on 29 August. Sergey Gritsevets, Kravchenko and Shmushkevich received it all for the second time as the first double recipients of this award in the Soviet Army while Yevgeniy Stepanov received it for the first time). Gritsevets also received a Mongolian medal at Ulan Bator on 26 August.

IJAAF

The 11th Sentai claimed 87 destroyed and 11 probables during engagements on 1, 5, 7 and 12 August.
The unit, which had fielded 42 Ki-27s on 23 July, was down to 32 on 21 August. On 21, 25, 27, 29, 30 and 31 August and 1 September the unit claimed 74 enemy aircraft.

On 4 August, the 24th Sentai moved to Hosiu.
Following an engagement on this date, the unit withdrew to Hailar to rest. Here Major Hidemi Yusuhara arrived to take over command of the unit. He was a renowned fighter tactician, and after making an evaluation of the recent fighting, he stressed formation fighting rather than individual combats. While this was likely to reduce the number of victories that could be claimed, he considered that it would also bring down the recent level of pilot losses.
The unit returned to the fray on 24 August, moving its 19 Ki-27s to Caiyansuo on this date, and then to Baiyin East on 26 August. Between 25 and 31 August, the unit claimed 16 victories.

On 26 August, the 33rd Sentai was ordered its base at Xingshu to the Manchurian/Mongolian border, flying to Pingonzhen on 27 August 1939, although still equipped with the old Kawasaki Ki-10 (Type 95). The unit moved on to Debosi on 30 August, where its 31 fighters were to protect the railway from Baichengzi to Arshaan. Wuchagou was employed as an advanced landing ground, each chutai operating there on alternate days.

In the beginning of the Soviet offensive on 20 August, the 2nd Hikoshidan had four fighter sentais, one of heavy bombers, one of light bombers and two composite sentais.

The 1st Sentai had at the time some 20 Ki-27s, and led by a new commander, Major Naoshi Yoshida and the executive officer, Major Yasuo Makino, participated in combats on 20, 21 and 22 August, claiming 13 victories and seven probables. 24 and 25 August brought nine more, and then in four days commencing on 29 August, 19 more were claimed plus 11 probables.
On 4 August, Captain Iwao Masuda arrived to take command of the 2nd chutai.

Aerial Operations

2 August 1939
During an attack on an enemy airfield near Dzhindzhin-Sume at around 07:25, eskadrilya commander starshiy leitenant Mitrofan Noga of 70 IAP (I-16) claimed a Ki-27 (reported as a A5M) while major Mikhail Reznik claimed a second.
During the attack eight Japanese aircraft were destroyed by bombing and four more while taking-off from the airfield.

Colonel Katsumi Abe CO of the 15th Sentai was killed when caught in his Tachikawa Ki-36 on the ground by a surprise attack by I-16s over Chiangchunmiao.

3 August 1939
Kapitan Viktor Kustov of 56 IAP (I-16) claimed a Japanese bomber (reported as a ”SB-96” over Khamardaba Mountains by a ”taran” ramming attack but was killed while doing so.
This was possible a Ki-30 (s/n 118) from 10th Sentai, which was reportedly shot down by enemy fighters at roughly 4 km south-west from Height 742. The crew was KIA; pilot Staff Sergeant Yoshio Matsuzaki and gunner Staff Sergeant Fukuyoshi Uchida.
Kustov received a posthumous Gold Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union.

Starshiy leitenant Yakov Kurbatov from 22 IAP (I-16) claimed a twin-engined enemy bomber during the day.

4 August 1939
Leitenant Aleksandr Moshin of the 56 IAP (I-16) deliberately rammed a Ki-27 over the Khamardaba Mountains bringing it down before successfully landing at his own airfield (he had witnessed kapitan Kustov’s ”taran” the day before) .
He was awarded the Gold Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union for this feat.
Leitenant Stepan Mashkovskiy from the same regiment claimed another Ki-27 during the day.

The 24th Sentai claimed seven victories over the front during the day. Lieutenant Colonel Kojiro Matsumura was hit and his aircraft was set on fire. He force-landed in Soviet territory, seriously burned. Sergeant Major Goro Nishihara of the 2nd chutai at once landed alongside the burning Ki-27 and pulled his unconscious CO out and transferred him to his own aircraft, flying him safely back to base.

Sergeant Major Muneyoshi Motojima (Sho-2) of the 1st chutai, 1st Sentai, flew the third aircraft in one element, but was shot down and killed in a fight with about 40 I-16s. At the time of his death, Motojima had claimed 16 victories during some 70 missions.

Nine pilots from 22 IAP (I-16) claimed two shared Ki-27s (reported as ”I-97s”) over the Khamardaba Mountains. Known pilots are Nikolay Arsenin, leitenant Ivan Krasnoyurchenko, starshiy politruk Arseniy Vorozheinkin and mladshiy leitenant Aleksandr Smirnov. Leitenant Pavel Solntsev also claimed two shared Ki-27s over the Khamardaba Mountains but together with seven other pilots including starshiy leitenant Vasiliy Trubachenko. Leitenant Viktor Gavrilov and starshiy leitenant Petr Grayevskiy both claimed two shared Ki-27s ”in group” while kapitan Konstantin Kuzmenko claimed a shared together with another pilot (possibly starshiy leitenant Yakov Kurbatov). Starshiy leitenant Vitt Skobarikhin claimed a Ki-27 (reported as a ”I-97”) also over the Khamardaba Mountains.
While returning from this combat, leitenant Gavrilov was killed in a crash before reaching his airfield. The reason for this crash is unknown.

5 August 1939
The 11th Sentai took part in combat during the day.
Tokuyasu Ishizuka of the 2nd chutai claimed an I-16 over the junction of two rivers before going to the aid of a hard-pressed colleague. In doing so, he collided with an I-15, which had approached from the side, being thrown out of his Ki-27 by the impact. He managed to open his parachute just before reaching the ground, landing on the west bank of Khalkhin Gol. Initially he hid on the blazing hot steppe, and then commenced walking for many kilometres. During the next three days, he dodged Soviet tanks and infantry, made his way across the river, and was found unconscious on the east bank by a Japanese patrol on the morning of 9 August. After a rest of ten days, he returned to his unit.
Sergeant Major Taro Kobayashi (NCO67) of the 2nd chutai took off as part of the third element of the chutai, engaging many Soviet fighters over the junction of two rivers. He was seen to shot down two and then ram a third; he did not survive this engagement.
Totally IJAAF fighters claimed 27 destroyed while losing 1 fighter (Kobayashi (NCO67) of the 11th Sentai).

Major Sergey Gritsevets from 70 IAP (I-153) claimed a shared Ki-27 together with two other pilots over Lake Uzur-Nur around 07:00.
At the same time, around 07:00, I-16s from 22 IAP were in combat east of Airfield No.1 in the Gurban Mountain area. Two Ki-27s were claimed shot down as shared among four pilots; starshiy leitenant Mikhail Abzianidze, starshiy leitenant Nikolay Arsenin, leitenant Ivan Krasnoyurchenko and starshiy politruk Arseniy Vorozheikin. Each pilot claimed one shared destroyed with another pilot, but it’s not known who claimed with who. Starshiy politruk Vladimir Kalachev claimed an additional Ki-27 at the same time and place.
Additional claims for Ki-27s were made by I-16s from 22 IAP south of Khamardaba at an unknow time when starshiy leitenant Viktor Rakhov claimed one and starshiy leitenant Aleskandr Murmylov claimed a second as a shared with an unknown pilot.
Starshiy politruk Vorozheikin and starshiy leitenant Vasiliy Trubachenko claimed a shared Ki-27 together with another pilot in the Khalkin-Gol river area at an unknown time. Starshiy leitenant Trubachenko also claimed another Ki-27 south of Khamardaba Mountains while starshiy leitenant Petr Grayevskiy claimed a shared with another pilot in the same area. Starshiy leitenant Yakov Kurbatov claimed one destroyed and one shared destroyed with another pilot. Leitenant Aleksandr Silin claimed one destroyed and one shared ”in group”. Leitenant Ivan Sakharov claimed one shared Ki-27 together with another pilot. Finally, mladshiy leitenant Viktor Ushakov claimed one destroyed with another pilot.
Leitenant Stepan Mashkovskiy from 56 IAP (I-16) claimed two shared Ki-27 together with another pilot during the day.

