What If-Finland had been prepared for the Winter War?

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John Hilly
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Re: What If-Finland had been prepared for the Winter War?

#436

Post by John Hilly » 02 Dec 2012, 11:25

CanKiwi2 wrote:The design was accepted as the MSK Truck (Maavoimat Sotilaallinen Kuvio – “Maavoimat Military Pattern”)

Kuvio
means rather a figure than pattern.
Malli is much better and simpler translation. So, MSM Truck (Maavoimien Sotilasmalli). Note that there's always the genetive and compound in this kind of structure.
BTW, Finns use rather the frase Army's - Armeijan than Maavoimien..., although you may have used the latter in purpose.
Thanks for the video!

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Re: What If-Finland had been prepared for the Winter War?

#437

Post by CanKiwi2 » 02 Dec 2012, 13:51

John Hilly wrote:
CanKiwi2 wrote:The design was accepted as the MSK Truck (Maavoimat Sotilaallinen Kuvio – “Maavoimat Military Pattern”)

Kuvio
means rather a figure than pattern.
Malli is much better and simpler translation. So, MSM Truck (Maavoimien Sotilasmalli). Note that there's always the genetive and compound in this kind of structure.
BTW, Finns use rather the frase Army's - Armeijan than Maavoimien..., although you may have used the latter in purpose.
Thanks for the video!

With best
Juha-Pekka :milsmile:
Thx for that. While we are on language lessons :D , does that mean I should generally use Armeijan when I am talking about the Army? As in - the Armeijan purchased xxxx trucks or whatever. Or is it more of an informal vs formal - ie. use Armeijan when its informal, and Maavoimat when its formal?

Glad you liked the video :D - it was a tossup between Ghost Division and the PanzerLied - but Patton and the Americans are going to get the Panzerlied..... the Brits get Vera Lynn .... the Maavoimat gets Sabaton (and Nightwish, and a few others.....). BTW, musical suggestions are more than welcome.

This is probably a little premature, but speaking of music, one of the US Volunteers will be Captain Henry John Deutschendorf, Sr., a pilot who flew with the Ilmavoimat in the Winter War. He would pick up an old Finnish song while in Finland which he would sing to his son Henry. Henry jr would eventually translate the song into English, the rest is history....



(Forgive me, I just HAD to work this one in.....)
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Re: What If-Finland had been prepared for the Winter War?

#438

Post by John Hilly » 02 Dec 2012, 18:09

CanKiwi2 wrote:While we are on language lessons :D , does that mean I should generally use Armeijan when I am talking about the Army? As in - the Armeijan purchased xxxx trucks or whatever. Or is it more of an informal vs formal - ie. use Armeijan when its informal, and Maavoimat when its formal?
Actually, FDF - Suomen Puolustusvoimat (official full name of the whole system :D ) - only got a separate Ground Forces HQ a couple of years ago. Its name is Maavoimaesikunta (note no genitive). Earlier the Army was included in the General Staff. In Finnish when you say 'Armeija' you mean Ground forces opposite to Ilmavoimat and Merivoimat.
But, in your example: the Armeijan purchased xxx it should not have genitive, so, the Armeija purchased. Nowadays you would use Maavoimat here and its okey to use it also in your sceme.
I think that the difficulty here is, when and where to use the genitive comes from the anglo-Saxon way of not using it, while in Finnish it is used, i.e. Navy Seals - Laivaston Taistelusukeltajat, Army Paratroopers -
Maavoimien Laskuvarjojääkärit.
CanKiwi2 wrote:the Ilmavoimat in the Winter War.
Here you use the Ilmavoimat correctly.
I'm no teacher so I hope got some sense out of this this. :)
BTW, Panssaridivisioona not Pansaaridivisioona. :roll:

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Re: What If-Finland had been prepared for the Winter War?

#439

Post by CanKiwi2 » 03 Dec 2012, 15:47

Hei, that all made sense..... it all helps. Also, copying a couple of posts across from alternate history - going to make use of most of these in the Post....

