tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7844990574659796402024-03-13T07:32:06.918+02:00Finland At WarLaurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07571614034351063118noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-784499057465979640.post-37882073214325480252019-12-09T22:44:00.000+02:002019-12-09T22:44:11.333+02:00We have moved!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">We have now moved the blog to.....<br /><br /><a href="https://www.finlandatwar.com/"></a><a href="https://www.finlandatwar.com/">finlandatwar.com</a></span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Come check us out there for continued updates and articles.</span></h2>
Laurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07571614034351063118noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-784499057465979640.post-20903821070172763762019-08-23T09:00:00.000+03:002019-08-23T09:00:10.298+03:00The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact - The Road to WarOn the 23rd August 1939 the two totalitarian powers, the German Reich (more commonly known as The Third Reich or Nazi Germany) and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (more colloquially called the Soviet Union), signed a Non-aggression pact which shocked the world.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/dkD64X6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="750" height="213" src="https://i.imgur.com/dkD64X6.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the signing of the Treaty. From left to right: Vyacheslav Molotov, Soviet Minister of Foreign Affairs; Boris Shaposhnikov, Chief of the General Staff of the Red Army; Richard Schulze-Kossens, Waffen-SS officer; Joachim von Ribbentrop, German Minister of Foreign Affairs; Joseph Stalin, the leader of the Soviet Union; Vladimir Pavlov, First Secretary of the Soviet embassy in Germany. Photo: waralbum.ru</td></tr>
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<b><br />The Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact</b><br />
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The Treaty of Non-Aggression between Germany and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, often just called the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, was an agreement by the two regimes that neither side would ally with or support an enemy of the other, it also guaranteed peace between each other.<br />
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Relations between the two dictatorships had started out rocky, Germany and the USSR had cordial relations since 1922 and the USSR had even allowed Germany to carry out military training on their territory from 1926. Formal trade agreements were started in 1925, this allowed both nations to take advantage of resources from the other, helping to expand their respective industrial bases. Upon Hitler and the Nazis securing the German government in 1933, relations between Germany and the Soviet Union started to decline. This cooling would remain in place for several years despite the Soviet Union attempting to relight the fires with the ‘Kandelaki mission’, which included an offering of a non-aggression pact in 1936.<br />
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In the wake of the Munich Agreement between Nazi Germany, the United Kingdom, the French Third Republic, and the Kingdom of Italy, Germany sort to warm up its relationship with the Soviet Union. After negotiations, the 1925 trade agreement was extended in December 1938, which was further change and extended in 1939. On 28th June 1939, Minister of Foreign Affairs Vyacheslav Molotov and Ambassador Friedrich-Werner Graf von der Schulenburg, met to discuss the normalisation of relations between the two nations. Only a few days after, Germany invited the USSR to discuss the fate of Poland and Lithuania and by the end of July both nations were deliberating what would become the Non-Aggression Pact.<br />
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Throughout August, deliberations were held between various representatives of both parties, discussions regarding the Baltics, Bessarabia, Trade amongst others were held. By the 17th all sides had come to an agreement and the Soviets presented a draft proposal. At midday on the 23rd Ribbentrop boarded a plane to Moscow to sign the Pact.<br />
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<b>The Secret Protocols</b><br />
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While the media posted the words written in the Pact across the world, many were totally ignorant of additional pages of the Pact. These ‘Secret Protocols’ defined the “boundaries of the spheres of interest ” of the parties “in the case of a territorial and political reorganization of the areas belonging to the Baltic states ( Finland , Estonia , Latvia , Lithuania )” and the Polish State.<br />
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This basically spelt out the division of Eastern Europe between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. It allowed Germany to safely expand into Poland without the worry of the USSR declaring war upon them, and it allowed the Soviet Union to gain the territories that had declared independence during the turmoil of the Russian Civil War.<br />
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It wouldn’t be until the Numerburg trials that the secret protocols were first brought to the attention of the world, but due to the nature in which they were revealed, they didn’t garner worldwide reaction until it was published by US State Department in a collection on Nazi-Soviet Relations 1939-1941. However, despite this, the day after the signing German diplomat Hans von Herwart informed his American counterpart Charles Bohlen of the secret protocols but not much was done with this information. The intelligence services of the Baltic States suspected something in regards to a hidden agreement, especially when during the Soviet negotiations regarding military bases within their territories were held. <br />
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The post-war reaction to the revelation of these secret protocols was condemnation by the Western world. Many academics and politicians pointed to these to highlight Soviet complicity in the outbreak of the Second World War. In the Soviet Union, it was outright denied that such protocols existed, the regime even went so far as to publish the book, ‘Falsifiers of History’, that laid similar accusations at the feet of American and British Governments. It would not be under 24th December 1989 that the Soviet Union officially accepted that such a protocol existed and condemned it.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/oSVX3ln.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="565" data-original-width="800" height="226" src="https://i.imgur.com/oSVX3ln.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The secret appendix to the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact naming the German and Soviet spheres of interest. The document is signed by Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov and German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop. Source: Wiki</td></tr>
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<b>Reaction in Finland</b><br />
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When news reached Finland of the Non-Aggression Pact between the two powerful states, the vast majority were elated and relieved. After months of tense postering and worry that another Great War was on the horizon, it seemed that the two polar opposite ideological nations have come to terms that would avoid conflict.<br />
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However, soon the rose-coloured spectacles fell away and many started to question what was the price for such a Pact. Even Marshal Mannerheim thought that such a venture would only spell trouble for Finland’s future as an independent nation. As several publications started to voice their concern about the Pact in regards to Finland, the German Foreign Ministry released a statement via the Finnish News Agency (Suomen Tietotoimisto) in an attempt to persuade the populace that the agreement did not come at the expense of Finland. Wipert von Blücher, ambassador to Finland, was also ordered to visit Juho Eljas Erkko, Finland’s Foreign Minister, to confirm the statement of the German Foreign Ministry and allay any fears the Finnish Government may have.<br />
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After the Winter War, von Blücher claimed that he never knew about such Secret Protocols but this has been called into question by numerous historians, especially in light of several diplomatic communiques received by von Blücher in the days and weeks after the signing of the Pact.<br />
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When Poland was invaded by Germany only a week after the signing, followed shortly after by the Soviet Union, the Finnish Government started to have second thoughts over the assurances of Germany. All eyes in Helsinki were now fixed upon the developments in mainland Europe as the Road to War seemed to open.<br />
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<b>Sources</b><br />
<br />
Peter Munter, Toni Wirtanen, Vesa Nenye: Finland at War: The Winter War 1939–40 (Osprey Publishing, 2015)<br />
Max Jakobson: The Winter War of Diplomats: Finland in World Politics 1938–40 (WSOY, 1955)<br />
William R. Trotter: A Frozen Hell: The Russo-Finnish Winter War of 1939 - 1940 (Algonquin Books, 2013)<br />
https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/mod/1939pact.asp<br />
https://www.britannica.com/event/German-Soviet-Nonaggression-Pact<br />
http://www.lituanus.org/1989/89_1_02.htm<br />
https://imrussia.org/en/law/2275-the-secret-protocol-that-changed-the-world<br />
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Laurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07571614034351063118noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-784499057465979640.post-36078401204451277902019-07-29T21:03:00.000+03:002019-07-29T21:09:58.154+03:00Decorations of Finland - Vapaussodan Muistomitalit - Liberation War MedalFinland, like every other country, has a plethora of decorations that can be awarded to individuals. One of the oldest of these is the Liberation War Medal.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/iRZ8IVQ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="424" height="320" src="https://i.imgur.com/iRZ8IVQ.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kenraaliluutnantti (Lieutenant General) Hannes Ignatius wearing his full regalia in 1937. The second medal on the row is a Liberation War Medal with two bars. Source:- finna.fi</td></tr>
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<b>Institution</b><br />
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The Finnish Senate decided to recognise the actions of the many soldiers and civilians who supported the Governmental ‘White’ forces during the Finnish Civil War. On the 10th September 1918 the Vapaussodan Muistomitalit (commonly translated to Commemorative Medal of the Liberation War but can equally be called the Liberation War Medal or Civil War Medal).<br />
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<b>Award Criteria</b></div>
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The medal was awarded to all officers and men of the White army, including members of the Suojeluskunta (Protection Corps) and other individuals who supported the White army. The criteria for the award also included persons who supported the White Army with weapons, provisions, clothing, transportation or other forms of help. </div>
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When the Government set up the Committee on Decorations in 1919, the statues for the medal were clarified as ‘Will be given to those who participated in the war on the government’s side, as well as Finns and foreigners, regardless of whether they have been awarded with other decorations or not’. The Committee also established 11 clasps that could be added to the medal to denote the holder had participated within a certain battle or part of the war. Another addition was a heraldic Rose device upon the ribbon. This was given to those who had been proposed for one of the classes of the Order of the Cross of Liberty but was either rejected or proposal wasn’t processed in time.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/S4h6t91.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="558" data-original-width="800" height="223" src="https://i.imgur.com/S4h6t91.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Liberation War Medal with Rose device. Source:- Sa Kuva</td></tr>
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Each medal was awarded with a certificate which included the number of clasps awarded and the rose device if applicable. Depending upon the individual, the certificate would be either in Finnish or Swedish. When awarded to those Swedish or German combatants, a Certificate from the Ministry of War would be given in the respective language as well as a cover letter. </div>
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The medal was still awarded officially until 1937 but some were unofficially awarded until 1961 according to the National Archives of Finland.</div>
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<b>Description</b></div>
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Like most of Finland's first official decorations, it was designed by Akseli Gallen-Kallela. The medal is circular blackened iron measuring 35 x 35 mm. The observe has a Finnish swastika upon a variation of Cross pattée with a rose in the center. The top two portions display a gauntleted arm holding a sword (left) and a mailed arm with scimitar (right), these are generally seen as symbol of Finland’s position between the Swedish and Russian realms. The lower two portions have 19 (left) and 18 (right) to denote the year of the Civil War. The reverse shows the crowned lion with an armoured hand brandishing a sword, trampling on a scimitar with the hindpaws, this coming from the coat of arms of Finland. The ribbon is 31mm wide and was divided into 5 stripes, 3 blue and 2 black.<br />
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<a href="https://i.imgur.com/2YGlXPB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="288" height="320" src="https://i.imgur.com/2YGlXPB.jpg" width="144" /></a><a href="https://i.imgur.com/8ZvyYQk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="274" height="320" src="https://i.imgur.com/8ZvyYQk.jpg" width="137" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The observe (left) and the reverse (right) of the Liberation War Medal. Source:- </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">finna.fi</span></div>
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The clasps were officially 4 mm high and 31 mm wide and made from the same blackened iron, however clasps were ordered by the individual awardee and so there was a wide variation to them. The clasps could be either in Finnish or Swedish and the official list is:-</div>
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(Finnish / Swedish / English)</div>
Pohjanmaan Vapautus / Österbottens Befriamde / Liberation of Ostrobothnia<br />
Vilppula / Filpula / Vilppula<br />
Tampere / Tammerfors / Tampere<br />
Satakunta / Satakunda /Satakunta<br />
Savo / Savolax / Savo<br />
Karjalan Rintama / Karelska Fronten / Karelian Front<br />
Viipuri / Vyborg / Viipuri<br />
Lempäälä-Lahti / Lempäälä-Lahtis / Lempäälä-Lahti<br />
Kouvola-Kotka-Hamina / Kouvola-Kotka-Fredrikshamn / Kouvola-Kotka-Hamina<br />
Pellinki / Pellinge / Pellinki<br />
Etelä-Suomi / Syd-Finland / South Finland<br />
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There was also numerous unofficial clasps that individuals and groups ordered to honour there own participations. One unique example of these unofficial clasps would be the ‘Umeå-Wasa’ which was given to Lieutenant Colonel Nils Kindberg to honour his efforts in the formation of the Finnish Air Force. On the 6th March 1918, Kindberg flew a Thulin Typ D from Umeå in Sweden to Vaasa (Wasa) in Finland with Count Eric von Rosen (the donator). This aircraft was given the designation F1 and became the first official aircraft of the Finnish Air Force. Other unofficial clasps noted are Häme, Kuopio, Messukylä and Rautu. </div>
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Between 71,000 to 89,000 medals were manufactured, with them being split between CC Sporrong & CO of Stockholm, Lindman & Tillander, and Finska Guldsmeds A.B, both based in Finland. Each company placed there hallmark on the reverse under the trampled scimitar. Sporrong used S. & Co, Lindman used three different marks throughout production the most common being L & T. Unfortunately, I haven’t found the hallmark used by Finska Guldsmeds A.B.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/wlRjPX8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="239" src="https://i.imgur.com/wlRjPX8.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Medal and Certificate. Source:- finna.fi</td></tr>
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<b>Collecting and Status Today</b></div>
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As with many medals, the status of it fluctuates depending upon numerous factors. The Liberation War Medal was produced in large numbers and as such they are fairly common on the market and at fairly reasonable prices (I have found some as cheap as €10). However, many of these medals are in poor condition with faded, torn or even missing ribbons. It is a rare find to come across one of these medals with their accompany certificate. Depending upon the name of the holder also puts more emphasis upon the status of the medal. </div>
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Today the medal stands in a unique place as marking out an ancestor who actively supported the White side and helped to create the Finnish Republic as it stands today. This puts a lot of value on the medal to the family and gives them a strong link historically to the nation. </div>
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<b>Sources</b></div>
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Jani Tiainen: Suomen Kunniamerkit (Apali, 2010)</div>
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http://wiki.narc.fi/portti/index.php/Kunniamerkkivaliokunta</div>
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raisala.fi/perinne-kunniamerkit.html</div>
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Laurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07571614034351063118noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-784499057465979640.post-32255922187124853022018-12-03T09:47:00.000+02:002018-12-03T10:07:00.542+02:00Memorial Hunter - The Battle of Gorni Dubnik Memorial - A Hidden Memorial to a Forgotten War<br />
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Tucked away in the
car park of Finland’s Ministry of Defence is a little known
memorial to a little known battle.
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I came across this
memorial doing research on the military of the Grand Duchy of
Finland. I knew that Finnish troops had seen limited service during
the Russian Empire era but wasn’t aware of any large scale battles.
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/TwvcLIq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="213" src="https://i.imgur.com/TwvcLIq.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The memorial as it stands today. Source: puolustusministeriö</td></tr>
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So recently I was
returning to Northern Ireland to visit family and thought I would see
if I could visit the memorial for pictures. However due to not being
a Finnish citizen and the area is classified as a military zone, I
wasn’t allowed to visit. Gratefully though the Public Affairs
Officer offered to send my a USB with pictures of the memorial for me
to use.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">How it all arrived. Source: Personal Collection</span></div>
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<b>The Russo-Turkish
War of 1877-78 </b>
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The Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78 is seen by many historians as the
most important war between the Russian and Ottoman Empires. The two
empires had clashed several times since the formation of the Russian
Empire in 1721, as well as numerous times before that. The main
reason for their conflicts was the gaining and regaining of
territories along each others borders but there was always underlying
and secondary factors as well.
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The 18<sup>th</sup> and 19<sup>th</sup> centuries saw the mighty
Ottoman Empire in decline due to economic instability, internal
insecurity and outside influences. Within the multinational empire, a
growing nationalism resulted in several rebellions starting with the
Serbian Revolution of 1804-17. By 1875 the Ottoman Empire was in
bankruptcy, suffering from famine and strife, and thanks to the
abuses of the local leaders, Bosnia and Herzegovina broke out in
rebellion. This rebellion started the Balkan Crisis; the Bulgarian
Uprising of 1876, the Serbo-Turkish War 1876–78 and
Montenegrin–Ottoman War 1876–78.
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/NUjhTSb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="519" data-original-width="800" height="207" src="https://i.imgur.com/NUjhTSb.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Soliders of the Battalion taken shortly after the conclusion of the Battle of Gorni Dubnik. Source: Wikimedia</td></tr>
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Russia saw an opportunity to gain territory, as well as establishing
independent, Pan-Salvic Balkan nations to help secure their southern
borders. After some diplomatic maneuvering with the Austro-Hungarian
Empire, Russia declared war on the Ottomans on 24 April 1877 and sent
a force of 185,000 through the Turkish ruled Principality of Romania.
The Ottomans were overconfident and believed that a strategy of
passive defence focused around their forts equipped with superior
firepower coupled with the stereotype of Russian incompetence would
win them the day. It was not to be the case. While the campaign did
highlight massive flaws within the Russian military, caused higher
casualties and forced the Great Powers of Europe to intervene on side
of the Turks, the Russian military succeed in marching to the steps
of Constantinople. The end result of the war saw Romania, Serbia,
and Montenegro independence, regaining of Kars and Batum (which
Russia had lost during the Crimean War) and the establishing of the
Principality of Bulgaria.</div>
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<b>The Battle of
Gorni Dubnik</b></div>
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The Russian military quickly advanced through Romania and crossed the
Danube, in response to this the Ottoman high command ordered Osman
Nuri Paşa to take his force of 15,000 to hold the fortress of
Nikopol. Before he could get there though, the fortress had been
captured by Russian forces and so Osman redirected his troops to the
town of Plevna. He knew the small rural town set within a deep rocky
valley would be on the route of the advancing Russians and so set
about making the area defensible. Almost overnight the area was
turned into a formidable redoubt, covered in trenches, earthworks and
gun emplacements. General Yuri Schilder-Schuldner of the Russian 9<sup>th</sup>
Division had been ordered to take his 9,000 strong division to take
the town of Plevna. When he arrived on the evening of the 19<sup>th</sup>
July he saw the impressive defences arrayed before him and told his
guns to begin their bombardment.
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/Br4KXR6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://i.imgur.com/Br4KXR6.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Map of the battle. The Finnish Guard can be seen on the bottom right of the picture. Source: Wikimedia</td></tr>
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The morning of the 20<sup>th</sup> July saw the beginning of a 5
month siege that dragged in approximately 200,000 soldiers and
resulted in the deaths of over 55,000. By the end of the summer, the
Russians had concluded that the town would not fall through means of
forced frontal assaults. With this in mind, a new strategy of
encirclement and cutting off the chains of supply was enacted. This
meant that the surrounding towns and villages needed to be brought
under Russian control. One of these was the village of Gorni Dubnik.</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Gorni Dubnik was a small village which lay on the road between Plevna
and Sofia and thus made it a crucial communication line for the
Turkish forces besieged in Plevna. Ahmed Hifzi Pasha and his force of
7,000-10,000 men had built up a strong defence with two redoubts
encompassed with numerous entrenchments and had orders to hold at all
costs. The Russians brought some 20,000 troops with them, including
the Finnish Guards' Rifle Battalion, under the command of General
Iosif Vladimirovich Roman-Gurko. General Gurko planned the attack to
strike from three sides, the north-east, east and south-east, with
the advance starting at 7 in the morning of the 24 October 1877. The
Finnish Guards’ were part of the north-east advance and engaged the
enemy soon after. The engagement was bloody and the Russian forces,
which preferred the Suvorov doctrine of Cold Steel over long range
rifle fire, saw their casualties mount. However by 3 in the
afternoon, the decisive attack was launched, with all forces pushing
against the main redoubt. The battle became so intertwined by the two
opposing forces that the Russia guns were forced to cease fire for
fear of hitting their own men. After a viscous assault by infantry
and a heavy close range cannonade, the white flag was hoisted over
the burning garrison at 6 in the evening. The battlefield had claimed
over 850 Russian lives and over 1,000 Turkish lives.</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/tc5GjTs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="533" height="320" src="https://i.imgur.com/tc5GjTs.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close up of the memorial. Source: puolustusministeriö</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
For the Finnish Guard, they had suffered 22 dead and 95 wounded (two
of the wounded died soon afterwards). During the battle they had
fired some 1,850 shots and had advanced all the way to the redoubt.
This first blooding for the Battalion had a profound effect upon not
only the unit but upon the Finnish nation as a whole, who held the
battle up as an example of their loyalty to their Emperor and of the
bravery of the Finnish people. The Battalion saw itself used in a
handful of minor engagements after that, even making its way to San
Stefano by the end of the war. Due to their sacrifices, bravery and
loyalty, the Emperor promoted the Battalion to the status of the Old
Guards.
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>The Memorial</b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
On the fourth anniversary of the battle a memorial was unveiled in
the courtyard of the Guards’ barracks. The work of Finnish Swede
Frans Anatolius Sjöström, it was placed as a monument to those who
gave their lives during the war but also as a place to celebrate the
courageousness of the Finnish Guard.
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/pAU1ZCB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="213" src="https://i.imgur.com/pAU1ZCB.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close up of part of the memorial. Written first in Swedish and then Finnish, the dedication is for the remembrance of the fallen. Source: puolustusministeriö</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
On the memorial is the names of 27 of the fallen (some died from a
later Typhoid fever epidemic) and sees a wreath laying twice a year,
on the anniversary of the battle and Liberation Day, Bulgaria’s
national day, 3<sup>rd</sup> March.
