Soviet casualties at Lemetti encirclements

[BIGpanzer]

About Lemetti encircle and also about the case with abandoned/killed wounded men: literature sources I have [bought in St. Petersburg/Petrozavodsk that time].

1. Soviet-Finnish war, Tragedy at Lemetti. Guide-book of the area. Petrozavodsk, Karelia, 1999 [Karelian/Russian]. My initial source.
2. M. Jokipii. Finland on the way to war. Petrozavodsk, Karelia. 1999. Some short descriptions about combats in the area only.
3. B. Sokolov. "Mysteries of Winter war". Moscow, Veche. 2000. Some info from here was found by Art/Juha already, see my translation above.
4. V. Taras, ed. "Soviet-Finnish war 1939-1940". Minsk, Harvest. 2000. Still not translated the relevant pages, but I took some data about Soviet losses from this book [it is mentioned, that data are from TsAMO = Central Archive of Ministry of Defense].

Several Internet resources can be found easily - type Lemetti 1939, 1940 or Ëåìåòòè 1939, 1940 on Russian.

As for NKVD archives - most probably, they were initial source of the info [Bair should know better]. NKVD soldiers entered the territory after Peace Treaty at first, of course. As for NKVD reports - if they were secret reports to NKVD command [I don't know what kind of reports are they], they should be very truthful [I don't recommend to read secret reports of NKVD to people with neural problems because of very detailed descriptions of enemy and own crimes as usual daily things - I read 2-3 of them as translation variants], propaganda reports were written mainly by political departments and commissars, that was their job, not NKVD.

JT wrote:
Hospitals - Petrovski Jam ? ( a distant relative of mine was there ) Where there others?

I don't know as I didn't investigate this question in details. I read just mentions about such cases in the literature about war in Karelia in 1939-1944, eye-witnesses Zlatkin and Kattonen answered only shortly on the huge amount of questions during interview [need to find the lost link and provide you with it], they didn't mention details if not specially asked by journalist - Zlatkin mentioned [as eye-witness] ~150 doctors, nurses and wounded soldiers who were knifed by Finnish skiers in a hospital, and mentioned several more cases about which he heard from ski scouts of his unit.
I don't have time to investigate such sad subject as Finnish war crimes in Karelia [several sites describes Finnish Petrozavodsk POW camps in details, and their occupation regime in Karelia], but here is one link from the newspaper "Karelia" about billeting of Finnish units near Moscow and their exceptional cruelty to civil population [according to village civil eye-witnesses] - http://www.gov.karelia.ru/Karelia/1558/21.html [as I never heard about Finns near Moscow, try to translate this some day, but I understand that the author of the link discussed the possibilities of such facts, not confirmed them for sure, could some civilians confused Finns with Germans?].

Regards, BP

[JTV]

About Lemetti encircle and also about the case with abandoned/killed wounded men: literature sources I have [bought in St. Petersburg/Petrozavodsk that time].

I don't have time to investigate such sad subject as Finnish war crimes in Karelia [several sites describes Finnish Petrozavodsk POW camps in details, and their occupation regime in Karelia], but here is one link from the newspaper "Karelia" about billeting of Finnish units near Moscow and their exceptional cruelty to civil population [according to village civil eye-witnesses] - http://www.gov.karelia.ru/Karelia/1558/21.html [as I never heard about Finns near Moscow, try to translate this some day, but I understand that the author of the link discussed the possibilities of such facts, not confirmed them for sure, could some civilians confused Finns with Germans?].

Regards, BP

Check: http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=96599

Considering that I would not put too much trust to Soviet sources in this matter. Massacres made with knives also don't sound too convincing either - it fits much too well to stereotype of knife-wielding Finns. I have read also quite a bit about Finnish Civil War - that was the war where the Finns on both sides were truly killing their POWs in real numbers - and knives were practically never the weapons used for this.

Jarkko

[Juha Tompuri]

Kuoleman DIvisioona what kind of writing this one:memoir, fiction book,propaganda book or maybe this one the same misty bilingual book from BIGpanzer post?and who is Gordienko scientist of history writer journalist.