Mikael: Another word to use could be ralli . Ralli means in general use car racing on general roads, very popular in Finland. Ukkosralli would then mean roughly thunderrace. I would suggest terms kalmaralli or ruumisralli. Kalma is finnish word meaning death. Unlike general word kuolema (death), kalma means specifically human death or human corpse, depending how the word is used. It's old word, not often used nowadays but it was more common in past. Another term could be ruumisralli, ruumis meaning human body or corpse. This term actually would be most natural of the suggested to say in finnish, two words fit really well together when spoken. Origin of the term could be result of some thunderruns which ended overrunning enemy bodies, living and dead.

DrakonFin: I agree with you about the word "ralli", it does roll off the tongue more easily. One point though: the word has been used in the present sense only since the mid-50s, as it is a loan word from English. At the time, racing events were called "ajot", such as in Eläintarhan Ajot in Helsinki since 1932, and Jyväskylän Suurajot since 1951. The contemporary Finns during the war would say the word "ralli" means a fast-paced piece of music instead as that was the older meaning.

Mikael: Point taken. Ralli was fast music, usually fast dance music, so it could come up as term kalmaralli or ruumisralli roughly meaning death dance or corpse dance.

Karelian: There are few potential terms and phrases not yet suggested, so here goes. Rynnistys = A word where the term rynnäkkö (assault) is derivered from. Correct usage could be to use the unit number or commanders name. "Viisseiskan rynnistys" = The assault of the 57th or "Laguksen rynnistys" = "Assault of Lagus". It also refers to word "ryske" (crashing, heavy sound, imagine the front rows of medieval infantry units clashing against one another with full force) and is also used to describe movement of animals or large crowds of people. "Asiakkaat rynnistivät sisään" (the customers rushed in) "Valtava biisonilauma rynnisti laukkaan korviahuumaavalla jylinällä" (A huge bison herd sprang to movement with a deafening rumble"

Another one would be to use the term tuulispää, which is a bit hard to translate directly, but means moving so fast that one feels the wind in your hair, in a "windlike" fashion. "Tuulispäänä Leningradiin/Tuulispäänä Leningradin suuntaan" would thus be "Moving to/towards Leningrad so fast that you can feel the wind in your hair" - the image this term conjures in Finnish is a bit archaic and heroic on the same time IMO, since it's a term familiar from Kalevala.
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Re: What If-Finland had been prepared for the Winter War?

#440

Post by CanKiwi2 » 03 Dec 2012, 17:42

So how does “Ukkosvyöry: Tuulispäänä Leningradiin” - from “Kalmaralli: Tuhoaminen Punaisen Armeijan Syvärin Rintamalla, Elokuu1940” (“Death-dance: The Destruction of the Red Army on the Syvari Front, August 1940”) by xxxxx, Gummerus, 1985 sound?
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Re: What If-Finland had been prepared for the Winter War?

#441

Post by John Hilly » 03 Dec 2012, 19:44

"Kalmaralli" - makes me chiver. A very strong impression indeed!
Finnish paperback writers have over used "kalma", though.
"Tuulispäänä Leningradiin" - sounds great in this context.
CanKiwi2 wrote:“Kalmaralli: Tuhoaminen Punaisen Armeijan Syvärin Rintamalla, Elokuu1940”
"Kalmaralli: Puna-Armeijan tuhoaminen Syvärin rintamalla, Elokuu 1940"
No unnecessary capitals in the headlines in Finnish. Noun prior to the predicate.
Still teaching... :lol:

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Re: What If-Finland had been prepared for the Winter War?

#442

Post by CanKiwi2 » 03 Dec 2012, 19:52

John Hilly wrote:"Kalmaralli" - makes me shiver. A very strong impression indeed!
"Tuulispäänä Leningradiin" - sounds great in this context.