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/9TkeAg8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="213" src="https://i.imgur.com/9TkeAg8.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the names upon the memorial. Source: puolustusministeriö</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Unfortunately the site is within the courtyard of the Ministry of
Defence and as such is a military area. This means it is a restricted
area, so please don’t attempt to visit without seeking permission
from the Ministry beforehand. A special thanks to the puolustusministeriö public affairs team for answering my email and providing a USB with the pictures.</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
<iframe src="https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/embed?mid=1hT2k9eT9Rwf5H5k8LhH-fs9RBNS7b7ZT" width="640" height="480"></iframe>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Sources</b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Laitila, Teuvo, The Finnish Guard in the Balkans (Gummerus Oy,
Saarijärvi, 2003)</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Luntinen, Pertti, The Imperial Russian Army and Navy in Finland
1808-1918 (Suomen Historiallinen Seura, Helsinki, 1997)</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://taidemuseo.hel.fi/suomi/veisto/veistossivu.html?id=52&sortby=statue#">taidemuseo.hel.fi</a></div>
<br />Laurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07571614034351063118noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-784499057465979640.post-13487027207843766762018-11-19T11:39:00.000+02:002018-11-19T11:53:52.928+02:00Memorial Hunter - Red Guard Monument - Last Stand at PispalaRecently I was in Tampere for work. I found myself with a few hours free before I needed to get the train back to Oulu and so I decided that what best way to use my time would be to explore the city for memorials.<br />
<br />
With this task in mind, I did some quick searching and found out where an interesting memorial to the Red Guard is placed.<br />
<br />
<b>The Pispala Red Guard</b><br />
<br />
During the upheaval in the Russian Empire during 1917, many paramilitary groups formed to protect certain interests. Finland was not immune to such political uncertainty and with a World War raging, numerous strikes took place across Finland to protest the many shortages the people were suffering from. Unfortunately, where there is protest and strike, there is also violence and soon clashes between various groups ensued. In light of this, numerous Workers’ Guard were formed throughout the country.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/Ego6xkG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="350" height="219" src="https://i.imgur.com/Ego6xkG.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A company of Pispala Red Guard in 1918. Source: Red Pispala</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
In November 1917, the Pispala Red Guard were formed with the intention to protect the largely working class population of the area. Aatto Koivunen, a construction worker and founding member of the Pispala Workers' Association, became its Chief of Staff. The unit used the local Fire Station as a training ground and by the time of the Battle of Tampere (16th March) it consisted of 800 men and about 50 women, formed up into 5 companies. It is important to note here that while the majority of the Red Guard, especially before the Civil War, were volunteers, at least a notable number were coerced into joining as can been seen from the following annoucment published in Kansan Lehti on the 2nd February 1918 from the leaders of the Pispala Red Guard:<br />
<br />
“All organised male workers living in Pispala, Tahmela, and Epila are urged to come to the office of the Pispala Red Guard in order to join. This invitation must absolutely be followed.”<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/RElXW2x.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="303" data-original-width="400" height="242" src="https://i.imgur.com/RElXW2x.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aatto Koivunen and his family. His wife, Hilma, was in charge of the Women's and Red Cross units of the Pispala Red Guard. Source: Wiki</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The Pispala Red Guard mobilized at the outbreak of the Civil War on the 28th January and while the Fire Station come Headquarters was being turned into a strongpoint, men from the Pispala Red Guard went to fight on the front lines of Ruovesi. Pispala men were also present for the battles of Vilppula, Eräjärvi, Kuhmalahti and Ikaalinen. When the White Forces encircled Tampere and the battle opened up upon the city, the Pispala Red Guard took main responsibility for the Western line, with Aatto Koivunen taking overall command.<br />
<br />
Under Koivunen’s leadership, the Western Line was reorgaised and turned into a strong defensive point. From the 26th of March, White Forces attacked the Western Line with artillery and infantry assault in an effort to break through but the line held with few losses whilst the Whites suffered heavy casualties. As the main city of Tampere fell in early April, Pispala was still holding out and the area became choked with refugees and falling back Red Guards from other areas. The fighting was so fierce that even the Women’s company took up arms to help add weight of fire from the ridges and trenches. On the evening of the 4th April at the Pispala Workers’ Hall, it was decided that an attempt would be made to break out from the encirclement across the frozen Pyhäjärvi lake. By the morning of the 5th around 400 individuals had escaped and joined up with the Red forces at Vesilahti.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/hhuh5BA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="468" data-original-width="800" height="187" src="https://i.imgur.com/hhuh5BA.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A photo taken after the battle showing the defensive trenches of the Western Line. Source: Wiki</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Another break out was conducted on the evening of the 5th April, upwards of 700 people took to the ice, led by Koivunen, as well as some of the other Red leaders and headed north. They evaded the White forces that were along the banks of the Näisjärvi and joined up at Vesilahti. On the morning of the 6th, White Forces launched a devastating assault against the remaining Red Forces, in light of this, as well as having few commanders left, those left in charge decided it was better to surrender. At 0830 a white garment was attached to the flag pole at Pyynikki tower and the fighting died down. In the aftermath, the remaining Pispala Red Guard, along with about 10,000 others, were marched to the former Imperial Russian Barracks, which now served as a Prison Camp.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/duTbC9H.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="431" data-original-width="800" height="172" src="https://i.imgur.com/duTbC9H.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Showing the devastation on the Western line. Source: Wiki</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/gzrMrF9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="800" height="243" src="https://i.imgur.com/gzrMrF9.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Surrendered Red Guard being held in Tampere Town Centre waiting for assignment to Prison Camps. Source: Wiki</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>The Pispala Red Guard Memorial</b><br />
<br />
In the years after the end of the Second World War, many Finns wanted to help put into memory the sacrifices of their ancestors, regardless of their allegiance. Across the country many memorials were erected in memory of those who had fought and died for the Reds during the Finnish Civil War.<br />
<br />
In 1982 a black granite sculpture was unveiled in a small park overlooking Pispala and the two lakes of Näsijärvi and Pyhäjärvi. The work of Merja Vainio, she had won the competition put out by the Pispala Red Guard Memorial Association. The simple momument is designed to immortalise the bravery and stubbornness of the Pispala Red Guard, that held the Western line for 12 days without collapsing.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/9cxqmLW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="534" height="320" src="https://i.imgur.com/9cxqmLW.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The memorial as it stands today. Source: Personal Collection</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/vDlTPRy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="213" src="https://i.imgur.com/vDlTPRy.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The base with inscription. Source: Personal Collection</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
At the base is the words:<br />
<br />
"Täällä Pispalan harjulla työväen joukot Tampereella viimeksi seisoivat ase kädessä asiaansa puolustaen vuonna 1918"<br />
<br />
"On this Pispala Ridge the red guard in Tampere last stood with weapons in hand defending their cause in 1918"<br />
<br />
<br />
<iframe src="https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/embed?mid=1hT2k9eT9Rwf5H5k8LhH-fs9RBNS7b7ZT" width="640" height="480"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
<b>Sources</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Haapala, Pertti, Tampere 1918: A Town in the Civil War (Tampere Museums, Museum Centre Vapriikki, 2010)<br />
<a href="https://www.pispala.fi/historia/punainenpispala/">Red Pispala</a><br />
<a href="http://www.tyovaenliike.fi/muistomerkit/punakaartilaismuistomerkki/">tyovaenliike.fi</a><br />
<a href="https://www.tampere.fi/ekstrat/taidemuseo/patsaat/vainio_frame.htm">tampere.fi/</a>Laurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07571614034351063118noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-784499057465979640.post-78693016803467933972018-10-15T09:00:00.000+03:002018-10-15T09:00:06.106+03:00Weapons of War - de Bange 90 mm cannon - Jumping Henry's<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
“No one knew what
would happen when they rammed the artillery shot into the rear of the
canon, locked it, and pulled the rope hanging from the back, but the
challenge was too intriguing to resist.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The explosion was
deafening as the cannon jumped nine feet backwards, leaving a big
cloud of smoke handing in the air. Within a few minutes, the men got
the gun back in the same position to repeat the process, but this
time they assigned two observers: one to see where the shell landed
and the other to see where the cannon went. The Finns enjoyed their
Hyppy Heikki, Jumping Henry, even more when they learned that at
least one large-sized Russian truck had been blown to
bits.”</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/Lnl5Mnc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="554" data-original-width="800" height="221" src="https://i.imgur.com/Lnl5Mnc.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A 90 K/77 giving direct fire support during the Kiestinki battles in November 1941. Source: SA Kuva</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
<br />
<b>
Background</b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
After the
Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71, the French military decided to look
at the reasons for their failure against the armies of the North
German Confederation. One of the reasons pointed out by this self
assessment was that the Prussian Krupp C64 steel, breech-loading 8cm
cannon was vastly superior to their muzzle loading bronzed cannons.
Not only did these cannons have a higher rate of fire (3 to 4 rounds
per minute compared to the French’s 2), but they also out ranged
them by a significant amount (with an effective range of 3.4 km
compared to the French’s 1.6 km).<br />
<br />
Director of the
"Atelier-de-précision" (Paris arsenal's precision
workshop), Colonel Charles Ragon de Bange, produced a prototype 90mm
breechloading fieldgun based around his De Bange breech obturator
system, in 1877 and presented it to the French artillery committee.
Only two years previously the French military had adopted the
Lahitolle 95 mm cannon as their official field gun, being all steel
and breech loading, it was in line with the requirements of the
French artillery. However, it was inferior to de Bange’s prototype
in weight, rate of fire and range and so the military decided that it
was to replace Lieutenant Colonel Henry Périer de Lahitolle’s
gun.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/6hseksl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="528" data-original-width="800" height="211" src="https://i.imgur.com/6hseksl.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A de Bange 90mm as part of Oulu barrack's momument. The black bit at the end of the barrel is a reinforcement that is common on French guns of the era. Source: Personal collection</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The de Bange 90 mm cannon (Mle 1877) started to
replace all other Field Guns in the French artillery and saw service
in France’s overseas conflicts. However, it suffered from one fatal
flaw that almost all guns of this era did, it had no recoil mechanism
and as such it needed to be re-laid after every single shot, causing
a loss in fire time. De Bange’s era of French artillery dominance
ended on the 28th March 1898 when the Matériel de 75mm Mle 1897 was
adopted for service. As the 75 was coming to artillery units, the De
Bange 90mm was put in storage for emergencies that France hoped would
never come.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/dmXDvK8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="510" height="320" src="https://i.imgur.com/dmXDvK8.jpg" width="204" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The breech of the 90 K/77. Notice the hand crack on the carriage, this is for elevation adjustment. Source: Personal collection </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
When France went to
war again in August of 1914, it did so in a much better position than
it did during the War of 1870. However by the end of the Battle of
the Marne in early September, the French losses in material were of
such devastation that those old artillery guns in storage had to be
hastily cleaned up and deployed. By the end of 1914, around 100
batteries, mainly fortress artillery and other defensive units, were
formed. As more and more modern guns were constructed, these old
reliables were put back into storage but at almost 4,000 built and
there usefulness, they still saw themselves in French reserves when
war broke out again in 1939. </div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/7xVqJq8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="213" src="https://i.imgur.com/7xVqJq8.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close up of the markings on the breech. Source: Personal collection</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
<b>
Finnish Service</b><br />
<br />
When
the Soviet Union crossed the Finnish border on the morning of the
30<sup>th</sup> November 1939, the Finnish Artillery corps had only
had 700 gun of various types, calibers and age. Against the initial
invading Soviet force of 4 Army groups (23 Divisions) with around
2,800 artillery guns of various types, the Finns were hopelessly
outclassed and scrambled to beg, borrow and buy anything that anyone
would offer.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
France had been a
big initial supplier of the Finnish military during its opening days,
providing Renault FT Tanks, military advisers and other military
equipment during those early, turbulent times of Finland’s
independence. As the Soviet troops took Finland land, Finnish
diplomats turned to their French counterparts in order to see what
France could offer in regards to support. France was reluctant to
part with their more modern equipment, for they had only declared war
upon Nazi Germany two months prior and was in the midst of mobilizing
its military. However, they had vast stores of older, pre 20<sup>th</sup>
and turn of the century material, including the Mle 1877. France
agreed to donate 100 of these old 90mm pieces, with 10,000 shots, but
now stumbled across the issue of how to transport them to
Finland.<br />
<br />
As France and Nazi Germany were at war, the
fastest route of overland to a Baltic port and shipped to southern
Finland was not an option, also the Danish straits were now closed
off due to mines from both Denmark and Germany and even if that
wasn’t an issue, French shipping would be very vulnerable of attack
by German shore and naval units. The only viable option left was the
long ponderous journey to Narvik in Norway, from there the guns would
be loaded onto trains and taken through Norway and Sweden to Finnish
border of Haparanda/Tornio. Here the trains were unloaded and
reloaded to Finnish trains due to a difference in the rail gauge and
then they would be taken to depots for checking and distribution.
Because of the circuitous route the majority of these much needed
guns failed to arrive in time. However between 24 and 34 (the numbers
vary according to sources) of the de Bange 90 mm cannon (Mle 1877),
now redesignated 90 K/77, were issued to training and reservist
artillery units before the armistice of the 13<sup>th</sup> March
1940 came into affect.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/DsXj2Ap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="565" data-original-width="800" height="225" src="https://i.imgur.com/DsXj2Ap.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finnish artillerymen discussing the next target. Taken on the Finnish-Soviet border area of Virolahti , unknown date. Source: SA Kuva</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Despite some seeing
deployment on the Karelian Isthmus, one major issue prevented their
full usage. The guns arrived stripped bare of many of the
accompaniments an artillery guns needs in order to be fully utilized.
The lack of any goniometers or clinometers meant that the standing
orders were that the guns were for direct fire only but some
enterprising tykkimiehet (artillery men) worked out how to use their
military compasses to at least give some degree of accurate indirect
fire support in those fateful final days of the Winter War. <br />
<br />
As
the war ended, many of these guns were still in transit to Finland
but the French did not recall these gifts but some were still at
various stages of transport when the Germans invaded Norway on the
9th of April 1940. However, the Germans allowed the rest of France’s
military material to arrive in Finland during the Summer months of
1940, after negotiations with both Sweden and Finland.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
With the Peace
treaty with the Soviet Union, Finland had a new border, one that was
longer and had less natural defences and so the Finland’s
Commander-in-Chief Marshal Mannerheim ordered the construction of a
new defence line stretching from Petsamo on the coast of the Barents
Sea to the Gulf of Finland, near the new border. This defensive
fortification, named Suomen Salpa (or more commonly Salpalinja),
needed forces to man in and so the Suomen linnoitustykistö (Finnish
Fortress Artillery) was formed. This new corps was part of the
Artillery corps and similar to the Coastal Artillery (indeed some
Coastal Artillery units were remade Fortress Artillery batteries).
Ten Linnoituspatteristo (Fortress Artillery Battalions) were
equipped with the 90 K/77 (No. 4, 5,6, Niemi, Maaselkä Fortress
Artillery Battalion 1 & 2, River Syväri Fortress Artillery
Battalion 1,2,3 & 4), the static nature of the line meant that
the guns were able to be used more effectively.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/NhCtkY8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="591" data-original-width="800" height="236" src="https://i.imgur.com/NhCtkY8.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A 90 K/77 braced on a ramp to help it return to its original position after firing, easing the laying process. This photo was taken during the static warfare around the Soviet base at Hanko in September 1941. Source: SA Kuva</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
When Finland marched
once again to war in the end of June 1941, because of the quick
offensive and Soviet retreat, older guns like the 90 K/77 were left
behind. When the Finns settled to a defensive posture in December
1941 and a 3 year period, known as the Trench War, came into being,
several 90 K/77s were brought up to the defensive lines at Syväri
and Maaselkä. Here, these guns, alongside others, would be used to
help support the troops in holding back the Soviet forces. When the
tides turned in favour of the Soviets afters the German failures in
Stalingrad and Kursk, it was only a matter of time before Soviet
forces launched an offensive against the Finns in Eastern Karelia. In
June 1944, the Soviets launched their Summer Offensive against the
Finns using overwhelming numbers. The sheer numbers of Soviet men and
equipment pushed the Finns back towards the 1940 border day after
day, in this retreat many hundreds of pieces of Finnish equipment
were left behind through lack of transport or just through the lack
of ability to holdout long enough. The 90 K/77s of the River Syväri
Fortress Artillery Battalions came into action during the offensive
on the U-line on the 21<sup>st</sup> June and after firing hundreds
of shots the order was given for them to pull back. Unfortunately, 8
of the guns had to be abandoned due to various reasons. This would be
the last shots of the 90 K/77.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
There service still
wasn’t over though. A number of these guns had been fitted to
special fixed emplacements to serve better as fortification or
coastal weapons. These saw some modifications to better suit them to
this role and eventually 15 or 17 guns of the newly designated
90/25-BW guns were serving in the Finnish military until being
retired in 1964. </div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/V0VR60i.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="555" data-original-width="800" height="222" src="https://i.imgur.com/V0VR60i.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the handful of 90mm modifications to a fixed fortification gun. Notice the addition of the muzzle break. Source: Sa Kuva </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
With an almost 100 year service life,
the de Bange 90 mm cannon was certainly an interesting weapon. Born
out of the necessity by a loosing state, it fought in the War to end
all Wars, and through necessity it was used by another loosing
(albeit brave and hardy) state to best of their ability to fight off
a vastly superior enemy.<br /><br /><b>Sources</b><br /><br />Itsenäisen Suomen Kenttätykit 1918 - 1995, Jyri Paulaharju (Sotamuseo, 1996)<br /><a href="https://www.jaegerplatoon.net/ARTILLERY2.htm">jaegerplatoon.net</a><br />The Winter War, Eloise Engle & Lauri Paananen (Stackpole Books, 1992)<br />SA Kuva</div>
<br />Laurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07571614034351063118noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-784499057465979640.post-46222690272151040332018-09-10T09:00:00.000+03:002018-09-10T09:00:02.173+03:00Finnish War Veterans Grave Markers<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I enjoy visiting
graveyards, seeing the history and wondering the lives they lived. It
is also a place to pay respects to our ancestors and those who
sacrificed their life so we can live ours. In Finland many
gravestones have a badge or two added to it, normally next to the name of
the individual. <br />
<br />
<b>What does these signify?</b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
It isn’t uncommon in Finland to have some kind of marker upon a
gravestone. There are numerous ‘badges’ for belonging to certain
religious groups, organisations and just general markings like
flowers, birds and angels. There is however another grouping of
markings, one that is honoured and marks the holder as a hero of
Finland, these are markings relating to Finland’s Wars.</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
There are many different types of badge, each meaning a different
thing, whether it be to show the individual was a Frontline Soldier
or a member of the Sotilaspojat (a youth organisation that helped on
the home front). It is a way for allowing the following generations to remember and give credence to that ancestor.</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Examples</b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
These are several of the more common memorial markers found upon
graves in Finland.</div>
<br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://i.imgur.com/6U0znjt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="800" height="256" src="https://i.imgur.com/6U0znjt.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The grave of Jääkärimajuri (Jäger Major) Martin Friedel Jacobson, who was one of the first Jääkäri to fall during the Finnish Civil War. You can clearly see the Jääkäripataljoona 27 (27th Jäger Battalion) emblem that is granted to all members of the 27th upon their graves. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://i.imgur.com/ASxSkUx.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="717" height="320" src="https://i.imgur.com/ASxSkUx.jpg" width="286" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Vapaussodan Muistomitali (Memorial medal of the War of Liberation). This is awarded to those individuals who had served in the White forces during the Finnish Civil War.<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://i.imgur.com/MNRfK8F.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="767" data-original-width="773" height="317" src="https://i.imgur.com/MNRfK8F.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
The Suomen Sotaveteraaniliiton Muistomitali (Finnish War Veterans Union Memorial medal) adores many a grave of veterans of the Winter, Continuation and Lapland Wars.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://i.imgur.com/Jy8o2gq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="665" height="320" src="https://i.imgur.com/Jy8o2gq.jpg" width="277" /></a></div>
<br />
By the end of the Second World War over 200,000 Finnish War veterans had become wounded in some capacity. Some had been wounded so bad as to need treatment for the rest of their lives. These individuals may seen their headstone decorated with the badge of the Sotainvalidien Veljesliitto badge (War Wounded Union).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://i.imgur.com/NcQFAnx.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="659" data-original-width="659" height="320" src="https://i.imgur.com/NcQFAnx.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Many of Finland's nearly one million men under arms served in the front line. Under such trying conditions as holding back a vastly supeiror enemy force, they performed their duties in a heroic manner. As such, those men are entitled to the Rintamaveteraaniliitto (Front Line Union) badge.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://i.imgur.com/RxfD9zJ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="659" data-original-width="659" height="320" src="https://i.imgur.com/RxfD9zJ.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
It wasn't just men who served within the vicinity of the front lines. According to the history of the Lotta-Svärd, around 2,700 women served as nurses, medics, doctors and auxiliary work duties within the front. These brave women see their graves marked with the Rintamanaisten Liitto (Front Women Union) badge.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://i.imgur.com/I4kbBnk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="556" data-original-width="800" height="222" src="https://i.imgur.com/I4kbBnk.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
The Lotta-Svärd was a women's auxiliary that provided support for both the Protection Corps and the Finnish Military. Over 250,000 women served in the organisation from its founding in 1918 to its disbandment in 1944. Those women who served within the ranks are allowed to have the mark of the organisation embedded upon their headstone.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://i.imgur.com/62VBSVr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="800" height="306" src="https://i.imgur.com/62VBSVr.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
The Suojeluskunta was a male auxiliary paramilitary, similar to the Home Guard of the UK. They also had a youth branch, Sotilaspojat, which saw boys from 12-17 trained to perform duties such as forestry, delivering messages, collection waste materials for recycling, and even guarding areas like bridges. For those young volunteers, they are allowed to display their service with the emblem of the Sotilaspojat on their headstone.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://i.imgur.com/iGGVGfa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="800" height="267" src="https://i.imgur.com/iGGVGfa.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
The Lotta-Svärd also had a youth organisation, Pikku Lottat, which allowed girls from ages 8-16 to help to the Lotta-Svärd. During the more intense periods of the war, some of the Pikku Lottat were helping in war hospitals and garrison canteens. When they die, former Pikku Lotta are allowed to show their contribution by a Finnish Rose, the symbol of the Pikku Lotta.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://i.imgur.com/JzRpdTM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="446" data-original-width="800" height="178" src="https://i.imgur.com/JzRpdTM.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
For soldiers who fell in battle and buried within the Heros Grave, their headstone is marked by the Vapaudenristin ritarikunta (Order of the Cross of Liberty), more specifically the Sururisti (Cross of Mourning).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://i.imgur.com/I7XxtgQ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="537" height="320" src="https://i.imgur.com/I7XxtgQ.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Above we see two different badges. Winners of Finland's highest military award, Mannerheim-risti (Mannerheim Cross of Liberty) are given a plaque like the one above which tells the number of the award and name or like the example below which is a stylised Mannerheim Cross. Above we can also see the mark of the Finnish Air Force and all pilots have the honour of displaying this coveted badge upon their headstone.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://i.imgur.com/5mcCKMy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="628" height="320" src="https://i.imgur.com/5mcCKMy.jpg" width="251" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
There is probably a few badges I have missed, like the Suojeluskunta, but this is down to not having come across them. I will probably come back and visit this topic in the future.<br />
<br />
<b>Sources</b><br /><br />Jääkärihaudat Pohjois-Pohjanmaalla (Torion Kirjapaino Ky, Tornio, 2011)<br />
<a href="http://www.veteraanienperinto.fi/vepe/index.php/fi/homepage-3">http://www.veteraanienperinto.fi/</a><br />
<a href="https://www.eskoerkkila.fi/blogi/2011/08/27/639">https://www.eskoerkkila.fi/</a><br />
Special thanks to Juha and Järi for filling in the gaps and sending linksLaurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07571614034351063118noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-784499057465979640.post-67307872627518225952018-08-20T13:15:00.000+03:002018-08-20T13:15:13.598+03:00Heroes of Finland – Pekka Vesainen – The ‘First Sissi’<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
In the summer of
1589 the town of Kandalaksha was burning, in the distance a column of
rugged Finns were marching towards their next target, the town of
Kem, at its head was the soon to be legand, Pekka Vesainen.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/LXr7lIK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="566" height="320" src="https://i.imgur.com/LXr7lIK.jpg" width="226" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The lifesize statue of Pekka Vesainen outside Ii parish church. Source: Personal Collection</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>His life</b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Due to the times and area, little concrete information exists
regarding Pekka Vesainen. It isn’t known when he was born but he
does appear in Swedish documents (Finland was part of the Swedish
empire at this time) in 1563 under the name Petr Vesa. There is
conflicts as to where he is born, with some claiming he was born it
Utajärvi, while the more popular theory is he was born in Vesala, in
what was then part of Ii. His family is also a mystery, but the
legends state he had a wife and 7 children. In the 1571 tax lists, he
is known to have one horse, four cows, four bulls and four sheep, a
modest holding for those in the same area but it is thought (due to
Swedish Crown Accounts) that he was an assistant Lay Judge in the
Municipality of Ii.
