Finnish Navy

[Juha Tompuri]

I open a new thread for questions (and answers) and links about Finnish Navy before and during the WWII

Regards, Juha

[Mischa]

Hello,
an exellent idea, Juha!

so, I will begin. I have a question about a Finish navy-officer. His name is Herlevi or Härlevi. He was the "Verbindungsoffizier" on the German Flottentorpedoboot "T 30" an he took part on the Operation "Drosselfang" (19./20.06.1944) and he survived with 3 (?) Finish wireless operators the sink of "T 30" on 18.08.1944.
I`m looking for some informations (Lebenslauf + Foto) about Leutnant Härlevi/Herlevi and the 3 wireless operators.

Regards
Mischa

[Eisenfaust]

HERLEVI, Heikki Johannes
Born 2.6.1916 in Kokkola

Ranks
Sub-Lieutenant (res.) 1935
Sub-Lieutenant 1937
Lieutenant 1939
Lieutenant-Commander 1942

Conscript
Coastal Fleet 1934-35
Sub-Lieutenant (res.) training period School Ship Suomen Joutsen 1934-35

Cadet
1935-1937

Torpedo officer training 1940

Winter War
Captain of a motor torpedo boat in the Coastal Fleet, Gulf of Finland

Continuation War
Translation please: Vartiomoottoriveneryhmän päällikkö, Erillinen Laivasto-osasto, Gulf of Finland 1941
Moottoritorpedoveneryhmän päällikkö, Moottoritorpedovenelaivue 1942
Captain of a minelayer 1942
Liaison officer for German and Italian navies in Lake Laatokka and Gulf of Finland 1942 and 1944

Awards
Mm39-40
VR4mk
VR3mk
VR3tlk
Medaglio di Bronzo al valor militare
EKII

That's about what I have on Herlevi. I'm afraid I don't have any information on those radiomen.

[Hanski]

My translation attempts:

Vartiomoottoriveneryhmän päällikkö = Chief of Patrol Motor Boat Group, or Chief of Guard Motor Boat Group

Erillinen Laivasto-osasto = Detached Naval Contingent (?)

Moottoritorpedoveneryhmän päällikkö = Chief of Motor Torpedo Boat Group

Moottoritorpedovenelaivue = Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron

[Mikko H.]

Ranks
Sub-Lieutenant (res.) 1935
Sub-Lieutenant 1937
Lieutenant 1939
Lieutenant-Commander 1942

Are you translating kapteeniluutnantti as lieutenant-commander? The Royal/US Navy equivalent of kapteeniluutnantti is lieutenant or lieutenant (senior grade); the Finnish naval rank equal to lieutenant-commander is komentajakapteeni.

[Eisenfaust]

Ranks
Sub-Lieutenant (res.) 1935
Sub-Lieutenant 1937
Lieutenant 1939
Lieutenant-Commander 1942

Are you translating kapteeniluutnantti as lieutenant-commander? The Royal/US Navy equivalent of kapteeniluutnantti is lieutenant or lieutenant (senior grade); the Finnish naval rank equal to lieutenant-commander is komentajakapteeni.

My source was:
http://users.tkk.fi/jaromaa/Navygallery/Misc/misc.htm

[Mikko H.]

As good as a resource that website is, in this case it's in error. As one can easily see by checking the rank comparisons between US Navy - US Army and Royal Navy - British Army -- where the Navy lieutenant-commander is equivalent to Army major etc. -- the correct comparison goes like this:

aliluutnantti - sub-lieutenant (RN) / Ensign (USN)
luutnantti - (no RN equivalent) / lieutenant (junior grade) (USN)
kapteeniluutnantti - lieutenant (RN) / lieutenant (senior grade) (USN)
komentajakapteeni - lieutenant commander
komentaja - commander
kommodori - captain
kontra-amiraali - commodore (rear-admiral (lower half) in the modern-day USN)

This is confirmed by the Finnish Defense Forces website: http://www.mil.fi/varusmies/arvomerkki/ ... mat_en.dsp

Yeah, it's confusing, especially if one looks at the rank insignia. RN/USN lieutenant commander has the same rank insignia as the Finnish kapteeniluutnantti, and the RN/USN commander the same insignia as the Finnish komentajakapteeni.

