Battle in Romanovka. Far East, Suchansky mines, 1919.

[cuprum]

Description of the largest battle of the Red partisans against the American contingent in Siberia (automatic translation):

https://konkurent-ru.translate.goog/article/23296?_x_tr_sl=ru&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=ru&_x_tr_pto=wapp

How seaside guerrillas attacked the American garrison

Period 1918–1922 known in the history of Primorye as a period of foreign intervention, for which the United States sent the 31st Infantry Regiment, a field hospital, a medical team and a telegraph company from the Philippines to Vladivostok.

In total, 8,831 Americans arrived in Vladivostok, who took up the protection of the Suchan mines and the 144-mile section of the Ussuri branch of the Uglovaya-Suchan. The Americans were spread out in tent camps along the entire branch with bases in Shkotovo and Novo-Nezhino. In Shkotovo, they simultaneously guarded the camp of German prisoners of war, and in Novo-Nezhino they placed a field hospital. Everything was quiet and peaceful.

On May 25, 1919, the first rebel congress of the Primorsky Region was held in Anuchino, at which it was decided to start a widespread partisan action along the entire line of the rail road. A powerful blow was dealt to the American garrison in Romanovka on June 25, 1919, the day that went down in American history as the "Romanov massacre." The attack on the Romanovsky garrison was entrusted to the Tsemukhinsky detachment under the command of Sergei Lazo. At night, the detachment secretly approached Romanovka and settled down on the dominant heights ...

In the Romanovsky camp there were 51 people of the 3rd platoon under the command of Lieutenant Harry Kreiger. They were housed in tents dug in by a shallow ditch and a low parapet. The tents were set up in a small clearing near the road a mile from the village. From here it was not far to the water and the bridge, which they guarded. The soldiers could also use the telephone that was nearby. They pitched their tents in a square in a hollow, and stationed lookouts on the surrounding heights. However, at night the sentinels went to the camp, as in the dark they were an easy target for partisans.

On the night of June 24, Battalion A, 21 men under the command of Lieutenant Lawrence D. Butler, arrived in Romanovka to reinforce Kreiger. Those who arrived at night did not have the opportunity to choose a position and simply set up tents next to Kreiger. An intelligence officer passing through Romanovka at that time, Lieutenant Colonel Robert L. Eichelberger, drew Butler's attention to the fact that he placed the arrivals in a strategically unfavorable place.

The 24th passed quietly. As soon as the sun went down, the patrols were removed and went down to the camp. This made it possible for 300 Russian partisans to quietly occupy the dominant heights and hide in the tall grass until morning. At 4 am, the partisans opened fire on the tents that were clearly visible. As Sgt. Joseph B. Longevant recalled, bullets flew into tents and overturned beds; one soldier was wounded 17 times. In a panic, some soldiers jumped out and, grabbing ammunition, fled to the buildings.

Butler was immediately shot in the jaw. Nevertheless, he tore off the shot off piece of the lower jaw and continued to command the detachment, using his hands to give signals to hide in the woodpile and from there to move to a group of houses on the outskirts of the village. But to the village it was necessary to overcome the open fired area. Despite the wounds, privates Emmit Lunsford, Roy Jones, George Starkey began to cover those who were leaving with fire on the hills from their automatic rifles, as quickly as possible to reload them.

“The house of the peasant Mina Pastukhov was then in the village,” the partisans said. - At the time when the battle near the camp flared up, Mina saw from the window American soldiers with machine guns running towards the railroad. The Americans fled to the hill in order to return back to the camp along the slope of the hill and from a height open machine-gun fire on the flank of the advancing partisan chains, in which Pastukhov's son was walking. Mina, taking his old hunting rifle of the Berdan system, went out into the garden, sat down behind the fence and opened aimed fire at the Americans. He shot like a sniper, without a miss. The rifle fired loudly, when fired it gave off a cloud of powder smoke, and, of course, Pastukhov immediately discovered himself. And although after each shot he changed his position, the Americans, having deployed a machine gun in the direction of Mina's house, still managed to get the hunter in a burst. Mina was killed

