Photos WW2 Finnish armed forces

[guest0001]

On the 69th day of the Winter War, on Feb 6 1940, the Finnish Supreme HQ orders the Tank Regiment to disform the Renault FT17 Companies.
Finns bought 32 of them in 1919 from France but the lack of funds prevented their replacement to modern ones 'til the 1936 when 32 unarmed Vickers 6-tons were bought from the Great Britain. The plan was to arm them with Finnish-made Bofors 37 mm guns but for various reasons the tanks still were unarmed on Nov 30 1939.
Renaults were digged to the ground along the Main Defense Line to be used as gun nests and observation posts. However, the Soviets were already about to break through at the Summa sector so practically almost all FT17s were lost without fighting. Two pics show a one from the Terenttilä sector, pictured on July 25 1942, the last pic being taken on Aug 7-12 1939.
Fortunately the Puteaux gun was test fired in Oct 1939 only to be proved totally obsolete, the shell being not able to penetrate 10 mm armor at any range or angle.
Four FT17s survived the WWII, two of them being on display at Sotamuseo, Suomenlinna, and Parola Tank Museum, Parola.
SA-kuva pics # 99343, 99344 and 10972

 

[guest0001]

In October 1939 the Finns had around 4000 units of 9,00 mm:n konepistooli m/31s (aka Suomi SMGs), so no wonder that among the some 160000 SA-kuva pics there is only one of it taken in 1939-1940.
Soviet Artillery Marshal Voronov said:
"We got the blueprints of the Suomi-kp in the early '30s and a commission formed by specialists of the infantry weaponry inspected them carefully. Their conclusion was that the weapon couldn't be used by the infantry but the police forces. So designing a one was considered to be unnecessary."
Finnish Lt. Vilho Pentikäinen served the photographing department of the Supreme HQ, having access to almost everywhere. He was drafted by the Soviet secret service in 1923. Before being caught in Oct 1933 he had managed to hand several top secret documents and defense plans to the future enemy, among them being the blueprints of the SMG.
Corporal cleaning a drum mag was photograhed in the Nuijamaa area, Karelian Isthmus, on Aug 7-12 1939 and ski patrol man carrying a Bergmann in the Märkäjärvi area, Lapland, on Feb 14 1940. 3rd pic is not dated or located, Pentikäinen's pic is from Wikipedia.
SA-kuva pics # 4928, 6348 and 10404

 

[guest0001]

The spearhead of the Soviet Dolin's Ski Brigade forced the Finns retreat from the Hukkajoki River to the Hukkavaara Ridge on Feb 11 1940. Due the lack of troops the Finns failed to stop them. Brigade's main target was to break through the Finnish lines and free the encircled 54th Mountain Division.
Meanwhile, Battalion Arponen had started to neutralize one of the pockets there using assault squads in the Löytövaara Ridge area at 7 AM. Having no heavy weaponry the Finnish infantry was forced to test different tactics against the well-entrenched enemy. Volunteered warriors were armed with SMGs, satchel charges, Molotov Cocktails and handgrenades. Some volunteered squads digged through the thick snow managing to reach some of the dugouts and storm them, that breaking the defence and opening the way for the reinforcements. The area was cleaned 'til the evening. Only a few enemy soldiers reahced their own lines in Riihivaara.
Sometimes the Finns spotted that frozen corpses were used to strenghten the trenches, like seen in this pic from the area.
SA-kuva photo # 7265

 

[guest0001]

Continuation War, Finland.
Mixed pics from Lehtovaara, Yläjärvi, 1941.07.17 (SA-kuva)

 

[guest0001]

For some reason Finnish Pvt. Aarne Kelonen was never drafted so he volunteered. He was born in Helsinki on May 1 1911.
Here we see him showing an unexploded Soviet 76(?) mm shell at the sector of the 2nd Company from the famous Infantry Regiment 11, nicknamed as the Ace Regiment (Ässä-rykmentti). At the time (Feb 11 1940) they were in the Kuolemajärvi municipality, Karelian Isthmus.
Aarne fell during the fierce fights on the western shore of the Viipuri Bay, in the Niskapohja area, Säkkijärvi, on March 11 1940.
SA-kuva pic # 7227

 

[guest0001]

Continuation War, Finland.
A lot of ammunition and shells in the forrest. Caption on the first pic is "255 mm greeting packages for Molotov". Kallislahti 1941.07.17 (SA-kuva) h

 

[guest0001]

Continuation War, Finland.
Finnish troops fires a AA-gun at a enemy watch tower. Koitsanlahti 1941.07.17 (SA-kuva)

 

