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Catching a POW at Onihmajärvi
Journal “Kansa Taisteli” 08. 1962
Wilderness war at the Rukajärvi front section.
In the early summer of 1943 as the Russians attempted to launch a kind of spring offensive, the main objective of their most furious attack was the “Pallo” stronghold. To find out about the objective of the attacker patrols had been sent out to catch POWs from the enemy side but without success.
The intelligence officer of 14.D then tasked the Divisional Long-range patrol outfit to get a prisoner, the author being at the time the CO of that outfit. According to the issued order a POW was to be taken from the Russian main supply road running from Rukajärvi to Jeljär-vi, then on to the Murmansk railroad.
The actual spot was to be found in the terrain between Onihmajärvi lake and Jeljärvi village because the area W of Onihmajärvi was occupied by an enemy marine brigade while there was a heavily secured supply depot in Jeljärvi. There was no choice.
On the 6th June I briefed my detachment (1 + 4 + 30) on the task at hand and distributed rations for four days. We moved from our base to the front line at Ondajärvi. From there I set out with my outfit at 0200hrs 7th June for Onihmajärvi via Sakkaravaara, famous for various incidents. The distance was several tens of kilometres even if we could have used the direct route.
At the moment of our departure sun had risen like a fiery globe, promising a hot march for the Sissis. The first day did turn out to be very sweaty and painful. One of the men remarked during a break: “ Today I could have some ice in my cap”.
Setting up our camp at a small lake we were not disturbed. During previous patrols something had always happened, and also this enough to shake us awake and make us move to another spot.
In the course of the night Sissi Viisinen, due to his courage nicknamed “Horse”, was on sentry duty and he came to me, whispering in my ear:
-Guests are coming on the cut forest line. Do we shoot them or take them?
-At least one to be taken, I said and when heading for the sentry post I ordered my Runner Jahvetti to carry out a silent alert.
Reaching the sentry I spotted the first Russians approaching at 300m in a single file which was meandering like a snake. Sgt. Hirviniemi had come to me and I told him:
-It would be difficult to catch a POW in such a big outfit, there are so many of them that defeating them would make quite a noise.
I barely managed to advise the squads to yield as we saw that the Russians turned sharply to South. I sighed with relief and directed our march right to the forest line. We were treading the path of the enemy outfit, just in the opposite direction.
About at 0500hrs we reached our target area and immediately the spot was reconnoitred. The road sides had been clear-cut at a width of 50m. Tree trunks had been removed and the treetops had been hauled in the forest beyond the clearing. Else the terrain was advantageous for prisoner taking.
Launching the operation from 50m away was not feasible. Something better had to be thought up. The solution was that every man of the catching team took one treetop, hauled it at a distance of 10m from the road and went hiding under it. Sgt. Hirviniemi's squad was assigned the actual catching task. Sgt. T. Kyllönen's squad was tasked to support and secure the catching squad. The remaining two squads were ordered to mine the bridge E of the spot and set charges on every telephone pole on the area. The orders were carried out and everyone went into hiding as if underground. Taking a brief glance at the terrain one could not see that more than 30 men had set up an ambush.
The hot weather of the previous day persisted. The lads of the catching team had a hard time lying on the hot sandy soil. Dry tree needles that kept dropping on them did not make the men hiding under them feel any better, instead they felt even more miserable. They could not move, they could not smoke, they were as if buried alive.
My Runner, who was quite a wit, asked me_
-Do the Russians fear ghosts ?
-How the heck could I know that, why are you asking?
-Just imagining that when Russians have arrived to us, we would have to move the treetops, we would see a grand sight, terrible escape and loud noise.
Horttanainen spoke just to get a good taste in his mouth and also it was nice that at least someone was perking up our heat-oppressed mood
Lorries would pass us to the direction of the front, laden full of men. Then everyone withdrew like a hedgehog. The lorries heading for the front included at least 20 men each, every man was sitting with his weapon between his legs and they were sitting quietly, as if on a church pew, without glancing at their sides. The passing lorries kicked up a huge cloud of dust that penetrated our mouths, eyes and ears, increasing our discomfortable wait.
To pass the time the lads ate some chocolate and started a minor cone war. Someone threw a pine cone, hitting his pal in the ear, and a loud curse was heard. This play had to be suppressed as quickly as it had started. Everyone had to stay put and quiet in his hole to avoid detection.
The front line was alive with noise, Russian artillery was firing from the W side of lake Onihmajärvi. Every time an explosion was heard someone made an order for a butter ration or for a pair of boots [that an alleged casualty did not need any more, tr.rem.] Such joking was a sign of sound men.
Waiting is tedious, and especially that day. It was soon evening and we had not seen a single passer-by whom we could have picked up.
In the afternoon Sgt. Kiviniemi alias “sheriff” as the lads called him came to me and said:
-I wish to present my fine capture plan. I shall take off my tunic and cap, then sit on a tree stump at the roadside holding a captured autoloading rifle. As soon as a motor vehicle comes I shall get up and beckon with my hand as you do to stop one. When the vehicle has stopped the catching team shall see to it that one man shall remain in our hands and the rest who do not obey shall not continue their journey.