Gordienko is/was a journalist and the book is mentioned to be based on a diary of Soviet war correspondant Klimov (who was at Lemetti) and interviews.

At the book there are quite detailed descriptions of Soviets denying food and executing Finnish POW's at the encirclement.


In Finnish:
http://www.bookplus.fi/product.php?isbn ... c04307c604
http://www.karjalanmaa.fi/tarkennus.php ... 10&id=2102



In Russian:
http://www.ruslania.com/context-161/ent ... age-2.html



Regards, Juha

[BIGpanzer]

Interesting links, thanks! I found a mention that A. Gordienko is the famous Karelian historian and journalist - see some where there: http://www.gov.karelia.ru/Photos/exhibi ... tml?eid=74 [Finnish page]. Here - http://petrsu.karelia.ru/Structure/News ... 1205/3.htm [Petrozavodsk State University]: it is mentioned that Gordienko [who remembered frostbeaten single Soviet soldier came to his house in Karelian village when he was a child during the Winter war] used a lot of archive data, memoires of relatives of soldiers from 18th division and his book considered by many historians in Finland as one of the most truthful research about Winter war. Need to buy it for sure. Gordienko always stop his car near that place and listen mosquitos - may be they are souls of Soviet and Finnish soldiers, fallen there....He also made reportages about Chechnia company and wondered that modern Russian generals again made completelly identical mistakes. My note - interesting to compare combat reports about needs of units, reports from 1939-1940 and reports from 1995-2000 - some of them are identical indeed. And Russian soldiers pay their lives for political, strategical and tactical mistakes again and again.
Tank units in Chechnia, winter
http://pvo.guns.ru/weapon/images/mosb114_full.jpg
http://pvo.guns.ru/weapon/images/grz02_full.jpg
http://pvo.guns.ru/weapon/images/hyper/tank04.jpg

JTV wrote:
Considering that I would not put too much trust to Soviet sources in this matter. Massacres made with knives also don't sound too convincing either - it fits much too well to stereotype of knife-wielding Finns.

Where do you see Soviet sources here? Stereotype of knife-wielding Finns really took place in Soviet Army and it based initially on real facts of massacres of Soviet wounded soldiers [also several wounded pilots of emergency landed bombers were found later tortured and killed], and patrolmen in trenches by Finnish knives indeed. Such facts really took place, but their amount could be increased by war propaganda, of course.

Some more sources [not about massacres but about at least small mentions about Lemetti] I have:

"Secrets and lessons of Winter war 1939-1940, Documents of unclassified archives", Military Historical Library, St. Petersburg, Poligon, 2000.

Dittmar K. The Red Army in the Finnish War, New York 1956

Hooper A. The Soviet-Finnish Campaign, London, 1940

Jakobsen H. Motorisierungsprobleme im Winter 1939/40 in: Wehrwissenschaftliche Rundschau, Heft 9/1956.

To the question of JT about brutally destroyed Soviet hospitals where wounded men and medical staff were knived and shot by Finns - my Russian sources cite this as original: "Ïî îáå ñòîðîíû Êàðåëüñêîãî ôðîíòà" ["On both sides of Karelian Front"], documents and materials. Institute of language, literature and history, Karelian scientific centre. Petrozavodsk, 1995, pages 190-191. Also see materials from Karelian republican scientific conferences about war and occupation crimes of Finnish army, dated 2001-2005.

