Coast artillery batteries of 1932

In 1923 Vladivostok Fortress was abandoned. However because of difficult international relations on the Far East in 1932, building divisions of Special Red Banner Far East Army (SRBFEA) equipped on the former fortress artillery positions the Batteries # 904 (4 - 152-mm Kanet guns) on the Schkot Isl., # 912 (4 - 152-mm Kanet guns) near Phyllipovsky bay, # 921 (3 - 152-mm Kanet guns) near Sobol bay, # 922 (4 - 152-mm Kanet guns, later 4 - 130-mm guns B-13) near Zhitkov point on the concrete constructions of old 254-mm battery, # 913 (4 - 120-mm guns) on the Stvorny point on the concrete constructions of old 254-mm battery and # 923 (4 - 120-mm guns) on the Basargin cape. Moreover there was located the movable Battery # 911 of 4 - 305-mm mortar near Voevoda Bay at the Russian Island. The 9-th Artillery Brigade was formed in SRBFEA for maintenance of the batteries.

In May, 1931 the Revolutionary Military Board of the USSR decided to construct the new coastal artillery batteries on the Far East. The 9-th Artillery Brigade was given to new created Navy Forces of Far East (Aprile, 1932). In 1933 it was included in Vladivostok Fortified Region. In the beginning of 1932 the Batteries # 1 (2 - 203-mm guns), # 2 (3 - 152-mm guns) and # 3 (3 - 130-mm guns) of 5-th Naval Railway Artillery Division arrived to Vladivostok. In 1933-34-ties the Separate Naval Railway Artillery Batteries # 6 (3 - 356-mm guns), ## 7 and 8 (per 3 - 305-mm guns) were arrived. All navy railway artillery batteries were united to 12-th Naval Railway Artillery Brigade. In 1932 - 1934 the Batteries ## 982 and 902 at the Russian Island and # 901 at the Popov Island, equipped with 12 new 180-mm artillery mounts MO-1-180 were built. In this time the strongest on the Pacific Navy the Turret Battery # 981 of People Commissar of Defence Comrade Voroshilov (6 - 305-mm guns of 52 calibre length) was constructed. The turrets mounts for this batteries were taken from the battle ship "Mickhail Frunze" (former "Poltava"). All heavy batteries were located on the closed positions and equipped a lot of underground and concrete constructions of the modern design. In this time the Battery # 924 was built on the Goldobin Cape and her four 120-mm guns were located on the concrete massive of oldest Vladivostok fortress Battery Goldobinskaya Down. The Battery # 101 of 6 - 75-mm Kanet guns were located at Skryplev Island during this period.

During few next years two 180-mm batteries were constructed near Nakhodka and during 1940 - 1942 two turret 180-mm batteries equipped with artillery mounts MB-2-180 were built on Askold Island and Gamov Cape. A lot of middle calibre batteries was constructed on the all shore of Great Peter gulf. The batteries on the western coast of Amursky bay and Gulf of Posiet shore were united in Khasan fortified sector formed in 1938 as a subdivision of the Vladivostok Fortified Region, the batteries on eastern coast of Ussuriisky Gulf and Strelok Gulf were united in 1934 to Schkotovsky Fortified Region and the batteries defended Amerika Gulf and Japan Sea shore - Suchan Fortified Region. In 1940 all the fortified regions were reorganized to the Sectors of Harbour Defense of the Harbour Defense of the Main Naval Base of the Pasific Navy.

In 1941 Artemovsky Sector of the Land Defense (Artemovsky Sector of the Harbor Defense) was formed. In the May, 1945 the Vladivostok Naval Defense Region (VNDR) was created for defence of Vladivostok vicinity. Vladivostok Sector of Harbour Defense was renamed in the Island Sector. The sphere of operation of the Region includes all Great Peter Gulf from Tumen-ula river to Povorotny Cape and coast of Japan Sea to Preobrazhenya Bay. Finally, up to 1942 there were more than 50 immobile and railway batteries armed with more than 150 guns of 75 - 356 mm calibre and a lot of antiaircraft and antiboat 45-mm batteries. In the addition to mine fields the batteries of Coastal Defence of the Pacific Navy made impossible attack of strongest forces of Japanese Navy against Vladivostok. In August 1945, 130-mm Battery # 250 of Khasan sector of Harbourt Defense of the VNDR participated in the military action against Japan bombed territore of Norther Korea.

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