6 August 1939
Kapitan Boris Alekseev, eskadrilya commander in 22 IAP, was killed in an aircraft crash.
Alternate date for this is 8 August.

7 August 1939
The 11th Sentai took part in combat during the day when Captain Taniguchi led the whole Sentai against an estimated 30 aircraft over Khalkhin Gol.
After having shot down one Soviet fighter, Sergeant Major Daisuke Kanbara of the 3rd chutai of the 11th Sentai saw the pilot bale out and land safely on the flat steppe below. Landing nearby, Kanbara leapt out with his samurai sword he always carried with him in the cockpit in hand and cut down his opponent. This episode gained him considerable fame with the Japanese public at the time.
Sergeant Major Saburo Kimura (NCO67) of the 3rd chutai alone attacked a number of I-16s and shot one down (his 19th victory) but was then hit in the left thigh. Initially he lost consciousness but recovered sufficiently to staunch the bleeding and fly to Uzursui airfield. Here however, the aircraft somersaulted as he attempted to land, and he died of his wounds and injuries next day.
Totally 50 Japanese fighters claimed 46 destroyed and 4 probables while losing 1 fighter (Kimura).
Warrant Officer Hiromichi Shinohara of the 1st chutai, 11th Sentai claimed his 48th victory during the day.

Leitenant Pavel Solntsev of 22 IAP (I-16) claimed a Ki-27 over Khalkhin Gol River.
Starshiy politruk Arseniy Vorozheykin claimed a shared Ki-27 together with another pilot northwest of Khamardaba Mountains. This was possibly starshiy leitenant Petr Grayevskiy, who also claimed a shared Ki-27 together with another pilot. Grayevskiy reported that the damaged Ki-27 tried to land but hit a car while doing so and crashed, so his claim was most probably Sergeant Major Kimura.

Major Sergey Gritsevets from 70 IAP (I-153) claimed two shared Ki-27s over Dungur-obo. Starshiy leitenant Aleksandr Khirnyy from the same regiment (I-16) claimed a third Ki-27 whilestarshiy leitenant Ivan Ovchinnikov (I-16) claimed one shared Ki-27.

A Ki-21 (s/n 83) from 61st Sentai crashed due to an engine malfunction at Qiqiharu, Manchuria and the crew was killed; aircraft commander 1st Lieutenant Minoru Hashimoto, pilot Staff Sergeant Shin’ichi Kobayashi, flight engineer Corporal Kiyoshi Arita and flight engineer Private 1st Class Isao Murata.

12 August 1939
The 11th Sentai took part in combat during the day and lost two pilots when Sergeant Major Masao Ashida of the 3rd chutai (NCO67) and Corporal Jiro Okuda (Sho-4) of the 4th chutai were killed.
During his third sortie of the day, Sergeant Major Ashida's section fought nine aircraft which they spotted below them. Ashida was seen to shoot down one but was then hit and rammed his 13th and last victim over Khalkhin Gol but fell to his death while doing so.
It is possible that collided with Ivan Kleshchev from 56 IAP (I-16), who reportedly was credited with one victory at noon after a collision where both fighters were destroyed (the Japanese aircraft was reported as a I-97). Kleshchev received fractures on left leg and right arm and a head injury.
Corporal Jiro Okuda of the 4th chutai claimed one aircraft in the afternoon over the junction of two rivers, then being engaged with a large formation of hostile aircraft, which were joined by others. Overwhelmed, he was shot down and killed about 20km south-west of the river junction. With 14 victories by this point, he was the most successful pilot of his Juvenile Flying Soldier class.

Totally IJAAF fighters claimed 14 destroyed while losing 2 fighters.

According to Soviet sources, 11 Japanese fighters were shot down during the day.

At noon, leitenant Nikolai Grinev of 22 IAP (I-16) claimed a shared Ki-27 over Khamardaba together with another pilot, possibly kapitan Sergey Zaychenko, while kapitan Konstantin Kuzmenko claimed a shared Ki-27 over Lake Uzur-Nur together with two other pilots. Leitenant Ivan Sakharov claimed a Ki-27 during the day.
Starshiy leitenant Pavel Mityagin from 22 IAP (I-16) was killed in air combat in the Khamardaba area at noon.

Leitenant Ivan Rodionov from 70 IAP (I-16) claimed one Ki-27 while kapitan Aleksandr Matveyev claimed a shared Ki-27 together with another pilot (possibly starshiy leitenant Ivan Ovchinnikov since it’s known that he claimed a shared Ki-27 together with another pilot during the day).

19 August 1939
Eskadrilya commander starshiy leitenant Mitrofan Noga of 70 IAP (I-16) claimed a Ki-27 north of Hel mountain.

20 August 1939
During the day, the Soviet forces carried out a massive offensive against the Japanese positions.
Early in the morning, all SB bombers of the 100 SAB participated in delivering the first air strike.
At 05:00, nine SBs, which were used to locate the Japanese anti-aircraft defence, crossed the Khalkhin Gol line. The SBs then scattered while 46 I-16s of 22 IAP attacked the enemy's anti-aircraft gun positions. As soon as the suppression group had carried out its mission, 150 SBs arrived to bomb the enemy.
This day, the SBs of 100 SAB carried out about 300 combat sorties for the loss of two bombers.

According to Soviet sources, 15 Japanese fighters were shot down, five Ki-27s and one Douglas transport aircraft were destroyed on the ground, and 6-9 Japanese aircraft were damaged.

The I-16s from 22 IAP was heavily involved in the days combat and at around 09:00 a Ki-27 (reported as a ”I-97”) was shot down over the Khalkhin Gol River as a shared with the whole unit (i.e. 66 pilots). Included known pilots in this claim were: major Grigoriy Kravchenko, major Vasiliy Naydenko, kapitan Konstantin Kuzmenko, leitenant Pavel Mikhailov, starshiy leitenant Viktor Rakhov, starshiy leitenant Fedor Golub, starshiy leitenant Mikhail Abzianidze, starshiy leitenant Nikolay Arsenin, starshiy leitenant Aleksandr Murmylov, starshiy leitenant Vasiliy Trubachenko, leitenant Ivan Krasnoyurchenko, leitenant Pavel Solntsev, leitenant Aleksandr Moshin, leitenant Aleksandr Suchkov, mladshiy leitenant Viktor Ushakov and mladshiy leitenant Aleksandr Smirnov.
Later in the day at an unknown time two more ”I-97s” where shot down between Lake Uzur-Nur and Lake Yanhu, being shared among 18 pilots including major Kravchenko, kapitan Kuzmenko, starshiy leitenant Rakhov, leitenant Aleksandr Moshin and leitenant Suchkov.
Leitenant Nikolai Grinev and starshiy politruk Arseniy Vorozheykin from the same unit claimed a Ki-27 each over Bain-Tsagaan Mountain while kapitan Sergey Zaychenko claimed another one at an unknown place. Kapitan Zaychenko was then shot down and wounded. He was evacuated to a hospital in the Soviet Union.
Leitenant Vasiliy D’yanchenko, leitenant Rostislav Govorukhin, leitenant Sergey Podorozhnyy, starshiy leitenant Aleksandr Kostygov, batalyonnyy komissar Ivan Golyshev, starshiy politruk Vladimir Kalachev, starshiy politruk Leonid Kolesnikov, Georgiy Marchenko, leitenant Ivan Rybkin, starshiy leitenant Mark Shpan, leitenant Pavel Solov’yev, starshiy leitenant Nikolay Tochkov and starshiy leitenant Vasiliy Vuss all claimed a Ki-27 ”in group” during the day but it’s not know when these claims were made. Both leitenant Ivan Groshev and Georgiy Priymuk made claims for three Ki-27s ”in group” during the day. Leitenant Aleksandr P’yankov claimed a Ki-27 together with another pilot. All these claims are most probably included in the claims above.
Leitenant Grigoriy Iosifovich Biyul’ didn’t return from a combat mission and was reported as missing. Biyul’ was born in 1917 and had taken part in the conflict since May 1939.