[Juha Tompuri]

From book Laivat Puuta, Miehet Rautaa[/b] (Wooden boats, Men of Iron) by O. Peuranheimo, J. Pirhonen and K. Killinen
Finns receiving the MAS 526 - MAS 529 from XII Squadriglia MAS at Tallinn Estonia on 5th May (?) 1943

[Mischa]

Ranks
Sub-Lieutenant (res.) 1935
Sub-Lieutenant 1937
Lieutenant 1939
Lieutenant-Commander 1942

Are you translating kapteeniluutnantti as lieutenant-commander? The Royal/US Navy equivalent of kapteeniluutnantti is lieutenant or lieutenant (senior grade); the Finnish naval rank equal to lieutenant-commander is komentajakapteeni.

Hello,
kapteeniluutnantti is the same like German Kapitänleutnant and I understand it.
Regards
Mischa

[Mischa]

Hello Eisenfaust and Juha,
Thank You very much for all, what You wrote and showed.
The pictures are wonderfull.
Regards
Mischa

[Mikko H.]

kapteeniluutnantti is the same like German Kapitänleutnant and I understand it.

Exactly.

[crolick]

Dear Juha,

on 18 IX 1939 at 20.00 Polish submarine ORZEL - just after her escape from Tallinn - surfaced near the entrance to the Gulf of Finland and sighted 3 warships including ILLMARINEN class battleship.
Could you confirm this in any way?!


Best regards,
Andrzej

[Mangrove]

A incomplete list of direct (not while in port) aerial attacks against Finnish ships in 1941, bold text indicates the attack inflicted any real damage to the ship or crew. All data from war diary of Laivaston esikunta, SPK 17798.

27 June 1941: Six bombers bombed minelayer Poseidon.
6 July: Seven fighters strafed minesweepers Vilppula, Rautu and Oulu I. 8 WIA.
6 July: Two fighters strafed AV 127. The captain was wounded.
19 July: Two bombers bombed Väinämöinen.
20 July: Two bombers bombed icebreaker Murtaja. A pump was damaged.

21 July: Six bombers bombed icebreaker Jääkarhu.
22 July: Nine bombers bombed Väinämöinen.
26 July: Three fighters strafed and bombed gunboat Uusimaa and Hämeenmaa. Hämeenmaa. Hämeenmaa's were 1 KIA and 8 KIA.
26 July: Eighteen bombers bombed Ilmarinen. Fist size holes to the hull and 1 KIA + 13 WIA.
11 August: Nine fighters strafed and bombed some minesweepers and gunboat Karjala.

13 August: Two bombers strafed s/s Toimi.
19 August: Three fighters strafed minesweeper Pommi.
26 September: Three fighters bombed tugboat F.H.av Chapman.
20 October: Five fighters strafed three patrol boats. WIA and small holes in VMV 2, VMV 16 lost an engine.
22 October. Three fighters strafed VMV 1 and VMV 15. Small holes and leaks.

I also collected a list of bombardments on Hanko peninsula by Ilmarinen and/or Väinämöinen.

2.-3 July 1941
4 July
12 July
14 July
2 September (operation Lihakeitto)
15 November (operation Kujajuoksu)

[Juha Tompuri]

Couple more:

Here a sort of a timeline what happened at Finnish Gulf June 22 1941 after the German attack against USSR, 0400(?) hours Finnish time:

0603 hours Soviet bombers attack against Finnish Navy ships sailing to Ahvenanmaa/Åland, Finland
0605 hours Soviet bombers attack against Finnish coastal artillery ships Ilmarinen and Väinämöinen at Sottunga (Kihti), Finland
0620 hours Soviet bombers attack against Finnish gunboat Uusimaa west of Korppoo, Finland

http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... &start=135

Regards, Juha

[Mangrove]

How to construct a 50 ton barge: Instructions and a blueprint. Aluskorjaamo 2, SPK 4001. Length is 16,20 meters, width 4,50 m.
http://digi.narc.fi/digi/fullpic.ka?kuid=4796063 (pg. 16-18)

For 22 ton barge, instructions only.
http://digi.narc.fi/digi/fullpic.ka?kuid=4796070



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