On the right flank in the VT line Vammelsuu is concrete construction. Supposedly a haven for the spotlight. (in Figure 7)
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To which the coastal Battery, it can refer to?
Nearby are two pit under Soviet casemate gun L-17 (76LK02). (in figure 1 and 2)
And bunker, built in 1943 (in Figure 3, 4, 5)
Inspection schemes drawn up after the war:
http://www.kaponir.ru/5fin/lib/01/04.jpg
http://www.kaponir.ru/5fin/lib/03/04.jpg
http://www.kaponir.ru/5fin/lib/02/01.jpg
VT line. Appointment of buildings?
VT line. Appointment of buildings?
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Re: VT line. Appointment of buildings?
Hi. It seems I visited the same the same in summer of 2008 as part of a Finnish tour which was going throught the battles of Cavalry Brigade in Carelian Isthmus in 1944. The coastal artillery search light shelter was an unexpected find to us and we only later found out its purpose. I went throught some books and it seems quite difficult to say for sure for which coastal battery it was build for. But here is what I could find.
When Finnish troops re-captured Carelian Ishtmus in 1941, Finnish coastal artillery re-created coastal fortification system to this area. However the coastal forts built 1941 - 1942 seem to have been field fortified and didn't contain other concrete fortifications than those which had possibly survived from Winter War. Only real notable exception to this seems to have been Kellomäki coastal battery (3 x 254-mm gun), building of which started January of 1941 and possibly also Jukkala coastal battery (3 x 152-mm Canet gun) about 15 km west from Ino. HQ of Finnish Navy (to which coastal artillery belonged) didn't come up with plans for fortifying Baltic Sea coast in Carelian Isthmus until October of 1943.
It might be worth noting that Kellomäki coastal fort was built for purpose of shelling Soviet coastal batteries, which were in Kronstadt.
Suomen Linnoittamisen History (History of Fortifying Finland) 1918 - 1944 by R. Arimo contains information about this rather extensive plan. In page 477 it lists all fortifications listed in this plan. These include 7 search light stations - all of them to be built from concrete. The total number of concrete fortifications listed in the plan is 109 - which in addition of mentioned search light stations include 23 gun positions, 40 shelters, 12 forward observation bunkers, 25 machinegun bunkers and 2 anti-aircraft gun positions. The plan also includes much larger number of field-fortified (wood and soil) fortifications - 11 gun positions, 74 dugouts, 105 machinegun posts, 23 antitank-gun positions, 12 mortar positions and 20 anti-aircraft gun positions. The plan required digging 15.7 km of trenches, building 64.1 km of barb-wire obstacles and 3.0 km of anti-tank stone obstacles. The plan included coastal forts to Ino, Puumala, Jukkola, Seivästö, Kyrönsalmi and Saarenpää. Smaller (about platoon-size) bases were to be built in between these and these bases were to act was measuring and forward observation points for the coastal artillery batteries. Due to late planning and limited resources, very little of these planned coastal fortifications were actually built by summer of 1944.
According page 484 of the same book 24th of January 1944 Coastal Artillery Regiment 2 (which was resposible of coastal defence of eastern parts of Gulf of Finland) had following coastal forts:
- Kellomäki: 3 x 254-mm coastal gun
- Ino: 2 x 57-mm Hotckiss coastal gun
- Inonniemi: 4 x 75 K/17 field gun
- Puumala: 4 x 152-mm Canet coastal gun
- Jukkola: 3 x 152-mm Canet coastal gun
- Laivastoniemi: 4 x 75 K/17 field gun
- Seivästö: 4 x 152-mm Canet coastal gun
- Kyrönniemi: 2 x 75-mm Canet coastal gun
- Saarenpää: 3 x 152 mm coastal gun, 2 x 152-mm Canet, 4 x 75-mm Canet, 6 x 75 K/17, two batteries of 47-mm guns and 5 x 45-mm gun.