Leitenant Pavel Kulakov from 56 IAP (I-16) claimed a shared Ki-27 with four other pilots.

Leitenant Nikolay Senchenko from 70 IAP (I-16) made claims for three Ki-27s ”in group” during the day.

During this conflict, the first use of the RS-82 missile was made and around 17:20, major N. I. Zvonarev claimed the destruction of two Ki-27 fighters with these essential air-to-ground weapons.

The 1st Sentai took part in combat during the day.

Sergeant Major Bunji Yoshiyama of the 1st chutai, 11th Sentai, claimed an enemy fighter. He then landed alongside his opponent's aircraft, killed the pilot and took his pistol and watch as souvenirs.

The newly arrived 64th Sentai flew six missions during the day, claiming 16 victories including a Tupolev SB, without loss. However, Hosiu airfield was then strafed and several Ki-27s were destroyed on the ground, so a move was made to Caiyansuo.
The third element of the 1st chutai, led by 2nd Lieutenant Katsumi Anma claimed eight victories during the day.

Totally IJAAF fighters claimed 32 destroyed and 9 probables without losses.

21 August 1939
During air strikes on Uzur-Nur, 143 combat sorties were carried out and eight SBs were lost to Japanese fighters.

In the morning, six Ki-30s of the 10th Sentai dive-bombed SB bombers parked at Tamsag Bulag Airfield, claiming two destroyed and meet no resistance in the air, only anti-aircraft fire.
A Ki-36 made a reconnaissance flight over the area for the planned afternoon raid.

In the early afternoon, 24 Ki-30s from 10th Sentai plus twelve Ki-21s from 61st Sentai and 15 Ki-36s from 15th Sentai escorted by 88 Ki-27s from the 1st Sentai, 11th Sentai and 64th Sentai attacked Tamsag Bulag. The Ki-30s attacked the northern runway at Tamsag but found few targets and instead attacked a vehicle column. The 15th Sentai attacked the southern runway and attacked SB bombers on the ground. They were intercepted by I-16 and I-153s, which lost three I-16s and three I-153s in the dogfight.
The Japanese fighters claimed 54 victories and 8 probables while losing four fighters.

The 1st and 11th Sentais took part in combat during the day and Sergeant Major Tanaka Yagi (NCO59) of the1st Sentai was killed.
Sergeant Major Takeo Ishii, 1st chutai, 1st Sentai, took part in an escort mission to Tamsag Bulag as part of 1st Lieutenant Yasuhara's element. Ishii, who had claimed 18 victories during the Incident) was wounded in the left arm and right side during an hour-long battle with an estimated 50 plus Soviet fighters, his aircraft sustaining about 60 hits and he consequently spent more than two years in hospital.
Warrant Officer Hiromichi Shinohara of the 1st chutai, 11th Sentai claimed his 55th victory during the day.

The 64th Sentai made seven claims in three engagements but lost three pilots when Warrant Officer Kazumi Yamauchi (NCO46), Sergeant Major Takeshi Sasaki (NCO51) and Sergeant Major Torao Kitamura (NCO59) were killed.
2nd Lieutenant Katsumi Anma claimed one victory before his own Ki-27 was hit eleven times and when he reached his base, his aircraft was considered to have been half destroyed.

One Ki-30 (s/n 170) from 16th Sentai was shot down by enemy fighters at roughly 15 km south-east from Halhamiao and the crew was KIA; pilot Sergeant Tadao Katô and gunner Staff Sergeant Shigeo Kobaishi.

The Soviet forces reported heavy (and confusing) air combat during the day with 27 Japanese fighters and 7 bombers shot down.

Around 10:00, five I-16s from 56 IAP claimed two enemy bombers (reported as ”LB-97s”) between Tamsag Bulak and Lake Buir-Nur. Pilots included major Stepan Danilov and probably leitenant Pavel Dolzhenko.

22 IAP fought bombers and fighters south-west of Lake Yanhu at around 15:00. Fighters were claimed by leitenant Petr Agafonov (I-153), Vasiliy Smirnov (Polikarpov biplane) and starshiy leitenant Viktor Rakhov. Two Ki-30s were claimed as shared by four pilots flying I-16s; known pilots are leitenant Ivan Krasnoyurchenko and starshiy leitenant Viktor Rakhov.

Major Sergey Gritsevets from 70 IAP (I-153) claimed a shared Ki-27 (reportedly over Shilin-Tayromin-khuduk) while eskadrilya commander starshiy leitenant Mitrofan Noga (I-16) claimed a Ki-27 over Post no. 20.
Ivan Krasnoyurchenko (I-16) claimed two shared bombers together with seven other pilots south of Khamardaba Mountains.
Eight pilots claimed two enemy bombers (Ki-30s) north-east of Silin-Khud and over Lake Duluhaa-Nur. Known pilots in these two claims are leitenant Pavel Kulakov (56 IAP), leitenant Nikolai Grinev (22 IAP), starshiy leitenant Anatoliy Komosa (70 IAP) and leitenant Nikolai Molteninov (22 IAP). It seems that starshiy politruk Arseniy Vorozheykin (22 IAP) also took part in these claims since he claimed two bombers north-east of Silin-Khud and north-east of Targan-Shilje. Starshiy politruk Leonid Kolesnikov (22 IAP in a I-16) possibly also took part in these claims since he is credited with two shared bombers ”in group” during the day as did starshiy leitenant Nikolay Tochkov (I-16).

Kaptain Aleksandr Nikolayev from 22 IAP (I-153) claimed one Ki-27 destroyed, one shared with another pilot and a third ”in group” while Ki-27s were claimed individually by leitenant Aleksandr Piskunov (I-153), leitenant Vladimir Garanin (Polikarpov biplane) and leitenant Pavel Solov’yev (I-16).
Leitenant Ivan Rybkin (I-16) claimed a shared Ki-27 with another pilot (possibly kaptain Nikolayev). Leitenant Ivan Groshev (I-16) claimed one shared Ki-27 ”in group” at an unknown time and place while leitenant Aleksandr Suchkov (I-16) claimed one enemy bomber as a shared ”in group”.

Leitenant Gavriil Raykov from 56 IAP (I-16) claimed a Ki-27 at an unknown place while Timofey Kutsevalov claimed two bombers (reported as ”SB-96s”).

Nikolay Zherdev (70 IAP) claimed a Ki-27 during the day while flying an I-16.

22 August 1939
The 1st Sentai took part in combat during the day and lost one pilot when 1st Lieutenant Saburo Yasuhara (Class 49) was killed.

Whilst on patrol over the battlefield, Captain Koji Motamura (Class 43) leader of the 2nd chutai, 11th Sentai, spotted about 30 Soviet aircraft strafing and bombing. He dived down alone to intercept these, and he was shot down five kilometres from Usurouka airfield and killed. His loss being deeply regretted by his pilots.

A Ki-21 (s/n 82) from 61st Sentai was shot down by enemy fighters and AA fire. The crew was KIA; bomb aimer and aircraft commander 1st Lieutenant Akira Hanagata, radio operator Staff Sergeant Naozô Nakayama, lower gunner Staff Sergeant Katsuyoshi Yoneda, pilot Staff Sergeant Tsugio Koyama and forward gunner Staff Sergeant Kikuo Tsuji.

