
In 1946, the Red Army Air Force launched attacks against the island nation of Japan, in conjunction with Zhukov's 7th Army. Stalin's two-fold plan was to 1) intimidate the West, and to 2) permanently cripple Japanese morale, in order to establish a lasting and uncontested future for Soviet naval power in the Pacific. In order to accomplish this, experienced ground-attack squadrons, equipped with the stalwart IL2 aircraft, were transferred directly from the front in Berlin to airbases in Communist China. Douglas C-47 air transport aircraft, on loan from the United States, were prepared with a full company of paratroopers. Led by Col. Z. Timoshenko, Soviet airborne infantry launched a well-coordinated assault with elements of the 16th and 21st Air Divisions, including the aforementioned IL2 wings along with several groups armed with the La-7 fighter/interceptor. On February 19th, the Japanese Army's foremost infantry combat expert, known in the West only as Ryu, was felled by 37mm cannon fire. For his actions in combat, and the resulting blow to the Japanese people's morale, Colonel Timoshenko was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union.