- Tuppura: 2 x 57-mm Nordenfelt, 2 x 47-mm Obuhov
- Ruonti: 2 x 75-mm Canet, 1 x 47-mm Obuhov
Those heavy batteries close enough to use information gathered with help of search lights would have included possibly at least Kellomäki and Jukkola (apparently near Anttanala village in Uusikirkko municipality), possibly also Seivästö battery (Seivästö apparently being in Kuolemajärvi municipality). Also village of Puumala/Puumola/Himottula was apparently in municipality of Kuolemajärvi, but I have not succeeded locating it more accurately.
Maps:
- Kuolemajärvi: http://www.luovutettukarjala.fi/pitajat ... rvkart.htm
- Uusikirkko: http://www.luovutettukarjala.fi/pitajat ... onkart.htm
- Terijoki: http://www.luovutettukarjala.fi/pitajat ... enkart.htm
It is also worth noting that there were number of mobile coastal artillery units operating in this area. 24th of January 1944 these included:
- Heavy Motorized Coastal Artillery Battery in Joenkylä/Osetrovo (in Uusikirkko) with 4 x 152 H/37 howitzer.
- 1st Railway Artillery Battery near Anttanala with 4 x 180-mm railway gun.
According Suomen Rannikkotykistö (Finnish Coastal Artillery) 1918 - 1958 page 275 two motorized units of Coastal Artillery Regiment 2 supported VT-line in Ino - Vammelsuu area in June of 1944. These units which arrived to area of Ino village in 11th of June were 1st Heavy Motorized Coastal Artillery Battery and 2nd Motorized Light Coastal Artillery Battery. The provided fire support to Cavalry Brigade in this area. Also 1st Railway Artillery Battery took part in following battles in this general area.
Jarkko
When Finnish troops re-captured Carelian Ishtmus in 1941, Finnish coastal artillery re-created coastal fortification system to this area. However the coastal forts built 1941 - 1942 seem to have been field fortified and didn't contain other concrete fortifications than those which had possibly survived from Winter War. Only real notable exception to this seems to have been Kellomäki coastal battery (3 x 254-mm gun), building of which started January of 1941 and possibly also Jukkala coastal battery (3 x 152-mm Canet gun) about 15 km west from Ino. HQ of Finnish Navy (to which coastal artillery belonged) didn't come up with plans for fortifying Baltic Sea coast in Carelian Isthmus until October of 1943.
It might be worth noting that Kellomäki coastal fort was built for purpose of shelling Soviet coastal batteries, which were in Kronstadt.
Suomen Linnoittamisen History (History of Fortifying Finland) 1918 - 1944 by R. Arimo contains information about this rather extensive plan. In page 477 it lists all fortifications listed in this plan. These include 7 search light stations - all of them to be built from concrete. The total number of concrete fortifications listed in the plan is 109 - which in addition of mentioned search light stations include 23 gun positions, 40 shelters, 12 forward observation bunkers, 25 machinegun bunkers and 2 anti-aircraft gun positions. The plan also includes much larger number of field-fortified (wood and soil) fortifications - 11 gun positions, 74 dugouts, 105 machinegun posts, 23 antitank-gun positions, 12 mortar positions and 20 anti-aircraft gun positions. The plan required digging 15.7 km of trenches, building 64.1 km of barb-wire obstacles and 3.0 km of anti-tank stone obstacles. The plan included coastal forts to Ino, Puumala, Jukkola, Seivästö, Kyrönsalmi and Saarenpää. Smaller (about platoon-size) bases were to be built in between these and these bases were to act was measuring and forward observation points for the coastal artillery batteries. Due to late planning and limited resources, very little of these planned coastal fortifications were actually built by summer of 1944.
According page 484 of the same book 24th of January 1944 Coastal Artillery Regiment 2 (which was resposible of coastal defence of eastern parts of Gulf of Finland) had following coastal forts:
- Kellomäki: 3 x 254-mm coastal gun
- Ino: 2 x 57-mm Hotckiss coastal gun
- Inonniemi: 4 x 75 K/17 field gun
- Puumala: 4 x 152-mm Canet coastal gun
- Jukkola: 3 x 152-mm Canet coastal gun
- Laivastoniemi: 4 x 75 K/17 field gun
- Seivästö: 4 x 152-mm Canet coastal gun
- Kyrönniemi: 2 x 75-mm Canet coastal gun
- Saarenpää: 3 x 152 mm coastal gun, 2 x 152-mm Canet, 4 x 75-mm Canet, 6 x 75 K/17, two batteries of 47-mm guns and 5 x 45-mm gun.
