Karafuto Fortress

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The Karafuto Fortress was the defensive unit formed by the

fortification installations, and the Karafuto detachment of Japanese forces, the 88th Division, created to defend against the Soviet invasion of South Sakhalin.^[1]

The headquarters was in

.

Conformation of Fortified district in Karafuto Prefecture

One example of such defensive structure was in Japanese fortifications to the north of

, . Together with support units it numbered up to 20,000 officers and men. The Japanese had 10,000 Military veterans serving as reservists and civil volunteer defenders. This structure was very similar in the following areas:

• Toyohara
  Fortified District
• Toyo-Sakae Fortified District
• Otomari Fortified District
• Rutaka
  Fortified District
• Honto Fortified District
• Maoka
  Fortified District
• Tomarioru
  Fortified District
• Motodomari Fortified District
• Shikuka
  Fortified District
• Esutoru
  Fortified District
• Kita Nayoshi Fortified District

additionally including airbases, Naval bases, some Army or Navy detachments and others, along with civil defence units inland.

Karafuto Fortification system

Special frontier unit with HQ in

and detachments and fortified installations in:

Southern Karafuto Fortress area

Toyohara Sub-Prefecture

Fortified District

• 3 detachments
• 3 fortifications
• 1 airfield

Otomari Sub-Prefecture

Toyo-Sakae Fortified District

• 1 detachment
• 4 fortifications
• 1 airfield

Otomari Fortified District

• 2 detachments
• 5 fortifications
• 1 airfield
• 1 naval base

Fortified District

• 2 fortifications
• 1 airfield

Maoka Sub-Prefecture

Honto Fortified District

• 2 fortifications
• 1 airfield

Fortified District

• 2 fortifications
• 1 airfield
• 1 Naval Base

Fortified District

• 1 detachment

Northern Karafuto Fortress Area

Shikuka Sub-Prefecture

Mototomari Fortified District

• 5 fortifications

Fortified District

• 3 airfields
• 7 fortifications
• 2 detachments
• 3 frontier posts

Esutoru Sub-Prefecture

Fortified District

• 7 fortifications
• 1 detachment
• 1 airfield

Kita Nayoshi Fortified District

• 3 fortifications
• 1 frontier post

Karafuto Detachment

• 88th Division HQ. (
  Toyohara) (Lt. Gen. Junichiro Mineki
  )
  • 25th Infantry Regiment
  • 125th Infantry Regiment
  • 306th Infantry Regiment
  • 88th Mountain Gun Regiment
  • 88th Signals company
  • 88th Transport Regiment
• 88th Railway Guards Unit
• 351st Special Guards Battalion
• 352nd Special Guards Battalion
• 353rd Special Guards Battalion
• 301st Special Guards Company
• 303rd Special Guards Engineer Unit
• 50th Infantry Battalion (served as Koton Fortress detachment)

Japanese Navy detachments in Karafuto

Japanese naval forces, had some bases and infantry naval detachments in

at north of province.

References