Regards, BP

Lemetti photos:
http://libraryautomation.com/nymas/fi01_Motti_small.jpg
http://libraryautomation.com/nymas/fi03_Motti_small.jpg

[BIGpanzer]

I am trying to find some memoires about Lemetti and found this Russian forum: http://forum.masterforex-v.org/index.ph ... 988&st=100

My/BabelFish usual night translation of some info from there:

Tragic events happened between Ladoga and Onega. Long columns of units of 8th army - 163rd and 18th infantry divisions and 34th light tank brigade advanced from Uoma to Lemetti in December 1939, and because of natural environment [road pressed by 30-50m height rocks and forests] those units were vulnerable for flank attacks. Many researches like to describe encirclement problems of those units but forget to mention that Finnish attacks 12-13 December against those units failed. Finns could circle Soviet units not from the first time, Finnish units had insufficient mobility also and moved also along the road - 12th division needed in 5600 skis, 13th division - in 10766. Finns also didn't have enough AT weapons - that was the reason that II battalion of 38th regiment failed to successfully attack 12.12. Soviet units from 97th regiment [18th division], because they were supported with tanks from 34th brigade. II battalion of 36th regiment came to the empty road Lemetti-Uoma, III battalion of 36th regiment "collided" with the same units from Soviet 97th regiment, which fought with II/38. I battalion of 37th regiment came closer to Uoma and was immediately attacked by Soviet small units [~battalion]. Reserve ["Archer", II/39] was quite far away that moment and it was blocked on the road by units from 97th regiment fought with II/38 and III/36. The pressure on Finns strengthened and 13.12. they received the order to retreat. As said Finnish historian Ervinen in "Finnish and Soviet tactics in Winter war" (1948) - "IV corps wanted to bite much more than it could 12-15.12., also that "piece" was very strong for the teeth of IV corps".

Only 26.12. Finns could mined 2 sites along Lavajärvi-Lemetti near Uoma and blocked the road 28.12. Command of 18th ID and 34th LTB had several choices: to wait main Soviet units, to try to unite with other encircled units or to breakthrough to the east to unite themselves with the units of 8th army. They chose the simplest and worsest variant - wait, wait despite the experience to successfully attack Finns which was done 12-13.12. "Waiting" was organized bad, according to documents of HQ 0f 15th army - "the defense of Lemetti-south was done in a hurry, all units stopped where they located and prepared to defense only themselves, without any organization of total defense. That caused the area of defense - length 2 km but width only 400-800 m. So garrison worsened the situation a lot as Finns could fire through the area from all kinds of weapons. Important hill "A" was forgotten to be occupied, hill "B" was defended by completelly insufficient forces - 60 soldiers with 1 MG, so Finns took the hill after their 1st attack. So Finns could fire and look through the whole area from those two hills. The majority of tanks were not used as firing-points but just left along the road. Ammunition was enough - by the time of breakthrough units still had 12000 shells and 40000-45000 rifle cartridges. By 05.01. all tanks had double fuel supplies. But nothing was done to attack Finns, to say more - nothing was done to organise defense even. [Russian Military Archive]".
On the other side, Finns did a lot - in the beginning of January they could cut Lemetti garrison in two parts [north and south]. 16-19.01. Finns strengthened circle and moved close to Pitkjäranta - the supply base of 8th army, but failed to take the town. 06.01. Finns dropped pamphlets and asked encircled units to surrender, Finns had complicated situation - they needed their army units for Karelian Isthmus defense but encircled Soviet units "chained" units of IC corps of general Heglund. Finns also couldn't cut the defense of 168th division which repulsed all attacks and defended 2 months because of small but operating road along the Ladoga. Encircled 18th ID and 34th LTB were not easy nuts also. Mannerheim wrote in his memoires: "I needed units for the most important tasks and ordered IV corps to defeat all Soviet units in circles, but despite of frost and hunger those Russians defended bravely again. All their attempts to breakthrough were repulsed, but last circle disappeared only in the end of February". Just imagine - Finns didn't wait the death of Soviet soldiers but tried to attack them to release units for Karelian Isthmus, but frostbeaten and hungry men under bad command defended two months.

I. Makarchuk from 34 light tank brigade remembered [memoires from 1998, journal "Citadel"] - our group had many armament: 2 AA MGs on trucks, 2 armored cars, 6 AT guns, 1 cannon battery. We prepared round trench which was guarded by AA MGs and armored cars [all fuel from tanks were given to those armored cars]. All Finnish attacks were repulsed, Finns performed up to 12 attacks per day. The most heroic actions were done by lieutenant Plotnikov, commander of two truck-mounted AA MGs, who was always there where Finns attacked.