The position of the Americans was desperate; Butler came out of hiding and began to pour fire from his automatic rifle into the street, holding back the Reds who began to enter the village. The wounded were gathered in houses, where American doctors and Russian women began to help them. Fearing a rout, Butler called in two volunteers to contact Battalion E at Novo-Nezhino, six miles down the road. Corporal Valerian Brodnitsky and Leo Heitzmann agreed and ran through the fire. Despite the fact that Brodnitsky was twice wounded, they broke through the line and ran towards Novo-Nezhino. Not far from Romanovka, they met a train with 17 military men of the "K" battalion on board.

Heizman boarded the train and ordered the Russian driver to go to Romanovka. Brodnitsky went further - on foot to Novo-Nezhino. However, Sergeant Sylvester B. Moore, who was in command of 17 soldiers on the train, overruled Heitzman's order. Subsequently, he explained it this way: he would have to go under the hills and then through the open space through which Butler was already running, which would be tantamount to suicide. Instead, he directed the train to Novo-Nezhino. There, Lieutenant of Platoon "E" Lewis J. Lorimar loaded his 58 soldiers and machine gunners and advanced to Romanovka, calling a hospital train from Kangauz.

4 hours after the start of the massacre, the train arrived in Romanovka. The appearance of the train forced the partisans to cease fire and leave their positions at 8 o'clock. However, some shooting continued until the arrival of the hospital train. The wounded were taken to the evacuation hospital No. 17 in Vladivostok at 7 pm. In total, 24 US soldiers died in the battle near Romanovka. Directly in 19 were killed in battle, 5 died of wounds, 25 people were wounded.

“The ground was littered with the bleeding bodies of American soldiers,” Lt. Kendall recalled with horror. According to him, the attackers used dum-dum bullets. In fact, the partisans widely used Berdan hunting rifles (a remake of an old army rifle) with black powder and unjacketed lead bullets.

The losses of the partisans amounted to 13 killed and more than a dozen wounded.

Some time later, the commander of the American Expeditionary Forces, General Grevs, burst into an article in the White Guard newspapers, calling the partisans savages, indignant at the fact that the partisans use old weapons in battle, which is supposedly inhumane. The headquarters of the partisan detachment responded to his article with a letter in which he recommended that the American general give us "tens of thousands of rifles if he does not want us to beat the Americans from Berdan."

On June 28, 1919, the First World War officially ended and Washington began to withdraw its troops from Primorye. April 1, 1920 the 31st Regiment, which had taken part in the Battle of Romanovka, left Vladivostok on American warships, returning to the Philippines. All the dead in two years, the Americans dug out of the graves and took away with them. The losses of the 31st regiment in Primorye amounted to 29 killed, 8 died from wounds, 52 wounded and 135 died from diseases and accidents.











Far Eastern partisans:





I would also add that coal was mined in the Suchansky mines, which was used to supply the ships of the interventionists and the White Guards. The mines themselves and the railway line, along which the mined coal was transported, were under the protection of the Japanese and American contingents. The purpose of the partisan attack on the Americans and the Japanese was to destroy bridges and deprive enemy ships of the opportunity to obtain local fuel.

[carlos marighela]

That same Lt Eichelberger went on to be become General Eichelberger who headed up the US Eighth Army in the Philippines in 1945. He disliked McArthur which automatically raises him in the estimation of any Australian.

[fred]

Thanks for sharing cuprum - interesting bit of history

I’m thinking my next project might well be eastern front WWI, which immediately gives lots of figures for RCW as well.

[Captain Darling]

Thanks for posting!

I have read of the USA contingent that landed at Archangel while researching the Aussies there, good to read of their ‘exploits’ in the Far East!

Cheers!

[fred]

From these photos I think I’ve finally find a use for the Airfix 1/72nd WWI American Infantry!

[marianas_gamer]

Thanks cuprum! This is a mini campaign that I am interested in. Do you have any pictures of Siberian villages at this time, particularly how buildings are laid out?