- Tuppura: 2 x 57-mm Nordenfelt, 2 x 47-mm Obuhov
- Ruonti: 2 x 75-mm Canet, 1 x 47-mm Obuhov
Those heavy batteries close enough to use information gathered with help of search lights would have included possibly at least Kellomäki and Jukkola (apparently near Anttanala village in Uusikirkko municipality), possibly also Seivästö battery (Seivästö apparently being in Kuolemajärvi municipality). Also village of Puumala/Puumola/Himottula was apparently in municipality of Kuolemajärvi, but I have not succeeded locating it more accurately.
Maps:
- Kuolemajärvi: http://www.luovutettukarjala.fi/pitajat ... rvkart.htm
- Uusikirkko: http://www.luovutettukarjala.fi/pitajat ... onkart.htm
- Terijoki: http://www.luovutettukarjala.fi/pitajat ... enkart.htm
It is also worth noting that there were number of mobile coastal artillery units operating in this area. 24th of January 1944 these included:
- Heavy Motorized Coastal Artillery Battery in Joenkylä/Osetrovo (in Uusikirkko) with 4 x 152 H/37 howitzer.
- 1st Railway Artillery Battery near Anttanala with 4 x 180-mm railway gun.
According Suomen Rannikkotykistö (Finnish Coastal Artillery) 1918 - 1958 page 275 two motorized units of Coastal Artillery Regiment 2 supported VT-line in Ino - Vammelsuu area in June of 1944. These units which arrived to area of Ino village in 11th of June were 1st Heavy Motorized Coastal Artillery Battery and 2nd Motorized Light Coastal Artillery Battery. The provided fire support to Cavalry Brigade in this area. Also 1st Railway Artillery Battery took part in following battles in this general area.
Jarkko
Re: VT line. Appointment of buildings?
I guess that it is a mistake: in 1944 Saarenpaa battery had 3x 254/45-D instead of "3x152 mm costal gun" ( Reino Arimo wrote 3/254/45-C, but I do not know why)
Anyway, great thanks for the information!
Battery Jukkola is very strange in my opinion.
At the moment I found only two guns positions (concrete basements of 152/45-C) at the distance of abt.8 km apart - too long for control of fire, I think.
Anyway, great thanks for the information!
Battery Jukkola is very strange in my opinion.
At the moment I found only two guns positions (concrete basements of 152/45-C) at the distance of abt.8 km apart - too long for control of fire, I think.
Re: VT line. Appointment of buildings?
You are correct, I checked the book and apparently I made a mistake while listing the guns of Saarenpää fort. Indeed, it had 3 x 254 mm gun instead of "3 x 152 mm".olegb wrote:I guess that it is a mistake: in 1944 Saarenpaa battery had 3x 254/45-D instead of "3x152 mm costal gun" ( Reino Arimo wrote 3/254/45-C, but I do not know why)
Anyway, great thanks for the information!
Battery Jukkola is very strange in my opinion.
At the moment I found only two guns positions (concrete basements of 152/45-C) at the distance of abt.8 km apart - too long for control of fire, I think.
8 km is way too much for guns of the same coastal battery. Could be that the Jukkola battery didn't have concrete gun pits, but had its guns on wooden platforms?
Jarkko
Re: VT line. Appointment of buildings?
Hi everyone!
Could you please identify the building, marked by arrow on the map (Vammelsuu, VT-line). Similar marks are on the maps of Ladoga and Onega coasts and they are close to coastal artillery positions. Thanks in advance.
Could you please identify the building, marked by arrow on the map (Vammelsuu, VT-line). Similar marks are on the maps of Ladoga and Onega coasts and they are close to coastal artillery positions. Thanks in advance.