The official AHF Winter & Continuation War quiz thread

[John Hilly]

An emblem of which unit?



Juha-Pekka

[John Hilly]

Hint:
Some of the planes lacked the wisps of clouds under the maiden image.

Greets
Juha-Pekka

[Juha Tompuri]

2/LeLv 16 ?
http://www.sci.fi/~ambush/faf/fafincolor.html

Regards, Juha

[John Hilly]

Correct!
Too easy, yeah?
Your turn, Juha.
With best from almost another
Juha-Pekka

[Juha Tompuri]

Thanks for an interesting question.
Here a new one, name the weapon:

Regards, Juha Pekka

[Jagala]

The bipod would make it a light machine gun/squad automatic weapon or an anti-tank rifle, but I don't think it is of Finnish manufacture...

[Juha Tompuri]

The bipod would make it a light machine gun/squad automatic weapon or an anti-tank rifle

Correct.

I don't think it is of Finnish manufacture...

Correct.

Regards, Juha

[Jagala]

Is there perhaps a part missing?

[Juha Tompuri]

Is there perhaps a part missing?

In addition to the apparently missing bolt/rivet, replaced by a wire and the effects of salt water, not that much AFAIK.
Here a nearly similar example (at the background)
Note the different bipod placing.


Regards, Juha

[JTV]

20 mm pst kiv/18-S antitank-rifle aka Solothurn S 18 - 100 aka Solothurn S 18 - 154.

Finnish military had only dozen of these Swiss-manufactured antitank-rifles and unfortunately the one shown in Juha-Pekka's photo seems to be the only one still remaining in Finland. It is in collection of Museum of Hanko Front (Hangon Rintamamuseo). After Winter War the Soviets got Hanko/Hango peninsula as their naval base and once Finnish - Soviet Continuation War started in summer of 1941 Finnish troops sieged the Soviet base. Both sides had spent considerable effort to build fortifications and the Soviet troops and equipment tied into defending the base were off from other more important fronts, so the Finns never bothered to lauch large-scale attack to the peninsula. Finally in December of 1941 the sieged Soviet troops were pulled off by sea and grand majority of them succeeded getting to Leningrad, which at the time was in desperate need of more trained soldiers and equipment.

What I remember damage on that antitank-rifle is not due to salt water. According article published when it was discovered from the former battlefield some years back, it had been lost during an patrol action in the land front in 1941 and left behind in the battlefield. Basically one of the veterans who had been in that patrol showed the place where they left it and after some digging what remains of the antitank-rifle was found. The weapon has some battle damage, parts missing and its completely covered in rust - which is why I have not place any of its photos it to my website.

Jarkko

[Juha Tompuri]

Yep, a 20mm Solothurn S 18 - 154 from Hanko Front museum it is.
One of the 13 Solothurns (IIRC one was of a different subtype?)

What I remember damage on that antitank-rifle is not due to salt water. According article published when it was discovered from the former battlefield some years back, it had been lost during an patrol action in the land front in 1941 and left behind in the battlefield. Basically one of the veterans who had been in that patrol showed the place where they left it and after some digging what remains of the antitank-rifle was found. The weapon has some battle damage, parts missing and its completely covered in rust - which is why I have not place any of its photos it to my website.

Yes, I seem to have remembered wrong here.
Thanks for the correction.
Photos are from my own collection and from here:
http://www.primeportal.net/armory/yuri_ ... _at_rifle/

Your turn next

[JTV]

Thanks Juha. You are correct about the prototype bought in August of 1939 - it was S 18-1000. The dozen Solothurn antitank-rifles bought during the war were S 18-154 version, which was further development of S 18-100. Additional S 18-1100 prototype was bought in year 1942. It's unclear if S 18-1000 or S 18-1100 was ever issued to combat use during the war - they used 20 mm x 138B (Solothurn long) ammunition, while the dozen S 18-154 used 20 mm x 105B (Solothurn short).

Next question: Attached is photo of a building, which has important place in history of Finnish officer training. What used to be the name of this building?

Jarkko

[Jagala]

Markovilla, in Viipuri. Reserve officer school 1918-1920.

(The car and especially the fence immediately suggested a location outside Finland today...)

[JTV]

Markovilla, in Viipuri. Reserve officer school 1918-1920.

(The car and especially the fence immediately suggested a location outside Finland today...)

Correct. The building is indeed Markovilla in outskirts of Viipuri/Wiborg/Viburg and in 1918 - 1920 it was used as Reserve Officer School of Finnish Armed Forces (and also as "Kapitulanttikoulu" for training NCO). Year 1920 Reserve Officer School moved to Hamina. At least when I took the photo in year 2008 the building was used a sanitorium of some sort.

BTW: I didn't pick this photo at random - I thought that especially car (Lada/Tsiguli) provided rather good hint about the country where the photo had been taken.

Over to you Jagala...

Jarkko

[Jagala]

In March 1943 Lieutenant Helenius was found guilty in a court-martial for something that had taken place in July 1942. He received an eight-month penitentiary service. What was his offense?