Winter War: ground attacks of Soviet fighters?

[durb]

From the the history of Finnish Air Force I know quite well the the ground attack operations of Finnish fighter force particularly at Viipurinlahti (Vyborg bay) during the last weeks of Winter War - they are well documented in Finnish sources and vividly described in memoirs of Finnish pilots (the only missing part being the Soviet description of these attacks).

The opposite side of the coin is less known to me: ground attacks of Soviet fighters against Finnish ground troops and traffic. Soviet fighter regiments (IAP) had planes particularly suited for ground attack operations (I-16P, I-16 types 17 and 27). Risto Pajari describes in his book Talvisota Ilmassa (Winter War in air, WSOY 1971) that the ground attack activity of Soviet IAP´s on February 1940 was highly disturbing near front lines: "At the battlefront areas enemy fighters attacked more deep to our rear and caused troubles specially to traffic. By mid February fighters attacked all traffic even during the night so that cars and lorries had to drive without lights turned on. During the daytime it was often impossible to warm the houses, because the smoke coming from chimney could be enough to attract the attack of fighters."

This gives an impression of "air terror", which must have been very disturbing for Finnish ground troops. However I do not remember to have read much about these attacks or seen estimates how many casualties (dead, wounded) the strafing attacks of Soviet IAP may have caused.

I wonder also what was the damage level to Finnish transport and traffic infrastructure - how often Soviet fighters attacked and strafed trains during Winter War? Were also civilian passenger trains attacked? How many Finnish locomotives were destroyed or damaged due to strafing attacks of Soviet fighters? How seriously did it affect traffic and transport capacity?

Here some Soviet Winter War ground attack claims:
19 IAP claimed 61 locomotives destroyed and 32 trains destroyed. I remember to have read also about another IAP operating over Karelian Isthmus and claiming to have destroyed 21 Finnish locomotives. Exaggerated claims?

[Mangrove]

I wonder also what was the damage level to Finnish transport and traffic infrastructure - how often Soviet fighters attacked and strafed trains during Winter War? Were also civilian passenger trains attacked? How many Finnish locomotives were destroyed or damaged due to strafing attacks of Soviet fighters? How seriously did it affect traffic and transport capacity?

Päämaja - Rautatietoimisto. I have not included such cases where bombers were also participants.

12 January 1940. Johannes. Fighters(?) strafed locomotive N:o 672. Boiler was damaged along with a water tank in the tender.

1 February 1940. Jaakkima. Fighters(?) strafed hospital train N:o 23. A single window was broken.
6 February 1940. Rovaniemi. Fighters(?) strafed hospital train N:o 5. Some windows were broken and some died.
20 February 1940. Jeppas. Fighters(?) strafed passenger train N:o 320. 1 WIA.
27 February 1940. Jormua & Härmänmäki. Fighters(?) strafed empty railroad cars.
29 February 1940. Tähtelä. Fighters(?) strafed train N:o 301. Minor damages to the cars.

10 March 1940. Alho. Three fighters strafed a passenger train. 1 KIA, 1 WIA.
10 March 1940. Käkisalmi. Fighters strafed a locomotive. 1 KIA.

It seems the tipping point in the number of strafing attacks was start of the Soviet offensive in mid-February 1940. However, the effect of Soviet bombers was much greater than strafing attacks, but both were unable to effect Finnish troop movements or supply since almost all damage caused to the rails were repaired in matter of hours. More people died and were wounded in train accidents (e.g. Turenki accident with 39 KIA and 69 WIA) than due to bombing or strafing of trains.

[St.George]

Five years ago at the 70 years anniversary of the Winter war, YLE put up some wartime reports from the front line reporters, one of this broadcast was by Swedish speaking reporter who broadcast during an Soviet fighter attack near the front line. You can clearly hear the fighter engine in the background. The reporter refers to the Soviet fighter as "jagare". The attack seams to be very ineffective BTW.

I not able to find this clip any longer, maybe they put it up again in a few months time.

[Mangrove]

You can clearly hear the fighter engine in the background. The reporter refers to the Soviet fighter as "jagare". The attack seams to be very ineffective BTW.

I am only aware of one such recording, in Finnish. - "Lentohyökkäys" (06:27 onwards).

According to the diary of the Erillinen Pataljoona 17, two aeroplanes (Polikarpov I-15bis?) strafed and dropped bombs at 10.30 a.m. on 21 January 1940. One Finn was wounded (Alik. Niemelä mentioned on the clip?).

The recording of the attack was probably first broadcasted on 23 January 1940.

[iFive]

Here it is:

http://svenska.yle.fi/arkivet/artikkeli ... edia=64906

Chose the file called "14.02.1940 Karelskanäset" The report is in Swedish, the interesting thing is a duel between two Soviet Fighter's and a battery of Finnish AA machineguns. And you can hear the engines , bombs explosion and AA mg fire.