Aircarft dropped supplies but that was helpful for 168th division defended large area; 18th ID and 34th LTB didn't make any attempts to take important hills and large area in the beginning of defense, so aircraft couldn't drop supplies so accurate and many supplies were dropped on Finnish territory. The were no miracles in the war, and bad and passive command of 18th ID and 34th LTB made the long-time defense almost impossible, also strong frost "helped" a lot. All circles during Winter war could be prevented by well-organized and intensive attacks but that was not done in most cases, and passive Soviet commanders waited until Finns [fortunately, they didn't have enough artillery to fire through the encircled areas] cut their units into small pieces, easily to destroy. But Finns couldn't encircle Soviet units on plain Karelian Isthmus. As conclusion - mistakes of Soviet commanders is impossible to explain, because skillful commanders could effective avoid such encirclements and heavily beat Finnish IV corps in such conditions, such wrongful mistakes caused the losses of more than 6 Soviet soldiers per 1 Finnish soldier there.

[JTV]

Where do you see Soviet sources here? Stereotype of knife-wielding Finns really took place in Soviet Army and it based initially on real facts of massacres of Soviet wounded soldiers [also several wounded pilots of emergency landed bombers were found later tortured and killed], and patrolmen in trenches by Finnish knives indeed. Such facts really took place, but their amount could be increased by war propaganda, of course.

Even if the books you listed are published nowadays in Russia they are using Soviet books and documents as sources - are they not? As the "Finnish troops near Moscow"-example shows the original Soviet source may be a false rumor or pure propaganda and when published without fact-checking it shows up as a "fact" in later books. Hence if I would be you I would check these claimed "facts" against other sources before claiming them as real facts. Shooting POW's in the frontline while they tried to surrender or soon after it happened every now and then also in Finnish front (I have talked to Finnish veterans who saw some cases of it happening with the own eyes) - but torturing them and other similar brutalities instead of just simply shooting from blank point range is basically unheard of.

Finnish troops had their "puukko" mainly for two uses:
1. It was the multi-utility tool (blade and grip are designed for making things from wood).
2. It was the last resort weapon reserved for hand-to-hand combat.
However unlike some sources trying to glamour it like to claim it was never primary the weapon of choice for Finnish soldiers - firearms were that.

... my Russian sources cite this as original: "Ïî îáå ñòîðîíû Êàðåëüñêîãî ôðîíòà" ["On both sides of Karelian Front"], documents and materials. Institute of language, literature and history, Karelian scientific centre. Petrozavodsk, 1995, pages 190-191.
Regards, BP

The original cite is impossible to read - please translate it if you plan any non Russian-speaker to understand what it actually says.

Jarkko

[Juha Tompuri]

Stereotype of knife-wielding Finns really took place in Soviet Army

Agree

and it based initially on real facts of massacres of Soviet wounded soldiers

emphasis on mine
Which facts?

[also several wounded pilots of emergency landed bombers were found later tortured and killed],

You made a claim, now we wait you to prove it.

and patrolmen in trenches by Finnish knives

AFAIK In hand to hand combat it was/is quite common.

Motti tactics and Lemetti:
http://www.winterwar.com/Tactics/mottis.htm

Regards, Juha

[Rodan Lewarx]

When Soviets returned back to Lemetti after the Winter War they found horrible picture - Finns exploded and burnt all dugouts with 120 Soviet wounded soldiers, many of them were bent to their beds with steel wire, throats of several dozens soldiers were cut by knives
I vill repeat my question.This palaver from misty bilingual book.Where are sources?
I think for tittle-tattle here not place.

I think it was took from report of 56th rifle corps comission, inspected the area of encirclement of 18th rifle division HQ. Here is the russian text (it contains more details and 2 episodes).

Из отчета комиссии 56-го стрелкового корпуса, обследовавшего район окружения штаба 18-й сд
17 марта 1940 г.

