RTR 4

Discussions on the Winter War and Continuation War, the wars between Finland and the USSR.
Hosted by Juha Tompuri
Post Reply
Eugenius
Member
Posts: 442
Joined: 18 Dec 2017, 20:31
Location: St. Petersburg, Russia

Re: RTR 4

#46

Post by Eugenius » 07 Sep 2021, 15:29

Terve guys! Here are some photos after recent trip to Ladoga.

Island of Heinäluoto, lighthouse and views from above:

DSCF2562 Маяк Хейнялуото, 61.27792, 31.66012.JPG
DSCF2564.JPG
DSCF2570.JPG

It is said at https://www.sotahistoriallisetkohteet.f ... 9/area/74/ that there were 2 x 75 mm naval cannons installed on the island in 1918 - 1921 and during Continuation War there were 4 x 75 mm probably field wheeled cannons placed there. Here is the first position for column-mounted naval cannon:

DSCF2608 Орудийная позиция 75 мм, 61.27958, 31.65839.JPG
DSCF2612.JPG
Last edited by Eugenius on 07 Sep 2021, 16:23, edited 1 time in total.

Eugenius
Member
Posts: 442
Joined: 18 Dec 2017, 20:31
Location: St. Petersburg, Russia

Re: RTR 4

#47

Post by Eugenius » 07 Sep 2021, 16:21

And the second gunpit:

DSCF2624 Орудийная позиция 75 мм, 61.27927, 31.6582.JPG
DSCF2626.JPG

We believed this was a shelter or munitions depot, but this was probably the position of field 75 mm cannon. If so, there should be similar position somewhere, but we did not find it.

DSCF2595 Возможно, орудийная позиция 75 мм, 61.27892, 31.65886.JPG
DSCF2596.JPG

A typical cable connection booth:

DSCF2613 Предположительно кабельная будка.JPG


Eugenius
Member
Posts: 442
Joined: 18 Dec 2017, 20:31
Location: St. Petersburg, Russia

Re: RTR 4

#48

Post by Eugenius » 07 Sep 2021, 16:26

This is fire control post of the initial 2 x 75 naval guns battery - you may see communication trenches leading to gun positions:

DSCF2602 Предположительно КП орудийной позиции, 61.27939, 31.65862.JPG
DSCF2606 Ходы сообщения от КП к орудийным позициям.JPG

Eugenius
Member
Posts: 442
Joined: 18 Dec 2017, 20:31
Location: St. Petersburg, Russia

Re: RTR 4

#49

Post by Eugenius » 07 Sep 2021, 16:42

The next stop will be Härkämäki battery on Mantsinsaari.

Initially we believed this was just a mill, but it appeared to be a fire control tower:

DSCF2647 Вышка управления огнем батареи, 61.33125, 31.59469.JPG

The left gunpit:

DSCF2652 Батарея Хяркямяки, левое орудие, 61.33193, 31.59095.JPG
DSCF2653.JPG
DSCF2654.JPG

Eugenius
Member
Posts: 442
Joined: 18 Dec 2017, 20:31
Location: St. Petersburg, Russia

Re: RTR 4

#50

Post by Eugenius » 07 Sep 2021, 17:01

Observation post in the centre of the battery. Initially it was equipped with Russian-made armoured cupola taken from Fort Ino or elsewhere, but it was scrapped long time ago:

DSCF2656 Наблюдательный пост.JPG
DSCF2659.JPG
DSCF2660.JPG

The right gunpit:

DSCF2665 Батарея Хяркямяки, правое орудие, 61.33219, 31.59037.JPG
DSCF2669.JPG

Eugenius
Member
Posts: 442
Joined: 18 Dec 2017, 20:31
Location: St. Petersburg, Russia

Re: RTR 4

#51

Post by Eugenius » 07 Sep 2021, 17:07

The range-finding post on the right flank of the battery, partly blown:

DSCF2678 ДП батареи Хяркямяки, 61.33238, 31.58987.JPG
DSCF2679.JPG
DSCF2681.JPG
DSCF2691 Сквозник.JPG
DSCF2701.JPG
Last edited by Eugenius on 07 Sep 2021, 17:15, edited 1 time in total.

Eugenius
Member
Posts: 442
Joined: 18 Dec 2017, 20:31
Location: St. Petersburg, Russia

Re: RTR 4

#52

Post by Eugenius » 07 Sep 2021, 17:14

DSCF2693.JPG
DSCF2705.JPG
DSCF2706.JPG

Further to the right we found an electrical power station below the hill housing the battery and unknown basement - a searchlight position?..

DSCF2710 Генераторная, 61.33306, 31.58889.JPG

Here both the power station and the basement are visible:

DSCF2714.JPG

Eugenius
Member
Posts: 442
Joined: 18 Dec 2017, 20:31
Location: St. Petersburg, Russia

Re: RTR 4

#53

Post by Eugenius » 07 Sep 2021, 17:30

Unknown object near probable searchlight basement. Could be right flank fire control post similar to left flank one?

DSCF2721 Неизвестный объект, 61.33306, 31.58889.JPG
DSCF2722.JPG

Let's have a look inside battery casemates. There were 4 separate entries from backside, we entered the furthest right one. Here are the entrance, door to other inner chambers and munitions infeed window:

DSCF2736 Вход, проход в потерну и окно загрузки боеприпасов.JPG

Door to the right gunpit was firmly locked by rusted locking mechanism, so it was not possible to get inside the gunpit.

