Location
Sümbur is located at an elevation of 2509' / 764m on the west bank of the Khalkhin Gol in Dornod Province in Mongolia. Also spelled "Sambur" or "Sambur Obo" for a stone marker at the location. Also spelled Sumbur. Postwar, Halgol (Halhgol, Khalkhgol) was built nearby. After the collapse of the USSR 1991 Halgol and Sumbur were combined to form one town.

Wartime History
During early 1939, Sumber was a small Mongolian border outpost and inside Mongolian/Soviet lines during the Battle of Khalkhin Gol / Nomonhan Incident during May 1939 to September 1939.

On July 24, 1939 Soviet forces knocked down the stone marker (obo) at this location, as it was being used by Japanese Army artillery for sighting and range finding purposes.

By August 28, 1939 three batteries of Soviet 152mm artillery were emplaced near Sumber to provide fire in support of the Soviet offensive against the Japanese.

Postwar
Postwar, a small town known was built at Sumber by the Soviet Union with aid money to Mongolia to support farming in the area.

Today
After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and their withdrawal from Mongolia, the town was abandoned to nomads. Around that time, the settlement of Halgol (Halhgol, Khalkhgol) was combined with Sumber to form one town. By 2007, Sumber consists of only a few gutted Soviet era buildings, shacks and gerts (yurts). A generator provided some electricity nightly from y 7:00pm until midnight when available.

Sumber Museum (Khalkhin Gol Museum)
Open from 7pm - 12am, when there is generator power. The museum has an outdoor display area and the second floor is a museum about the battle.

Sumber Border Guards Firing Range
Base includes a firing range with a BA-10 Armored Car displayed on a pedestal.

References
Nomonhan page 517, 774

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Last Updated
October 23, 2019