... Леметти Южное носит следы ожесточенных и упорных боев, представляя из себя сплошное кладбище трупов, разбитых боевых и транспортных машин. Вся площадь района обороны КП 18 сд изрыта воронками от снарядов, деревья на 90% в районе обороны скошены арт. снарядами. Обнаружено 10 землянок, разрушенных арт. снарядами 152-мм артиллерии с находившимися там людьми. Оставшиеся землянки в большинстве своем взорваны финнами по занятии ими Леметти. Найдены 18 трупов красноармейцев, сожженных финнами в землянках, один труп найден в землянке, привязанный проводами к нарам и расстрелян, и один труп, затянутый веревкой на шее.

and

В районе прорыва обороны противника колонной Начальника Штаба 18 сд полковника Алексеева обнаружен 201 труп, в основном в районе обороны противника и у проволочных заграждений. В районе прорыва обороны противника колонной Начальника Штаба 34 лтбр полковника Смирнова обнаружено 150 трупов, в госпитальных землянках обнаружено 120 трупов оставшихся тяжелораненных.

It was taken from the book: Eloise Engle, Lauri Paananen. The winter war: Soviet assault to Finland, 1939-40. In the russian edition there was Appendix III with different documents, including that report (not full).

Regards

[janner]

Rodan,

Unfortunately it didn't make it into the '92 English langauge edition, nor is there any mention in the central text.

Regards,

[Juha Tompuri]

Thanks Rodan,

Could it be possible to have an English translation of the quotes?

Regards, Juha

[Bair]

The rough translation

the first one

Из отчета комиссии 56-го стрелкового корпуса, обследовавшего район окружения штаба 18-й сд
17 марта 1940 г.

... Леметти Южное носит следы ожесточенных и упорных боев, представляя из себя сплошное кладбище трупов, разбитых боевых и транспортных машин. Вся площадь района обороны КП 18 сд изрыта воронками от снарядов, деревья на 90% в районе обороны скошены арт. снарядами. Обнаружено 10 землянок, разрушенных арт. снарядами 152-мм артиллерии с находившимися там людьми. Оставшиеся землянки в большинстве своем взорваны финнами по занятии ими Леметти. Найдены 18 трупов красноармейцев, сожженных финнами в землянках, один труп найден в землянке, привязанный проводами к нарам и расстрелян, и один труп, затянутый веревкой на шее.

Quotation from the report by Commission of the 56th Rifle Corps that investigated the area of encirclement of the HQ of the 18th Division on March 17, 1940.

Southern Lemetti has traces of hard and ferocious battles, and looks as one large graveyard of dead bodies and destroyed fighting and transport vehicles. All the area of defence of 18th Division's HQ is covered with shell craters, 90% of trees are cut down by artillery fire. 10 dugouts destroyed by 152 mm grenades were found, with men inside. The remaining dugouts were mostly blown up by Finns when they captured Lemetti. 19 bodies of Red Army men, burnt by the Finns in dugouts, were found. One body was tied to his bed with wire and shot, one body with a rope tightened around his neck.

the second one

В районе прорыва обороны противника колонной Начальника Штаба 18 сд полковника Алексеева обнаружен 201 труп, в основном в районе обороны противника и у проволочных заграждений. В районе прорыва обороны противника колонной Начальника Штаба 34 лтбр полковника Смирнова обнаружено 150 трупов, в госпитальных землянках обнаружено 120 трупов оставшихся тяжелораненных.

In the area of breakthrough of the enemy's defences by task force of Chief of Staff of the 18th Rifle Division Col Alekseev there were 201 bodies located, mostly at the enemy's positions and at barbed wire fence. In the area of breakthrough of the enemy's defence by task force of Chief of Staff of 34th Light Tank Brigade Col Smirnov 150 bodies found, in dugtouts of the field hospital we found 120 bodies of heavily wounded men that were left behind.

regards,

Bair

[janner]

So we have two reported bodies killed in suspicious circumstances rather than mass executions. Could either of these have been carried out by a Political Commissar “pour encourager les outrés” rather than after capture by the Finns?