"Kalmaralli: Puna-Armeijan tuhoaminen Syvärin rintamalla, Elokuu 1940"
No unnecessary capitals in the headlines in Finnish. Noun prior to the predicate. Still teaching... :lol:

Juha-Pekka :milwink:
Thx for that yet again :D . I wondered about the capitals - always when I translate from Finnish docs into English I need to add Caps in. Now I know why!
John Hilly wrote:"Kalmaralli" - makes me shiver. A very strong impression indeed!:
Now to make the story live up to the preliminary shivers. A real challenge! 8O - I am aiming for a cross of Sven Hassel, Tom Kratman and Tom Clancy. Doubt it will be that good, but at least if I aim high....
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Re: What If-Finland had been prepared for the Winter War?

#443

Post by Seppo Koivisto » 03 Dec 2012, 20:38

Ralli is a genre of Finnish popular music. Ralli could also be a grid flooring, that you sometimes have in sauna or in front of front door to wipe your feet.

http://lirama.net/song/276935

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Re: What If-Finland had been prepared for the Winter War?

#444

Post by John Hilly » 03 Dec 2012, 21:04

CanKiwi2 wrote:This is probably a little premature, but speaking of music, one of the US Volunteers will be Captain Henry John Deutschendorf, Sr., a pilot who flew with the Ilmavoimat in the Winter War. He would pick up an old Finnish song while in Finland which he would sing to his son Henry. Henry jr would eventually translate the song into English, the rest is history....
Those roads reminded me of an ancient and yet trashy translation I made:
http://www.feldgrau.net/forum/viewtopic ... 45&t=17831

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Re: What If-Finland had been prepared for the Winter War?

#445

Post by CanKiwi2 » 06 Dec 2012, 18:16

“Ukkosvyöry: Tuulispäänä Leningradiin” - from “Kalmaralli: Puna-Armeijan tuhoaminen Syvärin rintamalla, Elokuu1940” (“Death-dance: The Destruction of the Red Army on the Syvari Front, August 1940”) by Robert Brantberg, Gummerus, 1985.

“Whoever said the pen is mightier than the sword obviously never encountered automatic weapons designed by Lahti” – Kenraaliluutnantti Ruben Lagus, Commanding Officer, 21st Panssaridivisoona

Long after the war was over, Eversti Matti Hakkarainen well remembered his first sighting of a Sika, back in early June 1940 when he was a mere vänrikki commanding a jaeger joukkue – and a very junior vänrikki at that. “What the hell are those?” he remembered asking. “Those” were a row of large squat truck-sized shapes covered by tarpaulins and lined up neatly down one side of a long shed. Withdrawn from the intermittent fighting on the outskirts of Leningrad two days earlier, the Company had been loaded on trucks, suffered an uncomfortable journey back to Viipuri and after a night in an actual bed, had been summoned to stand outside the large warehouse immediately after breakfast. Not that it seemed to be a formal parade or anything, nobody had told them to clean up, or line up or get into formation, just to be there. In fact, nobody had been sure why they were there at all. It had just been the usual Armiejan “hurry up and wait.” Only that morning, there had been not too much waiting at all.

The entire Company filed into the Shed after the Sotilasmestari had opened a side-door and ordered the men inside. They’d all noticed the large tarpaulin-covered shapes lined up along the far side of the shed. A couple of the more curious had begun to drift towards them but a curt command from the Sotilasmestari saw them rejoin the rest. The Kapteeni moved up to the front and jumped up onto a workbench. “OK men, Listen Up,” he said. He had no problem being heard. Everyone was listening and wondering what was going on. “We are now a Mechanized Jaeger Company.” He grinned. “And if you want to know what that means, well, for a start, we don’t do so much walking.” He gestured to the Sotilasmestari, who in turn gestured to a couple of men he’d deputized to stand next to one of the tarpaulin-covered shapes. “And THIS is what makes us Mechanized.” The tarpaulin was tugged away to reveal a squat armored shape with a sloping front and sides, small windows at the front, four large wheels, a twin 12.7mm with a small shield mounted on the front of what looked to be the passenger compartment and another 12.7mm mounted on each side. “Looks like a Pig to drive,” one of the men next to Matti had exclaimed, forgetting to keep his voice down. Everyone started to talk. The Sotilasmestari's voice roared. “Keep it down men, keep it down, the Kapteeni is going to fill you in.”