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
It is thought he died in 1627 in the same house that he had lived in
his whole life.
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Outside of this, not much else is known of his life, a lot is
attributed to oral legend and isn’t confirmable.
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>The Long Wrath</b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Kingdom of Sweden and the Tsardom of Russia, and as well as their
predecessors and successors, found themselves in various conflicts
over the territories than now make up Finland, Estonia, Latvia and
Russia.
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Between 1570 and 1595, a 25 year long conflict, known as Pitkä Viha
(or Long Wrath) in Finnish, took place that heavily affected Finland.
Johan III of Sweden and Ivan Vasilyevich of Russia (more commonly
known as Ivan the Terrible) came to blows over demands between the
two nations, after Swedish ambassadors were arrested in Novgorod,
demands for Swedish silver mines to be handed over to Russia and the
reveal that Ivan’s granddaughter was promised to Danish Prince
Magnus av Ösel (Sweden was currently at war with Denmark) and who
had been promised the crown of Livonia; Conflict broke out.</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Russian and Danish troops marched on to Reval (Modern day Tallinn)
and laid siege to the Swedish garrison there in August. After
numerous assaults, two Swedish ships breaking through the blockade
with much needed supplies in September, an outbreak of plague in 1571
and the conclusion of Peace with Denmark in February, the siege was
lifted in March, and Prince Magnus was forced to retire his forces.
The conflict ebbed and flowed throughout the two nations, with both
sides gaining advances and loosing gains as is the normal way in war.
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
In Finland the war wasn’t some distant event. Russian forces,
mainly paid Karelians, burnt and ravaged the areas of Ii and Kiiminki
during the 1580s. It was in face of the destruction of his home area
that Vesainen would raise up an armed militia to strike back. Leaving
in early summer 1589, he led between 90-100 village men (Russian
sources state as many as 900) to the White Sea, attacking several
Russian and Karelian settlements along the way. They then attacked
the town of Kandalaksha, burning down the monastery there and killing
up to 450 people but before any Russian help could arrive the raiders
had moved south. They advanced to Kem, a small fishing village, where
they ransacked it before deciding to return home. The party returned
by the coming of Fall with much loot. Vesainen returned to find his
wife had been captured by Russian supported raiders and two of his
children dead. It was this event that legend states inspired his
second expedition into Russia.</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Fuel by the anger of his dead children and missing wife, he led a
force of a few hundred men from Ii, Tornio and Kemi areas to the Kola
Peninsular. Here he led an attack against the Petsamo Monastery on
Christmas Eve 1589. The raiders took out their revenge upon the monks
and laymen present at the Christmas worship, putting over 100 to the
sword and burning down the entire complex before heading to the
important trading town of Kola. Here they attacked and conquered the
town, plundering and burning the residents. The militia force, full
of rage, then attempted to take the Fort in the area. However the
Russia forces, under command of a Voivode (A warlord), held out
against the more lightly equipped Finns and soon Vesainen was forced
to call a retreat. He returned in early 1590, having freed his wife
along the way (but the stories aren’t clear where or when), and
settled back into a peaceful country life.</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/Petsamo_Church.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="570" data-original-width="800" height="228" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/Petsamo_Church.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Petsamo Monestry as it appeared in 1911. Source: Wikimedia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Later in 1590, legend says he was visited by King Johan III and
presented with gifts for his services. However, Vesainen’s life
wasn’t to remain peaceful for long, for another raid by Russians
hit the Ii and Kiiminki areas. Vesainen’s family lost three more
children to these raiders, breaking Pekka’s spirit.
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>The Growing of
the Legend</b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Due to his spot in antiquity, as well as residing in the more wild
areas of Swedish rule, not much official documents are able to
support much of the life of Pekka Vesainen. Outside of a couple of
official tax documents, the majority of what we know comes from oral
tradition. While oral tradition is an accepted part of
historiography and helps us understand the importance of events
within the context of anthropology, it can be highly questionable to
rely solely upon it. This is due to oral transmissions within
societies being subject to embellishment, twistings, and reflections
of the current societal trends. But it shouldn’t be wholly
dismissed due to the faults, but used in conjunction with the more
confirmable information we have.</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Pekka Vesainen’s legend is one that sees more input from oral
tradition. Thanks to a tax record of the Ostrobothnia bailiff in
1589, in which he collected some of the spoils from Vesainen’s
expedition, we can at least confirm that he was involved in the
incidents at Kandalaksha and Kem. The second expedition to Kola is
one that has come under more scrutiny. Due to the closeness of the
events and lack of corroborating sources, most modern historians
believe that Vesainen wasn’t involved in this event but regardless
of the truth, the legend has grown up around it.</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
In the rise of Finnish Nationlism (Fennoman movement) in the 18<sup>th</sup>
century, saw a rise of National Heroes from Finland’s past. These
characters were romanticised in literature and used as examples of
Finnishness and bravery against the invader. Vesainen’s story was
elevated to the national stage in 1894 with the publication of ‘Juho
Vesainen’ by Finnish Nationalist Historical writer Santeri Ivalo.
From this point, Vesainen’s life became a symbol of the
determination and drive of the Ostrobothnian people and in 1936 a
large statue was placed at Vesala depicting the Militia leaders head.
A road in the village was also named after him, and in 1940 a
lifesized statute of Vesainen was erected at Ii’s parish church.
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Sources</b>
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://www.ii.fi/keskiajasta_nykypaivaan">Ii.fi</a><br />
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://www.kirjastovirma.fi/henkilogalleria/Vesainen_Pekka">kirjastovirma.fi</a></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://kirjastolinkit.ouka.fi/kaleva/elo12/pekkavesaisen.htm">kirjastolinkit.ouka.fi</a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Oral Tradition as a Reliable Source of Historical Writing: Arguments for and Against and Implications for Historical Writing in Education; MURAINA, Monsuru Babatunde (2015)</div>
<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />Laurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07571614034351063118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-784499057465979640.post-51888425440113024522018-06-25T09:00:00.000+03:002018-06-25T09:00:15.946+03:00Memorial Hunter – Memorials of the Ancestors of Karelia<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
At the conclusion of the Continuation War in September 1944, the
Finns ceded a large part of Finnish Karelia to the Soviet Union in
return for an armistice. This area included 3 cities, 2 boroughs and
39 municipalities as well as splitting 21 other municipalities.</div>
<br />
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/VRuR8Gv.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="213" src="https://i.imgur.com/VRuR8Gv.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This memorial is in Haukipudas' new Parish Cemetery is, to date, the most beautiful of the ones I have seen. Being a lot more simple than many others, it still encapsulates the dogged determination of those who had to leave their homes and set anew in a different place. Source: Personal Collection</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Karelians and Finns of the area were given a choice, similar to
the choice given at the end of the Winter War in March 1940, to
either stay and become citizens of the Soviet Union or evacuate to
Finland and be resettled. The vast majority chose to leave their
homes and settle in Finland. Around 280,000 had to be rehoused
throughout Finland (in 1939/40 around 400,000 left Karelia and when
the Finnish Army retook their ceded areas in 1941 280,000 returned to
reclaim their land). This meant leaving behind for good their roots,
their ancestors, the graves and houses that had been in their
families for generations.
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>The Karelian
Association </b>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
In the wake of the first evacuation in 1939/40, the numerous
displaced Karelians sent 340 representatives to found an organisation
on the 20<sup>th</sup> April 1940 that would monitor the interests of
the displaced citizens, make sure that they were resettled and
compensated quickly and that they would still be represented within
Finnish Society as a whole.
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Association has always pushed to keep the memory of the Karelia
that was lost alive in Finnish culture and society, while still
maintaining a sense of independent identity. When the hope of
recovering Finnish Karelia was dashed in 1944, the group worked in
the best interests of all displaced Karelians throughout Finland so
that they were be treated equally and fairly, it also became a place
to allow members to come together and maintain their links.</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/RK9g1tB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" height="239" src="https://i.imgur.com/RK9g1tB.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The memorial in Hietaniemi cemetary, Helsinki. Sculpted by Amas Tirronen, it was built in 1957. Source: Personal Collection </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><br />The memorials</b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Each kunta or municipality throughout contained a church that served
that community. This included the burial of the deceased. Finnish
culture is one that takes great care of its ancestors, where graves
are lovingly tended over by families for generations and candles are
lite at special occasions. As the over 400,000 displaced inhabitants
of Karelia were now spread throughout, with very little to no chance
of visiting the graves of their ancestors, an initiative was taken up
by the Karelian Association. In 1951 the association approached
sculptor Kirsti Liimatainen to design some memorials for the larger
Karelian communities. In 1952 the first of such memorials was erected
in Humppila, these were soon followed by others in places like
Kajaaani, Rovaniemi, Kauhajoki and Riihimäki.
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/fLIAcmU.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="536" data-original-width="800" height="214" src="https://i.imgur.com/fLIAcmU.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The one in my home town of Oulu. Source: Personal Collection</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
To date there is around 200 of such memorials around Finland,
allowing Karelians and their descendants to honour their ancestors
even though they cannot physically visit the graves.
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/CuXVKHH.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="525" height="320" src="https://i.imgur.com/CuXVKHH.jpg" width="210" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tampere. source: Personal Collection<br /><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/ig2H4f1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="543" height="320" src="https://i.imgur.com/ig2H4f1.jpg" width="217" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tornio. Source: Personal Collection</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I will look more in depth at specific memorials in their own articles
in future, but this was to give a small background to this little
known but intimate piece of Finnish history.</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Sources</b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://www.karjalanliitto.fi/">Karelian Association</a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://www.kolumbus.fi/~kj2731/kirkot/karjala/karjalaan_jaaneet.htm">List of some memorials</a><br />
</div>
<br />Laurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07571614034351063118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-784499057465979640.post-36927322213785425812018-06-18T09:00:00.000+03:002018-06-18T12:33:05.501+03:00Finnish Waffen-SS Battalion Investigation – Why it needs to happen and how Historical Revision isn’t always a bad thingThursday 31st May saw the Finnish Prime Minister’s Officer announced the opening of an independent probe into those Finnish citizens who served in the Waffen-SS during the Second World War. The investigation will look to see if any Finns participated in “in the homicide of Jews and civilians during 1941-1943.”<br />
<br />
<b>Why it is happening?</b><br />
<br />
Back in January, Efraim Zuroff, an American-born Israeli historian and director of the Simon Wiesenthal Center office in Jerusalem, made a request to President Sauli Niinistö to open an official investigation into the roughly 1,400 Finns who voluntarily served in Waffen-SS to see if they were involved in any war crimes.<br />
<br />
However this request didn’t just appear unprovoked but due to the release of information by Historian André Swanström. In 2017, Swanström, went on record declaring the vast majority of the Finnish SS men were fascists and that some had taken part in war crimes during their service in Ukraine from 1941 to 1943. His words caused a ripple of controversy in historical circles that were heard outside of Finland as well. It was from this that Efraim Zuroff was made aware of the discussion and formally requested an official investigation.<br />
<br />
<b>A little background</b><br />
<br />
After the conclusion of the Russo-Finnish Winter War in March 1940, Finland found itself in a precarious position. The Western powers had shown themselves unable to provide Finland with any legitimate support, Sweden had to look after its own (more so after the German invasion of Norway), and the Soviets (as victors) decided to put more pressure upon Finland. Also during this time Germany and the Soviet Union were joined together through the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, which had seen Poland divided between the two powers and the Baltic States fold to Soviet pressure and so Finland felt itself more isolated and against the wall.<br />
<br />
It was in this uncertainty that Finland found some support. Germany started making offers of military, economic and political support in confidence. One of these offers was for a group of Finnish men, similar to the 1917 Jaeger movement, to come to Finland and train in military matters. These men would fall under the administration of the Waffen-SS (the armed wing of the Nazi Party's SS organisation), serve a two-year contract, and would form their own Battalion within the 5th SS Division “Wiking”. Recruitment saw the German want a high percentage of far right members (over 60%) and to be racially pure (according to their own Aryan doctrine) but this wasn’t accomplished.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/lTW9r60.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://i.imgur.com/lTW9r60.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Battalion on Parade. Source: LiveLeak</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The 1408 men, coming from all over Finland, arrived in 5 separate batches from May to June 1941. Those men who had sufficient military training or were veterans of the Winter War were attached to combat ready units of the Division until the rest of the Battalion were ready. The Battalion was founded officially on 15th June 1941 in Vienna and was called SS Freiwilligen-Bataillon Nordost. In December 1941 the Battalion was ready for deployment and sent to the Ukrainian front to become the third Battalion in the Nordland Regiment. From this moment on, it fought with distinction, especially during the 1942 Summer offensive. It was here that the received their new title, Finnisches Freiwilligen-Bataillon der Waffen-SS, and were seen as brave and stubborn fighters, so much so that Heinrich Himmler, head of the SS, stated "In the place where the Finnish SS man stood, the enemy was always beaten.”<br />
The Waffen-SS wanted to retain such valuable soldiers when their contract expired by Marshal Mannerheim forbid their reenlistment and the Battalion arrived home 2nd April ,1943 in Hanko. The Battalion was officially disbanded 11th July, 1943 and the men were then sent to various units within the Finnish Army.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/L3uTbvY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="255" data-original-width="400" height="204" src="https://i.imgur.com/L3uTbvY.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finnish SS volunteers in Gross Born Truppenlager, 1941. Source: Wikimedia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>Did they commit War Crimes?</b><br />
<br />
Originally, the statement from historians and layman alike have been that the Finnish Battalion did not commit anything that would be construed as War Crimes. This statement is supported and traced back to the phenomenal work by Professor Mauno Jokipi. Jokipi is seen as one of the foremost Finnish historians on the Second World War and in 1968 he published the book, Panttipataljoona: suomalaisen SS-pataljoonan historia (I unfortunately have yet to read it as it is way passed my current abilities in Finnish). This 936 page epic is seen as the go to book for anything related to the Finnish SS men, Jokipi used records available from the Finnish National Archives, as well as material made available to him from the Veljesapu-Perinneyhdistys ry (the organisation set up to support veterans of the unit and their families, as well as provide information about the Battalion). Jokipi put out the statement that the Finnish SS soldiers did not take part in any executions of civilians but that some were eyewitnesses to these horrible acts. However this has been challenged by some, with Swanström being at the forefront.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/axlwQV9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="363" height="320" src="https://i.imgur.com/axlwQV9.jpg" width="193" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Battalions Chaplain, Major Kalervo Kurkiala, at Hietaniemi Cemetary, 1943. Source: Wikimedia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Swanström wrote in 2017 that Jokipi’s work is flawed and that he made a deliberate choice to select certain source materials over others. During his research, Swanström, came across a letter written by one member of the unit, Olavi Karpalo, who stated that ‘the executionof Jews is for those with poorer shooting skills that ours’. He postulates that Karpalo would not have written those words if he had not committed such acts. Karpalo, who had fought during the Spanish Civil War on Franco’s side, was frustrated that he had been assigned to a rear area vehicle maintenance unit, alongside 5 other Finns, while the rest were off getting glory. Swanström accuses Jokipi of having access to the letter but ignoring its contents during his research and that he has deliberately ‘hidden’ evidence in order to push a narrative.<br />
<br />
In light of the evidence that Swanström has brought forward, as well as those thoughts by other historians like Oula Silvennoinen and Marko Tikka, it is very possible that some Finns serving within the Waffen-SS committed war crimes.<br />
<br />
<b>Reactions and the Need for the Investigation</b><br />
<br />
When news was released about the request for the investigation were published, and the follow up confirmation that the probe will go ahead, there was the expected reaction from the internet. Unfortunately there were far too many comments of an antisemitic nature which are not worth repeating or given more than just a mention here. There were, however, several comments proclaiming a historical revisionism in progress in order to push some political correctness agenda. Within recent years whenever a new book/article/lecture or academic publication makes a statement that challenges the status quo it is accused of Revisionism, and well they are right...to a degree.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/T6gK3HL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="565" height="320" src="https://i.imgur.com/T6gK3HL.jpg" width="301" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Battalion arriving at Hanko, 1943. Source: Wikimedia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
What is Historical Revisionism?<br />
<br />
Historical Revisionism is the act of challenging the status quo in light of new evidence. It is a process that has always taken place, indeed, the American Historical Society’s President James McPherson stated in 2003,<br />
<br />
“The fourteen-thousand members of this association, however, know that revision is the lifeblood of historical scholarship. History is a continuing dialogue, between the present and the past. Interpretations of the past are subject to change in response to new evidence, new questions asked of the evidence, new perspectives gained by the passage of time. There is no single, eternal, and immutable “truth” about past events and their meaning.”<br />
<br />
History is constantly in flux, we are uncovering new things about the past. When new things are discovered, the historical process takes over, where we see historians debate and challenge each consecutive hypothesis.<br />
<br />
This doesn’t mean that negative historical revisionism doesn’t take place, however in the academic world this type of revisionism is called Historical negationism or denialism and is done for mainly ideological reasons. It strives to muddy the waters of historical discourse for the masses and pass of their poorly supported evidence as honest revisionism.<br />
<br />
A few other comments I saw made attempts to deflect the discussion into points about Soviet war crimes and how those should be investigated (some stated before the investigation into Finns). However these comments are only attempting to put wrongness on a scale and fit it into a narrative.<br />
<br />
The following video by the brilliant TIKhistory channel explains why Historical Revision is not negative much better than I can.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ruqt8uv__18/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ruqt8uv__18?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/TmZkPFl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="180" src="https://i.imgur.com/TmZkPFl.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Battalion on board ship leaving Tallinn to Hanko, 1943. Source: http://maximietteita.blogspot.com </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The need for an official investigate is paramount to Finnish history. In 2003, President Halonen, after an official request by Simon Wiesenthal Center, launched a probe into the deportations of around 3,000 Soviet POWs to Germany. The project was undertaken by the National Archives and after several years a 568 multilingual report was published that showed how Finland’s treatment of Soviet Prisoners of War and Civilian Internees were not as up to par with International Law as first thought. All this stemmed from the research of Elina Sana. The report allowed for a more open and honest discussion on Finland’s role during the Second World War.<br />
<br />
Following the same light, an official investigation, using all the resources available (this includes archives outside of Finland, like Russia, Ukraine, Poland and Germany).<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/o2C6tbf.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="474" data-original-width="640" height="237" src="https://i.imgur.com/o2C6tbf.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In Tampere, 1943. Source: SA-Kuva</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<b>What will happen?</b><br />
<br />
According to a statement on the National Archives website, there will be a steering group appointed by the Prime Minister’s Office with members of the National Archives, the President’s and Prime Minister’s Offices. This group will oversee a project team from the National Archives and also use external experts as required. The project team will use any and all resources available to them in order to assess and evaluate evidence in order to present a complete study. The team will also work with Docent Lars Westerlund, who led the National Archives project in the 2003 study mentioned above, as well as the Prime Minister’s Office funded 2002 War Victims of Finland 1914-1922 Project database. His expertise will be much required during this delicate study.<br />
<br />
The Project Team consists of:-<br />
Chair: Director-General Jussi Nuorteva<br />
Vice-Chairman: Research Director Päivi Happonen<br />
Dean of the Faculty of Law of the University of Helsinki, Professor Pia Letto-Vanamo<br />
Professor of Political History at the University of Helsinki, Kimmo Rentola<br />
Professor Vesa Tynkkynen of the National Defense College<br />
Antero Holmila, Associate Professor at the University of Jyväskylä<br />
Docent of Åbo Akademi André Swanström<br />
President of the Holocaust Victim Records Association, Docent Oula Silvennoinen.<br />
Researcher Docent Lars Westerlund<br />
Assistant Researcher Ville-Pekka Kääriäinen<br />
<br />
The investigation is reported to be finished by November of this year and will cost no more than 69,000 euros.<br />
<br />
Once the report is completed, the next stage will be to see if there is a need for any legal proceedings. As Jussi Nuorteva of the National Archives said to YLE, "About 1,400 volunteers from Finland took part [in the battalion] and only about a dozen of them are still alive. The youngest of them were 17 when they enlisted and are now 95 years-old or older,”. This mean that the handful of SS men left alive will be of similar health to those of German and other SS soldiers who have recently been on trial in Europe.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/36xIEDL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="492" data-original-width="800" height="196" src="https://i.imgur.com/36xIEDL.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Battalion's disbandment ceremony, 1943. Source: veljesapu.fi</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>Sources</b><br />
<br />
<a href="https://yle.fi/uutiset/osasto/news/finland_calls_for_probe_of_finnish_ss_soldiers_possible_role_in_war_crimes_during_wwii/10233194">YLE news</a><br />
<a href="https://www.arkisto.fi/news/2143/328/Kansallisarkisto-toteuttaa-selvityksen-suomalaisten-SS-vapaaehtoisten-osallistumisesta-siviilien-sotavankien-ja-juutalaisten-surmaamisiin-19411943">National Archives</a><br />
<a href="https://www.arkisto.fi/fi/kansallisarkisto/hankkeet/slevitys-suomalaisista-ss-miehist%C3%A4">National Archives</a><br />
<a href="https://www.jpost.com/Diaspora/Will-Holocaust-crimes-of-Finnish-volunteers-in-Ukraine-go-unpunished-536805">Will Holocaust crimes of Finnish volunteers in Ukraine go unpunished</a><br />
<a href="https://yle.fi/uutiset/osasto/news/investigation_into_claims_of_atrocities_by_finnish_ss_volunteers/10040356">YLE News</a><br />
<a href="https://vnk.fi/en/article/-/asset_publisher/selvitys-suomalaisten-ss-miesten-osallisuudesta-juutalaisten-ja-siviilien-surmaamiseen-vuosina-1941-1943">Prime Minister's Office</a><br />
<a href="https://www.historians.org/publications-and-directories/perspectives-on-history/september-2003/revisionist-historians">Revisionist Historians</a><br />
<a href="http://www.skhs.fi/suomalaiset-ss-miehet-ja-sotarikokset/">Finnish SS Men and War Crimes</a><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Laurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07571614034351063118noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-784499057465979640.post-71792965943974422892018-06-04T22:21:00.004+03:002018-06-04T22:21:40.053+03:00Marshal of Finland - A birthday gift from Finland<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
On the morning of
the 4th June 1942, Field Marshal (Sotamarsalkka) Mannerheim found
himself confronted by a large delegation of civilian ministers,
including President Risto Ryti, and military officers. This group
then bestowed upon him the unique and specially created title,
Marshal of Finland.