The other bodies may well have been burnt as a result of the use of petrol bombs during the break-in battle – I believe that was the only option open due to the strength of the bunkers and the Finns lack of heavy equipment. Unless well marked, in the heat of battle a hospital dug-out would have appeared as just another bunker?

This is not to say that atrocities didn’t happen but this source does not seem to provide any evidence: mass, unmarked graves with soldiers shot in the back of the head whilst hands tied etc.

It has to be understood that it is neither easy nor advisable to be in the business of taking prisoners during the midst of close combat. During similar circumstances in Arnheim, British medics were careful to arrange ceasefires with the Germans to deal with casualty evacuation etc, knowing that once the enemy broke-in then it would be too late. It is a little late to ask to surrender to someone after you’ve shot his mates. In my experience there are generally windows of opportunity for such things – otherwise it’s life in a green suit.

Regards,

[BIGpanzer]

Thanks for the knowledgable info, Bair!

Bair, can you translate this [ from http://artofwar.ru/r/razzhiwin_a_e/text_0060.shtml ]. Most probably, from the report of the same commission.

Íåñìîòðÿ íà ïðèêàçàíèå Âîåííîãî Ñîâåòà àðìèè îáÿçàòåëüíî âçÿòü ñ ñîáîé âñåõ áîëüíûõ è ðàíåíûõ, òÿæåëî áîëüíûå è ðàíåíûå áûëè îñòàâëåíû, ïðè÷åì âûõîä ãàðíèçîíà áûë ïðåäíàìåðåííî ñêðûò îò íèõ..."
Íà ëþòóþ ñìåðòü áûëè îñòàâëåíû áîëåå 120 òÿæåëîðàíåíûõ êðàñíîàðìåéöåâ, ìíîãèõ èç êîòîðûõ ôèííû çàáðîñàëè ãðàíàòàìè â çåìëÿíêàõ. ×àñòü ðàíåíûõ áûëà îáíàðóæåíà ñîææåííûìè, è ñîõðàíèëè ñëåäû êîëþ÷åé ïðîâîëîêè, êîòîðîé èõ ïðèêðóòèëè ê íàðàì.

Ïðè âûõîäå ñåâåðíàÿ êîëîííà ðàñòÿíóëàñü, ïîòåðÿëà óïðàâëåíèå, ÷åì âîñïîëüçîâàëèñü ôèííû, óíè÷òîæèâøèå åå ïî÷òè ïîëíîñòüþ. Îïàñàÿñü ïëåíà, à ìîæåò áûòü è îòâåòñòâåííîñòè, êîìàíäèð òàíêîâîé áðèãàäû êîìáðèã Ñ.È. Êîíäðàòüåâ, íà÷àëüíèê øòàáà ïîëêîâíèê Í.È. Ñìèðíîâ, íà÷àëüíèêè ïîëèòîòäåëîâ äèâèçèè è áðèãàäû È.À. Ãàïàíþê è È.Å. Èçðàåöêèé, à òàêæå íà÷àëüíèê îñîáîãî îòäåëà òàíêîâîé áðèãàäû êàïèòàí Äîðîíèí îñóùåñòâèëè ãðóïïîâîå ñàìîóáèéñòâî. Ôèííàì, ïîìèìî âñåãî, äîñòàëîñü Áîåâîå çíàìÿ 18-é ßðîñëàâñêîé Êðàñíîçíàìåííîé ñòðåëêîâîé äèâèçèè. (Äèâèçèÿ, êàê îòìå÷àëîñü âûøå, ïîñëå îêîí÷àíèÿ âîéíû áûëà ðàñôîðìèðîâàíà, è â èþíå 1940 ãîäà åå íîìåð ïðèíÿëà 111-ÿ ñòðåëêîâàÿ äèâèçèÿ).
Èç îôèöèàëüíîãî çàêëþ÷åíèÿ êîìèññèè: "...Ïðè îñìîòðå óñòàíîâëåíî, ÷òî, íåñìîòðÿ íà íàëè÷èå ñìåðòåëüíûõ ðàíåíèé, çíà÷èòåëüíàÿ ÷àñòü ïîãèáøèõ íîñèò ñëåäû ïðèñòðåëèâàíèÿ â ãîëîâó è äîáèâàíèÿ ïðèêëàäàìè. Îäèí èç ïîãèáøèõ, îáóòûé â ôèíñêèå ñàïîãè ïåêñû, ïðèñòàâëåí ê äåðåâó ââåðõ íîãàìè. Æåíà èíñòðóêòîðà ïîëèòîòäåëà 18 ñä Ñìèðíîâà (ðàáîòàâøàÿ ïî ïàðòó÷åòó â ïîëèòîòäåëå) áûëà îáíàæåíà è ìåæäó íîã ó ïîëîâîãî îðãàíà âñòàâëåíà íàøà ðó÷íàÿ ãðàíàòà. Ñ áîëüøèíñòâà êîìàíäíîãî ñîñòàâà ñîäðàíû ïåòëèöû è íàðóêàâíûå çíàêè. Îðäåíà, èìåâøèåñÿ ó êîìàíäíîãî ñîñòàâà, ôèííàìè âûðûâàëèñü ñ ìàòåðèåé".