Kapteeni Kaarna waited without expression until quiet returned. “This is the Armiejan’s new Armored Infantry Carrier, it’s called the Sika. We’re the first Company to be equipped with them and we’re going to spend the next two days familiarising ourselves with them. The rest of the 21st’s Jaegers are going to get these over the next few weeks, Company by Company as they arrive. And if you’re wondering Why Us? Well, you all know machineguns back from when we were the old Heavy Machinegun Company, and as you can see, that’s something these Sikas have plenty of. We’ll get familiar with these and then we start training with the tanks and artillery. Now, there’s Instructors from the Experimental Combat Group waiting for you, they’re going to take you over your Sika’s in groups, the Sotilasmestari and Platoon Officers will meet with me..” he glanced at his watch .. “at oh nine thirty hours over there. Over to you Sotilasmestari.”

“Attention.” The Sotilasmestari voice snapped the Company to attention as the Kapteeni turned and strode off towards the group of uniformed men who’d appeared at the far end of the row of Sika’s. The Sotilasmestari gestured to half a dozen Lottas’ who were filing through the door. “The ladies are bringing in Coffee and buns over there, line up and feed your faces while it’s hot. Assemble back here at oh nine hundred. The Instructors will give you a rundown on the Sika’s until midday. Lunch at twelve hundred hours in the Shed here. Assemble at thirteen hundred hours right here for this afternoon’s orders.” He looked around. “Fall out.”

To be continued.....
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Re: What If-Finland had been prepared for the Winter War?

#446

Post by CanKiwi2 » 10 Dec 2012, 22:36

Rather than the next two days, the Company spent the next week, twelve hours a day, each and every day, familiarizing themselves inside and out with the Sika – and there was a lot to familiarize themselves with. As their Instructors told them, the Sika had been designed and the prototype built in just three weeks at the Patria plant in Tornio. The basis for the Sika was the standard MSM Truck (Maavoimien Sotilasmalli) chassis and the Cummins I6-170hp diesel engine. The armoured all-welded body was made from 9mm ballistic steel plate )although the front armour was actually 14mm) with a raised roof over the driver and drivers assistant seats, a rear door and an open-top troop compartment at the back, which allowed provision for three pivot mounts for single 12.7mm machine guns on the vehicle’s inner side walls – one at the front and one on each side of the troop compartment. A further 7.62mm light machinegun could be fired forward through a gun port by the drivers assistant. The armour itself was sloped at the front and angled on the sides to improve protection.

The internal layout of the Sika itself was compact. The front cab seated a driver and driver’s assistant separated by a gear box cover (both of whom would also be responsible for basic vehicle and engine maintenance). Vision for the driver and assistant was through large bullet-proof glass windows which could be covered by armour-plate visors when in battle conditions. These restricted vision considerably but offered considerable extra protection, albeit often at the cost of smashed fingers (a design flaw, as the Instructors kindly pointed out). A Radio Operator was tucked away in a compact space immediately behind the driver. In the open-topped troop compartment, three machinegunners operated the belt-fed DShK 12.7mm’s, a fourth was responsible for passing ammunition belts out as needed – a challenging task with three 12.7mm’s and in the confined space available. Last was the Sika Commander for a total of eight man ryhmä in all. Add to this personal kit, racks for personal weapons, boxes of ammunition (“there’s no such thing as to much ammunition” Sihvonen said in an aside to Salo after Salo had grumbled about how little space there was to stretch out "and it sure beats marching").

