The official AHF Winter & Continuation War quiz thread

[John Hilly]

Absolutely correct answer Karelia.
It is difficult to find pictures of M 39 Kevyt Puku - Light tunic, with the original collar.

Photo: Huuto.net

Kevyt takki m 39.jpg (198.38 KiB) Viewed 2509 times

Your turn next!

With best, J-P

[Karelia]

Nice tunic! One learns something new here all the time.

This might be far too easy...:

Mannerheim is famous for having had his shots - and demanding others to have theirs too - to the rim. Why?

[Karelia]

"Why" meaning why he had such a habbit, not why he was famous for it.

[Panssari Salama]

I once (like ten years ago) had a chance to enjoy a dinner "Mannerheim style" at Marskin metsästysmaja (Mannerheim's hunting cabin).

Everything including the dinner protocol was authentic, or so they ensured. This included a full dinner menu with accompanying drinks, from starters to desert. Included was also "marskin malja", ie the shot filled to the brink of the glass. We were at the time informed, that one shot was the standard, but if there was cause for special celebration, it was possible to have a dedicated shot for each of the "special celebrations" that were on the agenda.

I only had one shot, I only had like one glass of each wine per menu, but I recall I was if not quite drunk as a heathen (as the Finnish saying goes), well certainly under the influence. We said at the time that it seems, unfortunately, that we don't have what it takes to be a cavalry officer and a gentleman

So it was Tsarist cavalry habit to have allocations of shots per day, and since it was calculated not as a certain volume of alcohol, but on no of glasses instead, the common habit of the young officers was to require the glasses were indeed filled to the brink.

[Karelia]

Perfect answer indeed! I should have known it was way too easy...

Over to you, Panssari Salama!

[Panssari Salama]

I should have known it was way too easy...

Quite the opposite, it is nice to have once and a while questions that mere mortals can answer as well

Here we go then:

To cross a large river by force is not a small feast at all.

For instance, the battle for Vuoksi bridgehead both in March 1940 and July 1944 saw some very bitter fighting, with the Finnish side at the end still unable to stop RKKA to cross the river in force.

Question: which of the battles for Vuoksi bridgehead caused the least casualties (KIA, MIA, WIA) for the Finnish side, and for what reason?

[John Hilly]

Do you mean Finnish crossing at Hopeasalmi in 1941?
Reason for almost non existing losses was a total surprise to the Soviets.

With best, J-P

[Panssari Salama]

Do you mean Finnish crossing at Hopeasalmi in 1941?
Reason for almost non existing losses was a total surprise to the Soviets.

With best, J-P

I tried to confuse things a bit with my narrative, as the events at the end of both Winter War and Continuation War are well known, but this is indeed the correct answer.

During the night between 17. and 18. of August 1941, Colonel Pajari ordered the 27th Infantry Regiment to cross Vuoksi at Hopeasalmi, and not by the main road at Vuosalmi and Äyräpää. The night action was succesful, and the whole regiment was able to cross the river unknown to enemy.


Ranta mistä lähdettiin ylittämään. / Beach where the crossing started from. Hopeasalmi 1941.08.18
(c) SA-Kuva.fi

Over to you

[John Hilly]

Thanks "Salama". I somehow sniffed there was something else in question than comparing the losses of 1940 and 1944.
A collar patch question again. (I hope not "Lord, not again" )

Exactly who used these collar patces?

patces.jpg (43.31 KiB) Viewed 2299 times

With best, J-P

[Aleksander P]

Thanks "Salama". I somehow sniffed there was something else in question than comparing the losses of 1940 and 1944.
A collar patch question again. (I hope not "Lord, not again" )

Exactly who used these collar patces?

patces.jpg

With best, J-P

Worn by theology graduates? Military chaplains had wreaths around the cross.

[John Hilly]

Worn by theology graduates? Military chaplains had wreaths around the cross.

Correct! As a bonus could you give us information of the colours of these patches?

With best, J-P

[Aleksander P]

Worn by theology graduates? Military chaplains had wreaths around the cross.

Correct! As a bonus could you give us information of the colours of these patches?

With best, J-P

The colors on the purple/white collar tab were used for priests before 1941. After that they switched to black/white collar tabs.

The red/black artillery collar tab was meant for officers because of the spruce tree pattern on the edge, so the owner was an officer at an artillery unit. One priest told his eyewitness accounts of the summer of 1944 and told that he had his normal officer uniform and one with the chaplains insignia.

[John Hilly]

The red/black artillery collar tab was meant for officers because of the spruce tree pattern on the edge, so the owner was an officer at an artillery unit. One priest told his eyewitness accounts of the summer of 1944 and told that he had his normal officer uniform and one with the chaplains insignia.

Yes. This teologhy graduate must have been a junior reserve artillery officer and has replaced his heraldic rose(s) with the chaplains' cross.

Photo source: Marko Palokangas, Itsenäisen Suomen sotilasarvot ja -arvomerkit - Military Ranks and Rank Badges of Independent Finland.
Apali Oy. Hämeenlinna 2000

Over to you Alexander!

With best, J-P

[Aleksander P]

Thanks.

This Soviet locomotive was often photographed by Finnish soldiers during the early stages of the Continuation War - identify the approximate location of it. Note that it supposedly destroyed by a German Stuka.

[Karelia]

Near Kiestinki by the "locomotive brook"?

http://www.sotahistoriallisetkohteet.fi ... 9/area/120