Finnish "suicide company"?

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anttii
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#16

Post by anttii » 14 Jul 2003, 09:36

I think the men who were at Petäjäsaari had quite an suicide mission. Only 8-10 men of the 149 got alive out of there. Russians shot there about 100 000 artillery rounds on 6.4 1940. The island (Maksimansaari, Petäjäsaari, Vuoratsu, putkisaari) had been under heavy pressure for two months.
(Unohdettujen Rintama - Lauri Immonen)

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Ike_FI
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#17

Post by Ike_FI » 19 Jul 2003, 02:47

anttii wrote:I think the men who were at Petäjäsaari had quite an suicide mission. Only 8-10 men of the 149 got alive out of there. Russians shot there about 100 000 artillery rounds on 6.4 1940. The island (Maksimansaari, Petäjäsaari, Vuoratsu, putkisaari) had been under heavy pressure for two months.
You must mean 6.3.1940, a week before the Winter War ended.
I'm quite interested about the case since one of my relatives (not very close one) quite miraculously survived out from Petäjäsaari after being wounded two times.

No doubt that the men on those islands faced an impossible task and a very little chance of getting out alive while the unevitable happened. It has been said that the whole idea of trying to keep the island should have been abandoned when it had become obvious that a heavy enemy assault is to begin within the following 24 hours and there's not any meaningful number of troops, let alone heavy weapons, to throw it back. Back then there were of course only bad alternatives available and maybe some people at higher command either consider this being just another rather critical but not completely hopeless case among the others or even hoped to see yet another 'miracle victory' in repulse.


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Hanski
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#18

Post by Hanski » 19 Jul 2003, 15:12

...or was it considered necessary for buying time by delaying the enemy, to sacrifice a smaller troop to save a larger one? We would need to know the bigger picture to put it in the right context.

Hanski

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Ike_FI
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#19

Post by Ike_FI » 08 Aug 2003, 21:28

Regarding the last message of mine, some map scans (originally published in "Kansa Taisteli" magazine, 3/1978 issue , which my grandfather archived due to previously mentioned family relation).

If there's need for traslation, just ask, but I assume most you see is quite self-explanatory.
Attachments
ladoga3.jpg
Defense positions at Petäjäsaari
ladoga3.jpg (35.09 KiB) Viewed 1800 times
ladoga2.jpg
Closeup of the islands at the entrance to the "bulge"
ladoga2.jpg (47.11 KiB) Viewed 1800 times
ladoga1.jpg
The "bulge" of encircled Soviet 168.D on the northern shore of Lake Ladoga
ladoga1.jpg (56.38 KiB) Viewed 1800 times

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Topspeed
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#20

Post by Topspeed » 01 Sep 2004, 11:30

Hi !

Could this topic be placed where it should be ?

JT

MemoryOfFinnishCampaign
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Re: Finnish "suicide company"?

#21

Post by MemoryOfFinnishCampaign » 09 Jun 2010, 10:56

Yesterday came program on TV 2 ("Viimeiseen mieheen") about that battle.
Nearly 50 men from Rantasalmi municipality died in one day 6.3.1940 in this battle on Petäjäsaari.
I'm from Northern Finland. It said in program that one companie from Northern Finland defended on Maksimansaari (that unit came from Suomussalmi front). So, do you know which that unit from Northern Finland was?
Was it one companie of Er.P 16 or one unit of 9.D?

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John Hilly
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Re: Finnish "suicide company"?

#22

Post by John Hilly » 09 Jun 2010, 13:27

There was JR 64, commanded by Lt.Col. Uno Fagernäs. It was transferred from Suomussalmi-front.
But its men were "...mixed civilian-clothed men. The troop was called the Collection regiment..." when it was formed on 18.12.39 in Kemi.
According to Siilasvuo the men were reservists from Tampere, Seinäjoki and Kokkola regions, and new recruits from Suomen Valkoinen Kaarti and Pohjan Rykmentti. (Kulju, Raatteen tie)

I also saw the program and a northern unit was mentioned, but I just don't remeber which it was.
The order was "to keep Petäjäsaari to the last man"! 8O

Regards
J-P
"Die Blechtrommel trommelt noch!"

MemoryOfFinnishCampaign
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Re: Finnish "suicide company"?

#23

Post by MemoryOfFinnishCampaign » 09 Jun 2010, 13:32

Thanks for reply.
Er.P 16 fought in Suomussalmi front from begin to end of the war. It consisted reservists from Kuusamo and Salla. But there was no even one companie from that unit in Pitkäranta pelacos battle?
In the program was mentioned one companie from Peräpohjola (Lapin lääni).

Because JR 64 was formed in Kemi, there is misunderstanding, that men of the unit were from Lapland.

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