entered the harbour and established the absence of Japanese warships there. As a result, it was decided to start the operation, without waiting for the final completion of the battle in Racine and the redeployment of the light forces of the fleet there. Therefore, the starting point for the operation remained Vladivostok, significantly remote from Seishin, which immediately deprived the Soviet command of the ability to quickly respond to a changing situation. Opposing forces The Soviet force was composed of one destroyer, one minelayer, eight patrol ships, seven minesweepers, two small hunter boats, 18 torpedo boats, 12 landing ships and seven transports. For aviation support, 261 aircraft were allocated, 188 bombers and 73 fighters. The commander of the Naval forces was Captain First Rank A.F. Studenichnikov, and the commander of the landing party was Major General Vasily Trushin. The general command of the operation was in the hands of fleet commander Admiral I. S. Yumashev. The Japanese had an infantry battalion, an officer's school, and a naval base in the city. During the operation, the number of Japanese troops was increased with retreating units of the Kwantung Army — first 2 infantry regiments, then the Guards Infantry Division. The Japanese troops were led in battle by the commander of the Ranan fortified area, Lieutenant-General Munekichi Nishiwaki. Operation In the afternoon of 13 August ten torpedo boats entered the port at Seishin, from which the 140th reconnaissance unit of the Pacific Fleet headquarters under the command of Lieutenant Viktor Leonov and a company of submachine gunners from the 13th Naval Infantry brigade (in total 181 men under command of Colonel A. Z. Denisin) entered the city. Leaving two boats for cover from the sea, the rest of the ships returned to Vladivostok. The assault force easily occupied the port and the surrounding urban areas, taking advantage of the enemy's complete surprise. However, the Japanese soon launched a counterattack, at first disorderly and fragmented. The Japanese command soon restored order and launched an organized offensive against the landing force. The position of the scouts immediately deteriorated: they were cut off from the coast in an unfamiliar city and the Japanese also succeeded in cutting the detachment in two. By 18:30 pm, seven more torpedo boats landed 90 more soldiers (a machine-gun company) away from the battlefield. This unit could not break through to join the reconnaissance detachment, suffered heavy losses and was