Around 08:00, I-16s from 22 IAP was in combat with enemy bombers (reported as a ”SB-96s”) over Dzun-Khan-Ula and leitenant Ivan Krasnoyurchenko claimed one while a second was claimed by starshiy leitenant Viktor Rakhov together with two other pilots. A third was claimed as a shared between leitenant Nikolai Baranov and starshiy leitenant Grigoriy Shabashov. Starshiy leitenant Shabashov also claimed one Ki-27 destroyed during the day.
East of shiren-Obo at an unknown time. a Ki-27 was claimed as shared among four pilots including kapitan Konstantin Kuzmenko and starshiy leitenant Aleksandr Murmylov.
Leitenant Aleksandr Piskunov (I-153) claimed a shared Ki-27 together with another pilot during the day. Georgiy Marchenko claimed a shared Ki-27 (reported as a I-97”) ”in group” during the day.

Major Stepan Danilov from 56 IAP (I-16) claimed a Ki-27 while Timofey Kutsevalov claimed a shared Ki-27 (reported as a I-97”) ”in group”.

23 August 1939
Starshiy leitenant Dmitry Sigov (I-16) of 56 IAP claimed a Ki-27 east of Uzur-Nur.
It seems that the Japanese reported one aircraft lost during the day with the pilot being killed in action.

24 August 1939
1st Lieutenant Hyoe Yonaga's (24th Sentai) Ki-27 was damaged during the day in a head-on attack.

The 1st Sentai took part in combat during the day and Captain Iwao Masuda (Class 47), leader of the 2nd chutai, was killed. 1st Lieutenant Yoshihiko Yajima wrote in his diary:

“Aug 24th. Escorts to bombers, took off 1350. Score one destroyed and two probables - but Captain Masuda failed to return. Think, out of the officer pilots of the 1st Sentai who left Kagamigahara only Yajima remains, and now I have lost my new chutai leader. Lost - two Sentai commanders, two chutai leaders and all the officer pilots - why do only I live through it all? Shame on me, shame on me! I must die ten thousand times for this sin!”

A Ki-21 from 61st Sentai was shot down by AA fire. The bomb aimer 1st Lieutenant Shirô Miyake and the forward gunner Staff Sergeant Shinzô Harada were both KIA. The fate of the remaining crew is not known.

Kapitan Mikhail Dolbyshev and starshiy leitenant Pavel Baryshev from 56 IAP (I-16) both claimed a Ki-27 each.

70 IAP were in combat with Ki-27s over Khaylastyn-gol River. Platon Smolyakov (I-16) claimed a shared Ki-27 together with another pilot. This was possibly major Aleksandr Mochalin (I-16), who also claimed a shared Ki-27 together with another pilot. Nikolay Viktorov (I-16) from the same unit claimed a second while major Sergey Gritsevets (I-153) claimed a Ki-27 and also a shared enemy bomber with two other pilots.
70 IAP lost one pilot when starshiy leitenant Fyodor Pavlovich Baranov was shot down and killed in his I-15bis. He was buried 15 km south of Bain-Tsagan.

25 August 1939
The 1st and 11th Sentais took part in combat during the day and 1st Lieutenant Yoshihiko Yajima (Class 50) of the 1st Sentai and Sergeant Major Eisaku Suzuki (NCO67) of the 11th Sentai were killed.
1st Lieutenant Yajima of the 2nd chutai, 1st Sentai, led five other fighters together with aircraft from the 64th Sentai to escort bombers. Over the front they engaged some 30 enemy aircraft and Yajima was shot down and killed, his wingmen pinpointing the wreckage of his aircraft. At the time of his death, Yajima had claimed 16 victories in over 90 sorties.
Sergeant Major Suzuki took part in an afternoon patrol over Japanese ground forces. Whilst returning to base he was bounced by I-15bis and shot down four kilometres south-east of Jiangjun Miao. At the time of his death, he had claimed 11 victories in 78 sorties.

After four victories in two days, three pilots of the 64th Sentai failed to return, including Major Hachio Yokoyama, the CO. He was however rescued but left the unit due to severe wounds. The Sentai executive, Captain Seizo Okuyama, was also amongst the missing, but returned on foot on 27 August, temporarily taking over command of the Sentai. Sergeant Major Matsuzo Kasai (NCO60) was killed during the day.

Totally, IJAAF fighters claimed 21 destroyed and 3 probables while losing 3 pilots.

It seems that the Soviet pilots made claims for a total of 48 Japanese aircraft (!) during the day; 41 fighters (Ki-27s; all reported as ”I-97s”) and seven bombers.

The 22 IAP was in combat during the day and leitenant Mikhail Abzianidze (I-16) claimed a shared Ki-27 together with three other pilots north-east of the source to Orshun Gol River. Starshiy leitenant Aleksandr Yakimov (I-153) claimed two shared Ki-27s with four other pilots south of Lake Kuhun-Hu. Leitenant Ivan Krasnoyurchenko (I-16) claimed one shared Ki-27 north of Lake Usur-Nur together with seven other pilots. South of Lake Kuhun-Nu, he claimed another shared Ki-27 and a shared bomber (reported as a ”LB”) together with twelve other pilots (including major Vasily Naydenko). Major Naydenko claimed a second Ki-27 together with four other pilots south of Lake Kuhun-Hu. Kapitan Konstantin Kuzmenko (I-16) claimed one destroyed over Dzhinzhin, one shared with another pilot north-east of Lake Uzur-Nur and a third shared with four other pilots south of Lake Kuhun-Hu (shared with Naydenko?). Major Grigoriy Kravchenko (I-16) claimed a Ki-27 north of Lake Yanhu. Mladshiy leitenant Aleksandr Smirnov claimed one shared Ki-27 north of Lake Usur-Nur together with another pilot, a second shared Ki-27 south of Lake Kuhun-Hu together with ten other pilots. Finally he claimed a shared bomber (reported as a ”LB”) south of Lake Kuhun-Hu together with ten other pilots. Leitenant Pavel Solntsev (I-16) claimed a shared Ki-27 with seven other pilots north of Lake Usur-Nur. Starshiy leitenant Aleksandr Kostygov claimed two shared Ki-27s during the day. Starshiy leitenant Vasiliy Trubachenko (I-16) claimed one Ki-27 and one enemy bomber south of Kuhun-Hu River together with twelve other pilots. These claims are included among the claims above. Leitenant Aleksandr Piskunov (I-153) claimed one Ki-27 and two shared ”in group” during the day. Batalyonnyy komissar Ivan Golyshev claimed a shared bomber (reported as a ”LB”) and a shared Ki-27, both together with another pilot while starshiy leitenant Nikolay Tochkov did the same but claimed as shared ”in group”. Leitenant Aleksandr Suchkov (I-16) claimed a shared Ki-27 ”in group”. Georgiy Marchenko claimed a shared Ki-27 (reported as a I-97”) together with another pilot. Leitenant Aleksandr P’yankov claimed one Ki-27 destroyed as did Aleksandr Tsygankov (who also claimed two more Ki-27s as shared ”in group” at unknown dates between August-September). Kapitan Ivan Solyannikov claimed one Ki-27 together with two other pilots south of Lake Kuhun-Hu. Leitenant Vladimir Garanin (Polikarpov biplane) claimed two shared Ki-27s ”in group”. Starshiy politruk Leonid Kolesnikov (I-16) claimed one shared Ki-27 and one shared enemy bomber during the day; both ”in group”. Leitenant Ivan Rybkin (I-16) claimed three bombers (reported as ”LBs”) and one Ki-27 during the day; all these claims were made ”in group”. Leitenant Pavel Solov’yev (I-16) claimed three shared bombers (reported as ”LBs”) while starshiy leitenant Grigoriy Shabashov claimed one shared bomber together with another pilot.
A pair of I-16s from 22 IAP forced three bombers (reported as a ”LBs”) to land and two of them was destroyed; one during landing, which was shot down by starshiy leitenant Vasiliy Vuss and a second which was destroyed by strafing on the ground after landing.