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/TPpBusl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="378" height="320" src="https://i.imgur.com/TPpBusl.jpg" width="201" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mannerheim on his 75th birthday Source: Wikimedia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Mannerheim’s
Ranks</b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
When Mannerheim returned to Finland in 1917 he held the rank of
Lieutenant General, but this was within the Imperial Russian Army.
Upon the formation and reorganization of the Finnish Army in 1918 he
was made General of the Cavalry (ratsuväenkenraali), a General rank
but with a special recognition for the branch of the individual. This
was and is the highest rank within the Finnish Defence Forces.</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/eacgavY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="386" height="320" src="https://i.imgur.com/eacgavY.jpg" width="206" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mannerheim as Commander-in-Chief in 1918. Source: Wikimedia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Mannerheim maintained his rank and place within the officers list in
the post-civil war turmoil. He had stepped down as Commander-in-Chief
in 1919 but was seen as honorary Commader-in-Chief of the Protection
Corps (which didn’t sit well with some politicians). With each new
administration he was offered the title of Commander-in-Chief of the
Finnish Defence Forces but he refused every time.
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
1928 saw in tenth anniversary of the Finnish Civil War, and with
wounds still fresh, Mannerheim made plans to be out of the country.
However he was persuaded to attend the official parade. Behind the
scenes though there was discussion about presenting him with the
title of Field Marshal (Sotamarsalkka) as a gesture of thanks for his
services to Finland. While some politicians were in support of the
idea, there were just as many against and so the idea didn’t pass.
But while the Government didn’t support the idea of making
Mannerheim a Field Marshal, the Protection Corps presented him with a
Marshal’s Baton.
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
In 1931, P.E. Svinhufvud was voted in as President and as others
before him had done, he asked Mannerheim to become Commander-in-Chief
of the Defence Forces. Mannerheim once against refused the offer, he
felt his age made it too heavy a task for him, nor did he want to
push out the current commander, Major General Hugo Österman.
Mannerheim instead became Chairman of the Defence Council. This
position allowed him to serve his country again and contribute to its
continued growth.</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The question of making Mannerheim a Field Marshal was again visited
in 1933. This time the motion was passed with large support and so on
the 19<sup>th</sup> May Mannerheim was presented with the title Field
Marshal and presented with an official baton to signify his position.
The baton was designed by artist Aarno Karimo (a former Artillery
officer during the Civil War) and made from ebony, ivory and gold.
Mannerheim did not know of the discussion and so was taken by
surprise but was delighted about it. In his address he emphasised
that the appointment was in recognition of the support of the armed
forces and the country as a whole. The was one twist in the tale
though, the title came with a stamp duty (a tax to make the document
official) of 4,000 marks and normally this bill would be paid by the
nominees. Lieutenant Colonel Aksel Airo, Mannerheim’s secretary,
tried in vain to get someone to foot the bill, either the Defence
Forces or even the Army Officer’s corps but none would and so
presented the bill to Mannerheim who wryly replied ‘It’s a good
job they didn’t make me a more important man’.
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/MmTsbHg.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="484" height="320" src="https://i.imgur.com/MmTsbHg.png" width="253" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mannerheim's appointment to Field Marshal, 1933. Source: Wikimedia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span id="goog_1798750513"></span><span id="goog_1798750514"></span><br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Marshal of
Finland</b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
As Mannerheim’s 75<sup>th</sup> birthday approached he made plans
to visit the front, not out of celebration or anything but because
he thought ‘Holding any sort of party at the headquarter now would
simply be in bad taste, as all the men and officers are in such a
tight spot, and often have to see one of their comrades being carried
off.’ But he was ordered by President Ryti to make sure he was
present at Immola. He was informed that Adolf Hitler, Führer of the
German Reich, would be present as well.
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/HVRiQQl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://i.imgur.com/HVRiQQl.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mannerheim's carriage, today it is now a tourist attraction in Mikkeli where he held his headquarters. Source: Wikimedia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
On the morning of the 4<sup>th</sup> June, the Government and
Military entourage arrived and President Ryti conferred onto
Mannerheim the title Marshal of Finland. The title was in honour of
his long service and to pay him the respects of the Finnish people.
However it wasn’t the title that topped him that day but the
deputation of trade unionists. These men, representatives of the
workers of Finland, praised Mannerheim for his efforts in uniting
Finland, in helping to remove the division of 1918 and make the
Finnish people one nation. Mannerheim was so touched that in he wrote
to his sister, Eva Sparre ‘It was all moving. A people who are
fighting for the right to live in the land which their forefathers
made with great toil, and where church bells daily toll their sons
into eternal rest, and who show me in such an overwhelming way their
trust and recognition, a trust which you understand is difficult to
bear.’<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/iOMDTr8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="415" data-original-width="640" height="207" src="https://i.imgur.com/iOMDTr8.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mannerheim with Hitler and President Ryti. Source: Wikimedia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
While the rank was never made a substantive military one, he remained
General of Cavalry within the officers list throughout his career, it
put him unto par with his peers throughout Europe. It also
solidified, as the accompanying document describe, Mannerheim as
‘greatest soldier in our history.’</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Today the 4<sup>th</sup> June is Defence Forces Day (puolustusvoimat
päivää) and is a day of honour to the servicemen and women of
Finland, past and present. It is also the traditional day for
promotions and awards.
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/anJfje1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="292" data-original-width="450" height="207" src="https://i.imgur.com/anJfje1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mannerheim's certificated conferring the title of Marshal of Finland. Source: Mannerheim.fi</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<b>Sources</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Jägerskiöld, Stig, Mannerheim-Marshal of Finland (C.Hurst & co Ltd. 1986)<br />
Clements, Jonathan, Mannerheim- President, Soldier, Spy (Haus Publishing Ltd. 2012)<br />
<a href="http://www.mannerheim.fi/">mannerheim.fi</a>Laurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07571614034351063118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-784499057465979640.post-55634269421774574842018-05-28T09:00:00.000+03:002018-05-28T09:00:02.721+03:00Weapons of War - 76 K/02 – Finland’s first gun<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
At 0900 on the
morning of the 3<sup>rd</sup> February 1918 two shots rang out over
the Oulujoki river. These shots, fired from two 76.2 mm divisional
gun model 1902, marked the start of the assault on the Red positions
at Oulu. It also marked the first shots of an independent Finnish
artillery corps.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Background</b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
In 1902 the Putilov Plants (now known as the Kirov Plant) produced
the 3-djujmovaja pushka obr. 1902 (or 76.2 mm divisional gun model
1902). Designed by engineers LA Byshlyak, KM Sokolovsky and KI
Lipnitsky and engineer N. A. Zabudsky, the gun was over the previous
gun produced by the team (the 76 mm gun model 1900).
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
By looking at the Model 1900, they made improvements upon it while
keeping to the guidelines of the original specifications, these being
a three-inch gun of modern design, mobile and effective. They added a
hydraulic recoil mechanism, allowing for quicker resetting after each
shot, traverse and elevation tracking mechanisms, better sights for
direct and indirect fire, and single piece ammunition. It also had
two seats, on either side of the breech, for the crew but these were
removed in 1906 and replaced with a two piece shield that also had
folding upper and lower plates (these were added due to experiences
in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05). It also took the French style
interrupted screw breech block used on the Model 1900 (the first
Russian gun to use it). To help with production and keep costs down,
it cut back on expensive and labour heavy materials and was made
using low alloy carbonized steel.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5d/AA-gun-niva-1916.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="715" data-original-width="800" height="286" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5d/AA-gun-niva-1916.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Model 1902 on a special anti-aircraft mounting. Source: Niva magazine, 1916, Wikimedia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
They were tested in April 1902, with the first 12 being produced that
month. The gun was officially adopted in March 1903 as the main
weapon of the Imperial Russian Artillery. Their first taste of action
was at the Battle of Te-li-Ssu during the Russo-Japanese War but did
not perform well due to mishandling but they soon did garner a good
reputation in the Russian army and were well liked by the men,
especially once more modern doctrines had developed on their
deployment and use. They were comparable to their counterparts in the
French, British and German militarys (Canon de 75 modèle 1897,
Ordnance QF 18-pounder and 7.7 cm Feldkanone 96 neuer Art).</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
They saw deployment from 1904 right to the end of the Second World
War, serving the Soviet Union, Finland, Poland and Nazi Germany
artillery arms.
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Finland’s First
Gun</b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Finland did not have a standing army of its own due to the
disbandment in 1905-06 as part of the Russification of the Grand
Duchy of Finland. However, it did still house a substantial amount of
Imperial forces within its territory, especially as it was a
potential gateway to the capital, St. Petersburg. A large part of the
Baltic Fleet, as well as the 42<sup>nd</sup> Army Corps, were
stationed in Finland to guard against potential German invasion. When
the Civil War broke out, many of these units were frozen by the
confusion reigning across the Empire, some attempted to return home,
others went to support the Finnish Reds, but the majority stays in
their barracks waiting.
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/gv8XBUL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="213" src="https://i.imgur.com/gv8XBUL.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The original two 76.2mm divisional guns used by Colonels Ignatius and Nenonen during the Battle of Oulu. They are sited at the positions they held that very day. Source: Personal Collection</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
One such unit, a battery of the 106<sup>th</sup> Infantry Division, was stationed at Ilmajoki awaiting for orders or direction
when members of the local Civic Guard demanded that they, alongside
the rest of the 350 strong garrison hand over their weapons, on the
28th-29th January. Six 76.2 mm divisional gun model 1902’s were
captured, two with breeches intact, and these two were sent with
Lieutenant Colonels Johannes Ferdinand Ignatius and Vilho Petter
Nenonen as part of the relief force to Oulu. These guns were deployed
by Nenonen to the north of the city, in Laanila, where they had a
line of sight of the Russian barracks and Red Guard positions. At
0900 (or 0920 depending upon your source) of the 3<sup>rd</sup> February, these guns rang out, signally
the start of the Oulu operation. By the end of the Civil War, Finland
had 179 of these guns, more numerous than any other gun acquired, and
so it was selected to be the main field gun of the newly independent
Finnish Armed Forces with the designation 76 K/02.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/v7oAlrz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="515" data-original-width="800" height="206" src="https://i.imgur.com/v7oAlrz.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A very beautiful looking 766 K/02 at the Tampere 1918 exhibition. You can see the folded upper and lower shield. Source: Personal Collection</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Finnish Service</b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
After the Civil War, the gun was deployed in Field Artillery units,
as well as in the two armoured trains, they also were put into fortifications and in coastal artillery emplacements. Finland always tried to get
their hands on more of these guns and by the end of the Second World
War, 249 had seen service (however they lost 21 during the Winter War and 29 during the retreats of 1944). During the Winter and Continuation Wars the guns fired an amazing 1,581,618 shells (one site states that this accounts for about half of the field gun ammunition fired during this period).<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/jIqIfhT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="552" data-original-width="800" height="220" src="https://i.imgur.com/jIqIfhT.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The famous Winter War picture of the 76 K/02 outside Viipuri, 10th March 1940. Source: SA Kuva</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
However, as the gun was developed at the turn of the century, it
wasn’t a perfect design. Like many early 20<sup>th</sup> century
field guns, it suffered from poor elevation, which resulted in a
lower maximum range than could be achieved by the weapon. So to fix
this problem, two modernisation projects were started in the 30s
(designated 76 K/02-34 and 76 K/02-38, the last number correlating to
the year of the project) but besides some prototypes, which increased
elevation from a maximum of 17 degrees to 35 degrees, nothing came of
it. The main issue was decreased stability, and Chief Inspector of
the Artillery, now General Nenonen, canceled the projects.
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Finns also developed their own ammunition for the guns to help
keep them relevant. Not only did they improve on the original High
Explosive and Shrapnel Shells, but they also developed a range of
Anti-Tank ammunition from simple solid armoured piercing, to
APHEBC-T and HEAT. There was also an incendiary shell containing a
mixture of thermite and blackpowder, plus any captured Soviet 76,2 mm
x 385 R were quickly re-issued to frontline units.<br />
<br />
After the Lapland War the guns saw some upgrades in the form of replacing the iron rimmed wooden wheels with rubber ones to allow for better towing by motorised vehicles. These guns stay on the books of the Finnish Defence Forces (mainly in the depots of the reserves but also as a training and practice weapon) until the 1990s.</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="font-weight: normal;">
Today, due to the vast amounts of them, these guns are found on many
memorials and museum exhibitions.
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/xI22ryM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="213" src="https://i.imgur.com/xI22ryM.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A 76 K/02 set up as a memorial to the men of the 1 Battery, 16th Field Artillery Regiment which used this area as their fire base for the Battle of Oulu. Source: Personal Collection</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<b>Specifications</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Type: Field Gun<br />
Origin: Russian Empire<br />
Production: 1903-1931<br />
Weight (combat ready): 1100 kg<br />
Barrel length: 2.28 m, 30 calibers<br />
Calibre: 76.2 mm (3 in)<br />
Elevation: -3° to 17°<br />
Traverse: 5°<br />
Rate of fire: 10-12 rpm<br />
Muzzle velocity: 589 m/s<br />
Maximum firing range: 8.5 km<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/WEKoYOI.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="522" data-original-width="800" height="208" src="https://i.imgur.com/WEKoYOI.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another picture of the Tampere 1918 canon. Here you can see the breech and sights as well as all the other mechanisms needed to make the gun function. Source: Personal Collection</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<b>Sources</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Hannula, J.O., Finland's War of Indepence with an Introduction by Sir Walter M. St. G. Kirke (Faber and Faber Limited, 1939)<br />
Haapala, Pertti, Tampere 1918: A Town in the Civil War (Tampere Museums, Museum Centre Vapriikki, 2010)<br />
Aunesluoma, Juhana, Suomen vapaussota 1918. Kartasto ja tutkimusopas (WSOY, 1995)<br />
<a href="http://www.jaegerplatoon.net/ARTILLERY3.htm">jaegerplatoon.net</a>Laurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07571614034351063118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-784499057465979640.post-22250767601907993362018-05-21T09:00:00.000+03:002018-05-21T09:00:06.992+03:00The Finnish Army of the Grand Duchy of Finland - An impressive but incomplete forceBetween 1809 to 1917 Finland was an autonomous part of the Russian Empire, entitled the Grand Duchy of Finland. This time saw Finland transform and grow, and while it wasn’t entirely stable, nor beneficial, it certainly helped improve the Finns into a more independent and proud people.<br />
<br />
<b>Background</b><br />
<br />
When Finland was ceded to Russia from Sweden with the Treaty of Fredrikshamn (also called the Treaty of Hamina), the Finnish raised regiments of the Swedish Army (12 infantry regiments, 2 infantry battalions , 2 dragoon regiments and 1 artillery regiment, plus depot and engineer staff) were theoretically adopted by the Russian Empire but a declaration on 27th March 1810 made it an army without soldiers.<br />
<br />
The Finnish raised units of the Swedish Army fell into either one of two catergories; a Tenure (or allotted) Regiment or Enlisted Regiment. A Tenure Regiment was one that was a part time force, in which the soldiers, outside of training, were mainly tending to the crofts provided to them by local farmers. An Enlisted Regiment was a full time garrison or semi-continuous force made up of volunteers, these were normally garrisoned in towns and cities rather than supporting themselves upon crofts of the countryside. The original purpose was that the tenure regiments would be brought together and used to support the enlisted army in times of war but the reality was that both units would be used in whatever way the commander they fell under wished.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/TBj48I8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="612" height="320" src="https://i.imgur.com/TBj48I8.jpg" width="244" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The famous painting, Porilaisten marssi (March of the men from Pori), by Albert Edelfelt in 1892. It depicts the Finnish raised Pori Regiment as it marches to war in 1808-09. Source: Wikimedia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Despite some people referring to these regiments as a ‘Finnish Army’, they were not independent and appeared in Swedish army lists without separation based upon whether they were from Sweden or Finland. Indeed, the Finnish units had many an officer from Sweden (for example the Finnish Guards Regiment had 80-85% of its Officers cadre from Sweden), not only this but a lot of the resources to keep the Regiments going came from Sweden.<br />
<br />
<b>The Finnish Armies of the Grand Duchy of Finland</b><br />
<br />
The history of the Army of the Grand Duchy of Finland can be broken down into three separate periods. These are, 1812 to 1830, 1854 to 1867 and 1881 to 1901.<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>1812 – 1830</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
On the 24th June 1812 Napoleon crossed the Niemen river with a force of 449,000 men, starting the Patriotic War of 1812. The first months of the invasion saw Russian forces push back and forced to retreat time and time again, sending panic through the command of the Russian military. It was during this grim period that Count Gustaf Mauritz Armfelt, the Minister State Secretary of Finland (the Grand Duchy's highest representative), suggested to Tsar Alexander I that a force of light infantry be raised from Finnish volunteers. The Tsar ordered the formation of 3 light infantry regiments (divided into 6 battalions), each made up of 1,200 men, on the 16th September 1812. These units were mainly to be for the defense of Finland, but could also be deployed to the Baltics or St.Peterburgs in times of need.<br />
<br />
These units never saw combat and this is probably a good thing as they received little training. There was only three times a year in which the soldiers fired their rifles and these were limited to only four times per solider at 80 paces. It was decided that these units were a waste of resources and so in 1830 they were disbanded. In its place a Naval contingent of 1,100 men were raised, which manned not only coastal fortresses but even had an array of vessels, including two steam powered frigates. These sailors saw combat during the Crimean War as French and British ships bombarded the Sveaborg harbor at the entrance to Helsinki. This detachment would continue until its disbandment in 1880.<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>1854-1868</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
The second phase was in response to the outbreak of the Crimean War. Finland had one of the largest merchant fleets in the world at that time and was prospering in both economic and social spheres. Finland’s position allowed it to become a place of importation for Russia, which heavily relied on imports from neighbours and abroad, it also helped to protect the capital, St Petersburg and the major naval base at Kronstadt.<br />
<br />
The raising of this ‘National Defence’ Force was seen more as a way to secure the loyalty and keep the morale high of the local Finns. General Baron Platon Rokassovski, acting Governor-General of Finland, proposed to Tsar Nicholas I that “There is no doubt that the enemy will seize on every opportunity of making the people of the coastal areas of finland waiver in their feelins of duty and loyalty…. [A national defence force would form] a powerful obstacle not so much physically as morally. To drive the enemy back is a natural wish. When the people have their own sons and brothers among these troops, they too must sincerely wish them success”.<br />
<br />
With this recommendation, a small force was raised using the old Swedish allotment system. 9 tarkk'ampuja (sharpshooter or rifle) battalions were formed between 1854-1855. Like the Swedish tenure Regiments, these units weren’t permanent but worked on small farms and assembled occasionally for training. These units were immediately reduced after the war ended and the last of them were disbanded in 1868. This decision was made due to economic constraints brought on by bad harvests and subsequent famine (1866-68). Alongside these battalions, there were some ad-hoc militia groups, like the one that helped Russian forces at the ambush of Halkokari (which successfully repelled a British Royal Navy landing force of around 200 troops).<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/twLAiys.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="264" data-original-width="400" height="211" src="https://i.imgur.com/twLAiys.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A painting by Johan Knutson depicting the Russian Army and Finnish miltia forcing defending against the British Royal Navy landing at Halkokari. Source: <a href="http://www.kokkola.fi/meresta_noussut_kaupunki/venajan_vallanaika/autonomian_aika/oolannin_sota_halkokarin_kahak/fi_FI/oolannin_sota_ja_halkokarin_kahakka/">kokkola.fi</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>1881-1901</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
This last grouping was to be a new army, one that helped answer the question of Finland’s defence as an autonomous state within the Empire. Tsar Alexander II introduced a universal conscription in 1874, in which Russian subjects upon reaching age 20 were to serve for 6 years. During the discussion, the question about Finland came up, due to its special legal position, it required the input of the Senate, the Estates (Finland’s Parliament) and the Russian War Ministry. What came about was the Military Service Law of 1878, which created a Finnish conscript army made up solely of Finnish citizens, that would only serve within the borders of the Grand Duchy and outside of the Russian War Ministry’s Finland Military District. The Finnish people would have to bear the burden of equipping and supporting their own national force.<br />
<br />
An army of 8 Rifle Battalions and the Guards Finnish Rifle Battalion was raised in 1881, soon to be supported by 32 reserve companies in 1883 and the Finnish Dragoon Regiment was founded in 1889. Another stipulation to an independent Finnish army was that its strength would not be more than half of the number of Russian troops serving within the Finland Military District. The purpose of the 1881-1901 Finnish Army was ‘to defend the throne of the fatherland and thus contribute to the defense of the Empire’. However, as the Army consisted of light infantry, it was dependent upon the Russian army in the country to provide artillery and engineer support in the event of war.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/tgp8vO6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="281" data-original-width="331" height="271" src="https://i.imgur.com/tgp8vO6.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Finnish Dragoon Regiment as it looked in 1899. Source: Wikimedia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The Army was recruited, with the exception of the Guards Rifle Battalion and the Dragoon Regiment, locally. These units were:<br />
<br />
Guards Finnish Rifle Battalion<br />
1st Uusimaa Finnish Rifle Battalion<br />
2nd Turku Finnish Rifle Battalion<br />
3rd Vaasa Finnish Rifle Battalion<br />
4th Oulu Finnish Rifle Battalion<br />
5th Kuopio Finnish Rifle Battalion<br />
6th Mikkeli Finnish Rifle Battalion<br />
7th Hämeenlinna Finnish Rifle Battalion<br />
8th Viipuri Finnish Rifle Battalion<br />
Finnish Dragoon Regiment<br />
Finnish Cadet Corps<br />
<br />
This army would serve, without firing a shot in anger, until 1901 when a new Military Service Law came into effect. This was part of the Russification of Finland and called for Finnish men to now serve in the Russian Imperial Army. However there was a lot of opposition to this new law and after the 1905 revolution, Finland was exempt from it but had to contribute money instead.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/MzNzKgJ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="769" height="249" src="https://i.imgur.com/MzNzKgJ.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the Rifle Battalions during summer field exercises in 1901. Source: Wikimedia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>Guards Finnish Rifle Battalion – The exception to the rule</b><br />
<br />
Finns very often joke about exceptions to the rule, especially when one is learning their language. The Guards Finnish Rifle Battalion is just another Finnish exception to the rule.<br />
<br />
In 1817 the 5th Viipuri Battalion was broken up and a 274 strong special contingent was formed. In 1819 it was named the Helsinki Teaching Battalion and in 1824, after moving into new quarters in Helsinki, was named the Finnish Training Battalion. In 1827 a decision was made to disband the Finnish Army and a reorganisation took place, however the Finnish Training Battalion was saved from the save fate as the other Battalions.<br />
<br />
<br />
In July 1829 it was ordered to join the Imperial Life-Guards' exercise camp in Krasnoye Selo south-west of Saint Petersburg. On the 27th July, the Battalion was inspected by Tsar Nicholas I and he announced that it would be promoted to the ranks of the Young Guard. The next day it was officially renamed Henkikaartin 3. Suomen Tarkk’ampujapataljoona (Leib-gvardii 3-j strelkovyi Finski bataljon in Russian) and was assigned to the 4th Brigade of the 2nd Guards Infantry Division. It occupied a unique position in being under command of the Governor-General of Finland but also under the command of the Inspector of the Imperial Guard, its costs were covered by Finland but the regulations and command language were Russian. It was to be recruited entirely from volunteers from across the whole of the Grand Duchy of Finland and on 17 September 1829 it was inaugurated with a new uniform and colours.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/NZuATur.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="572" height="320" src="https://i.imgur.com/NZuATur.jpg" width="228" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Finnish Guards Rifle Battalion as they looked in 1830. Source: Wikimedia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The Battalion became a point of pride to Finland as the Guards held a privileged position within Russian society. They were protectors of the Sovereign, gained the favour of the Imperial Family and held superiority over Line Regiments. The Battalion showed Finland’s loyalty to the Tsar and commitment to the Empire. However, just because it was a Guards unit, it didn’t mean it was all for show and in January 1831 it was deployed as part of the Imperial reinforcements sent to crush the Polish Uprising. In April it received its baptism by fire when it, alongside other Imperial forces, were to evict Polish forces from the area between Bug and Narew rivers. It continued to fight, and earn distinction as a marksman force, till the end of the campaign in October 1831. It only lost 9 men and 1 officer during combat but about 399 officers and men succumbed to wounds or disease out of the original strength of 746. For its service, the Tsar granted the Battalion with the Saint George Flag and the text "In honour of the defeating the Polish uprising in 1831".<br />
<br />
This wouldn’t be their only campaign. They were deployed during the Hungarian Uprising of 1849 but the rebellion had been quelled before the Battalion arrived. During the Crimean War it was first sent on guard duty at the Winter Palace in St.Petersburg before moving through the Baltics to protect the coast from invasion and raids. It ended the War in Belarus, helping to secure the border from any Austrian attempts of taking advantage of the situation.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/NrJ94Ww.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="648" height="320" src="https://i.imgur.com/NrJ94Ww.jpg" width="259" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Finnish Guards Rifle Battalion during the 1850s had a German style Pickelhaube for a headdress. Source: Wikimedia </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Its last military campaign was during the Russo-Turkish War 1877 – 78. It was during this campaign that it gained its fame. It was deployed alongside other Imperial forces after the offensive stalled in July 1877 and more forces were needed to help break the stalemate. 870 officers and men left Helsinki on 6th September to cheers and wishes of luck by the populace, and arrived in the Bulgarian warzone on 3rd October. The Battalion, alongside the rest of the Guards' Rifle Brigade, served under Lieutenant General Joseph Vladimirovich Gourko. The Finns lead the assault against the fortress of Gorni-Dubnik. Helping to secure victory, losing 22 men as fallen, with 95 wounded, including 8 officers, 5 non-commissioned officers and five bandsmen. However their actions earned them much fame and praise from their Russian peers. It would see action in some other battles but it would be Gorni-Dubnik that the Battalion would become known for.<br />
<br />
It would end the campaign at the Gates of Constantinople and would be subjected to a deadly Typhoid fever epidemic which plagued it until its return home in May 1878 to jubilant crowds. It was also awarded Old Guard status from Tsar Alexander II for its heroic deeds during the campaign.<br />
