The official AHF Winter & Continuation War quiz thread

[JTV]

Luurankotakki and hurmahousut? (skeleton jacket and...charm trousers)

Regards, Juha

Congratulations, that answer is 100 % correct . The particular uniform is Finnish cavalry dress uniform m/22 (as model of year 1922). The jacket of this uniform was commonly known as "luurankotakki" ("skeleton jacket") due to decorative pattern in chest, which visually somewhat resembled rib cage. The pants seem to have had two slighly varying nicknames - "hurmahousut" and "hurmehousut". "Hurmahousut" ("charm pants") likely referred to the effect of this uniform and its colourful pants to ladies (other Finnish Army units just wore dull gray). "Hurmehousut" ("blood pants") on the other hand most likely referred to colour of the pants (red with yellow stripes on their sides). The particular soldier also has Finnish cavalry sword (French light cavalry sabre m/1877 Finland acquired from France year 1919).

Over to you Juha.

Jarkko

[Juha Tompuri]

Thanks Jarkko,

Here a new question, name the title( I'll might also accept name) of the persons during(at least) the Continuation War had "in their posession" cars with the following licence plates: SA 1, SA 2 and SA 3.
In other words, who "drove" SA 1, who SA 2 and who SA 3 ?

Regards, Juha

P.S. SA = Suomen Armeija = Finnish Army (~ Finnish Defence Forces)

[Janne]

SA-1: marshall Mannerheim, supreme commander (usually a Packard, but IIRC two or maybe even three other cars bore the same number plate simultaneously, usually driven by sergeant(?) Kauko Ranta)

SA-3: general Heinrichs, chief of general staff (first a Buick, then a Packard)

SA-2: general Walden, minister of defense (no idea)

(The last is just an educated guess; AFAIK the minister is the second in rank in these matters:)

[Juha Tompuri]

The last is just an educated guess

Well guessed
Correct on all persons.
My source to this question was Heinrichsin Adjutanttina (As an Adjutant of Heinrichs) by Erkki Sutela.
(According to Sutela, before the Packard, Heinrichs had a Cadillac)

Over to you, Janne

Regards, Juha

[Janne]

I know that the techies and the gun and ammo nerds out there probably hate these biographical questions, but this was sparked off by the previous question:

What do the two generals, Walden and Heinrichs, have in common?

[Mikko H.]

Both lost a son in the war.

[Janne]

That was quick! Martin Heinrichs was killed in March 1943, Lauri Walden went missing in June 1944 (his older brother had died earlier in an accident).

Ten other generals, including Laatikainen, Österman, Ravila, Palojärvi, Sihvo and Winell, also lost a son, as did president Ryti.

A new question, please!

[Mikko H.]

This should be easy one.

Who, what, when?

"Now, boys!" ("Nyt, pojat!")

(And Ravila's last wartime rank was eversti)

[Janne]

You're, or course, correct: Ravila was promoted to general well after the war.

I have a vague feeling I *should* know the answer, but my memory draws a blank: it is a divisional or regimental commander of some fame issuing a succinct order to his troops in the summer of 1941, isn't it? And wasn't it said in dialect: "Nyt, poijjaat!?

[Mikko H.]

You are on right track... hint: VII Army Corps.

[Mikko H.]

'Who' was kenraalimajuri Woldemar Hägglund.

[Janne]

Hmmm, I didn't look high enogh...this is getting embarrassing: I know I should know, or I should at least know where to look for something that I know I've once read about! But I don't!

Svensson and Hannuksela commanded Hägglund's divisions - and Paalu and Heiskanen for a short while (which I believe falls out of the timeframe here) - NW of Laatokka, but the answer continues to elude me...

[Esa K]

This went hard to crack for me too, it sounds so familiar, but..???

Mikko H., maybe a further small hint...

Best regards

Esa K

[Mikko H.]

Further hint? Well, Janne was correct surmising this dates from summer 1941.

[Esa K]

"Now, boys!" ("Nyt, pojat!") was generalmajor W. Hägglunds first order to his Army Corp, VII AC, in july 1941 to start the attack into Eastern Karelia. He was apparently known to allways give short and clear orders!


Best regards

Esa K