I-16s from 56 IAP made several claims of Ki-27s. Major Stepan Danilov claimed one and one shared with four other pilots between Taranchin-ob and Kholi city, a second shared with unknown number of pilots between Dzhinzhin and Sume and a second destroyed over the Khalkhin Gole river area. Kapitan Mikhail Dolbyshev claimed a shared (”in group”) Ki-27 (possibly included in one of the above) and one Ki-27 individually. Leitenant Aleksandr Zlatoverkh claimed a shared Ki-27 together with another pilot between Taranchin-ob and Kholi city while starshiy leitenant Dmitry Sigov claimed a Ki-27 between Taranchin-ob and Kholi city. Kapitan Arseniy Razsudkov claimed one Ki-27 ”in group” while leitenant Vladimir Serikov claimed a shared Ki-27 together with another pilot. Starshiy leitenant Yakov Kurbatov claimed two shared Ki-27 ”in group”.

70 IAP was also in combat with Ki-27s and mladshiy leitenant Yevgeniy Petrov (I-153) claimed one during the day as did major Aleksey Slutskov (I-153). Starshiy leitenant Filipp Sergeyev (I-16) claimed one shared with another pilot between Dzhinzhin and Sume. This was possibly shared with leitenant Ivan Rodionov (I-16), who is known to have claimed one shared with another pilot at an unknown place during the day.

One SB from 56 SBP was shot down by anti-aircraft fire and the pilot starshiy leitenant Aleksandr Dmitriyevich Boldyrev went missing.

26 August 1939
Major M. F. Burmistrov's (CO 150 SAB) SB was shot down. It is thought that the SB was returning from a combat mission when a group of I-16s armed with RS-82 rockets and headed by kapitan Zvonaryov attacked it.

27 August 1939
Sergeant Major Tokuya Sudo of the 64th Sentai took off alone to intercept a reported 75 I-16s, attacking repeatedly by diving from above and zooming back to safety each time.
Next day he wrote to his mother:

“The situation is very different from that in China, and it’s worth doing, for the enemy’s fighting tactics are different and I am also learning a lot.”

The Soviet forces claimed at least 13 Japanese aircraft.

While returning from a combat mission, starshiy leitenant Viktor Rakhov, deputy CO of 22 IAP (I-16), was hit by rifle fire from the ground and seriously wounded by bullet in the stomach. He managed to land back at his own airfield but died in Chitinsky Hospital two days later. He had been in Mongolia since May and had claimed 11 victories and 9 shared during 68 combat missions and 15 air combats in the Khalkhin Gol Incident. He was decorated with a posthumous Gold Star of the Hero the Soviet Union and the Order of Lenin on 29 August 1939. He had also been decorated with the Mongolian Order of the Red Banner.
Kapitan Andrey Dekhtyarenko (I-16) claimed a Ki-27 (reported as a ”I-97”) over ”Square 279” and a second as a shared over ”Square 227” together with two other pilots. Kaptain Aleksandr Nikolayev claimed a Ki-27 while starshiy leitenant Nikolay Tochkov and starshiy leitenant Vasiliy Vuss both claimed a shared Ki-27 ”in group” (with Dekhtyarenko?).

The 11th Sentai took part in combat during the day. In the evening, whilst escorting bombers Warrant Officer Hiromichi Shinohara (NCO46) of the 1st chutai, 11th Sentai, was seen to shot down three intercepting fighters, but was then attacked from behind, his aircraft falling in flames into Mohorchi Lake, 10km south of Abdara Lake. His wingman, Sergeant Major Ohno, had been unable to assist. Shinohara was the top-scoring Japanese pilot of the incident.
Warrant Officer Suejiro Kakizoe (NCO36) was also killed in action during the day.

Totally IJAAF fighters claimed 17 destroyed and 3 probables while losing pilots (according to some sources four aircraft and three pilots).

A Ki-30 (s/n 127) from 10th Sentai was shot down by enemy fighters at ”Uzuru-sui” and the crew was KIA; pilot Staff Sergeant Takeo Okiura and gunner Corporal Isao Azetsu.

Major Stepan Danilov from 56 IAP (I-16) claimed an enemy bomber over Lake Uzur-Nur. Kapitan Arseniy Razsudkov and leitenant Vladimir Serikov both claimed a Ki-27 each during the day

Ten I-16s from 70 IAP intercepted Japanese bombers reported as LB-98s (most possibly light Ki-36 bombers from 15th Sentai) and claimed two shot down in the Lake Yanhu area. Three of the pilots taking part were kapitan Aleksey Antonenko, leitenant Mikhail Nikitin and mladshiy leitenant Vasiliy Bukhteev. Starshiy leitenant Vitaliy Belyakov was also probably part of this intercept even if he’s only credited with one shared bomber on this date. Kapitan Petr Glebov is credited with a bomber shot down during the day.

28 August 1939
The Japanese flew 46 sorties in the early hours, with all aircraft claimed to have returned to base. A bomber was nevertheless hit and burned out on a forward strip that had been prepared for the planned Japanese offensive. It had been attacked by a squadron of I-16s and nine SBs.
The lack of encounters between Soviet aircraft and Ki-27s did not stop the former claiming 11 victories against the Japanese for no own losses.

29 August 1939
The Japanese made 137 sorties against enemy positions while large numbers of Soviet fighters flew over Japanese-controlled territory, strafing it. Seven I-16s were shot down or damaged by fire from anti-aircraft positions on the hills below or by gunners aboard the 10th Sentai bombers who were overflying the narrow strip of contested territory.
Bombers from 9th Hikodan made two raids, both times battling with some 40 I-16s. Sporadic encounters by 1st and 24th Sentai pilots, who were acting as escorts to the raiding parties, led to claims for eight destroyed for no losses. 11th Sentai also flew missions during the day. Totally the IJAAF fighters claimed 16 destroyed and 4 probables while losing 1 pilot from 24th Sentai when Sergeant Major Tadashi Kikuchi (NCO66) was killed (there are reports of a total of claims for 47 enemy aircraft destroyed during the day, which should mean that the bombers claimed 31 destroyed!).
The Soviet side stated that the battles involved 70 I-16s and 25 I-153s who downed four Japanese fighters and one bomber; they confirmed a single I-16 loss (other reports states that eight Japanese aircraft were claimed).
Kapitan Mikhail Kabanov from 70 IAP (I-16) claimed a shared enemy bomber ”in group”. Ki-27s (reported as ’I-97’ was claimed by kapitan Petr Glebov from the same unit, who claimed one and one shared with another pilot. Another Ki-27 was claimed by leitenant Mikhail Nikitin.

Batalyonnyy komissar Ivan Golyshev from 22 IAP (I-16) claimed a Ki-27 during the day while starshiy leitenant Vasiliy Vuss claimed a shared Ki-27 ”in group”.

TASS announced an order creating 31 Heroes of the Soviet Union. Ten of them were airmen.