<br />
When the Finnish Army of 1881 was created, the Guards were to merge into the organization and become an all-volunteer force to a national conscripted one. However it still retained its Guards status and participated in the Guards exercises and was the only unit of the Finnish Army of 1881 with a mandate to serve outside of its borders. It survived the disbandment of the Finnish Army in 1901 and was reintegrated fully in the Imperial Russian Army but due to the 1905 Revolution and the increased hostility in Finland against service to Russia, the decision was made to disband the unit and so in 1905, after 97 years, Finland did not have a domestic military force.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/kicPV1w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="539" data-original-width="528" height="320" src="https://i.imgur.com/kicPV1w.jpg" width="313" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Colours of the Finnish Guards Rifle Battalion after 1831 with the commemoration to the Polish Campaign. Source: Wikimedia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>The Legacy</b><br />
<br />
Despite an unstable and incomplete structure, the Armies of the Grand Duchy of Finland held up well when faced with trials. They showed loyalty to the Empire and performed bravely under fire. Despite them being seen more as a secondary force, one to help keep the spirits of the population up, they stepped up when required and earned their share of honours.<br />
<br />
<br />
Several modern Finnish units claim the heritage of the former Battalions of the Finnish Army and uphold the traditions of these units. The Guard Jaeger Regiment claims descent from the Finnish Guards Rifle Battalion, it even holds a special honorary day on 24th October to celebrate the Battle of Gorni Dubnik. The Pori Brigade keeps the traditions of 2nd Turku Finnish Rifle Battalion alive.<br />
<br />
<b>Sources</b><br />
<br />
J.E.O. Screen, The Finnish Army, 1881 - 1901 - Training the Rifle Battalions (Finnish Historical Society 1996)<br />
J.E.O. Screen, The Army in Finland – During the Last Decades of Swedish Rules 1770-1809 (Finnish Literature Society, 2007)<br />
Basil Greenhill, The British Assault on Finland, 1854-1855: A Forgotten Naval War (Naval Institute Press, 1988)Laurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07571614034351063118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-784499057465979640.post-85063288920551669332018-05-15T10:42:00.000+03:002018-05-15T10:47:16.659+03:00'Built upon this Rock' - The Lost Speech that helped unify Finland<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">On
the 5th May, in the small town of Nivala, hundreds of citizens of
Finland gathered outside the Town's Church, including the country's
President, Sauli Niinstö and Prime Minister Juha Sipilä. They were
all there to celebrate the 100th anniversary of what has become known
as the Reconciliation Speech. </span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/gxNvp2z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="532" data-original-width="800" height="212" src="https://i.imgur.com/gxNvp2z.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Part of the crowd at the Nivala Church, 5th May 2018. Source: Kaleva, Jukka-Pekka Moilanen</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;"><b>The
Background</b></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">From
late January 1918 till May of that year, Finland was torn apart by a
vicious civil war that saw the country completely divided and
confused. With the collapse of the Russian Empire and the subsequent
Civil War raging their between various Red (Communist and Socialist
elements) against various White (Monarchists and Parliamentarians) ,
as well as smaller other groups, Finland saw itself free for the
first time in its existence but despite unifying to form a new
Finnish state, the country was engulfed by a political match for
power that soon broke into open warfare. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">Even
though it was on the peripheral of the Eastern Front of the
First World War, it was still of value to both Russia and Germany,
who both put their influences into their respective sides and sent
various forms of aid. Despite this though, the war remained heavily
Finnish based.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">On
the 8th April the Battle of Tampere was over and no longer would the
Reds hold the upper hand. From here it was retreat followed by
retreat, with small scatterings of holdouts that quickly collapsed,
for the Finnish Red forces. 5th May saw the final defeat of the
Finnish Red Forces (but not the end of the Finnish Civil War as there
were still several small Russian garrisons holding out in the
country) at Ahvenkoski and it was on this day that the
foundation for the unification of Finland was laid.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;"><b>Kyösti
Kallio</b></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/SVoM76k.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="447" height="320" src="https://i.imgur.com/SVoM76k.jpg" width="223" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">President Kyösti Kallio at his desk. Source: National Board of Antiquities</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">Born
on the 10th April 1873 in the farming town of Ylivieska, Kyösti
was brought up in a politically active and hard working family. He
was educated not only in his birth town but also in near by Raahe and
eventually moved to Oulu to study at the Lyseo (Secondary education).
It was here that he became influenced by the Young Finnish Party and
eventually became an active member of the organisation and its
protests against the Russification of Finland. At 31 years old he was
voted into the Diet of Finland which was remarkable for someone so
young, he wouldn't let his young age be tempered by older heads and
was known to be a very opinionated and vocal politician, especially
against policies that were detrimental to the Finnish state. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">He
rose in political prominence, being voted into the first parliament
in 1907, being made agricultural minister in 1917, and during the
Civil War he was in hiding until the liberation of Helsinki, in which
he led the Senate of Helsinki.</span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">After
the Civil War he held various positions within the newly independent
Finnish state, from Agricultural minister to President. He led the
country during the Winter War and thus signed the 1940 Moscow Peace
Treaty, in which he stated "May my hand, which is forced to sign
such a paper, wither." It would not be long after that his
prophesy came true, as due to failing health, his right arm became
paralysed. He suffered a stroke in August and his duties passed to
his Prime Minister, Risto Ryti. After a long struggle, he decided to
resign from office in November and wanted to retire to his farm in
Nivala. In December he attended a formal farewell ceremony at
Helsinki train station, where he suffered a heart attack and died
whilst the band played the Porilaisten marssi.</span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/DDwf0oy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="484" data-original-width="800" height="193" src="https://i.imgur.com/DDwf0oy.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Taken as President Kallio goes to retirement. The farewell ceremony on the 19th Decemeber 1940 at Helsinki train station. Seconds after this photo was taken, he would suffer a heart attack that would claim his life. Source: Hugo Sundström, Wikimedia</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;"><b>The
healing starts</b></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: blue;">Even
though the war was still in effect, it was in the final stage, and
almost all but the very South Eastern areas were in the hands of the
Whites, the process of healing a divided and broken Finland needed to
be started. </span>
</span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">Kallio
had taken a train from Helsinki to Nivala, passing through the
devastated Finland (especially the heavily mauled city of Tampere).
It was here that he, acting as a senator, gave a message for peace
and reconciliation between Red and White. This wasn’t exactly an
easy message to deliver, the senate was still suspended (it would be
called again the next day, 6<sup>th</sup> May), martial law was still
in effect, thousands of reds and their supporters were in prison
camps and there was still violence in the streets (summary executions
was not unheard off).</span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">So
what was the speech? That, in the words of President Niinistö, is a
great “irony of history that the speech was not saved in its
entirety for posterity”. To date there hasn’t been a single copy
of the speech found, nor do any Newspapers record it. However, what
has been quoted, and passed on to this day, is “We need to create a
Finland where there are no Reds and Whites but only Finns who love
their fatherland, citizens of the Republic of Finland who all feel
themselves to be members of society and who are at home here”.</span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">These
words started the process to create an independent Finland, one
united together in a common cause of national identity and pride
above such petty divisions like politics. Some historians have
questioned the validity of this much repeated quote due to no copies
being saved, but Professor Kari Hokkanen believes it to be correct
albeit that Kallio didn’t have it in written form but freely spoke
it. Prime Minister Juha Sipilä said at the ceremony, "Thousands
of people were killed in post-war altercations and prison camps
before the reconciliation policies began to be implemented in
earnest. Kallio preferred a policy of mercy over revenge,...This
integration effort reached its fulfillment years later, after Kallio
was elected president and named both the winners and losers of the
conflict to work side by side in the government,"</span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;"><b>The
relevance today</b></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: blue;">With
the centenary of the Civil War, there is obvious discourse within
public and academic forums about the war. Most have been of a civil
disposition, with many books and articles being published taking a
more middle ground approach to the war, but some have pushed a more
extreme position, blaming one side or the other for the bloodshed. </span>
</span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/fH3lk4P.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="345" data-original-width="580" height="190" src="https://i.imgur.com/fH3lk4P.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">President Sauli Niinistö and Prime Minister Juha Sipilä were both present at the ceremony this year and urged all those in Finland to respect one another regardless of views. Source: Kaleva, Jukka-Pekka Moilanen</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">President
Niinistö stated at the ceremony, "The events which took place a
hundred years ago are still of relevance for Finland today, and it is
not insignificant how we account for the past. Civil war is the worst
thing that can happen to a nation. Let it be a lesson to us to
remember and preserve our stability at a time of turmoil in various
parts of the world,". He would continue by pointing out today’s
issues, especially with regards to social media and internet forums
and the rise in antagonism, "I encourage you, ladies and
gentlemen, to take the responsibility. Nurturing democracy is an
invaluable tool in reconciling different points of view. This is a
good rule of thumb: even where there is diversity and people of
different backgrounds, convictions and goals, we have a right to
disagree. This is something we must be able to respect, however
differently we ourselves might think. This is what Kyösti Kallio
urged his fellow citizens to do, to seek reconciliation, in his
famous Nivala speech as well as consistently in his other actions.
Let's not forget it."</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">Sources</span></b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://suomenpresidentit.fi/kallio/?lang=en">suomenpresidentit.fi</a></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.kaleva.fi/uutiset/kotimaa/sauli-niinisto-matti-ahde-ja-juha-sipila-laskivat-seppeleen-nivalassa-juhlan-keskiossa-on-kyosti-kallion-100-vuoden-takainen-sovinnonpuhe-sisallissodan-jalkimainingeissa/792664/">kaleva.fi</a></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://yle.fi/uutiset/osasto/news/finnish_leaders_commemorate_centenary_of_kyosti_kallios_famous_reconciliation_speech/10192578">yle.fi</a></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">Sidenote</span></b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">The title 'built upon this rock' was chosen not only because Kallio's speech was seen as the cornerstone for building a new Finland but also because Kallio translates to rock.</span> </div>
<br />Laurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07571614034351063118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-784499057465979640.post-22377296341587293912018-05-07T23:17:00.000+03:002018-05-08T00:30:43.654+03:00Memorial Hunter - Raatisaari Prison Camp 1918One of the many things I like to do in connection to my hobby of studying Military History is tracking down related memorials. I have done it so much that my son has taken on the habit of looking at memorials, much to the chagrin of my wife. Whenever we go to a new place, I will scour the internet looking for interesting memorials for us to visit, pay our respects and learn more about the event in connection. It is with this in mind that I thought I would write about these memorials I have come across; where they are, what is the background and other interesting facts.<br />
<br />
So without further ado, here is the first of my Memorial Hunter posts.<br />
<br />
1st May, also called May Day or Vappu in Finnish, is one of the biggest holidays in the Finnish calendar. It’s a day filled with celebration, parades, eating munkki (Finnish doughnuts), tippaleipä (Finnish funnel cakes) and drinking sima (mead). It is also the day that Socialists and Communists have chosen for International Workers’ Day and so throughout Finland various memorials to the Reds (Socialists and Communists of the Finnish Civil War) will be remembered with wreaths, flowers and ribbons. It was during this festive day that a memorial I had passed many times on my way to work caught my eye.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/wPd5ciz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="449" data-original-width="800" height="179" src="https://i.imgur.com/wPd5ciz.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The memorial as it looked on 1st May 2018. Source: Author's collection</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
The Raatin punavankileirin muistomerkki, Raati Red Prisoner Camp Memorial, was created in response to Oulu City’s Council request to the Oulu Arts Council to mark the 70th anniversary of the Prison Camp’s operation in 1988. It is part of the overall attempts in Finland to help build solid relations between the two main divisions in the country, that despite years of outward unity, still displays the scars on society.<br />
<br />
<b><u>The Prison Camp</u></b><br />
<br />
In the aftermath of the <a href="http://finland-at-war.blogspot.fi/2017/05/the-battle-of-oulu-forgotten-liberation.html">Battle of Oulu</a> the Whites found themselves with around 850 prisoners and no where to house them. At first they were placed into various buildings around the city, like the Lyseo (Secondary School), the theater, and the State Provincial Office. However, these accommodations were not ideally suited for long term holding and so a new, centralised institution was needed. In several areas, like Raahe and Kokkola, small camps had been constructed to house Red prisoners and so it was decided to copy that idea but on a larger, more permanent scale.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/8ilSYQm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="243" data-original-width="394" height="197" src="https://i.imgur.com/8ilSYQm.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some Red Guard Prisoners at the Lyseo. Source: <a href="https://www.ouka.fi/oulu/luuppi/menneet-nayttelyt">OUKA</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
To decide where to build this new prison camp was fairly easy. Raatinsaari was home to a Russian Coast Guard Station manned by troops tasked with guarding the coastal area during the First World War. Turning the barracks and station into a prison camp started on 20th March, between 40-140 prisoners were assigned to a building and the whole facility was surrounded by barbed wire.<br />
<br />
Like in other camps across the country, treatment wasn’t of the best quality but due to the need for volunteers at the front, Oulu’s camp saw many conscripted guards. These conscripts were often described as ‘Red Hearted’ which isn’t all that surprising as Oulu was an industrialised Workers’ city at that time. Also, unlike in some camps, Oulu’s prisoners were used as labour in the area; this allowed them to have more freedom, better rations and generally better lifestyle than other prisoners elsewhere. All these things contributed to Oulu having the second lowest mortality rate out of all the camps of the Civil War.<br />
<br />
The mortality rates of Finland’s Civil War camps are well known in Finland, some had a rate of more than 20%, but out of the around 2,100 prisoners who were housed there from its opening in March to its closing in August, only 46, 49 or 51 died (depending upon the source used). Out of this number only 9 were executed and the rest mainly succumbed to disease.<br />
<br />
<b><u>The Memorial</u></b><br />
<br />
Jouko Toiviainen was chosen to produce the sculpture. He said he was inspired by an incident that occurred when a prisoner was hunting a frog to eat but a guard thought he was trying to escape and proceeded to shoot him. He described the memorial as a broken shell of a man on top of a slab cracked in half with something fallen from the man’s grip in the middle. He also goes on to say that he doesn’t see heroism in the Civil War but the human tragedy during that time has touched him.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/xabx7hA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="449" height="320" src="https://i.imgur.com/xabx7hA.jpg" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A close up. Source: Author's collection</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
On one half of the slab there is the text "PUNAVANKILEIRI RAATISSA 1918" which translates to Red Prison Camp Raati 1918.<br />
<br />
<br />
The memorial is located at 65.019622, 25.461415, opposite the Sports Stadium, in front of the YMCA.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Significance Today</u></b><br />
<br />
Even at, or even because of, the 100th anniversary of the Civil War, there is still tension surrounding the event. People still search for reconciliation and understanding and it is only in recent years through open and diverse research and discourse that we have seen the wounds start to heal. The building and maintaining of these memorials is a part of this reconciliation.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Sources</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
Ala-Häivälä, Kai: "Vankina valkoisten – Oulun vankileiri 1918" Suomen historian pro gradu -tutkielma (Helsingin yliopiston historian laitos, 2000)<br />
Haapala, Pertti, Tampere 1918: A Town in the Civil War (Tampere Museums, Museum Centre Vapriikki, 2010)<br />
<a href="http://www.tyovaenliike.fi/muistomerkit/raatinsaaren-vankileirin-muistomerkki/">Memorials to the Reds: Raatinsaari Red Prison Camp</a>Laurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07571614034351063118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-784499057465979640.post-44598501457371682572018-04-23T09:38:00.006+03:002018-04-23T09:46:01.325+03:00Finnish Wartime Photograph Archive – SA Kuva<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;">Looking
at photos of older times and events really helps us get closer to our
ancestors. Photos allow us to see how our past family and relatives
live, how people acted during certain events and times. It allows us
to almost put ourselves right there in their shoes.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/lIlRwj9.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" data-original-height="508" data-original-width="592" height="342" src="https://i.imgur.com/lIlRwj9.png" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picture from the home page of SA Kuva. Source: SA Kuva</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;">
<br />
We are lucky in this day and age of the internet to have access to numerous photo archives that depict many various times and events. The Finnish Defence Forces hosts their own photo archives, Finnish Wartime Photograph Archive (also known as SA Kuva), which holds over 160,000 photographs from early 1939 to the summer of 1945. These photos don’t just look at the army, the battles but also the home front, industry, civilians in their daily lives during these trying times. It is a really wide and in-depth archive.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://sa-kuva.fi/"><span style="color: blue;">Homepage</span></a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;">Another
plus to it is that the photos are licensed under Creative Commons CC
BY 4.0. This means you can distribute, edit and publish the
photographs as long as SA-kuva is credited as the source. This is
great for individuals like myself who want to post certain pictures
on sites to accompany a piece. </span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;">The
only downside to the archive, at least for non-Finns, is the search
function only works with Finnish words and so requires at least some
knowledge of Finnish. However, not all is lost though. There is a
bunch of people over at Axishistory.com forums who have marked the
numbers of certain interesting pictures, allowing you to easily find
certain items.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=200629"><span style="color: blue;">List of Vehicles and Tanks pictures</span></a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=206227"><span style="color: blue;">List of small arms and other infantry weapons</span></a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=201283"><span style="color: blue;">List of Ships</span></a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=200654"><span style="color: blue;">List of Aircraft</span></a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=210095"><span style="color: blue;">List of Bombs</span></a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;">This
source is really a valuble tool and is great at helping us understand
a little more about those times in which Finland struggled against
impossible odd.</span></div>
<br />Laurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07571614034351063118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-784499057465979640.post-54279709747006873952018-04-09T09:00:00.000+03:002018-05-10T20:57:33.416+03:00What were the Red Army Losses during the Winter War?Since the end of the Russo-Finnish Winter War in March 1940, there have been numerous attempts at calculating the number of those lost from the Soviet Armed Forces. Numbers ranging from as low as 45,000 to as high as 1 million.<br />
<br />
<b>So what has Russia claimed</b><br />
<br />
As is known to many people, the Soviet Union was a tightly controlled society, in which information was highly guarded and only relevant and doctored pieces were released to the general public. To question the officially stated information was liable to lead someone to trouble. Soon after the conclusion of the war, Soviet foreign minister Vyacheslav Molotov reported that the losses of the glorious Red Army were only 48,745 dead and 158,863 wounded while the enemy had lost over 300,000 (reported as at least 60,000 dead and 250,000 wounded). However a special session of the Supreme Soviet was held on 26th March 1940 and gave the numbers as 48,475 dead and 158,863 wounded.<br />
<br />
The Main Directorate of Personnel of the Ministry of Defense of the USSR collected raw data from the several sources and published the overall ‘irretrievable losses’ as 126,875, which was broken down into those killed in action, died during sanitary evacuation, died of accidents and wound, and missing in action. It also put the sanitary losses, these are those who suffered wounds, frostbite, disease and had to be evacuated and treated, 264, 904. These numbers were not made public until a research team, headed by Lieutenant General Grigori Krivosheev, published them in a 1993 report titled Гриф секретности снят: Потери Вооруженных Сил СССР в войнах, боевых действиях и военных конфликтах (Soviet Armed Forces Losses in Wars, Combat Operations and Military Conflicts).<br />
<br />
Generally Krivosheev’s numbers are the ones that are typically used by many historians, both within and outside of Russia. However, his report has garnered criticism. This is mainly down to Russian historians claiming that he underestimates the number of PoWs and Missing in Action, but also by those outside of Russia. For example in the report, he mentions the Finnish losses as 48,243 dead and 43,000 wounded. His numbers for the enemy losses at Khalkhin-Gol are also way off, claiming 61,000 in overall losses (with 25,000 being KIA), when the Japanese only had a force of 38,000 at peak strength.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/I1JCUcE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="446" data-original-width="600" height="237" src="https://i.imgur.com/I1JCUcE.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The wounded being flown out of the Karelian Isthmus. Source: Winterwar.Karelia.ru</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The next attempt at giving the numbers was a team headed by Vladimir Zolotaryov under decrees from the Russian Federation Government. Between 1999-2005 they published ten volumes detailing the names of all those who lost their lives in combat between 1929-1940 and 1946-1982. Volumes 2-9 focused on the Winter War. This project used previously unknown and new data from Military and Medical archives and rose the figure to over 130,000.<br />
<br />
There were also some individual estimates given by various historians, such as 53,800 killed by Mikhail Semiryaga, about 72,500 of all losses by the Russian Historian A Noskov, and up to around 400,000 total losses by PA Aptekarya.<br />
<br />
<b>Why such trouble with the numbers</b><br />
<br />
The problems with getting the exact numbers for Soviet losses during the Winter War comes from the lack of formal identification carried by Soviet Soldiers. While there was meant to be a form of dog tag (a locker type device worn around the neck), it was either not worn correctly or the information contained was incorrect/lost.<br />
<br />
Another problem, and probably the biggest, is the from the shortcommings of the military clerks serving in the units at the time. While literacy rates were fairly high (about 75%), it did not mean that the clerks had a sufficient grasp of the language, and so we can see numerous incorrect spellings, which has lead to difficulty in identifying the dead. Also the poor training of military clerks meant that there could be duplicates of a soldier within the records. Then with the dual toponym (Finnish and Karelian) of the theatre of operations, the Clerks had a hard job. When the region saw Russification in the late 40’s, all the names were changed and so causing masses of confusion to many trying to track down possible grave sites.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/pIU2gKN.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="374" data-original-width="595" height="201" src="https://i.imgur.com/pIU2gKN.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Field Hospital somewhere near of the front in December 1939. Source: Winterwar.Karelia.ru</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Yuri Kilin, a Russian historian who has specialised in Russian-Finnish conflicts, has attempted to get a clearer picture of the losses of the Soviet Union for the Winter War. He started a project, Russo-Finnish War 1939-1940, alongside Veronika Kilina, with the main aim of helping relatives find their lost. Starting with an initial 168,024 irretrievable losses, they managed to correct the number down to 138,551 dead. They also matched up the places names and corrected those that had been misidentified. Adding these to the sanitary losses of 264,904, we are given a total casualty figure of 403,455.<br />
<br />
<b>So how does this break down</b><br />
<br />
This means that the Red Military suffered an almost 95% loss rate from their initial forces. This breaks down to a daily casualty rate of 3,842, with 1,320 of those being irretrievable. Obviously though not all the divisions saw an equal split of casualties. 60 Soviet Divisions were committed to the war before its conclusion, out of these the 18th Rifle Division of the 56th Corps suffered the highest losses. Becoming encircled in Lemetti in January, by the end of the war it had suffered 7,677 dead, another 5,223 were wounded or lost, from an initial force of 15,000. The 44th Rifle Division suffered the biggest single daily loss during the Battle of Suomussalmi with 1,001 dead, 2,243 missing, 1,000 captured and 1,430 wounded from an initial strength of 13,962. This gives a daily loss of 811 (the battle lasted 7 days).<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/0jPQgpa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="620" data-original-width="800" height="308" src="https://i.imgur.com/0jPQgpa.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A photo showing some of the Soviet dead from the 'Regiment Motti' in Feburary 1940. There is about 400 in this photo. Source: SA Kuva</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Overall, the losses suffered by the Soviet Army, in comparison to the Finns, are massive. The Finns set up their own database in the early 90’s to help get a solid number of their dead. Their conclusion came to 26,662 irretrievable losses and 44,557 sanitary losses. This translates to a daily loss of 678 men or only 21% of that suffered by the Red Forces. This helps to push the idea that the Red Army was ineffective in the Winter War and was part of the reason why the Soviet Armed Forces went through such reforms in the early 40s.<br />
<br />
<b>So do we now have the exact number?</b><br />
<br />
Despite Kilin’s brilliant work, and the praise he has received from his peers, he does go on to warn us that the figures should now be seen “as the very precise figure”. The oppurtunity afforded through the use of the internet to interact with relatives and more access to archives means he can adjust the data accordingly. He clarifies though that will the number will inevitable change in the future, it would be more along the lines of hundreds rather than thousands.<br />
<br />
However, I think the last words rest with Former Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the USSR and current president of the Russian Academy of Military Sciences, General of the Army Makhmut Akhmetovich Gareyev. He stated in Battles on the military historical front, that the official number of losses during the Soviet era have not been published and that all claims are the work of their respective authors.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/i9Gdmxb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://i.imgur.com/i9Gdmxb.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A monument in St.Petersburg, devoted to the victims of the Soviet–Finnish War 1939–1940. Source: Wikimedia Commons, Maryanna Nesina</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>Sources</b><br />
<br />
Turtola, Martti, Perspective on the Finnish Winter War: Winter War-seminar in Helsinki 11 March 2010 (Edita Prima Oy, Helsinki 2010)<br />
http://www.winterwar.karelia.ru/<br />
http://patriot-izdat.ru/memory/1939-1940/Laurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07571614034351063118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-784499057465979640.post-91699897041965431862018-04-02T13:20:00.003+03:002018-04-02T13:20:44.987+03:00Heroes of Finland- Viljam Pylkäs <br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
In 1954 the book
Tuntematon Sotilas (Unknown Solider in English) appeared on the
shelves of Finnish bookstores. By the end of 1955 over 161,000 copies
had been sold nationwide. Since then the book has been adapted into
three films, several theater additions, as well as having over 60
additions and translated into 20 languages. The book has sold over
800,000 copies and despite it being a fictional account, it is seen
as an ‘excellent sociological document’ and a important part of
Finnish culture.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ncpHXvpma8o/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ncpHXvpma8o?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
While the characters
of the book are fictional, they are based upon real individuals, and
the settings do reflect the experiences of the author, who served as
a NCO in a machine gun company during the Continuation War (1941-44).
