Battle of Khalkhyn Temple

Battle of Khalkhyn Temple
Part of Soviet-Japanese border conflicts
Date 8 January 1935 Location Khalkhyn Temple, northeast of Buir Lake in present-day Inner Mongolia Result Mongolian Victory
Belligerents
Mongolia	Empire of Japan Manchukuo
Commanders and leaders
Bataar Enkhjargal †	unknown
Strength
90 mounted units	30
Casualties and losses
23-40 killed, 12 horses killed	11+ killed

The Battle of Khalkhyn Temple (Mongolian: Халхын сүмийн мөргөлдөөн) or The Halhamiao Incident (哈爾哈廟事件 or ハルハ廟事件, Haruhabyō-jiken) of 1935 was one of the border conflicts between the Soviet Union, Mongolia and Japan which occurred from 1932 to 1939. The incident took place on the border of Manchukuo and Mongolia near the Buddhist temple of Khalkhyn (Temple of Khalkha), located northeast of Buir Lake in present-day Inner Mongolia, China. Scores of the cavalry of the Mongolian People's Army engaged with patrol units of the Manchukuo Imperial Army and Japanese soldiers.

Attack

On 8 January 1935, an army of 90 Mongolian horsemen ambushed a Japanese/Manchurian border army stationed in the disputed Inner Mongolia territory. As the Mongolians were charging at the defenders, many of them were gunned down from Japanese machine gun-fire, resulting in dozens of deaths including the Mongolian commander Bataar Enkhjargal. But most of the cavalry managed to make it through the gun-fire, into the Manchurian base. After less than 30 minutes of fighting the Manchurian army broke apart and was forced to retreat, giving the Mongolians control of most of the present-day Outer Mongolia territory. A Soviet official claimed that 23 Mongolians were killed in the incident including the commander, but the Japanese put the number much higher (40 killed). The Japanese claimed to have lost one officer and several other soldiers in the fighting, while their ally Manchuria lost up-to 10 soldiers.

Reactions

This incident created great tension between Mongolia and Japan, with the death of a high ranked Japanese officer. This incident was the first of many Mongolian/Soviet-Japanese border conflicts.