DSCF2733 Вид направо от входа, дверь в правый дворик.JPG

Door to inner chambers:

DSCF2737.JPG

Eugenius
Member
Posts: 442
Joined: 18 Dec 2017, 20:31
Location: St. Petersburg, Russia

Re: RTR 4

#54

Post by Eugenius » 07 Sep 2021, 17:45

DSCF2743.JPG

Munitions infeed window from inside:

DSCF2745 Окно загрузки боеприпасов.JPG
DSCF2748.JPG

Passage to the observation post on the right. Interesting that there was a kind of wall there later demolished:

DSCF2750 Справа - проход к НП.JPG
DSCF2752.JPG

Eugenius
Member
Posts: 442
Joined: 18 Dec 2017, 20:31
Location: St. Petersburg, Russia

Re: RTR 4

#55

Post by Eugenius » 07 Sep 2021, 20:32

Twin entrance in the middle of the battery block. Note different concrete pouring in lower and in upper parts of the walls. It looks that initially entrances were a kind of simple ones and were re-designed later, during Jatkosota:

DSCF2756 Видна заливка бетона разного времени.JPG
DSCF2760.JPG
DSCF2763 На заднем плане - НП.JPG

Some more internal views:

DSCF2770.JPG
DSCF2771 Проход в тамбур загрузки боеприпасов.JPG

Eugenius
Member
Posts: 442
Joined: 18 Dec 2017, 20:31
Location: St. Petersburg, Russia

Re: RTR 4

#56

Post by Eugenius » 07 Sep 2021, 20:41

Far left entrance casemate similar to the one on the right flank:

DSCF2777 Тамбур загрузки боеприпасов.JPG

Left gunpit is reachable, so I pictured mounting studs:

DSCF2784 Основание левого орудия.JPG

Munitions niches in the gunpit still bear some distance (?) indications:

DSCF2785.JPG

Generally Härkämäki is really interesting example of early stage of Finnish coastal batteries construction. It's obvious that a kind of Russian project was taken as a basis, but it was somewhat simplified.

Finally the question: what is the purpose of this pedestal on top of the range-finding post?

DSCF2688 Бетонное основание на крыше ДП.JPG
DSCF2689.JPG

Eugenius
Member
Posts: 442
Joined: 18 Dec 2017, 20:31
Location: St. Petersburg, Russia

Re: RTR 4

#57

Post by Eugenius » 11 Sep 2021, 11:25

Our next point will be Hiitolanmäki battery south of Impilahti. https://www.sotahistoriallisetkohteet.f ... 9/area/27/ says that Härkämäki battery was moved from Matsinsaari to Hiitolanmäki in summer 1944. So there should be 2 gun emplacements on Hiitolanmäki, but we found only one. On the other hand, there is quite similar gun emplacement near Kurkijoki at http://wikimapia.org/#lang=ru&lat=61.27 ... 2030.02121 I did not visit the latter place yet, but based on pictures at Wikimapia, it is really similar to that in Hiitolanmäki, so 2 guns from Mantsinsaari could be relocated to different places - one to Hiitolanmäki, another to Kurkijoki.

But first we found this - round pit in rock, ca. 3 m in diameter and less than 1 m deep, with many steel fixtures inside:

DSCF2827 Неизвестное основание, 61.6113, 31.15342.JPG
DSCF2829.JPG

The gunpit was located just in 20 m of smaller pit. The gunpit was really large, so I had to make 2 pictures:

DSCF2834 Дворик батареи Хийтоланмяки, 61.61141, 31.15345.JPG
DSCF2837.JPG

Entrance to the gunpit from trench was covered on top:

DSCF2841 Вход во дворик из хода сообщения.JPG

Eugenius
Member
Posts: 442
Joined: 18 Dec 2017, 20:31
Location: St. Petersburg, Russia

Re: RTR 4

#58

Post by Eugenius » 11 Sep 2021, 11:28

Some walls were levelled with concrete and 2 small ammo depots were also cast with concrete, the rest is cut in rock. Note the wooden fittings inside depots remained in quite a good condition:

DSCF2846.JPG
DSCF2850.JPG
DSCF2853.JPG
DSCF2855.JPG
DSCF2862.JPG

Eugenius
Member
Posts: 442
Joined: 18 Dec 2017, 20:31
Location: St. Petersburg, Russia

Re: RTR 4

#59

Post by Eugenius » 11 Sep 2021, 11:38

Gun mounting studs:

DSCF2869.JPG

There was an inscription on the wall carved in rock:

DSCF2878.JPG
DSCF2879.JPG

9 [then unclear symbol, could be "v" or "r"]
44. [then "Rauta"?.. "Raaja"?..]

Could numbers relate to September 1944? Could "Rauta" be someone's name?

Probably shelter or ammo depot made with stones with collapsed roof was located near the gunpit:

DSCF2892 Предположительно погреб или укрытие рядом с двориком.JPG

Eugenius
Member
Posts: 442
Joined: 18 Dec 2017, 20:31
Location: St. Petersburg, Russia

Re: RTR 4

#60

Post by Eugenius » 11 Sep 2021, 11:50

The last point was tulenjohtotorni on Lauvatsaari. We visited it just by lucky chance - we came to boat station to find out the details how to get to some islands on Ladoga and the hosts said they could bring us to the closest point right away, so we decided not to miss our chance.)))

This fire control tower was built during Jatkosota:

DSCF2909.JPG
DSCF2918.JPG
DSCF2926.JPG
DSCF2933.JPG
DSCF2937.JPG

Post Reply

Return to “Winter War & Continuation War”