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
During the novel,
and films, there is a scene where the strong willed Winter War
veteran Corporal Rokka ambushes a platoon of Soviets trying to
outflank the Finnish line and single handledly kills all 50 of them.
While to many it seems to be an overkill, unbelievable, the reality
behind it is a whole lot more badass.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Viljam Pylkäs</b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Born to a farming family in the Karelian county of Valkjärvi in
February 1912, Viljam Pylkäs followed the route of many of his peers
and was conscripted into the Finnish Army in 1933. He served for a
year, receiving training in the usage of the Maxim Machine Gun, as
well as being assigned to the Karelian garrison. After being
discharged in 1934, he went back to his farm in Sakkola and likely
would have remained a nameless farmer if events had gone differently.</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/dflQiWa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="238" height="320" src="https://i.imgur.com/dflQiWa.jpg" width="216" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Viljam Pylkäs taken sometime in 1944/45 displaying his awards. Source:SA Kuva</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Due to the increased aggression from the Soviet Union and the worry
of invasion, Finland prepared itself with a mobilisation in October
1939 under the guise of extraordinary refresher training. During this
mobilisation, the Separate Battalion 6 was raised from troops of the
Coastal areas of northern part of the Ishtmus, and Pylkäs was
assigned to the battalion’s machine gun company. His battalion
became well known due to participating in the Battle of Kelja. Here 2
Finnish battalions fought off an assault by the Soviet 4<sup>th</sup>
Rifle Division, however the Soviet bridgehead threatened the Finnish
defensive line as more men and equipment were building up. The 6<sup>th</sup>
were then ordered to attack the bridgehead and force the Soviets back
to the other side of the Suvanto lake, after making preparation, the
Finns attacked on the morning of the 27<sup>th</sup> December. The
Soviets had dug in, with machine guns covering their flanks, and so
the attack stalled against this heavy resistance. But the Finns were
not deterred and launched a second strike only an hour after the
first, this time they broke through, forcing the Soviets to flea
across the iced Suvanto and at the mercy of the Finnish artillery
that proceeded to smash the thin ice and swallow who squads of Soviet
soldiers. Despite a victory, the battalion suffered 100 wounded and
52 killed.</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The battalion saw action in the Taipale sector for the rest of the
war, being subjected to heavy Soviet artillery and tank attacks. The
unit did not break but was massively reduced in number and by the
declaration of the armistice on the 13th March 1940, only 341 men
were still able to fight out of an original strength of 1055.</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Pylkäs was demobilised after the Winter War, and with his family,
moved from the village of Sakkola, which was now inside Soviet
territory, towards the interior of Finland and established a small
farm. At the outbreak of the Continuation War in June 1941, Pylkäs
was once again called up. This time he was assigned to the Machine
Gun Company of Infantry Regiment 8.</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
During the advance into East Karelia, Pylkäs’ company participated
in numerous battles and he performed with distinction. On one
occasion he single-handedly captured a mortar position. Before the
ceasing of offensive operations in December 1941, Pylkäs had been
awarded the Medal of Liberty in both 2<sup>nd</sup> and 1<sup>st</sup>
class and promoted to the rank of Corporal. Throughout the war he
participated in several skirmishes, helped to established the
frontline, went on leave to bring in the harvest and did the things
that his comrades did. Despite being a well liked soldier by his
peers, his attitude was not very military like and got him in to
trouble with his superiors. During one event, a captain of another
company demanded that he be saluted but Pylkäs replied that he came
to fight, not to honour.
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/agTBmuG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="541" height="320" src="https://i.imgur.com/agTBmuG.jpg" width="216" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pylkäs keeping watch. Source: sakkola.fi</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />When the Soviet’s launched their Summer Offensive in June 1944, he
was at his reclaimed home in Sakkola and after helping his wife and
children pack, he returned to the front. He then participated in the
fighting withdrawal from East Karelia until 4<sup>th</sup> July 1944
when he was gravely wounded crossing the Tulemajärvi. This ended his
war but he was rewarded for his service by receiving a small farm in
Punkalaidun. When Väinö Linna published his book, Tuntematon
Sotilas, in 1955, he wrote to Pylkäs explaining how he was the model
for Rokka.</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
He had 4 children and lived a relatively modest life as a farmer and
forestry worker until he passed away in 1999.
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>The Ambush</b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
On 12<sup>th</sup> April 1942, the frontline has been relatively
static in the Pertjärvi region. However, the lines were not solid
dug in trenches as would appear later but more fluidly placed
defensive points by both sides. Infantry Regiment 8 and Infantry
Regiment 61 (a Swedish speaking Finnish regiment of some fame) were
assigned to the sector and had set about creating a defensive line.
The Soviets had decided to launch an attack that day and a fierce
firefight erupted along the forests and fields of Pertijärvi. The
flank of the 61<sup>st</sup> was being pushed hard and so Pylkäs was
ordered to go assist with another soldier. As they made their way
through the deep snow covered terrain, they came across a Soviet
platoon attempting to move through the gap between the regiments.
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/pYpOrVI.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="557" data-original-width="800" height="277" src="https://i.imgur.com/pYpOrVI.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Map of the disposition of 11th Division's forces on the 11th and 12th April 1942. Source: Kansallisarkisto </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Here Pylkäs set himself up on a slight hill and ordered the other
soldier, by the name of Kärkkäinen, to help with the reloading.
Allowing for the gap to close, Pylkäs aimed his Suomi SMG and pulled
the trigger. The Soviets were completely taken by surprise,
attempting to scatter in the deep snow and return fire. One of these
panicked shots hit Pylkäs in the head but luckily it was a graze and
only stunned him for a few seconds, enough though that Kärkkäinen
considered retreating. The firefight didn’t last long and the
Soviets were soon forced to retreat, leaving many behind in their
wake. The firing from the SMG left the snow black and melted, Pylkäs
had used over 680 rounds as well as change the barrel of his weapon.</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
After everything had calmed down, the dead were counted and it was
discovered that the field contained 83 dead Soviets. Pylkäs’
ambushed is credited with being the decisive factor that stopped the
Soviets from achieving a breakthrough. He was awarded the Cross of
Liberty 4<sup>th</sup> Class for his actions. His deeds reached the
ears of the Germans and upon inspecting the sight, they awarded
Pylkäs with the Iron Cross 2<sup>nd</sup> Class in August 1943.</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Dispute over the
number of killed</b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Over the years the official kill count of 83 has been disputed,
mainly within Finland. The citation for the German Iron Cross only
puts the kill count at 15. In Pylkäs’ own book, Rokka: Kertomus
konekiväärimiehen sodasta, he only states that his comrades
informed him they counted 80 dead Soviets. Numbers from other sources
have given 13, 20 and 53 as the number that fell before Pylkäs’
sub-machine gun. Regardless of the exact number, even if as low as
13, the feat achieved is impressive. It also cannot be denied that
Pylkäs did contribute to blunting the assault of the Soviets upon
the positions of Infantry Regiment 61.</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/NdAaHND.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="310" data-original-width="780" height="158" src="https://i.imgur.com/NdAaHND.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pylkäs Iron Cross citiation. Source: Propatria.fi</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /><b>Sources</b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://www.sotahistoriallisetkohteet.fi/app/sights/view/-/id/673">Suomen Sotahistoriallinen Seura </a></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://propatria.fi/tuntematon-sotilas-kuinka-monta-rokka-ampui/">ProPatria.fi</a></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=168609">Axishistory.com</a></div>
<br />Laurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07571614034351063118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-784499057465979640.post-2302821469779359812018-03-19T09:00:00.000+02:002018-03-19T09:00:13.276+02:00Tampere 1918 Exhibition– A Town in the Civil War<br />
<div align="left" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Recently
I was visiting the city of Tampere, a few friends brought to my
attention an interesting exhibition at a local museum. It was titled
Tampere 1918 and held in Tampere’s main museum, Vapriiki.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/9t1icXe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="358" height="320" src="https://i.imgur.com/9t1icXe.jpg" width="257" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Poster for the exhibition. Source: Vapriiki</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
As
Finland looks at the centennial of the start of the Battle of Tampere
(15<sup>th</sup> March 1918), I thought it would be a good topic to
look at this eye opening and wonderful exhibit.</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Background</b></div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Battle of Tampere holds the dubious distinction of being the
largest, longest and bloodiest battle of the Finnish Civil War. It
was one of the most decisive engagements of the war, it saw the Reds
forced unto the defensive and give the initiative to the White
forces. It saw large scale urban fighting, as well as uncontrolled
violence in the form of executions and fierce beatings. By the time
the battle ended on the 6<sup>th</sup> April, some 820 Whites, 1,000
Reds and 71 civilians had been killed in the fighting but by the end
of the war, an additional 1,000 or so Reds were summarily executed.
</div>
<div align="left" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Today, despite the White victory, the scars of the battle are still
visible both physically (bullet holes on buildings and graves) and
mentally (protests and vandalized of memorials). However though, with
the passage of time and a more open minded and willing generation of
historians, the treatment of this conflict and processing the trauma
associated with it has become ‘easier’ and allowed many to come
to terms with it.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/Am9jfbr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="579" height="320" src="https://i.imgur.com/Am9jfbr.jpg" width="231" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the many posts around the exhibition that help give information and ask fundamental questions. Source: Personal Collection</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div align="left" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Behind
the Exhibit</b></div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
When the 90<sup>th</sup> anniversary of the Finnish Civil War was
commemorated in 2008, discussions were held in Tampere about how the
city could remember, reconcile and commemorate the War, and
specifically their City’s central point.</div>
<div align="left" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Luckily, thanks to the efforts of those who came before, especially
the artist Gabriel Engberg, who collected numerous objects and
documents relating to the battle and which had been stored in the
various Tampere museums collections. It was decided by the Museum
heads that Vapriikki would host a new exhibition and research project
based around the collections, entitled ‘Tampere 1918’. With the
help of Tampere University’s Department of History and Philsophy, a
whole host of researchers and Museum workers came together to produce
the exhibit as well as various associated materials. The main
architect of the exhibition was Taina Väisänen.
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/1CKRl9g.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="213" src="https://i.imgur.com/1CKRl9g.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: Vapriiki</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The exhibition was opened in April 2008, to coincided with the 90<sup>th</sup>
anniversary of the ending of the Battle of Tampere. The main goal it
was to show the conflict from numerous angles, as well as presenting
as unbiased and fair viewpoint to the audience as possible. A book,
‘Tampere 1918 – A Town in the Civil War’ was also released
alongside the exhibit, filled with numerous articles by various
historians to help paint a bigger and clearer picture of the Battle.</div>
<div align="left" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Exhibition overall attempts to give people a better understanding
of the times and situation surrounding such a sore point and to give
people, of all backgrounds, an opportunity to come to terms with what
had happened.
</div>
<div align="left" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>The
Exhibition</b></div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Put on the first floor of the Museum, you are first presented with
numerous banners of the various workers’ groups of the city,
artifacts of the Russian Empire and a opening question ‘Why Tampere
1918?’. The exhibition is divided into roughly 4 rooms and in that
first room the visitor is subjected to the background of the Civil
War. The precarious position Finland occupied in the Russian Empire,
the geopolitical situation of the First World War and how it was
affected the Finnish people. From stories of the frustrated Finnish
worker to the uniforms of the local Russian garrison, it struck me
with how divided Finland was at the turn of the 20<sup>th</sup>
Century. One of the highlights of that first section was the giant
timeline of the far wall, displaying all the events relating to the
First World War, Finland and Tampere respectively between 1914 to
1918.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/NM1rboU.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="479" data-original-width="800" height="191" src="https://i.imgur.com/NM1rboU.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A collection of banners used by various trade unions in protests during the run up to the First World War. Source: personal collection</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Walking into the next room, you are drawn to a little hole in the
floor, within it is a bag and a knife. A guidebook soon explains that
there are 26 floor showcases and each one contains recovered
artifacts from the battle, with the majority being recovered by
Gabriel Engberg during the Spring of 1918. This room seems to mainly
focus upon the two opposing forces, how they were made up, their
equipment. On walls there are pictures displaying members of the Red
Guard and the White Guard, to look at these youthful men, you
wouldn’t have thought they were fighting against one another, how
similar they looked. A few display cases show uniforms of White
volunteers from Sweden, German infantry, Red Guards and White Guards.
We see various Russian equipment, showing how the two sides mainly
scavenged what they could from the collapsing Empire’s military
stores. Soon you are subjected to the loud boom of a canon and in the
corner you can see a Russian 76.2 mm divisional gun model 1902. These
guns made up the vast majority of the artillery forces for both sides
during the conflict.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/rFWhHfC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="800" height="204" src="https://i.imgur.com/rFWhHfC.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the 26 floor showcases. This one shows a Finnish produced steel helmet that was to be issued to Russian forces but ended up in the hands of both sides. Alongside it are other various artifacts found upon the former battlefields of Tampere. Source: Personal collection</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div align="left" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The next room presents the battle, its aftermath and the atrocities
committed. The various artifacts show how the battle affected all
present, Reds, Whites and especially Civilians. There are a few
interactive displays dotted across the room, giving a deeper story.
One picture shows a lifeless child who had been caught in the
crossfire between Reds and Whites and really drives home the horror
of Civil Wars, especially those fought in urban areas. Photos showing
surrendered Reds, executions, wounded in hospitals all drive home the
disaster of war.
</div>
<div align="left" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The last section has a sitting area and a book shelf with various
reference materials for someone to look deeper into the war. It
displays the aftermath of the war, the numerous orphans that
occurred, the attempts at rebuilding Finnish society as a unified
state, the memorials built to commemorate both sides, as well as
personal stories for us to get a feel of how it was to be there.</div>
<div align="left" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Conclusion</b></div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
It is easy to see why the Tampere 1918 exhibition has won awards. It
is full of objects and displays to help the individual look at the
Battle and the circumstances surrounding it. The fact that the
exhibition doesn’t pick sides and sticks to facts helps it come off
as an impartial observer. The many interactive displays, overlaying
authentic sounds and highlighted displays really helps mark the
exhibit as a unique look at the chaos of Civil War.
</div>
<div align="left" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/iTT2vFw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="471" data-original-width="800" height="188" src="https://i.imgur.com/iTT2vFw.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A pride of place in the exhibit. The 76mm canon; 179 of these were acquired by the end of the Civil War and were the basis of the Finnish Artillery Corps. These type of guns were also the first to fire shots during the Battle of Oulu in Feburary 1918. Source: Personal collection</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The goals laid out by the team are really met, it helps one make
sense of the Battle, why things went the way they did and how we can
move forward. It presents the individual with a question, What would
you have done in the situation?, and really drives home how things
are easy in hindsight but at the time it isn’t as easy as picking a
side.</div>
<div align="left" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
It is well worth a visit, the information is presented in Finnish,
English, Swedish and Russian, so it is inclusive of a wide range of
people.
</div>
<div align="left" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
For information on Vapriiki’s openings and prices:</div>
<div align="left" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://vapriikki.fi/en/vieraile/#aukioloajat-ja-paasymaksut">Vapriiki</a></div>
<div align="left" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Sources</b></div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Haapala, Pertti, Tampere 1918: A Town in the Civil War (Tampere Museums, Museum Centre Vapriikki, 2010)</div>
<br />Laurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07571614034351063118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-784499057465979640.post-21274472781643075542018-03-12T09:00:00.000+02:002018-03-12T09:00:28.266+02:00100 Years of the Finnish Air Force – The Knights of the Sky<div align="center" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://i.imgur.com/EYIDUwO.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="101" data-original-width="800" height="80" src="https://i.imgur.com/EYIDUwO.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="text-align: left;">Last
week, on the 6</span><sup style="text-align: left;">th</sup><span style="text-align: left;"> March, the Finnish Air Force celebrated
100 years since their foundation. Part of the celebrations included a
fly past by the Air Force aerobatic team, the Midnight Hawks, over
the cities of Helsinki, Vantaa and Espoo.</span></div>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
So in
honour of the 100<sup>th</sup> year of the Finnish Air Force
protecting Finland’s airspace, I thought I would do this post on an
overview of the Air Force, its past, its present and its future.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<b>The
Beginning</b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
At the time that Finland’s Parliament accepted the Declaration of
Independence, 6<sup>th</sup> December 1917, there were several
aircraft of the Imperial Russian Air Service dotted around Finland.
Due to chaos of the Russian revolution and subsequent civil war, the
aircraft were stuck in limbo. As tensions in Finland grew between the
left leaning Reds and the central and right leaning Whites, some of
these aircraft were seized by the sides.</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
General Baron Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim, commander of the White
Forces, recognised the need for aircraft especially in reconnaissance
and set about setting up an air contingent for his forces. Any White
soldier who had experience with aircraft was asked to help and soon a
small corps was founded, all that was needed were aircraft and
experienced pilots. Finnish pilots, who had either served in the IRAS
or similar, like Valfrid Nykänen and Emil Skogberg, as well as
sympathetic foreigners like John-Allan Hügerth and Carl Seber, made
up those early pioneers of the Finnish Air Force.</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
The first aircraft of the Finnish Air Force was the Swedish produced
NAB Type 9 Albatros, a reconnaissance and training plane which was
also a licensed copy of the German Albatros B.II, which was bought
using collected funds of the Friends of Finland Association.