30 August 1939
The 9th Hikodan flew missions against 29 artillery regiment forward positions. The bombers set 14 vehicles on fire, yet the 40-odd escorting Ki-27s from 1st, 11th, 24th and 64th Sentai failed to withstand the pressure of the numerous enemy patrol (88 I-16s and 25 I-153s) and, though claiming 28 destroyed (seven by 64th Sentai) and 5 probables, in reality lost the initiative and allowed two 31st Sentai Ki-30s to be shot down. They lost two fighters and one pilot when Sergeant Major Katsutoshi Kato (NCO67) of the 1st Sentai was killed. Bomber gunners claimed another seven confirmed and one probable victories.
A Ki-30 (s/n 99) from 16th Sentai was shot down by enemy fighters 3 km north of Lake Abutara and the crew was KIA; pilot Staff Sergeant Makoto Itô and gunner Sergeant Tomie Ishizuki.
VVS claimed to have shot down 19 Ki-27 while losing one I-16.
Leitenant Nikolai Grinev of 22 IAP (I-16) claimed a shared Ki-27 north-west of Lake Buir-Nur together with three other pilots while leitenant Pavel Solntsev (I-16) claimed a single Ki-27 and a second as a shared with four other pilots (including Vasily Naydenko) west of Lake Usur-Nur. Vasiliy Smirnov (I-153) claimed one Ki-27 and a second shared Ki-27 together with another pilot in the Lake Usur-Nur area. Leitenant Ivan Krasnoyurchenko (I-16) claimed two shared Ki-27s west of Lake Uzur-Nur. One with another pilot and one with four other pilots. Starshiy leitenant Aleksandr Kostygov (I-16) claimed a shared Ki-27 together with another pilot. Leitenant Aleksandr Piskunov (I-153) claimed one Ki-27. Georgiy Marchenko (I-16) claimed a shared Ki-27 together with another pilot as did leitenant Pavel Solov’yev (I-16).
Leitenant Pavel Dolzhenko from 56 IAP (I-16) claimed one Ki-27 while leitenant Aleksey Novozhilov claimed a shared together with anoth pilot.
Platon Smolyakov of 70 IAP (I-16) claimed a Ki-27 northwest of Nomunhan-Burd while major Sergey Gritsevets (I-153) claimed a shared Ki-27 north of Lake Buir Nur together with two other pilots. Eskadrilya commander starshiy leitenant Mitrofan Noga (I-16) claimed a shared ”LB” north-west of Lake Uzur-Nur probably together with leitenant Aleksey Gudkov, who reportedly claimed a two-seater. Major Aleksandr Mochalin (I-16) claimed a Ki-27 over Nomunhan-Burd. Nikolay Zheredev also claimed a Ki-27 but at an unknown place.

31 August 1939
Mongolian territory was cleared of Japanese units and the last land battles saw 27 Japanese bombers (including Ki-30s from 31st Sentai) and 70 fighters from 1st, 11th, and 64th Sentai entering battle with 126 I-16s. The Japanese claimed to have brought down 21 Soviet fighters down (eight of them by 64th Sentai) and five probables for the loss of three own aircraft and four pilots. Known losses included the 31st Sentai 1st chutai CO Captain Jiro Inoue, who was killed and the crash-landing of Captain Saito (31st Sentai 2nd chutai CO). Saito had been attacked by enemy fighters and made an emergency landing at the vicinity of Chiangchunmiao. His gunner, 2nd Lieutenant Takeo Hidaka was KIA.
The Soviet side claimed to have lost a single I-16 and scored 22 victories, one against a single-engined bomber.
Kapitan Aleksey Kovalev from 22 IAP (I-153) claimed a Ki-27 between Uzur-Nur and Lake Yanhu while starshiy leitenant Petr Grayevskiy claimed one destroyed.
In combat west of Lake Usur-Nur, Nikolay Viktorov of 70 IAP (I-16) claimed two shared Ki-27s together with another pilot while starshiy leitenant Anatoliy Nikolayev claimed one Ki-27. Starshiy leitenant Konstantin Bukhtiyarov claimed one Ki-27. One of the shared Ki-27s claimed by Viktorov was probably claimed together with Grigoriy Boychenko (Polikarpov biplane), who reportedly claimed one and one shared Ki-27 north-west of Lake Usur-Nur. Starshiy leitenant Semen Levin claimed one Ki-27 shared ”in group”.
Kapitan Mikhail Dolbyshev from 56 IAP (I-16) claimed four shared Ki-27s (”in group”) while starshiy leitenant Yakov Kurbatov claimed two.

From this day onwards, Soviet aircraft were confined to their side of the border. The I-16 reconnaissance eskadrilya sorties three times, flying only within the borderline.

September

Ground Operations

VVS

On 12 September, at least 20 Soviet pilots (fighters and bombers) were ordered back to Moscow (this was before the end of the Khalkhin Gol air war, but after Soviet land success with encircling and smashing of Japanese army forces in the Khalkhin Gol area). Included were major Sergey Gritsevets, Shmushkevich (who became aviation commander on the Ukrainian Front) and major Grigoriy Kravchenko. They travelled by a DC-3. The trip took two or three days and they arrived in Moscow on 14 or 15 September.

On 15 September, Sergey Gritsevets received his second HSU during a celebrated meeting with Stalin.

The selected pilots and commanders were then directly transported to the Kiev and Byelorussia Military Districts to take command or act as advisers in Soviet regiments/command staff preparing the invasion of Poland on 17 September 1939. Sergey Gritsevets was to act as an adviser in a fighter brigade at Orsha.
Gritsevets chose to fly a fighter during this transport.

At 19:07 on 16 September, three I-16s took off for Bolbasovo. When they landed at 19:50, Gritsevets was killed when major Petr I. Khara’s (also a veteran from Spain) aircraft stalled whilst landing and crashing into Gritsevets, who was taxiing on the airfield of Bolbasovo. Khara survived the crash.
According to other sources, Gritsevets was killed on 17 September.

IJAAF

In September, the 59th Sentai was moved to Saienjo, near Nomonhan to take part in the Incident.

In the end of September, the 33rd Sentai returned to Xingshu.

Aerial operations

2 September 1939
Over Lake Buir-Nur, three Ki-10s from the 33rd Sentai’s 2nd chutai led by 1st Lieutenant Soichi Okamoto, met some reported 30 I-16s. Okamoto claimed the unit’s first four victories of the Incident while Sergeant Major Shozo Saito in vain tried to ram one, but was instead obliged to force-lend.
They had met 22 IAP led by starshiy leitenant Fedor Cheremukhin. This experienced leader rightly reasoned that the I-16 tip 10 had significantly greater speed and firepower, and less manoeuvrability, and initiated the correct tactic for the fight: shooting from further away and avoiding close level manoeuvres. After the skirmish, his unit reported two downed Kawasaki Ki-10s for no own losses.
The encounter again escalated into an air battle. Excellent visibility allowed a great area to be observed, and each engagement was as visible as a flare by pilots on the ground; they immediately scrambled and flew across to assist their comrades. First to arrive were the 1st Sentai Ki-27. More Soviet fighters followed them, and the previous day’s events repeated themselves. The fight developed overhead Hamar-Daba Mountain and the Humurgin-Gol River, at the same levels that offered optimum performance to both sides: 3500 to 5000m. After 45 minutes that had witnessed over 250 machines fighting (175 of them Soviet), the sky grew quiet.
The Japanese admitted losing one Ki-27 when Sergeant Yukio Kijima (Sho-4) of the 1st Sentai was killed and suffering damage to four more fighters and totally claimed seven victories (four by Okamoto).
The Soviets fighters only lost one aircraft and totally claimed eight victories, six of them Ki-27s (reported as a ”I-97”). Known claiming pilots from 22 IAP were leitenant Petr Agafonov (I-153), who claimed a shared Ki-27 together with six other pilots north-west of Lake Uzur-Nur, leitenant Pavel Solntsev (I-16), who claimed two Ki-27s together with five other pilots over squares 531-533 and 633, kapitan Andrey Dekhtyarenko (I-16), who claimed a shared Ki-27 south-east of Lake Uzur-Nur together with three other pilots and kapitan Aleksandr Nikolayev (I-153), who claimed a Ki-27. Leitenant Aleksandr Piskunov (I-153), leitenant Vladimir Garanin (Polikarpov biplane) and mladshiy Viktor Ushakov (I-16) all claimed one shared Ki-27 ”in group”. Kapitan Mikhail Dolbyshev from 56 IAP (I-16) claimed one shared Ki-27 (”in group”).