[guest0001]

Continuation War, Finland.
First pic, Finnish artillery did hit one of the enemies ammunition depots. Turkkilampi section, 1941.07.17 (SA-kuva)

 

[guest0001]

Continuation War, Finland.
Finnish troops. First pic, pioneers have just built a bridge, but they also placing explosives under the bridge, might be handy some day. Virta 1941.07.17 (SA-kuva)

 

[guest0001]

Continuation War, Finland.
Finnish soldiers takes a look at some strong enemy bunkers, looks like they took some beating. Louhivaara 1941.07.17 (SA-kuva)

 

[guest0001]

On Feb 4 1940, the Soviet Ski Brigade Dolin was preparing to attack in the Löytövaara Ridge area, Kuhmo municipality. Its one unit, the 34th Ski Battalion, had already sent recon patrols to Hukkavaara on Feb 2, but the Detachment Kekkonen pushed them back to the USSR 'til the 5th of Feb.
Col. Vjatšeslav Dmitrievitš Dolin's formation, the Ski Brigade Dolin consisting of 9th, 13th and 34th Ski Battalions, was well trained and equipped, having a high fighting moral. Men, wearing full winter camo, were armed with automatic rifles and the battalions had more LMGs and MGs than an average Soviet battalion.
In addition to that some 1800-men strong Brigade also the 2nd Separate Ski Brigade was positioned to the area. Their main task was to aid the surrounded 54th Mountain Division in breaking out from the pocket.
Pic shows two Finns, Lt. Karjalainen and 2nd Lt. Vilmo, tending frostbites in a dressing station there on Feb 6.
SA-kuva pic # 4493

 

[guest0001]

Continuation War, Finland.
Pics from Jänisjärvi area. Two first pics shows two 14 year old volunteers who have been given duty to guard some POW:s. 1941.07.17 (SA-kuva)

 

[guest0001]

Gunnar "Tank Killer" Höckert, a Finnish runner, fell on the 11th of February 1940.
Despite having rejected from the service due the rheumatism he volunteered and served the 5th Company of the Infantry Regiment 10 as a 2nd Lt. 'Til "today" he had proved to be a brave close-range AT man, managing to demolish 1-3 tanks/day using e.g. satchel charges. 81 years ago he was bailing out an immobilized enemy tank after firing all of its ammo and was hit either by a shrapnel or a bullet in the Kinnassaari area, Johannes municipality, Karelian Isthmus.
Bertel Höckert also served there and rushed to the dressing station, only to find out that he had lost his brother. Bertel got face wounds from the shrapnels a couple of days later but survived the WWII. Gunnar's twin brother Lars fell in the Juustila area, Karelian Isthmus, on June 26 1944 when serving the Mortar Platoon of the Separate Battalion 27.
SA-kuva pic showing a knocked-out T-28 is from the Summa sector, Mannerheim Line, the other is undated and unlocated. Runner pic shows Gunnar (# 163) winning the 5000 meter gold medal during the Berlin Olympic Games 1936.
SA-kuva pics 2911 and 2936, others from Wikipedia

 

[guest0001]

The spearhead of the Soviet Dolin's Ski Brigade forced the Finns retreat from the Hukkajoki River to the Hukkavaara Ridge on Feb 11 1940. Due the lack of troops the Finns failed to stop them. Brigade's main target was to break through the Finnish lines and free the encircled 54th Mountain Division.
Meanwhile, Battalion Arponen had started to neutralize one of the pockets there using assault squads in the Löytövaara Ridge area at 7 AM. Having no heavy weaponry the Finnish infantry was forced to test different tactics against the well-entrenched enemy. Volunteered warriors were armed with SMGs, satchel charges, Molotov Cocktails and handgrenades. Some squads digged through the thick snow managing to reach some of the dugouts and storm them, that breaking the defence and opening the way for the reinforcements. The area was cleaned 'til the evening. Only a few enemy soldiers reahced their own lines in Riihivaara.
Sometimes the Finns spotted that frozen corpses were used to strenghten the trenches, like seen in this pic from the area.
SA-kuva photo # 7265

 

[guest0001]