While the Sika had a few faults – for one thing, the Instructors pointed out that the weight of the Armour meant that the chassis was overloaded and as a result, “she could be a real bitch to drive”. But on the other hand “no more walking and enough firepower to blast through the gates of hell” – the combined firepower of even a joukkue of Sikas, let alone an entire Company, was devastating when used against enemy infantry and light vehicles caught in the open, and the Sika’s themselves provided real mobility. They had a maximum road speed of 50mph and a range of 300 miles on good roads – and with the 4WD, they had reasonable cross-country capability, albeit with decreased range. The machineguns fitted to the Sikas were DShK 12.7mm’s which had been captured from the Red Army in fairly large numbers in eastern Karelia, the Isthmus and in Murmansk together with enormous stockpiles of ammunition – including AP, AP-incendiary, AP-incendiary and exploding bullets. In hasty trials of captured Russian equipment, they proved to be reliable and effective – and as there were large numbers of them captured, it had been decided to fit them to the Sikas as they came into service. With some work, they had been installed in with a shield for the gunner to provide at least a modicum of protection.

Over the first couple of days, Kapteeni Kaarna worked with the Joukkue Officers and NCOs to reorganize the Company around the Sika’s, with an 8-man ryhmä assigned to each Sika. Prior to re-equipping with the Sikas, the Company was a standard Jaeger Company of 141 men organized as follows:

Company Commander (Kapteeni, pistol)
Company HQ Ryhmä (Squad)
Messengers (runners)
NCO + 4 men (rifles)

Lookouts/anti chemical weapons Ryhmä (Squad)
NCO + 3 men (rifles)
Motorcycle messenger (pistol + motorcycle)

Antitank Ryhmä (Squad)
NCO (rifle)
8 men (2 or 4 at-rifles + rifles) (**)
Horse man (horse + cart/sledge), (rifle)

3 Jaeger Joukkue (Platoons), in each Jaeger Platoon:
Lieutenant/2nd Lieutenant (pistol and submachinegun)
Platoon Sergeant (rifle)
Company HQ Ryhmä (Squad)
2 messengers (runners), (rifles)

4 Jaeger Ryhmät (Squads), 9 men in each Ryhmä (Squad):
Corporal (rifle)
8 men (2 submachinegun + 6 rifles)

Reorganised, the Company saw a slight increase in the number of men as follows (6 Sikas per Joukkue allowed for continuous bounding overwatch - alternating movement of coordinated units to allow, if necessary, suppressive fire in support of offensive forward movement or defensive disengagement. As each pair of Sikas takes an overwatch posture, the other pair advances to cover; these two groups continually switch roles as they close with the enemy. The inclusion of 6 Sikas in a Joukkue made it possible to continue to maintain an effective bounding overwatch with sufficient suppressive firepower even when one or even two Sikas were knocked out.

Company HQ:
Command Sika: Kapteeni, 1 x Alikersantti, 6 men
Sika #2: Kersantti (Sergeant), 1 x Alikersantti (Corporal), 6 men
Sika #3: 1 x Alikersantti, 3 men (Armoured Truck Logistical Carrier)
Sika #4: 1 x Alikersantti, 3 men (Armoured Truck Logistical Carrier)

3 Jaeger Joukkue (Platoons), in each Jaeger Joukkue 48 men as follows:

Command Sika: Luutnantti/Vänrikki, (Lieutenant, 2nd Lieutenant) 1 x Alikersantti, 6 men
Sika #2: Kersantti, 1 x Alikersantti, 6 men
Sika #3: 1 x Alikersantti, 7 men
Sika #4: 1 x Alikersantti, 7 men
Sika #5: 1 x Alikersantti, 7 men
Sika #6: 1 x Alikersantti, 7 men

As the men found out, five men in the troop compartment, together with equipment, weapons and ammo, was getting a bit crowded but it worked. Platoon Officers and Sergeants assigned crews and positions, after which the serious training began. Initially, the men assigned as machine gunners trained on the DShK 12.7mm’s, while the assigned driver and drivers assistant learned to drive the Sika’s, first on roads, then trails, then cross-country. As the drivers found out, they did indeed handle like their namesake. Meanwhile, assigned radio operators trained on their new Nokia radios while the vehicle commanders trained on tactics. That was just the first week…. On the second week, the REAL training began……training as a Platoon and then as a Company. It was all rather rushed, but "needs must when the devil drives" - and the Red Army wasn't going to be waiting for extended training to be completed.