3 September 1939
Bad weather prevented any combat during the day.

4 September 1939
Fighters clashed south-east of Shirin-Obo and overhead the Numurgin-Gol River in the morning when the Soviets flew 68 fighter sorties and the Japanese 40.
Initially, eleven I-153s and 39 I-16s from 22 IAP fought with and pursued 20 Ki-27s, and then eleven I-16s and seven I-153s from 70 IAP did the same with seven Ki-10s from 33rd Sentai led by Captain Takeo Kawada. The Japanese encountered a reported 20-30 Soviet aircraft at a height of 5,000 metres. Kawada had been personally forbidden to engage, but 2nd Lieutenant Tadashi Harada (NCO54) and Sergeant Major Akira Ishikawa (Sho-1) charged in, followed by the rest of the formation. In this combat the Japanese claimed nine and three probables, including three by Ishikawa personally, although he force-landed after suffering severe wounds, from which he died next day. Harada and Sergeant Major Seizo Hiraki (NCO66) were also killed.
The 33rd Sentai’s 3rd chutai was also engaged in combat claiming 13 victories and 13 probables.
Soviet reports were filed with claims of nine enemy fighters (one Ki-27 and the remaining Ki-10s) in the morning while losing two I-16 tip 10s and one I-153.
Seven of the claims can be identified when starshiy leitenant Pavel Ankudinov (I-16 from 22 IAP) claimed a single Ki-10 (reported as a ”I-95”) and two more as shared together with 14 other I-16 pilots (including kapitan Andrey Dekhtyarenko (22 IAP), starshiy leitenant E. E. Evkudinov (22 IAP), starshiy leitenant Vasiliy Vuss (22 IAP), starshiy leitenant Fedor Golub (22 IAP), leitenant Aleksandr Mel’nikov (56 IAP), starshiy leitenant Mark Shpan (22 IAP) and leitenant Pavel Solov’yev (22 IAP)) at “Square 787” while kapitan Grigoriy Boychenko (I-153 from 70 IAP) claimed a Ki-10 over the mouth of the Numurgin-Gol River. Mikhail Abzianidze (I-16 from 22 IAP) claimed a Ki-27 while Vasiliy Smirnov (I-153 from 22 IAP) claimed a Ki-10, both over “Square 787”. Two I-16s from 22 IAP piloted by starshiy leitenant Fedor N. Cheremukhin and an unknown pilot (possibly Georgiy Marchenko) shared a Ki-10 in the Khalkhin Gol area in the morning. Leitenant Ivan Rybkin (I-16 from 22 IAP) claimed two shared Ki-27 ”in group”.
Leitenant Aleksandr Piskunov from 22 IAP (I-153) was wounded in air combat and killed when his fighter overturned on landing back at his airfield.

5 September 1939
While escorting reconnaissance Ki-36s and Ki-15-Is over the mouth of the Numurgin-Gol River, 20 Ki-10s (1st and 2nd chutais of the 33rd Sentai) and five Ki-27s (probably from 64th Sentai) clashed with 62 Soviet fighters. The reconnaissance aircraft got away, but the VVS claimed to have downed seven Ki-10s and one Ki-27. Leitenant Pavel Solntsev (22 IAP) claimed one of the Ki-10s over squares 787 and 789 while flying an I-16. The remaining victories were claimed in the Khanshir area by I-16 from 22 IAP and starshiy leitenant Grigoriy Shabashov (22 IAP) and mladshiy leitenant Viktor Yuganov (56 IAP), both flying I-16s, claimed a shared Ki-10 as one of these. Starshiy leitenant Aleksandr Kostygov (I-16 with 22 IAP) claimed one Ki-10 shot down an a second shared with another pilot (possibly leitenant Aleksandr P’yankov, who claimed a shared together with another pilot). Starshiy leitenant Sergey Shankov and leitenant Aleksandr Suchkov (both I-16s with 22 IAP) claimed one Ki-10 each. One I-16 failed to return, while another was shot down by enemy anti-aircraft fire, having been an easy target below cloud at up to 2000m.
1st and 2nd chutais of the 33rd Sentai reported that they engaged Soviet fighters and Sergeant Tameyoshi Kuroki, who flew as wingman to the 1st chutai leader, Captain Tadashi Ishikawa, claimed three shot down on this, his first combat, although he was hit in return, and wounded. Totally the 1st and 2nd chutais claimed 15 victories and 5 probables in this combat while losing two Ki-10s when two fell on the Mongolian side of the border. The pilot of one baled out and managed to get away. The 33rd Sentai didn’t see any more action during the “incident” before the fighting ended. Patrolling between 2 and 5 September, 33rd Sentai pilots claimed 41 confirmed and eight possible victories at the cost of three own aircraft!
Warrant Officer Hirokichi Matsushita (NCO45) of the 64th Sentai was killed in his Ki-27.

6 September 1939
Bad weather with downpours prevented any combat during the day.

11 September 1939
The weather deteriorated even more with snow falling on high ground for the first time.

12 September 1939
Reconnaissance flights from the IJAAF over Tamsag Bulag and Buir-Nur observed 16 twin-engined aircraft and 68 fighters on the ground.

14 September 1939
At 14:20, ten Ki-30s of 10th Sentai raided Soviet airfields at Tamsag Bulag, about 20km south of the Buir-Nur Lake, from medium heights. The 18 Ki-27s from 1st Sentai that escorted them were led personally by the unit’s CO Major Naoshi Yoshida (other sources states that 45 Japanese fighters took part in the escort). They successfully countered the attack by 75 I-16s and 15 I-153s.
Despite this, the huge numerical disparity allowed individual Soviet fighters to pierce the escort and claim victory against a bomber. Kapitan Mikhail Dolbyshev from 56 IAP (I-16) claimed two shared Ki-27s (in group).
The Japanese fighter pilots declared three confirmed and six probable victories.
It seems that in fact, no aircraft were lost.

15 September 1939
IJAAF attacked Tamsag Bulag airfield during the day.
Some 30 16th and 31st Sentai bombers appeared in the air in perfect combat formation. Their targets this time were the airfields some 45km south-west of Khamardaba Mountain; home of the main strength of 22 IAP (Tamsag Bulak). The Soviet duty forces comprising nine I-16s scrambled. The giant white arrow on the ground indicated the intercept heading for the enemy. The white rectangle next to it meant the enemy was flying at one level. This was not high; barely 2000m for the strike formation, yet some of the 25 direct cover fighters from 1st Sentai were far higher. Using this advantage to stall the approach of the enemy, they lunged into immediate attack. The lack of serious defence assisted the Ki-30 crews to drop their bombs at 11:00. The threat of enemy attack made the bombers actions hasty although they claimed to have destroyed three SBs (reported as SB-2s) on the ground (in reality, the type was absent from the raided airfields), and the gunners claimed to have shot down an 1-16. However, overall, the raid was ineffective. The number of Soviet fighters in the air grew gradually, with duty crews arriving from 56 and 70 IAPs and the Japanese began to retreat across the border. On their way, several Ki-30s dived over a remote ambush airstrip where they had spotted several I-16s, setting one of them alight by strafing. As to 1st Sentai pilots, they claimed to have seen another four I-16s fall in flames during the battle. Sergeant Major Megumu Ono of the 2nd chutai, 1st Sentai, claimed his 15th and last victory over Tamsag Bulag, having flown more than 70 operational sorties (he had claimed seven victories in July during 45 sorties).