On the Arson Saturday, Feb 10 1940, the Viipuri Old Cathedral was on fire. Lt. Kosti Cande who served the civil defence forces there tells:
"In the pic you might hardly see the firehose going in, I was inside desperately trying to extinguish the fire. That was useless, all attempts failed."
A story tell that some lotta wanted to rush into the church wanting to save at least some of the remains of the fallen soldiers, which were gathered there for a next day funeral. Her fiancé, some unnamed Lieutenant, stopped her.
The city was usually raided by nine-plane strong formations coming one by one, but also the so-called "Ghost Gun" shelled regularly. The Soviet super heavy field artillery battery, equipped with six 305 mm (12") guns was positioned at the Perkjärvi railway station. Commander of the Finnish III Corps, Lt. Col. Harald Öhqvist had requested air recon on Dec 24 1939. The Flying SQ 12 sent a Fokker C.V. and reported "5 (6) guns spotted between the Perkjärvi railway station and Vierusta" on Dec 25.
Pics of the church service were taken on Aug 16 1942, the map shows the location of the artillery positions.
SA-kuva pics # 103194, 103196, 103198 and 103200

 

[guest0001]

On the 72nd day of the Winter War, Feb 9 1940, the Soviet Infantry Regiment 203 was surrounded in the Vorojenkivenmäki area, Ladoga Karelia.
The pocket was named as the Rykmenttimotti by the Finns who tried to neutralize it immediately. The attempt, made by Separate Battalion 8 and the 1st Battalion from the Infantry Regiment 37, failed since the surrounded troops used their 22 tanks, 36 guns, 30 AT guns and six AA MGs effectively.
Pic was taken on Feb 26 1940, most likely showing a fallen horse.
SA-kuva pic # 5694

 

[guest0001]

According to the Wikipedia the Finns got a total of 114 aircraft on Nov 30 1939. When compared to the Soviet Airforce's 3800 planes 114 might sound to be next to nothing.
When the Winter War broke out they had 35 Fokker D.XXIs and ten Bristol Bulldogs to be used in intercepting the enemy formations. 'How come' one may ask. Well:
In the '30s Commander of the Airforce, Col. Jarl Frithiof Lundqvist, former Commander of the Field Artillery Regiment 3, had no experiences whatsoever of the branch and most of his staff were "Mummies from the Float Plane Era', like the Commander of the Flying Regiment 2 Col. Richard Lorentz once said. They eagerly supported the principles published by Maj. Gen. Giulio Douhet in which e.g. "the bombers will always get through", that misleading the Airforce HQ to invest Bristol Blenheims, not interceptors.
After the Spanish Civil War the attitudes started to change but that happened too slow and too late. E.g. in the summer of 1938 Capt. Magnusson contacted Ernst Heinkel, them managing to get the German Reichsluftfahrtministerium to allow the purchase of Heinkel He-112 interceptors - and Lundqvist refused. Meanwhile, the USA offered Seversky fighters but again, Lundqvist didn't want to free funds for them, stubbornly still wanting bombers. A few months later the Finns had a chance to buy 30 Curtiss CW-21 fighters and some Severskys from the USA. Although the deal was supported by Marshal Mannerheim that attempt failed as well.
Pics show some of the aircraft mentioned, Col. Lundqvist and Maj. Magnusson discussing with the Prince of Liechtenstein (Ferdinand).
Iskuja ilmaan by Richard Lorentz
SA-kuva / Wikipedia

 

[guest0001]

The "schoolboy" -battery from Turku fires at a "motti" (encirclement). This unit was put together by the school principal (had to be an officer in the reserves), and all the soldiers were students/volunteers.
The principal himself was closer to the main target, the motti, directing the fire as a artillery observer. And there he also fell on this day. Hämekoski 1941.07.18 (SA-kuva)

 

[guest0001]

The fierce fights of the Muolaa church hill were over on Feb 15 1940 at 4 PM when the Finns were ordered to retreat to the line Muolaa – Salmenkaita.
The Soviet 151st Infantry Regiment lost some 500 men fallen during this 3-day long battle - but what amazes the survivors most is that there were no concrete fortifications whatsoever.
Human interest: My other grandpa was baptized in that church in 1917.
SA-kuva pics # 45729, 46320, 84304
Outside pic of the church from the Museovirasto collection was taken by Mauri Terho in 1930-1939

 

[guest0001]

As seen in the map pic the Ladoga Karelia earned its nickname "Mottien maa" (Land of Pockets). All darkened areas show a surrounded Soviet formation.
"Today" 81 years ago, on the 15th of February 1940, one of them was cleaned. In the evening of the 14th a 2-company strong unit left the Lavajärvi pocket heading south but was wiped out by the ski patrols of the 2nd Battalion from the Infantry Regiment 37. Rest of the Soviets abandoned the village a day later, also heading southwards supported by two tanks.
The Finns capture several field guns, three armored cars, eight trucks, four field kitchens and a lot of infantry weapons and cartridges.
Now the defenders can increase the pressure against the Eastern Lemetti pocket.
SA-kuva pics # a_481 and 488