(and organisational critiquing welcome, ditton on ranks....). I'll rewrite
Last edited by CanKiwi2 on 11 Dec 2012, 15:58, edited 3 times in total.
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Re: What If-Finland had been prepared for the Winter War?

#447

Post by John Hilly » 11 Dec 2012, 13:02

Do yo want to use OTL in the Finnish ranks? If so, there wasn't a rank of the Sotilasmestari. Also Yliluutnatti is a rank that was established only after WW2...
The highest Army NCO rank was Vääpeli – Master Sergeant, except in the Air-Force with a rank: Lentomestari.
In the Navy the highest rank was Pursimies equaling to the Vääpeli.
Now my complimentary BTW: :D
Ryhmä, Ryhmät, Ryhmien -, not Rhymii,etc...

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Re: What If-Finland had been prepared for the Winter War?

#448

Post by CanKiwi2 » 11 Dec 2012, 13:26

John Hilly wrote:Do yo want to use OTL in the Finnish ranks? If so, there wasn't a rank of the Sotilasmestari. Also Yliluutnatti is a rank that was established only after WW2...
The highest Army NCO rank was Vääpeli – Master Sergeant, except in the Air-Force with a rank: Lentomestari.
In the Navy the highest rank was Pursimies equaling to the Vääpeli.
Now my complimentary BTW: :D
Ryhmä, Ryhmät, Ryhmien -, not Rhymii,etc...

Juha-Pekka :milwink:
Yes, definitely OTL WW2 ranks. Can you suggest what I should be using above for a Company Sergeant? I take it there was not an equivalent to the British Company Sergeant-Major or Warrant Officers? I was going by what I could find on Finnish ranks in Wikipedia, which is modern ranking system.

Re Ryhmä, so for this sentence - with 8-man ryhmä’s assigned to each Sika - should I be saying this - with 8-man ryhmät assigned to each Sika - ?

.........Nigel
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Re: What If-Finland had been prepared for the Winter War?

#449

Post by John Hilly » 11 Dec 2012, 14:49

Houston, we have a problem...!
The Finnish command structure derived and yet derives from the Anglo-Saxon armies. The Company QM – 'Komppanian vääpeli' was normally the highest ranking NCO in it. But he could be a staff sergeant and even a sergeant. Puolustusvoimat in war-time configuration was and will be a force built up from reserves. That reflected to the organization of the troops.
During the WW2 the company commander hadn't even an assistant commander.
WOs, well we had kind of them called 'Sotilasvirkamies' but named by the troops as “cock lottas”.
They were adminstrative officers who didn't have reserve officer training, but whose civil training made them to serve “as officers” in admistration and very often in Tiedotuskomppaniat – TK-men – propaganda companies. Troopers didn't look at them very nicely.
CanKiwi2 wrote:Ryhmä, so for this sentence - with 8-man ryhmä’s assigned to each Sika - should I be saying this - with 8-man ryhmät assigned to each Sika - ?
In this case only 8-man ryhmä assigned...

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Re: What If-Finland had been prepared for the Winter War?

#450

Post by CanKiwi2 » 11 Dec 2012, 16:25

John Hilly wrote:Houston, we have a problem...!
Yikes. OK, so in Linna (The Unknown Soldier, of course... I was reading it on the train this morning) there's a Sergeant Major (english language translation, need I say). So here's what I'm working with. corrections / clarifications solicited :milsmile: . Keeping in mind that the above is a combat formation, mechanized infantry, prototypical, light on everything as it's being slung together rather hastily. Engineering support & logistics largely handled at the Battalion level... Also, I have not yet run through my Maavoimat organisation so that may yet change a bit... Altho it's usually far better to keep military organisations as flat & lean & mean as possible....

