Juha Hujanen wrote: ↑16 Jun 2002 15:33
Finnish casualties between 15.6.41-31.5.45.(inclued casualties from fights against Germans)
60901 killed
7147 mia
147957 wounted
We should never be confused with numbers of KIA (killed in action) to those of "killed" (which is not very good description). For units soldier was lost only by KIA or WIA (wounded in action) or MIA (missing in action). Then there were non-combat casualties too but that's another story. Many books are harmfully giving numbers of deceased (or killed) soldiers and then wounded which are - as i understand things - double counting soldiers who wounded and then DOWs. (died 0n wounds). 60,901 Finnish soldiers didn't killed in action even with counting those during in war against Germany forces. According database of deceased Finnish soldiers during Continuation War (21 June 1941 - 5 Sept 1944):
KIA.......................................38,750 (34,466 cases body was evacuated)
DOW....................................13,347
MIA confirmed death.............3,509
Died in captivity........................658 (one source: 1,388*) reducing those of MIA confirmed death, and even KIA)
Non-battle deaths..................9,975 (there are cases where actually some of them were KIA but not many)
There is also important number of released POWs in late 1944, early 1945 and few dozens later: 1,938. There is also number of wounded 161,217 but that might have also those wounded in war against Germans. Putting together KIA, MIA deaths, died in captivity, released POWs and wounded (161,217) the Finnish combat losses have been 206,072. Some other sources are claiming WIA have been 157,000-158,000 making combat losses from 201,855-206,072.
*) Source Timo Malmi: "Finnish Prisoners of War in Soviet Union"
Source: Decased Finnish Soldiers:
http://kronos.narc.fi/menehtyneet/
"Military history is nothing but a tissue of fictions and legends, only a form of literary invention; reality counts for very little in such affair."
- Gaston de Pawlowski, Dans les rides du front