Following the Bolshevik loss at the Battle of Tulgas, the Red Army's next offensive action was against the Allied garrison of Shenkursk; located on the Vaga River.

[4] Just before dawn on January 19, Red Army soldiers moved through the tiny houses in the village of Ust-Padenga, hoping to push the Americans 200 miles away from their position, all the way to the White Sea.

[5] Bolshevik soldiers began firing artillery shells at the American positions, awaking Lieutenant Harry Mead from his sleep.

"[7] When the shelling stopped, around 800 Bolshevik infantrymen,[8] supported by heavy machine guns advanced on the American positions wielding bayonets, automatic rifles and muskets.

The Bolshevik victory at Ust Padenga and the subsequent American retreat from Shenkursk was a significant defeat for the Allied forces.