Photos WW2 Finnish armed forces

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Continuation War, Finland.
Under-sergeant (corporal) Mauno I. Kirjonen takes a look at the remainings of an aircraft he shot down. Ended bad for the enemy pilot. Utti 1941.07.21 (SA-kuva)

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German officers with "Einsatzstab Fähre Ost" (a Luftwaffe artillery unit) and Finnish officer ferry crossing Lake Ladoga during the siegeof Leningrad. Officers in the photo L to R: Oberstleutnant Friedrich Siebel, designer of the armed "Siebel Ferries", Colonel Eino Iisakki Järvinen, two unidentified officers. Karelian
Isthmus, Finland. Ostfront. 10 August 1942.

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The Finnish Infantry Regiment 69 struggled at the Kollaa front on the 10th of March 1940. The Soviets had pressured the defenders since the March 1 and 'today' the Finns issued even a squad-sized reserves to the most threatened sectors of the defense line. The lack of officers was desperate, e.g. when the leader of the 6th Company of the IR 69, Lt. Martti "Make" Uosikkinen, fell on March 9 some Corporal was in charge for a while.
Fortunately, the reinforcements are already on their way. Detachment Veijo had issued its 6th Company from the Infantry Regiment 36 and the Light Detachment 12 was ordered to reach Kollaa as soon as possible. Also the Armored Train 1 arrived the area, taking positions at the Loimola railway station - but since the enemy had air supremacy the train was regularly raided and if not, the railroad was bombed. So the best the train could do was to act as a target for the Red Airforce, that decreasing the amount of raids against the first front a bit.
It's been said that Martti's last words before being rushed to the dressing station were "muistakaa pojat, että Kollaa kestää" ("just remember guys that Kollaa will hold"). The serie of pic shows Lt. Uosikkinen, the train mentioned and a map showing the situation there in March 1-13.
SA-kuva photos "

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According to the terms of the Moscow Peace Treaty Finland was forced to cede some 10 % of her territories to the USSR on March 13 1940.
Because of that around 420000 people, some 11 % of the population, lost their homes.
Only a few decided to stay their homes instead of moving to Finland. In these pics we see evacuees pictured on March 13-15.
SA-kuva photos # 7253, 8943, 9101, 10104 and 10113

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13. of March marks the 81. anniversary of the end of the Winter War in Finland.
For 105 days
358 500 Finns fought
1 000 000 Soviet soldiers, resulting in
26 6000 fallen
39 886 wounded
1 000 MIA or POW and leaving
430 000 people without a home due to territories lost
10 525 without husband
8 221 without dad.

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On October 5 1939 Finnish AA artillery had 38 heavy guns of which ten were out of order, nine 40 mm and four 20 mm guns and 125 AA-MGs. 'Til the end of November they managed to buy 22 40 mm and 45 20 mm guns as well as a few AA-MGs. The Finns also lacked ammunition: there were 7141 shells for the heavy (76 mm) and 102487 for the 40 mm guns.
When the Winter War broke out on Nov 30 the Helsinki city was protected by 12 heavy and three 40 mm guns and a couple of AA-MGs. The northern Finland was totally vulnerable, only some military formations had a few AA-MGs but there was no air defense whatsoever on the northern side of the line Vaasa-Jyväskylä-Joensuu.
During the War the Finns managed to buy more guns, so on March 13 1940 they had 81 heavy and 100 37-40 mm guns, 90 20 mm guns and 121 AA-MGs. Ammo consumption includes around 4200 heavy and appr. 103000 light shells and some 450000 MG cartridges.
In 1940-1941 the AA defense was strenghtened, so on the 29th of June 1941 there were 104 heavy (75-88 mm) and 368 light (20-40 mm) guns and 203 AA-MGs. Pic seen here are taken on the 21st of March 1943 showing some unknown firefighter and 76 mm Boforses in action. The 5th Heavy AA Battery "Taivas" was equipped with four 76 ItK/27 BK guns (27 indicates the year model and BK stands for Bofors, kiinteä/fixed mount) and positioned on the Taivaskallio hill, Käpylä district.
Kohtalon yöt by Atso Haapanen
SA-kuva photos # 124814, "125486 and 125484

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