Thanks again!
Here a little recheking as promised, of Baltic Sea.
Once again, i will try focus on elements or details that have not been searched before, to prevent repetitions.
First of all there are two events (that may be rise interest-replies from our Finnish friends) about winter war.
On 18 January 1940 i've found an interesting description of Finnish armed icebreaker Tarmo having an encounter and opening fire against transport "Kazakstan" and armed icebreaker Jermak close Someri.
For what i've read however this encounter (and other attempts) didn't resulted in a true exchange of fire or some kind of effects.
(Tarmo was however bombed by aircrafts later)
Making a little check on the German translated KTB i've found for day 16 December 1939 a report that German steamer GINNHEIM was "shelled by Russians" when approaching the pilot station northeast Seskaer off Kronstadt
It's known what happened?
Moving forward in summer 1941, i had a little note about the Battle of Bengtskar on 26 July 1941. Because i found this (from Finnish side):
Soviet claims: up to 50 finns killed, 1 enemy watchboat sunk, one gunboat heavy damaged, 2 finnish aircraft shot down. Stated losses - 30 man + MO-238 (not PK).
While it's pretty much clear the loss of PK/MO 238 /306 (we've seen about the name change issue), and while it's clear that the "gunboat heavy damaged" was a soviet overclaim, i'm curious about the "enemy watchboat sunk".
It could be possible that the Finnish side had one of the small motor-cutter we've already seen earlier? (like the one lost in winter war by DD fire, and the one captured in Ladoga Lake)
Another little question more for Finnish users regards the attack on 30 September 1941 against Suursaari harbour by MTBs Nuoli and Sisu. (i don't think we have already discussed about it)
As we saw, apart the old claim of sinking a minesweeper, the only effective result was some minor splinter damages on submarine L-3 that returned fire. On that description however:
. According to Soviet sources, three torpedoes exploded as they hit the bottom of the anchorage at 20-30 meter distance from the sub, causing minor damages to the ship's mine tubes, while the fourth torpedo was crippled by a 45 mm shell fired from L 3 that hit the torpedo's motor section, so it stopped and sank - in order to be raised later by the Soviets. Finnish MTB´s escaped with some splinter damage.
Presence of splinter damages is mentioned in some Finnish KTBs?
Now, moving on the KTB (December 1941), we have....
at first some attempts of evaluations of Soviet losses from evacuation
Two own German losses by mines are:
On 2 December, minesweeper M-529 (i had already seen it listed on own German own field, and here it's further said).
On 4 December, German steamer ERICH FAULBAUM sank after detonation of Warnemuende.
I can say for sure of location sadly, but to me it seems a bit far from the L-3 minefield laid in German waters.
A little detail of fields in Kolber it's a report that say that on 8 December Germans had swept 407 mines of the field, 14 were already exploded or salvaged, 29 were still unaccounted.
On 16 December there is an interesting list of all the losses suffered so far by Germans in Baltic:
"1 sub
4 minelayers (3 on swedish mines)
2 PTboats
5 minesweepers (3 by explosion in Helsinki)
5 aux.mines (3 fishing vessels, 2 luggers)
2 coast patrol vessels
2 submarine chasers
2 minelayers lost while sweeping own german mines off Kolberg
Torpedo depot boat MOSEL lost in the mine field off windau
A number of minelayers and minesweepers were damaged by bomb and mine hits
Cattle ship DELPHIN (255 GRT) sunk in Kiel Bay, hit mine
"
I admit that i've not made a double check of the numbers of minesweepers lost, will do it later.
Very last entry it's
23 december
Steamer EGERAN that sunk on 23 November was the fourth vessel lost in the Memel harbor mine field
from description it appears to be Germans believe it was an own mine.
However it's just another of the many ships lost on mines in that period that i plan to write some generic questions on tsushima.net