However, its ferry flight to Vaasa was cut short at Pietarsaari by
engine failure. On the 6<sup>th</sup> March, a Thulin typ D
reconnaissance plane (a Swedish copy of the Morane-Saulnier Parasol),
landed at Vaasa with Lieutenant Nils Kindberg and the plane’s
donor, Count Eric von Rosen. Mannerheim’s Order of the Day called
it ‘Airplane Number 1’ and so it was marked as F.1 to signify it
as the first official aircraft of an Independent Finland’s Air
Force. The plane also had the Count’s personal good luck charm
painted upon it, a Blue Swastika, and on 18<sup>th</sup> March the
symbol was adopted as the official symbol of the Finnish Air Force.
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/FPYL0P1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="347" data-original-width="564" height="196" src="https://i.imgur.com/FPYL0P1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first aircraft of the Finnish Air Force, a Thulin typ D. Seen here in the city of Vaasa soon after it arrived in March 1918. Source: Finnish Air Force</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
For the rest of the Civil War, White Aircraft supported the ground
forces in providing reconnaissance, as well as conducting small scale
bombing. By the end of the Civil War, the Air Force stood at 40
various types of aircraft and in the post-war reorganization the Air
Force was divided into 5 air stations, 4 of which were equipped to
handle seaplanes. The main task of the Air Force was now concentrated
around surveillance of their borders, especially the Gulf of Finland
and Lake Ladoga areas.</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<b>The
Inter War Years</b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
During the rebuilding of Finland in the wake of a brutal Civil War,
the Air Force was looked at in comparison to its contempories ,
especially France and Britain. Soon French instructors were teaching
Finnish pilots and British aviation experts were offering their
opinions to the Air Force staff. To meet the new challenges of
international military aviation, Finland adopted a policy to use its
limited resources, coupled with its vast number of lakes, and
concentrated mainly on procuring floatplanes like the
Hansa-Brandenburg W.33 (Which the Finns then built under license as
the IVL A.22 Hansa).
<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
However, due to the lack of funds, small amounts of experience,
conflicting schools of thought, political interference, the Finnish
Air Force between 1919-1930 saw itself acquire a mass of various
differing aircraft (up to 14/15 different types in service at any one
time), as well as not adopting one long term strategy. This all
changed when General Mannerheim was appointed Chairman of the Defence
Committee and he promptly set up an investigatory commission to look
at the status of the Finnish Military. After this investigation, the
Finnish Air Force took on a program that was heavily influenced by a
offensive fight arm, which was mainly land based and pushed more
towards the East (as the Soviet Union was seen as the main threat to
Finland’s sovereignty). Training, both of pilots and maintenance
crews as well as their cooperation, was streamlined.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/Wd1ok62.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="439" data-original-width="564" height="249" src="https://i.imgur.com/Wd1ok62.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pilots in front of a Breguet 14 A 2 Reconnaissance plane. These were in service from 1919-1927. Source: Finnish Air Force</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
With the chaos that was breaking out in Europe in the mid-30s,
Finland knew it would be only a matter of time before a new war would
break out and that in order to do its best to safeguard its
sovereignty, it would need a strong military arm. Negotiations with
the other Nordic countries to form a joint defence pact came to
naught, declarations of neutrality could only go so far, and
nonaggression pacts were only pieces of paper.</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
1937 saw a five-year programme that included 11 squadrons comprising
81 fighters, 27 bombers, 52 reconnaissance and light ground attack
planes for liaison with the army and 13 maritime</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
reconnaissance aircraft. Fighter pilots developed a 2 and 2 plane
formation, dropping the more popular 1 lead aircraft and 2 wingmen
formations of the other air forces. This allowed for more flexible
use of numbers, and when put together with an emphasis upon
individual precision of air to air gunnery, it allowed Finnish pilots
to substitute their lack of numbers with skill.
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<b>The
War Years</b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
On the Morning of 30<sup>th</sup> November 1939, Soviet forces
crossed the Soviet-Finnish border without a declaration of war. The
Finns weren’t completely ignorant to the situation, the Soviets had
been aggressive in their attempts to gain Finnish territory during
the previous months negotiations and their actions in Poland and the
Baltic states, as well as the obvious military build up in the
Karelian Ishtmus, all pointed towards the possibility of war. With
this knowledge, Mannerheim had called for mobilisation under the
guise of extraordinary maneuvers in October, reserves were called up,
formations were sent to advanced positions, the Air Force was put at
combat readiness from 7<sup>th</sup> October with its reserves
arriving from the 14<sup>th</sup>.</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;">At
the outbreak of the war, the Air Force had only two fighter squadrons
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">(Lentolaivue 24 and 26)
which had only 55 aircraft between them (and only 46 were airworthy
at the time). There was also two bomber squadrons with 15 </span>Blenheims
between them, as well as 56 other various aircraft which former Air
Force commander, Major General Heikki Nikunen, said “would</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
have
belonged better in a museum than on a battlefield”. Their
Anti-Aircraft defences (which were subordinated under Air Force
control in 1938) weren’t much better, with only 11 heavy</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
and 7
light batteries and even these lacked weaponry. The only branch of
the Air Force that seemed to be sufficient was the surveillance
section, but even this suffered from a poor telecommunications
network that meant that fighter control and air defence coordination
suffered.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
What
they lack in equipment, ammunition and numbers, were more than made
up for in training and motivation to defend their fatherland.
Individual pilots were trained to hold their fire until within 50
metres of their target, they were given freedom of action and had a
first see, first shoot doctrine. From the first days of operations,
the Finns showed their superior ability, and despite being vastly
outnumbered by the Soviets (who deployed around 3,000 aircraft of
various types), by racking up kills in numbers of great proportions.
The Finnish Government also scrabbled to secure any fighter aircraft
they could, from any source, and soon a ragtag air force consisting
of Fiat G.50s, Gloster</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
Gladiator
IIs, Morane-Saulnier M.S. 406 types and others were operating day and
night against the waves of Soviet aircraft.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
The
Finnish determination paid off as when the Winter War ended on the
morning of 13<sup>th</sup> March 1940, the Finnish Air Force had a
confirmed 218 kills for a lost of only 47 (a further 15 aircraft were
written off during the course of the war) and the Anti-Aircraft
defences claimed a further 314 Soviet kills.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
During
the Interim Peace period, the Finnish Air Force set about assessing
its performance during the war and expanding and reorganising itself
(The Finns didn’t put much faith in the terms of peace holding
out). The State Aircraft Factory repaired damaged aircraft and built
new ones under licences, also new aircraft were ordered from abroad.
Improvements were also taken in the fields of command and control,
anti-air defences, airfield equipment, as these areas were sorely
lacking in the Winter War. Germany also built up closer relations
with Finland, selling captured aircraft (like the Curtiss Hawk) and
anti-aircraft guns (like the Skoda 7.5cm PL vz. 37)</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
The
Continuation War started soon after the commencement of the German
invasion of the Soviet Union (Operation Barbarossa, 21<sup>st</sup>
June 1941). German aircraft, returning from missions against the
Leningrad area, refueled at Utti, and this prompted a response from
the Soviets during the early hours of the 22<sup>nd</sup>. 7 Bombers
launched a strike against Finnish naval units and then on the 25<sup>th</sup>
a strikeforce of 460 aircraft hit several targets (including the
cities of Helsinki, Turku and Porvoo). This then allowed Finland to
declare war and work openly with the Germans.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/WzOfrHp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="332" data-original-width="564" height="188" src="https://i.imgur.com/WzOfrHp.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pilots ready for scrambling. Behind them are Messerschmitt Bf 109s, bought from Germany, they allowed Finland to keep up with the USSR. Source: Finnish Air Force</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />The Air
Force supported the initial offensives on the Karelian Isthmus,
Syväri and the Maaselkä Isthmus. This greatly contributed to troop
morale and a more effective combined arms military. Within a short
time the Finns had achieve air superiority and the Soviet Air Force
was forced to take up a very defensive and limited posture. Once the
offensives had ceased in December 1941, the Air Force took on the
important role of long range reconnaissance, front line air
superiority and support, as well as protecting the home front from
Soviet bombing. The Gulf of Finland became the main battlespace for
the Finnish Air Force, as they attempted to stop Soviet bomber
formations before they reach Finland. The advantage though of this
‘Trench War’ phase of the Continuation War meant that the Air
Force could improve at a gradual pace, train pilots better, increase
command and control and streamline their performance. The friendly
relations with Germany allowed for more modern aircraft to be
adopted, like the Dornier Do 17 and Junkers Ju 88 bombers and the
Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
The
tides of war turned on Finland when the Soviets launched their
‘Summer Offensives’ in 1944, ending the mostly static ‘Trench’
phase of the Finnish front. As the Finnish ground forces retreated,
the Air Force was there, providing 24 hour cover, accounting
themselves very well, even in more obsolete aircraft like the Fiat
G.50 and the Curtiss Hawk. After the defensive victories at
Tali-Ihantala and Vuosalmi, an armistice was signed in September
between Finland and the Soviet Union, bringing the Continuation War
to an end. The Air Force achieved amazing results, with 1,621 aerial
victories confirmed for a loss of only 182 aircraft. 87 pilots
achieved ace status which, in proportion to national population,
means the number of Finnish flying aces is a world record.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
Finland’s
wars didn’t end here however, part of the terms of the armistice
means that Finland had to expelled the previously friend German
forces from their land. A special detachment, under Colonel Olavi
Sarko, of 60 aircraft of various types were to support the Finnish
operations in Lapland. These aircraft saw themselves being used in
gathering intelligence on the whereabouts of German forces, gaining
air superiority and bombing missions. However, due to the conditions
in Lapland, the Finnish Air Force suffered greatly, loosing 10
aircraft and 16 crew members.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<b>Post-War
and the Cold War Years</b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
The Paris Peace Treaty of 1947 saw restrictions placed upon Finland,
and the Air Force was no exception. It was to have no more than 60
combat aircraft and a maximum strength of 3,000 persons. It couldn’t
have any offensive weapons, internal bomb bays, weaponry of German
origin or guided missiles. These restrictions, as well as the natural
inevitability of peace time, meant that the Air Force saw itself
greatly reduced in strength. It saw itself in a sort of limbo until a
reorganizationin 1952, where its traditional structure was turned
into a more centralised but flexible Air Command structure. This
allowed the lessons from the Wars to be used more effectively, each
command had access to fighter, training, reconnaissance and
intelligence, and these could be quickly redeployed as and when
needed.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/PW6ZfzL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="316" data-original-width="564" height="179" src="https://i.imgur.com/PW6ZfzL.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">To the jet age. The de Havilland Vampire allowed Finland to enter the new era of international military aviation. Source: Finnish Air Force</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
1953 saw the first jet aircraft bought by the Air Force, a de
Havilland Vampire. This was the start of Finland’s intergration
into the modern arena of military aviation. Soon revisions in the
treaties were seen, like the dropping of the ban on guided missiles
in 1963. New radar systems, coupled with better jets, meant that by
the end of the 1960s, the Finnish Air Force could defend its entire
airspace more or less effectively. And by the end of the 70s, with
the purchasing of the SAAB Draken, Finland had complete all-weather,
all-seasonal defence, alongside modern surveillance systems and
secure command and control facilities.</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<b>Fall
of the USSR and Modern times</b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
On 22 September 1990, a week before the unification of Germany, the
Finnish Government declared that all parts of the Paris Peace Treaty
were no longer valid. All the signatory states forwent objection and
thus solidifying Finland’s declaration. This allowed the sourcing
of materials from Germany, as well as allowing for offensive
weaponry.
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
As the Soviet Union was also no longer present, Finland was more free
to purchase a completely independent geopolictical policy. The Air
Force set about modernising its aged fleet (made up of MiGs and
SAABs) and purchased F/A-18 Hornets (of the C and D models). These
were chosen over other models as the most efficient for Finland’s
needs, meeting the requirements performance and cost. This broke down
into all weather capability, ability to take off from improvised
airstrips (roads), inception beyond visual range, life cycle,
effectiveness of armaments and maintenance.
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
Finland’s joining of the European Union and NATO's Partnership for
Peace programme allowed it to become more versed in international
techniques and allowed for more diverse training.
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<b>Today
and beyond</b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
The main goal of the Finnish Air Force, has been and is, the
defending and monitoring of Finnish Air Space. With investments in
surveillance equipment, aircraft and other supports, the Finnish Air
Force maintains a round the clock, all year monitoring on Finland’s
sovereign territory.
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
As the Baltic has grown more crowded in terms of military traffic,
the Air Force has been tested and shown itself more than capable.
With multiple airspace violations every year, many by unidentified
(with transponders off) aircraft, Hornets scrambled within seconds
are able to close and identify the intruder and monitor the
situation.
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/I84vOB9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="328" data-original-width="564" height="186" src="https://i.imgur.com/I84vOB9.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The F/A-18 C successfully firing the AGM-158 JASSM (Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Weapon) as part of the Mid-Life Upgrade (MLU) 2 programme. Source: Finnish Air Force</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
As with all departments of the Government, the Air Force is also part
of Finland crisis response and so has worked closely with other
branches of the Government to provide support in the case of a local
or national emergency. In the case of conflict, the Air Force will
defend important assets across the country and maintain air
superiority over its territory in order to allow the Defence Forces
freedom of operation. It also has air to ground capability and with
training in interoperatbility, it can provide essentially support to
other branches of the Defence Forces.</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
For more information on the Finnish Air Force check:</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://ilmavoimat.fi/en/frontpage">http://ilmavoimat.fi/en/frontpage</a></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
For the news of the Air Force 100 celebrations:</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/Ilmavoimat/">https://www.facebook.com/Ilmavoimat/</a></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
Sources:</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
Nikunen, Heikki, Air Defence in Northern Europe (National Defence
College Helsinki 1997)</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
http://ilmavoimat.fi/en/history</div>
<br />Laurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07571614034351063118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-784499057465979640.post-91580358529635002052017-05-26T08:19:00.003+03:002017-05-26T08:19:53.289+03:00100 years of the Hanging TreeJust after midnight on the 3rd or 6th of October 1916 , a figure was escorted by soldiers to a wooded area outside of the city of Oulu and then hung from a tree. The next day his lifeless corpse was buried by the tree in an unmarked grave. He would become the last person hanged in Finland.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://qph.ec.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-db61fce7c852f16e25530aa1b232772c-c" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="449" data-original-width="800" height="179" src="https://qph.ec.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-db61fce7c852f16e25530aa1b232772c-c" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
The man’s name was Taavetti Lukkarinen, a forestry foreman and his crime was high treason. But what were the details of his crime?<br />
<br />
Finland in 1916 was part of the Russian Empire under the title of the Grand Duchy of Finland. While technically an autonomous region of the Empire, it was still ruled by the Tsar, Nicholas II, and his representative, the Governor-General Franz Albert Seyna, who were limiting the power of the Finnish Diet in a period know as the Russification.<br />
<br />
When Russia went to war with the Central Powers in 1914, Finland was obviously in tow too, and many of Finland’s young men became part of the Russian war machine. Some, however, continued in their normal occupations and some others still supported the Central Powers.<br />
<br />
Finland saw numerous Prisoner of War camps dotted across its landscape and became the ‘home’ of many German soldiers, captured on the Eastern Front until peace was declared. Like many POW camps, there were escape attempts, and one camp in the Oulu/Kemi area saw 3 German soldiers escape in December 1915. The harsh winter made it difficult for the Germans but they did find a sympathetic ear in the local population and soon found their way to Kemi (107km north of Oulu) with the intention of getting to the border city of Tornio and into neutral Sweden. Lukkarinen decided to help hide the Germans near the train station but all 4 were soon caught by the Russian authorities. On their way to a new holding facility, Lukkarinen managed to escape and cross the border into Sweden.<br />
<br />
He would have remained safe there if not for homesickness. Getting passage to Finland on a forged passport, he made his way by train to Oulu but on getting jitters he jumped off shortly before the main station. His act would be witnessed by Russian soldiers who soon tracked him down and arrested him. His identity was discovered and he was taken to Oulu Prison to await trial. Finland, like all of the Russian Empire, was under Martial Law because of the war and so Taavetti’s trial was to be held in a secret court by the VI Corps. He was declared a traitor to the state and that he would be hanged for high treason. His execution was kept a secret and he saw himself moved in the dead of the night to a horse drawn cart surrounded by 40 Russian soldiers, the site chosen was a place known as Kontinkangas, part of the military area of the Oulu Garrison but outside of the city grid. The only Finns present at his hanging were the Prison Priest and 2 Finnish policemen.<br />
<br />
However, the secrecy didn’t last long and despite orders to keep clear of the area, Finns started to visit the area on Sundays in an act of protest towards the hanging, they carved crosses into the hanging tree and the surrounding trees. Oulu’s Governor, Axel Enehjelm, was criticized for his lack of action to try and save Taavetti. Soon the Russian authorities became irate and orders were given to cut down the trees in the area and to deter Finns from visiting the area, forcibly if needed.<br />
<br />
This did not deter the remembrance of the event and soon after Finland gained its independence the site became a sacred spot. In 1935 a memorial was erected in the area and given a very patriotic and moving ceremony, attended by Veterans of the Civil War and Lukkarinen’s widow and two children. The memorial is a iron fence on a red granite base surrounding a tree, obviously the tree isn’t the actual tree but its symbolism is what has become important. The tree became a symbol to many as a reminder of the harsh days of Russian rule. Until its closing down, the Oulu Garrson used to take the new recruits here as part of a three stop tour, it was used as evidence of what would happen to them if their motherland was ever taken by foreign troops.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://qph.ec.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-8960fc16ffc3c89af376c984f225adb9-c" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="449" data-original-width="800" height="179" src="https://qph.ec.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-8960fc16ffc3c89af376c984f225adb9-c" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
As for the body of Taavetti, it was exhumed shortly after the independence of Finland and interned at the main Oulu cemetery. His memorial and grave are maintained by the Artillerymen guild of Northern Finland and the Oulu Chapter of the Lions Club. His memory is still remembered 100 years on and he has become a symbol for how important it is for Finland to remain independent and in charge of its own affairs.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Laurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07571614034351063118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-784499057465979640.post-42087659037098302092017-05-21T13:23:00.000+03:002017-05-21T13:23:32.587+03:00The Pudasjärvi Incident: A betrayal of Comrades?If you head towards Kuusamo from Oulu you'll come across a lone M1938 152mm Howitzer just before you come into Pudasjärvi (about 70km from Oulu) For many people it is nothing more than just exactly that, an old piece of military equipment out on display for no particular reason. However for those interested in military history, the piece marks an important point in the Second World War and for Finnish-German relations.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGBpQBaem96epcSxYOjCmqxv8QHY1nF50Kszy8STgBY7ffWKx8RcdgdSR1nqR_tHMkr_f2YjMUujRShiEaPPOKb3p6qqU-V970BsQfBvomJVwpMm457vvTZ1DdB_e_Q4Z5r41tI_nyCcHP/s1600/IMG_20170430_112749.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGBpQBaem96epcSxYOjCmqxv8QHY1nF50Kszy8STgBY7ffWKx8RcdgdSR1nqR_tHMkr_f2YjMUujRShiEaPPOKb3p6qqU-V970BsQfBvomJVwpMm457vvTZ1DdB_e_Q4Z5r41tI_nyCcHP/s400/IMG_20170430_112749.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source:- Personal collection</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The Finns started negotiating a separate peace with the Soviet Union from the end of 1943 to early 1944. Feeling the writing was on the wall for their cooperation, the Germans started to make plans for a withdrawal from Finland proper (with the exception of occupying the vital Petsamo nickel mines). However the negotiations broke down as the Soviets demanded too harsh a terms for the Finns to accept and so the Finnish-German military cooperation continued and in response the Soviet's launched a massive offensive on the Finnish positions in Karelia. From June the Finnish front started to collapse and a retreat through several defensive lines occurred in a short time. Soon the Finns found themselves in a precarious position, with the threat of their entire defence crumbling and allowing for a Soviet strike in the Finnish heartland. However, with the help of the Germans, they managed to stablelise the front by the end of July and reopened negotiations with the USSR.<br />
<br />
A ceasefire was enacted by the Finns on September 4th (and curiously by the Soviets on the 5th). As part of the negotiations, the Finns were forced to demobilise their military to a peacetime footing within two and a half months and also expel all remaining German forces by the 15th September. The Finns had no desire to continue fighting, especially against their former brothers in arms, and so a period known as Syysmanööverit came into being. This basically was a secret agreement between the Finns and Germans for an orderly withdrawal, followed by Finns 'capturing' the lossed ground. The idea was to avoid any actual fighting and to save the kinship of the two nations. Coming into effect on the 14th September, the patomine helped save the city of Oulu from destruction (as it was evacuated on the 15th September and 'retaken' later in the same day by the 15th Brigade of the 6th Division). The Finns gathered their forces at Oulu (as well as other places like Kajaani and Suomussalmi) with the intention of slowly moving up behind the German retreat, however the soviet led Allied Control Commission arrived in Finland on the 22nd September and demanded that harsher and more rigorous action be used in the eviction of the Germans. Fearing 'help' from the Soviets in this task, Mannerheim assigned Lieutenant General Hjalmar Siilasvuo to the task and ordered that he take a more willing and prompt line.<br />
<br />