Îñìîòðîì óñòàíîâëåíî 16 îáîðóäîâàííûõ îêîïîâ ïîä ñòàíêîâûå ïóëåìåòû. Îñòàëüíàÿ ãðóïïèðîâêà ïðîòèâíèêà íàõîäèëàñü íà âûñîòàõ ó äîðîãè íà Ëîâàÿðâè è íà âûñîòå þãî-âîñòî÷íåå Ëåìåòòè.
Íà ìåñòå â ðàéîíå îáîðîíû ÊÏ îáíàðóæåíî 513 íàøèõ òðóïîâ,
êàê â îêîïàõ, òàê è âíå îêîïîâ.
 ðàéîíå ïðîðûâà îáîðîíû ïðîòèâíèêà êîëîííîé Íà÷àëüíèêà Øòàáà 18 ñä ïîëêîâíèêà Àëåêñååâà îáíàðóæåíî 201 òðóï, â îñíîâíîì â ðàéîíå îáîðîíû ïðîòèâíèêà è ó ïðîâîëî÷íûõ çàãðàæäåíèé.  ðàéîíå ïðîðûâà îáîðîíû ïðîòèâíèêà êîëîííîé Íà÷àëüíèêà Øòàáà 34 ëòáð ïîëêîâíèêà Ñìèðíîâà îáíàðóæåíî 150 òðóïîâ, â ãîñïèòàëüíûõ çåìëÿíêàõ îáíàðóæåíî 120 òðóïîâ, îñòàâøèõñÿ òÿæåëîðàíåíûõ. Ôèíñêèõ òðóïîâ íå îáíàðóæåíî, ò. ê. òàêîâûå ôèííàìè áûëè óáðàíû â ïåðèîä ñ 29.2.40 ïî 17.3.40 ã.
Èç îñòàâøèõñÿ áîåâûõ ìàøèí âîîðóæåíèé èçúÿòî è âûâåçåíî ôèííàìè: ñî âñåõ òðàíñïîðòíûõ ìàøèí ñíÿòû êîëåñà è â çíà÷èòåëüíîé ÷àñòè ìîòîðû. ×àñòü áîåâûõ è òðàíñïîðòíûõ ìàøèí ôèííàìè âûâåçåíà, î ÷åì ñâèäåòåëüñòâóþò ñëåäû âûâîäà ìàøèí. Âñÿ ìàòåðèàëüíàÿ ÷àñòü ïî ñâîåìó ñîñòîÿíèþ ÿâëÿåòñÿ áåçâîçâðàòíî ïîòåðÿííîé...
 îòíîøåíèè Ñåâåðíîé êîëîííû óñòàíîâëåíî:
Ïóòü äâèæåíèÿ ïðîõîäèë èç ðàéîíà îáîðîíû â ñåâåðî-âîñòî÷íîì íàïðàâëåíèè, â äàëüíåéøåì ïî ôèíñêîé äîðîãå, êîòîðàÿ èäåò ïîëòîðà êèëîìåòðà ïàðàëëåëüíî äîðîãå Ëåìåòòè-Ëîâàÿðâè. Ïî ïóòè äâèæåíèÿ êîëîííû íàéäåíî 150 ïîãèáøèõ ïðè âûâîäå èç ðàéîíà îáîðîíû, 78 òðóïîâ âäîëü ôèíñêîé äîðîãè, â ýòîì ÷èñëå íàéäåí âîåííûé êîìèññàð 34 ëòáð ïîëêîâîé êîìèññàð Ãàïàíþê.
Îêîëî 400 óáèòûõ íàéäåíî â ðàéîíå ôèíñêîãî ëàãåðÿ, ÷òî 2,5 êì âîñòî÷íåå Ëåìåòòè, â ÷èñëå êîòîðûõ îïîçíàíû: Íà÷àëüíèê Ïîëèòîòäåëà 18 ñä - áàòàëüîííûé êîìèññàð òîâ. Ðàçóìîâ, Íà÷. Àðòèëëåðèè 56 ñê - ïîëêîâíèê Áîëîòîâ, âîåíêîì 97 ÎÁÑ - ñòàðøèé ïîëèòðóê Òþðèí, Âîåíêîì 56 ÎÐÁ - ñò. ïîëèòðóê Ñóâîðîâ, ïîì. íà÷-êà ïîëèòîòäåëà ïî êîìñîìîëó - ïîëèòðóê Ñàìîçíàåâ, èíñòðóêòîð ïîëèòîòäåëà 18 ñä - ïîëèòðóê Ñìèðíîâ ñ æåíîé, ïðåäñòàâèòåëü ÂÂÑ 8-é Àðìèè - ëåéòåíàíò Ïåðìÿêîâ, Íà÷. ÂÕÑ 18 ñä - ìàéîð Áóëûíèí, Íà÷àëüíèê Àâòîïàðêà äèâèçèè - ìë. âîåíòåõíèê Êóëüïèí, ïîëèòðóê Èëüèíñêèé è âðà÷ Áàëóåâà. Îñòàëüíàÿ ÷àñòü ëþäåé Ñåâåðíîé êîëîííû ðàçûñêèâàåòñÿ...

