The Battle of Tutong () of 1934 occurred when Gen. Ma Zhongying's

Chinese Muslim Islam has been practiced in China since the 7th century CE.. Muslims are a minority group in China, representing 1.6-2 percent of the total population (21,667,000- 28,210,795) according to various estimates. Though Hui Muslims are the most numerou ...

36th Division was attacked by the Soviet

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, after ...

on the banks of the frozen Tutung River. The battle took place over several days, and Soviet bombers used

mustard gas Mustard gas or sulfur mustard is a chemical compound belonging to a family of cytotoxic and blister agents known as mustard agents. The name ''mustard gas'' is technically incorrect: the substance, when dispersed, is often not actually a gas, b ...

. At one point the Chinese Muslim troops dressed up in sheepskins for camouflage in the snow, and stormed Soviet machine-gun posts with curved swords at a short range and defeated a Soviet pincer attack. Casualties were getting heavy on both sides before Ma Zhongying ordered a retreat.

References

Conflicts in 1934 1934 in China 1934 in the Soviet Union China–Soviet Union relations Military operations involving chemical weapons Wars involving the Soviet Union Military history of the Soviet Union Military history of the Republic of China (1912–1949) Xinjiang Wars Battles involving the Soviet Union Soviet chemical weapons program {{Russia-hist-stub