It was a brave plan, with uncertain possibility of succeeding but as an emergency solution I approved it, and we started our preparations. Yet I told Hirviniemi that he would have to wear his cap so that the cockade would be well visible. However we were not to execute this plan although we were very much thrilled by it.
A Hirviniemi was sitting on a tree stump at the side of the road and every man had a finger on the trigger ready to support this audacious plan the road securing on the left alerted us. Something was to happen. On the bend of the road appeared a horse cart camouflaged with birch boughs coming from the direction of the front line.
As the lads spotted the branch camouflaged vehicle they said to Horttanainen:
-Why don't you check if that boy is afraid of ghosts!
-F* you ! Was his answer.
The nicely camouflaged horse was hauling a field kitchen. On the driver seat was sitting a man, loudly egging his horse and glancing at his sides with a frightened mien.
Hirviniemi crouched a little sitting on the stump, preparing like a tiger for his bounce when the prey is in range. Now the horse was scared by Ansu's movement and sprinted in full gallop. The driver, too, was alerted , he screamed loudly and hit the horse with his whip as Hirviniemi rushed at him. Yet Hirviniemi's grip of the man somehow slipped, he was left behind with only the driver's rifle in his hands. Now we were in trouble. The horse and the man must not be allowed to escape! The capture team tried to catch the escapees by running. A dramatic sight was going on on the road in the enemy rear, a chase scene.
The support squad leader Sgt. Topi Kyllönen had spotted the situation in time and ran with some of his men to meet the escapee heads-on. They succeeded. The lads led the horse and the POW in the forest in our rallying point. But as soon as the incident on the road had died down the securing on the right yelled:
-Get the Hell out of the road, lorries are coming!
Immediately the lads landed on the open ground as if pulled by one string. There was no time to find treetops for camouflage, instead everyone dropped down on the spot he happened to be.
Two lorries were driving in high speed from Jeljärvi to the direction of the front, laden full of men. The same moment the charged bridge blew up, 25 SMGs opened up as if by a single trigger, rifles were cracking and some men were throwing hand grenades on the lorry platforms. Everyone was doing their best to effect quick and complete destruction. It was the music of war, sweet for my ears. The first lorry crashed in a ditch and the other one on top of it. Without orders the SMG fire was shifted at the lorry platforms, sweeping down everyone who tried to escape to be taken care of by the enemy casualty clearing. SMG fire ceased as quickly as it had started
Observing the situation I could see how the trained and faithful Sissis took care of a sudden incident quickly and thoroughly. There had been no need to command “take positions” or “fire”. Everything had happened as if by a single hand. It was our profession at the time.
The Sissis, having carried out their task, withdrew upon order. The lorries were burning. The telephone pole charges were lit one at a time, it was the final act. We had nothing to do left.
Having arrived at the rallying point the captured tall Soviet Corporal was sitting in the middle of a ring of men. One of them professing to represent the Finnish Society against Cruelty to Animals had started educating the POW on the Finnish law on animal rights via our interpreter. The law stipulates that a tired and worn out horse was not allowed to be driven by whipping or on gallop as tovarich Corporal had done. This was a terrible crime resulting in hard sentence and confiscation the horse. Taking these facts in account and as a defender of animal rights he had confiscation the horse and put it out, thus ending its terrible suffering. Now he assured the POW that despite the terrible crimes he had committed he would not be charged in court or made to suffer in any other manner because the law did not say anything about treatment of animals in the time of war.
Seeing that our POW was terrified of this defender of animal rights I told him to cut out banter and assured the POW that his well-being, life and dignity would be assured during our return march.
We were fearing an intense pursuit and considering that we set out. Yet nothing happened, we were able to take the tired Soviet Corporal on our side. The return march was carried out in one go and without rest, except for one coffee break. There was no reason to rest because our POW had to be taken home without sparing any effort.
The war diary of the 14.D Long Range Patrol Detachment :
On the 6th June 1943
16.00hrs 2nd Lt Blom's patrol, strength 1+2+5, set out. The task was to find out about the traffic on the road Kunsjärvi-Kalivolahti and Kalivolahti- ? And to take a prisoner.
It is obvious that the author has given a wrong date to his story.
19th June 1943:
18.00hrs 2nd Lt. Korhonen's patrol strength 2+3+14 with two radiomen total 21 set out. The task was to advance to the main road E of Onimajärvi. To observe traffic for 1 to 2 days and take a prisoner.
21.00hrs The patrol set out from field stronghold Rähinä, route as described in the appendix. They reached the objective on the 21st June at 0200hrs where they set up an ambush to take a prisoner. The patrol kept the ambush ready until 0800hrs where-after Cpl. Hirviniemi and his squad stayed on the location to observe traffic, strength 1+6. The main body of the patrol set up a base S of the river Kuivenajoki, relieving the ambushing squad at times.
A prisoner was taken on the 21st June at 19.00hrs.
22nd June 1943:
0830hrs the patrol returned to field stronghold Rähinä.
Rather less dramatic patrol than the author described !