Upon his arrival in Oulu, General Siilasvuo ordered the 5th Jaeger Battalion (of the Armoured Division) to advance to the town of Pudasjärvi to disarm the German contingent there and secure the bridge in the area. The Battalion's vanguard arrived, led by Major Veikko Lounila, at the crossroads just outside of the town and encountered a rearguard of the 7th Mountain Division. Major Lounila demanded their surrender but was refused and a firefight broke out. The short exchange of fire ended with no Finnish casualties but 2 dead Germans, 4 wounded and 2 prisoners. A ceasefire was called and Major Lounila again demanded the Germans in Pudasjärvi surrender. He was refused again but instead of launching an assault, he ordered his battalion to adopt defensive positions. Small exchanges of fire occurred for the next two days until the Germans withdrew across the Ii river and the 5th Jaeger Battalion occupied Pudasjärvi.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOt6JtX8ZFCuAQHAgiRk4xdg0HUIlcNhb_YIo4S606_8MNaEBsEluVJgulv2mbyiD1GKcg4yyPwfFn29JpRgZIhgQt1Pfyxzo-an95lrXNfjD4TTJeAUu7fV8hF0_iTa_JsiwDPFs5crfa/s1600/IMG_20170430_112849.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOt6JtX8ZFCuAQHAgiRk4xdg0HUIlcNhb_YIo4S606_8MNaEBsEluVJgulv2mbyiD1GKcg4yyPwfFn29JpRgZIhgQt1Pfyxzo-an95lrXNfjD4TTJeAUu7fV8hF0_iTa_JsiwDPFs5crfa/s320/IMG_20170430_112849.jpg" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: Personal Collection</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The incident was seen by the Germans as a betrayal of the secret withdrawal agreement. General Lothar Rendulic, commander of the 20th Mountain Army, gave permission to Lieutenant General August Krakau, commander of the 7th Mountain Division, to defend themselves from the Finns, by force is necessary. He also got in contact with General Siilasvuo and demanded that the agreement be held or that open hostilities would follow. This incident was soon followed up by similar in Kemi, Olhava and the Tornio landings.<br />
<br />
The memorial stands as reminder of the price of forming alliances, of being forced to take actions that don't sit well in the moral consitution, of the first shots of the Lapland War, of the epilogue of Finland's Wars.Laurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07571614034351063118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-784499057465979640.post-66797481015185704372017-05-13T15:22:00.000+03:002018-05-29T13:33:36.016+03:00The Battle of Oulu: A forgotten liberationFinland declared its independence from the Russian Empire on December 4th 1917, two days (6th) later the Finnish Senate adopted the declaration and thus taking its destiny into its own hands for the first time in its existence.<br />
<br />
However like the birth of anything, there was to be pains in its coming. The Social Democrats and other left leaning groups refused to recognise the power of the slight majority held by Conservative and other right leaning groups.Soon both sides came to blows, each one claiming to be acting in defence, tearing the country apart along social, political and class lines. After a brief, 3 month conflict, the war ended with the Conservative and Right side (names the Whites) emerging victorious. But as the old adage says 'In war, whichever side may call itself the victor, there are no winners, but all are losers.' and Finland saw 1.2% of its population dead as a direct result of the war, its population growth took a -15, 608 nature change dive.<br />
<br />
The Civil War saw several major battles between the Forces of the Whites and Reds, as well as numerous minor skirmishes throughout the Finnish landscape. One of these major, but often overlooked and forgotten, battles was for the City of Oulu.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6DB6aoSzMhm4EgWFDXh7nsdSN9qa08aJdPRK9QG6-NtHnDsMjm-eeEHGY-RtNno1qrDR_44wRj1lKH-_FJh-A6WK_7y-diieITWfvaXIp8pwhJcvVSrJFpkM8o3shBdfg42nTzabH2JLZ/s1600/FinnishCivilWarMapBegin.svg+%25281%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6DB6aoSzMhm4EgWFDXh7nsdSN9qa08aJdPRK9QG6-NtHnDsMjm-eeEHGY-RtNno1qrDR_44wRj1lKH-_FJh-A6WK_7y-diieITWfvaXIp8pwhJcvVSrJFpkM8o3shBdfg42nTzabH2JLZ/s320/FinnishCivilWarMapBegin.svg+%25281%2529.png" width="257" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Map of the division at the start of the Finnish Civil War.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Source: Wikipedia</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Oulu occupied a strategic location for two reasons. Firstly it was a hub for the railway system (the lines on the map) and so whoever controlled the rails could transport troops and supplies rapidly to the major population centres of Finland. Secondly was that Oulu held a fairly large garrison of Russian troops who were now waiting around for orders. This meant that there was a large amount of military equipment ready to be appropriated for the cause.<br />
<br />
As Oulu was a modest industrial city, it held more left leaning supporters than right and with this the local Red Guard made their presence known. On the 30th January, the <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "q_serif" , "georgia" , "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Oulun suojeluskunta (Oulu city’s White Civic Guard) went to the local Russian garrison to secure their arms in accordance with <a href="http://finland-at-war.blogspot.fi/2013/02/heroes-of-finland-baron-carl-gustaf.html">Mannerheim's</a> orders to strip the </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "q_serif" , "georgia" , "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Ostrobothnia are of all military equipment. However when the small contingent arrived at the barracks they found themselves confronted by members of Oulu's Workers Red Guard and a gunfight broke out between the two factions. Now the White Guard retreated to the Cathderal area of the City and entrenched themselves there, while also calling for support from nearby Suojeluskunta units. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "q_serif" , "georgia" , "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">The Reds knowing they would soon need to repel an attack gathered as much firearms and munitions from the Russian Garrison and even took on volunteers from the soldiers. Soon the Red Guard ranks swelled from 700 to around a 1,000 and they fortified the area around the Garrison, train station and the fire house. They also laid siege to the defences of the local White Guard.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "q_serif" , "georgia" , "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "q_serif" , "georgia" , "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Upon hearing of the situation, Mannerheim ordered Colonel Alexander von Tunzelman Adlerflug, who had just taken control of the nearby town of Raahe (1st February). Colonel Adlerflug arrived with an advanced party by train and was met by a Workers Council led by Yrjö Henrik Kallinen. Kallinen was a pacifist and suggested that both sides throw their weapons into the Oulu river and go their separate ways but Colonel Adlerflug demanded unconditional surrender and the more militant members of the Red Guard wanted to fight. Mannerheim wanted quick results and so sent another column consisting of 200 men (including some veteran Jaegers, 14 machine guns and its only artillery guns, 2 76.2 mm divisional gun model 1902 captured on the 28th January from the 106th Field Artillery Brigade of Russian Army in Ilmajoki), he also gave command of the Oulu situation to Lieutenant Colonel Johannes (Hannes) Ferdinand Ignatius. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvzR5-ipFn-QjwXVtQsZhr2vwRUUUlrijmbh70Qv_rRjdeHq5f79kVtjpZBjrx9jzdhMgckFzNbzODRH_uOm6mtjfXHse5I8Nyh6QlJ1zCb_-3pNU4sNhgB4IT4Y09oLjep-xA3uMwpnlE/s1600/1962627_844947152245920_113542565299028661_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvzR5-ipFn-QjwXVtQsZhr2vwRUUUlrijmbh70Qv_rRjdeHq5f79kVtjpZBjrx9jzdhMgckFzNbzODRH_uOm6mtjfXHse5I8Nyh6QlJ1zCb_-3pNU4sNhgB4IT4Y09oLjep-xA3uMwpnlE/s320/1962627_844947152245920_113542565299028661_n.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The original two 76.2mm divisional guns used by Colonel Ignatius during the Battle of Oulu. They are sited at the positions they held that very day.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Source: Personal collection</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "q_serif" , "georgia" , "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: "q_serif" , "georgia" , "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15px;">Negoations broke down on the afternoon of the 2nd February and the Red Guards launched an assault upon the White Guards' position around the Cathedral. The local Russian commander had also given away the majority of his weapons to the Red Guards in exchange for protection. However the Reds could not remove the Whites from their stubborn positions and eventually returned to their positions in the city in the early hours of the 3rd. Colonel Ignatius' column meanwhile arrived and set about deploying</span><span style="font-family: "q_serif" , "georgia" , "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15px;"> his forces for an assault on the city.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/66/BattleforOulu.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="635" height="320" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/66/BattleforOulu.png" width="253" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Map of the Battle. Source: Own Work</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "q_serif" , "georgia" , "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;"><br />Colonel Ignatius put his two artillery guns in the north, on the beach of the Laanila area of the city, with a direct line of sight of the barracks and the Red Guard positions there. The rest of his men were spread in the North shore of the Oulu river, East overlooking the barracks and train station and the main assault force coming from the south from the direction of the railway. At 0900 the artillery guns rang out with the first shots of the battle (and the first shots by an independent Finnish artillery) marking the start of the retaking of the city. One of the guns though encountered problems after the first shot and so only one canon was able to continue its fire support for the day. The assault from the South spread through the city, some heading to relieve the besieged White Guards, others tackling the positions around the train station and workers' hall. The heavily fortified cemetery and garrison area were assaulted from the East and by 1300 the cemetery and city hall were taken. Fighting still continued around the workers' hall and garrison area but the combined weight of machine gun and artillery fire soon saw the Reds call out for cease fire. At 1510 the surrender of the Red was officially taken and 900 Red Guards surrendered themselves to the victorious Whites. However some Reds and Russians still held on at the barracks and the Raati island maritime station and it wouldn't be until 2300 that all fighting stopped and the 1,100 strong Russian garrison surrendered itself to Finnish custody. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVeLjWTLkApvpsqY1x3qrFdssp4zyy1jmreTamulEjIrSSZGvDy5pHWG65wlICmUD1HioQNr6jB6UrVVlfU6xzdvcCoTQ1IEESJqbBmzbHYjBUWRH0W_ERC5CI_jDvLA79_a0KfHPN_lDk/s1600/Onni.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVeLjWTLkApvpsqY1x3qrFdssp4zyy1jmreTamulEjIrSSZGvDy5pHWG65wlICmUD1HioQNr6jB6UrVVlfU6xzdvcCoTQ1IEESJqbBmzbHYjBUWRH0W_ERC5CI_jDvLA79_a0KfHPN_lDk/s1600/Onni.png" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Picture of 13 year old Onni Kokko. The youngest soldier present at the Battle of Oulu. This picture was taken soon after the disarming of the Liminka garrison. After this Onni went with an advance party to help the Oulu Civic Guard but was taken prisoner soon after arriving. He escaped and linked up with the incoming main force and being assigned as adjutant to Oskar Peltokangas and went out to fight in Tornio, Vilppula and Ruovesi before being morally wounded during the Battle of Tampere and dying of his wounds shortly after. He is the youngest recipient of the Order of the Cross of Liberty.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Source: Wikipedia</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "q_serif" , "georgia" , "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: "q_serif" , "georgia" , "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15px;">The end allowed for the taking account of the losses of the day. The White forces saw 33 killed and 34 wounded. Lieutenant Colonel Ignatius was given a promotion to full colonel for his excellent handling of the situation. The Reds had 26 dead and another 26 wounded. The Russia's also saw a few of their number killed or wounded but numbers vary on how many. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMMweNovvWcdCJFYwpZedarxhfIkqOnXxvTXC2yluBI5KoVZRGv7j5MX3vb5mYPKLLTk6rPTYuyuxHDCynNxT7NDcqGkUJvBXlQlcK28k7DZxcGzheziC4BRJrBHqUp4MhOkgMRHPgDihV/s1600/image_gallery+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMMweNovvWcdCJFYwpZedarxhfIkqOnXxvTXC2yluBI5KoVZRGv7j5MX3vb5mYPKLLTk6rPTYuyuxHDCynNxT7NDcqGkUJvBXlQlcK28k7DZxcGzheziC4BRJrBHqUp4MhOkgMRHPgDihV/s1600/image_gallery+%25281%2529.jpg" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The ultimate sacrifice. A funeral procession for the White dead.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Source: Pohjois-Pohjanmaan museum</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "q_serif" , "georgia" , "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">The prisoners soon saw themselves interned at the local prison, the police station and a school house until March when a purpose built Prison camp was constructed. This camp was one of 13 big and 60 smaller prison camps set up at the end of the Civil War to hold Red prisoners and sympathizers until trial. The majority of the White Force went north to help take the town of Tornio from Red Forces, they took their war booty of over 500 rifles and 10 machine guns with them. The town was liberated February 6th and thus secured the entire railway network in the North of Finland to the White cause. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzT_l1-E-PIfig41jBhXwwvamwQDoj_GOlTKge1bf7p_NOFN_Pv7w1xMCvLgt9M_u00n6kUmAKgq-IpXUUTLwyfNgpkxHSmGS-ASakYXGQH_tPl52OxcuKPSTqyTPI33_DaqbhgPlrlMd6/s1600/Oulucamp.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzT_l1-E-PIfig41jBhXwwvamwQDoj_GOlTKge1bf7p_NOFN_Pv7w1xMCvLgt9M_u00n6kUmAKgq-IpXUUTLwyfNgpkxHSmGS-ASakYXGQH_tPl52OxcuKPSTqyTPI33_DaqbhgPlrlMd6/s320/Oulucamp.png" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Memorial to the Prison camp at Raati Island, Oulu.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Source:Personal collection</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyUB2V0r1RjUH_gkQEKMw328YJaVMnqQBMOuJD28hrGdimjhcoW1-wdW3QTgnlc5568LsP84cSE8mV-Nd1WJsNDjg3_5iJBVpkW2qx89Cg5k6h5cy_459nHFxk2J2qRm2aiY4yOUNmzNx3/s1600/Oulu_1918.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyUB2V0r1RjUH_gkQEKMw328YJaVMnqQBMOuJD28hrGdimjhcoW1-wdW3QTgnlc5568LsP84cSE8mV-Nd1WJsNDjg3_5iJBVpkW2qx89Cg5k6h5cy_459nHFxk2J2qRm2aiY4yOUNmzNx3/s320/Oulu_1918.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The victory parade for the liberation of Oulu held at the seaside market place on February 4th.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Source: Wikipedia </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "q_serif" , "georgia" , "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Today a memorial to the liberation of Oulu stands tall in Mannerheim Park and despite a memorial service held every 3rd Febuary, the battle has seemed to have been forgotten by the majority of citizens of this Nordic city. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfRGXcyDi8TwmGeXbG1zJgQey4L_3yDc4t4pXwRuxTN8gvoe6PcqIGZ9Xwmf8y14czbxgeH0NZOrNpe4azpdHA-ytlyOrq6ZRUjLnfwN2H0eV_SJ-ufZCsPPOlYoWJiAN5JEPzbpHB-Bui/s1600/Vapaudenpatsas_Oulu_20080314_02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfRGXcyDi8TwmGeXbG1zJgQey4L_3yDc4t4pXwRuxTN8gvoe6PcqIGZ9Xwmf8y14czbxgeH0NZOrNpe4azpdHA-ytlyOrq6ZRUjLnfwN2H0eV_SJ-ufZCsPPOlYoWJiAN5JEPzbpHB-Bui/s320/Vapaudenpatsas_Oulu_20080314_02.jpg" width="239" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Memorial dedicated to the Liberation of Oulu, called the Statue of Freedom, it was erected in 1920 and sculpted by Into Saxelin.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Source: Wikipedia</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqnUI7QRLHF5q4fhCGMLp-j6wTjVVb16JLQPwLIFsUF5HsfH7t2EhJKRbZGW5dLx9nsmB_n2x1FK48ak89WA26hgnBwCmXkOberG0P9ZpRr9slSjwMqCdTZC_6GRl5IQNtjWJ9GIJBNYuV/s1600/IMG_20170501_122514.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqnUI7QRLHF5q4fhCGMLp-j6wTjVVb16JLQPwLIFsUF5HsfH7t2EhJKRbZGW5dLx9nsmB_n2x1FK48ak89WA26hgnBwCmXkOberG0P9ZpRr9slSjwMqCdTZC_6GRl5IQNtjWJ9GIJBNYuV/s320/IMG_20170501_122514.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Memorial to all the victims of the Finnish Civil with the interned remains of over 20 souls.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Source: Personal collection</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "q_serif" , "georgia" , "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></span></span>Laurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07571614034351063118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-784499057465979640.post-82893702942348674982016-12-07T12:06:00.002+02:002016-12-07T12:07:31.744+02:00Weapons of War: De Bange 155 mm long cannon model 1877 - 155 K/77When the Soviet Union invaded Finland in November 1939, the Finnish military was severely under equipped in many areas. Artillery was one of these areas and Finland set about buying and deploying any artillery piece it could get. This meant getting many old, outdated pieces from the armouries of European countries like France and Britain.<br />
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One of these older pieces was the French de Bange 155mm Long modèle 1877.<br />
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The 155 L de Bange was a result of a French artillery committee meeting held in the aftermath on the Franco-Prussian War. The committee discussed new Fortress and Seige artillery models and on the 16 April 1874 settled upon the 15.5cm caliber as the new standard piece. In 1876 three competing prototypes were tested at Calais but it was the design by French Artillery Colonel Charles Ragon de Bange that won the day (it probably helped that he was Director of the "Atelier-de-précision" (Paris arsenal's precision workshop) in the Central Depot in Paris.<br />
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Like with all De Bange’s cannons, it used the De Bange breech obturator system, which basically used the force of the firing charge to push back an asbestos pad that sealed the rear breech and thus directing all the pressure forward, increasing velocity and reducing danger. It was inspired by the rubber o-rings in use on the Chassepot rifle.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdnKKGDJn_pxrjzsFTbaw5GpciIrkw8ON6j7eAe7h8DDPo8EZ3YTMabhuc03GDDBQARNgf8fDq-BdjJ65xbWJsDm_z97ax3-r6QiGRrJ-8YJWCydGLU8f1UXIvcyiOlhbNsV9T_MGk06fr/s1600/de+Bange.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdnKKGDJn_pxrjzsFTbaw5GpciIrkw8ON6j7eAe7h8DDPo8EZ3YTMabhuc03GDDBQARNgf8fDq-BdjJ65xbWJsDm_z97ax3-r6QiGRrJ-8YJWCydGLU8f1UXIvcyiOlhbNsV9T_MGk06fr/s640/de+Bange.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(The de Bange system and how it works)</td></tr>
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The French Government placed an initial order in 1877 for 300 pieces and by the turn of the 20th Century about 1,400 were produced. The vast majority were posted to the fortresses of the Séré de Rivières system but 200 were reserved as offensive siege artillery.<br />
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The biggest downside to the 155 L de Bange, and by extension all de Bange guns, was they had no recoil system and as such needed to be realigned after every shot. The gun could jump back a metre or two after firing and thus presented a problem in terms of accuracy and rate of fire. While obsolete, the French military used them throughout the First World War and even in the early stages of the Second World War (France still had 305 pieces at various locations, including the Maginot Line).<br />
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The Finnish overlooked the downsides of recoil issues due to the desperateness of the situation they now found themselves in. French was unwilling to sell large amounts of modern artillery (the number amount to less than 30 field guns with a modern recoil system) but happily parted with older, more obsolete models such as the 155 L de Bange. The Finns preferred the French 19th century guns over the similar Russian models as they were of better quality and had more reliable ammunition.<br />
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These guns developed an exaggerated reputation within the Finnish military. Due to their ability to ‘jump’ and need to be realigned after every shot, the earned the nicknames "Hyppyheikki" ("Jumping Henry") and "Hyppyjaakko" ("Jumping Jack") and jokes such as, "Why does "hyppyheikki" need two observers?…The first observer will keep track of where the projectile lands while the second observer will check where the gun goes". While not totally undeserving, they are exaggerated. With proper preparation of positions, the use of earth slopes and wedges, the guns recoil could be reduced greatly and the need to realign is not as great. Luckily for the Finns, they were on the defensive and thus having prepared positions was something they could do.<br />
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48 155 L de Bange and 48,000 shots were sent to Finland, taking a route from France to Narvik, Norway by ship, then the guns were transported by rail to the Swedish/Finnish border town of Tornio. They would then need to be offloaded and reloaded onto Finnish trains as Finland used a narrower gauge. Then they would go from Tornio to various depots in the South for inspection and issue. Due to the long, arduous journey, none of the guns reached front lines during the Winter War. However they were still issued.<br />
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They were given the designation 155 K/77 and 44 were assigned to Fortification Artillery Battalions of the heavily fortified Salpa-line and the other 4 were were given to the Coastal Artillery, where they were fitted with special mounts and designated 155/27 BaMk. They were assigned to Fort Herrö in Ahvenanmaa (Åland) Islands until end of the Continuation War. Due to their good range (12.3 km), high degree of accuracy (produced by the gain-twist rifling) and reliability, the Finns used them mainly in a counter-battery role. The first use of these heavy pieces in action was at the Siege of Hanko (an area leased to the Soviet Union as part of the Winter War Peace terms, designated as a Naval Base, it had a contingent of mainly Red Army troops numbering abour 26,000). They saw most use in the Svir River area, with 36 guns assigned there. When the Soviets pushed their grand offensive in 1944, the Finnish forces started to withdraw, as the 155 K/77 were old and heavy, they were lower on the priority list for pulling back and eventually 24 guns were destroyed to prevent the Soviets from gaining them.<br />
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With the remaining 12 guns, they were assigned to the newly established Syväri Fortification Battalion 1 and were used in the defence of Koirinoja, firing their last shots on the 13th July 1944. It is quite possible that these were the last shots fired from 19th century canons with no recoil systems anywhere in the world.Laurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07571614034351063118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-784499057465979640.post-80992291747637909862013-04-04T16:07:00.000+03:002013-04-04T16:07:41.383+03:00Weapons of War: Berdan Rifle IIWhen the nine Rifle Battalions of the newly created Army of the Grand Duchy of Finland were raised in 1881 the most obvious choice for arming them was the Berdan II (Model 1870) which had been adopted by the Russian army in 1870's. The rifle was designed by famous American firearms inventor Hiram Berdan in 1868. The rifles (both the Berdan I and II) became the standard Russian small arm from 1870 to 1891, where it saw itself replace by the Mosin-Nagant line of rifles. However, despite this, it still saw service in the Russian army up to the Revolution of 1917.<br />
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The Model 1870 was a single shot, bolt action rifle that was characterised by a distinctive short, pear shaped, bolt handle. This handle also represented the only locking lug (it holds the bolt in place when the weapon is fired) and when closed, stood up at a 30 degree angle, instead of the normal horizontal. All the rifles as well as their accompaniments (cartridges, bayonets etc) came from Russia, mainly from the famous Izhevskii ordnance factory.<br />
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It weighed 4.3 kg without its bayonet (4.8 kg with bayonet) and was 1.35 m long without its bayonet (1.85 m with bayonet). It used a 10.75x58 mmR Cartridge which had a 5 gram charge of black powder, which were issued in blue paper packets of 6 rounds each. The round was also developed by Hiram Berden in conjunction with Russian Colonel Gorloff. There was also 'half-cartridges' which were used for training purposes and contained only 0.5 grams of powder. These cartridges were breechloaded and a well trained unit could fire 6-8 rounds a minute. It had a muzzle velocity of 437m/sec and was sighted to 1500 paces (1065 m) but its effective range was 450 paces (630 m). It became known for its ruggedness, reliability and simplicity. <br />
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The Finnish army as a whole maintained a high standard of marksmanship with this rifle, better than the Russian army. The Rifle was still in many Battalions and Reserve companies armouries way after the introduction of the Mosin-Nagant in 1890s. When Civil War broke out in January 1918, there was still many Berdan II's in storage and it saw itself employed by 2nd Line troops during World War one. Both sides of the Civil War (Reds and Whites) obtained many Berdan IIs. Once the war was over, the newly created Finnish Defence force was not interested in the obsolete Berdan and stored most but gave around 2,500 to the Suojeluskunta (Civic Guard, a Militia unit that gained infamy as the White Guard during the Civil War). The Civic Guard soon upgraded to the more modern Mosin-Nagant rifle versions. When the Winter War broke out in 1939, the Finnish army was short on many small arms and so the Berdan II saw service again, over 3,000 were issued (mainly to rear echelon and reserve troops) but these were replaced as soon as possible by more modern firearms. When World War two ended in 1945, the Finnish military started to scrap its stores of Berdan IIs, in 1955 the remaining 1,029 were sold off, many to surplus dealers abroad.<br />
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Laurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07571614034351063118noreply@blogger.com5