The next raid was at lunchtime. Apart from the single-engined Ki-32, it involved two chutais of ”heavy” bombers from 61st Sentai. The mission was covered by 21 Ki-27s (12 from 11th Sentai and nine from 64th Sentai). Targets included the 56 IAP base 35km west of Khamardaba Command Post. The regiment had a great number of I-153s, whose silvery shapes were clearly visible on the ground, highlighting the unit’s position. Apart from the great number of new aircraft, the regiment also had a great number of new and inexperienced pilots. Though three squadrons of I-16s scrambled from nearby airfields, the Japanese got there first. The Chaika crews scrambled haphazardly from beneath the raid, fleeing the bombs, only to face a battle from a position of extreme disadvantage. One biplane was shot down in flames, followed by another which lost the wings under the great g-load its pilot subjected it to; the pilot perished in the crash. Another Chaika started burning, its pilot managing to bale out. The flame then stopped, and the uncontrolled aeroplane began a descending manoeuvre that ended with its crashing. Other I-153s - the main targets of Japanese air attack, were also in trouble. They were only relieved as I-16s reached the battle. Their pilots were from 22 IAP, plus pilots from kapitan Zvonarev’s group. The battle now raged anywhere from ground level to 7000m.
The 64th Sentai claimed two victories but lost one Ki-27, which while attempting to make a forced landing on the steppe, was blown up. The 11th Sentai lost two Ki-27s with Captain Kenji Shimada (Class 45) (CO 1st chutai and with 27 victories) and his wingman Sergeant Major Bunji Yoshiyama (Sho-1 with 20 victories in Mongolia) of the 1st chutai. They were last seen over Tamsag Bulag, pursuing some I-16s, but neither returned.

These unexpected raids angered the Soviet Command which organised a ”free hunt” with four I-16 eskadrily. Keeping within the border, they effected the closing engagement in the conflict. They encountered 18 Ki-27s from the two shutai of 59th Sentai led by its CO Lieutenant Colonel Isaku Imagava. This was the 59th Sentai, first and last engagement in the conflict and they suffered the loss of six pilots when the 2nd chutai was taken by surprise, although the surviving pilots claimed 11 shot down in return. Sergeant Major Takeomi Hayashi of the 2nd chutai claimed two victories, one of them over Tamsag Bulag while his own aircraft was hit 13 times. Isamu Kashide of the 2nd chutai claimed to have shot down two of eight fighters which attacked him, then escaping at low level. Yasuhiko Kuroe claimed two victories over Tamsag Bulag while Katsutaro Takahashi claimed two more victories. Killed pilots were Captain Mitsugu Yamamoto (Class 46) (CO 1st chutai), Sergeant Major Kiyoji Noguchi (Sho-2), Sergeant Yoshinori Kono (Yobi NCO), Warrant Officer Tadamasa Ishizaki (NCO39), Sergeant Major Munetoshi Nakano (NCO59) and Sergeant Major Masashi Saruta (NCO72).

Soviet statistics for the day show 212 fighter sorties and 180 enemy overflights, of which reportedly at least 20 were brought down. The loss of six aircraft, of which five were Chaikas, was acknowledged. The battle brought successive proof that the new type was far from perfection and was unfit for modern aerial warfare.
The I-16s from 22 IAP was in combat with Ki-27s (reported as a ”I-97s”) over their own airfield at around 09:00. Leitenant Dmitriy Medvedev, starshiy leitenant Nikolay Arsenin, Georgiy Marchenko and mladshiy leitenant Aleksandr Smirnov claimed one shared Ki-27. Smirnov also claimed a second Ki-27 as a single victory. Kapitan Konstantin Kuzmenko claimed one individually and starshiy leitenant Mikhail Glazatov claimed two ”in group” while leitenant Ivan Krasnoyurchenko and leitenant Sergey Podorozhnyy claimed one together with two other pilots. Starhiy leitenant Aleksandr Murmylov claimed one together with two other pilots. Starshiy leitenant Petr Grayevskiy claimed one Ki-27 destroyed and two shared ”in group”. Starshiy leitenant Fedor Golub, leitenant Ivan Groshev, batalyonnyy komissar Ivan Golyshev, leitenant Aleksandr P’yankov and starshiy leitenant Mark Shpan also claimed one shared Ki-27 each in ”in group”. Starshiy leitenant Sergey Shankov claimed one and one shared ”in group”. Starshiy politruk Vasiliy Uschev and mladshiy leitenant Viktor Suvirov each claimed one Ki-27 destroyed. Leitenant Anatoly Yanovich claimed two Ki-27s ”in group” (according to some material he claimed one destroyed and two shared).
Leitenant Aleksandr Silin (I-16) from 56 IAP claimed two Ki-27s ”in group”. The regiment suffered four losses when leitenant Nikolay Kochetkov (I-153), leitenant Nikolay Lebedev (I-153), leitenant Stepan Matrosov (I-153) and leitenant Mikhail Samylenko (I-153) were all shot down and killed in the Tamsag-Bulag area.
Mladshiy leitenant Mikhail Sakhonchik from 70 IAP was killed when his I-16 crashed on landing at Tamsag-Bulag airfield.

Though the revenge raids were deemed a success by the Japanese. It had led to the claimed destruction of 39 Soviet aircraft in air battles, with another four to eight probable losses, nine aircraft damaged, and four or five destroyed on the ground. Yet it was in reality the final failure, leading to the loss of nine fighters, one bomber, eight pilots (of whom two were squadron leaders). This was a senseless loss, far more hurtful to the Japanese than any loss they had suffered on the Soviets.
During this two-day attack on Tamsag Bulag, the 24th Sentai claimed nine I-15s and four I-16s,

16 September 1939
The truce came into force and the Incident was over.

Conclusion

According to official sources, SB losses from 16 May through 15 September 1939 were as follows:

Period	Combat losses	Non-combat losses
16 May-3 June	0	1
4 June-16 June	0	0
17 June-27 June	0	1
28 June-12 July	12	3
13 July-20 July	0	0
21 July-8 August	14	1
9 August-20 August	4	2
21 August-31 August	0	0
1 September-15 September	15	0
Total	45	8

Two SB pilots were merited the honour of being awarded the Gold Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union during the Incident: Kapitan Artamonov, CO of 38 SBP and major M. F. Burmistrov of the 150 SAP (posthumously)

Known claims and losses during the Incident

Known units taking part in combat during the Incident

VVS

IJAAF

Sources:
Air War Over Khalkhin Gol: The Nomonhan Incident - Vladimir R. Kotelnikov, 2010 SAM Publications, ISBN 978-1-906959-23-4
All aces of Stalin 1936–1953 – Mikhail Bykov, 2014
Battle of Khalkhin Gol - Wikipedia
Bombers of the Imperial Japanese Army 1939-1945 - Eduardo Cea, AF Editores, ISBN 978-84-96935-23-5
Japan Against Russia In The Sky Of Nomonhan - Dimitar Nedialkov, 2005 Propeller Publishing, Sofia, ISBN 954-9367-33-9
Japanese account of Stalin falcons – Oleg Kaminsky kindly provided by Michael Meyer
Japanese Army Air Force fighter units and their aces 1931-1945 - Ikuhiko Hata, Yasuho Izawa and Christopher Shores, 2002 Grub Street, London, ISBN 1-902304-89-6
Ki-27 'Nate' Aces – Nicholas Millman, 2013 Osprey Publishing, Oxford, ISBN 978-1-84908-662-2
Nakajima Ki-27 Nate - Leszek A. Wieliczko and Zygmunt Szeremeta, 2004 Kagero, Lublin, ISBN 83-89088-51-7
Nomonhan – Japan Against Russia, 1939 – Alvin D. Coox, 1985 Stanford University Press, Stanford, California, ISBN 0-8047-1835-0
PacificWrecks.com
Polikarpov I-15, I-16 and I-153 Aces - Mikhail Maslov, 2010 Osprey Publishing, Oxford, ISBN 978-1-84603-981-2
Remember the winged heroes of Khalkhin-Gol! – Oleg Kaminsky kindly provided by Michael Meyer
Soviet Aces 1936-1953
Soviet Fighter Pilots 1936-1953 - Mikhail Bykov
Additional information kindly provided by Michael Buescher, Börje Henningsson and Michael Meyer.