[cuprum]

In the Siberian and Far Eastern villages, the architecture will be the same as in the forest zone of Russia. Here you will not see adobe houses and thatched roofs, wood will be used as much as possible. The roofs will also be covered with boards. Only in very rich houses can the roof be covered with iron.
The houses have not been painted. The platbands (window lining) were occasionally painted. Usually in blue.
The streets are wide, the distances between houses and other buildings are quite large (this is done to prevent mass fires). Usually in the estate there is a residential building, a stable, a cattle pen, a barn, a bathhouse, and an outdoor toilet. Livestock buildings are solid and with the possibility of heating in the frosty months.

The general impression can be obtained by looking at the photo of a modern Siberian village. But you only need to "remove" modern architecture (rarely found), modern materials (mainly roofs, sometimes fences), painted houses, and other signs of modern civilization (like poles with electric wires, etc.).

See photos here:
https://yandex.ru/images/search?from=tabbar&lr=197&text=сибирская%20деревня%20панорама

[marianas_gamer]

Thanks cuprum! As always you are a font of knowledge.

[Mike Blake]

Wonderful inspiration. I read about the American efforts some time ago and thought then it would make a good mini-campaign, but didn't have (54mm) figures for the Americans so it faded. This has encouraged me to have another look at it  - thanks Cuprum, always good value!

Massacre? On the basis that both sides were armed  soldiers in war, just because the Yanks lost, surely not? Just saying...

[trev]

Wonderful stuff.  That battle would make a good scenario and the village details are helpful.  Thanks for posting.

Massacre? On the basis that both sides were armed  soldiers in war, just because the Yanks lost, surely not? Just saying...

It's very odd, as our western history is usually so fair and balanced when it comes to the Russians.   

[FramFramson]

That same Lt Eichelberger went on to be become General Eichelberger who headed up the US Eighth Army in the Philippines in 1945. He disliked McArthur which automatically raises him in the estimation of any Australian.

Not just Australians. 

[cuprum]

Well, I would not call it a victory for the partisans, since they failed to destroy this particular bridge this time. The American contingent actually completed its task, although not in an optimal way. And, in my opinion, it was a retribution for sloppiness. Leaving the adjacent heights without observation at night is an unforgivable oversight.

[carlos marighela]

The Yanks have always been a bit shit at counter insurgency warfare.

[Mike Blake]

Questions for Cuprum, if I may please?

I have decided to follow up on the idea of a game, but as for all my games, with 54/60mm figures, based on this incident.

1) do you have any more details, or rather can you pointme at places I could find some please?

2) help with the appearance of the Far East Partizans - suggestions, ideas, for clothing? Where they all on foot? Places to look for photos/pictures?

3) any ideas on the two flags shown in the photo? or indeed any other flags which would be appropriate?

3) any details of the 32st US Infantry - personel and appearance ie local uniform adaptations?

For figures I was planning on using WWI US and British infantry, some in tin helmets and some converted to Montana peaks.
For the Partisans Russian Civil War figures in 'best mixed' ie lots of variations.

Thanks in advance for any help you can give,

Best

Mike

[cuprum]

Here is a description of the entire partisan operation, part of which was the battle near Romanovka:

https://cyclowiki-org.translate.goog/wiki/%D0%A1%D1%83%D1%87%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%8F_%D0%BE%D0%BF%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%86%D0%B8%D1%8F_(1919_%D0%B3.)?_x_tr_sl=ru&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=ru&_x_tr_pto=wapp

https://translated.turbopages.org/proxy_u/en-ru.ru.057c36c5-64736276-ff922060-74722d776562/https/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suchan_Valley_Campaign


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Romanovka
It's funny that this battle on Wikipedia is represented by the victory of the Americans, the number of partisans killed is overestimated four times. It is even more interesting that Yakov Tryapitsyn was named commander of the Reds, who in the summer of 1919 acted with his detachment in another region.

I did not find a map of the operation.
I'll continue in a day - I have to leave now.