[Juha Tompuri]

A reminder:

and it based initially on real facts of massacres of Soviet wounded soldiers

emphasis on mine
Which facts?

[also several wounded pilots of emergency landed bombers were found later tortured and killed],

You made a claim, now we wait you to prove it.

Regards, Juha

[BIGpanzer]

I remember everything, but as I am not a specialist [and I don't want to be such specialist as this is not interesting for me] in Finnish war crimes, let me find the more detailed info than just mentions in books about Winter war [nevertheless, I already provide you with the cited source and with several exact names of army eye-witnesses - about massacres of wounded men I mean]. WWII books also mention that German nazis hung Soviet partisans and NKVD officers shot "the enemies of nation", but does everybody knows the exact facts [name, date, place] by memory if he is not a specialist in war crimes? P.S. I have already found several hmm... horrible materials and modern memoires [mostly with names and dates] about the subject you are so interested in, let me translate them. One of these materials - chapter in Nuremberg tribunal protocol directly about the actions of Finns.
During waiting you can try to translate the text above [56th corps commission report about what they found in Lemetti after the war and what Finns did with the dead bodies of soldiers and staff from 18th division - this is differ subject from 120 wounded men from 34th LTB, last minutes of whom with some exceptions above (see the same commission report from Bair) are still not clear]. This represents exact info concerning date, place and even quite many names of identified remains [and this is directly about the topic about losses] - so you should be satisfy a lot in my opinion.

Here is the well-known map of encirclements at Lemetti which is much more interesting for me