Suchan Valley Campaign

Suchan Valley Campaign
Part of the Russian Civil War
Sergey Lazo, commander of the Russian troops defending the region during the American offensive.
Date July–August, 1919 Location Suchan, Siberia, Russia Result American victory
Belligerents
United States	Russian SFSR
Commanders and leaders
Robert L. Eichelberger William S. Graves	Sergey Lazo
Strength
3,520 USS Albany USS New Orleans	4,000-6,000
Casualties and losses
22 killed 33 wounded	500 killed

The Suchan Valley Campaign was the clearing and occupation of the mining region around the Russian town of Suchan (currently Partizansk, Russia) in a climatically-unforgiving region of Russia's Siberia during the Russian Civil War. A relatively clean sweep, the operation inflicted heavy casualties on the Bolsheviks.

Battle

With the failed Russian surprise assault against a numerically-inferior American force during the Battle of Romanovka in June, the Suchan Mines were entirely cut off from Vladivostok. Red Russian control of these mines prevented the Americans from fulfilling specified duties in the region, so a three-pronged offensive was launched to clear the Valley of armed opposition.

Five companies of the 31st Infantry took on the responsibility of clearing the Suchan, while every stretch of captured territory within the Valley was handed over to garrison guard forces manned by the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Navy.