So if there's no Sotilasmestari, would there actually be a company sergeant-major, or would he likely be a senior sergeant, say a Ylikersantti or a Vääpeli? What's the rank used in the Finnish-language "Unknown Soldier?" I read that there are some positions, which resemble military ranks in their name, but are not. The position of the "Sergeant Major of a company" (or other unit such as battery in artillery) is called komppanian vääpeli "Sergeant 1st Class of the company" - so it was a position, rather than an actual rank?

Sotamies - Private
Korpraali - PFC (British equivalent = Lance Corporal)
Alikersantti - Junior Sergeant (aka Corporal)
Kersantti - Sergeant
Ylikersantti - Staff Sergeant
Vääpeli - Sergeant 1st Class (British equivalent = Warrant Officer Class 2)
Ylivääpeli - Master Sergeant (British equivalent = Warrant Officer Class 2, Company Sergeant Major))
Sotilasmestari - Sergeant Major (British equivalent = Warrant Officer Class 1)

Vänrikki - 2nd Lieutenant
Luutnantti - Lieutenant
Kapteeni - Captain
Majuri - Major
Everstiluutnantti - Lieutenant Colonel
Eversti - Colonel
Prikaatikenraali - Brigadier General
Kenraalimajuri - Major General
Kenraaliluutnantti - Lieutenant General
Kenraali - General

Alikersantti (corporal) is usually a squad/section leader
Kersantti (sergeant) usually is platoon second in command etc. and not your normal squad/section leader.
Ylikersantti (and Vaapeli, Ylivaapeli and Sotilasmestari) are rather more rare than kersantti.

The rank of General may, as a sign of special recognition, include a service branch: those historically used were General of Infantry (jalkaväenkenraali), General of Cavalry (ratsuväenkenraali) and General of Artillery (tykistökenraali). These additions do not affect seniority.

Personnel serving in technical duties belonging to the officers without officer training hold the position of military civil servant (sotilasvirkamies). Their rank is comparable to either Senior Lieutenant, Lieutenant and Staff Sergeant, depending on the level of the civilian education required to serve in this position.

Sotamies is a generic rank for Private, however the rank of sotamies as is no longer used in any service branch. The rank is always given the name specific to the service branch: is this true of WW2?

Jaeger (jääkäri) in infantry (including mortar personnel, who may be subordinated to artillery units)
Signalist (viestimies) in signals corps
Armourman (panssarimies) in tank units and Armour Jaeger (panssarijääkäri) in mechanised infantry
Driver (autosotamies) in transport corps
Gunner (tykkimies) in anti-aircraft corps, field artillery and coastal units of the Navy
NBC private (suojelumies) in NBC defence units
Engineer (pioneeri) in engineers
Coastal Jaeger (rannikkojääkäri) in Uusimaa Brigade (Uudenmaan prikaati)
Dragoon (rakuuna) in the Dragoon troop of Army Warfare School (Rakuunaeskadroona/Maasotakoulu)
Cavalryman (ratsumies) in the Häme Regiment (Hämeen rykmentti)
Guard Jaeger (kaartinjääkäri) in Guard Jaeger Regiment (Kaartin jääkärirykmentti)
Border Jaeger (rajajääkäri) in the Border Guard (conscript rank, enlisted Border Guard personnel are NCOs in ranks of Border Guard (nuorempi rajavartija), Senior Border Guard (vanhempi rajavartija), Border Guard Sergeant (ylirajavartija) and Border Guard Master Sergeant (rajavartiomestari).)
Paratroop Jaeger (laskuvarjojääkäri) and Special Jaeger (erikoisjääkäri) in Utti Jaeger Regiment (Utin jääkärirykmentti) and Special Border Jaeger (erikoisrajajääkäri) in Special Border Jaeger company of Border and Coast Guard School (Raja- ja merivartiokoulu) are not ranks, but specializations, where NCO training is given and thus each graduate is at minimum alikersantti.

Historically, the rank of sotamies was used in generic infantry units, while the rank of Jaeger was in used only in the Jaeger Brigade in Sodankylä and in specific Jaeger battalions, which derived their traditions from the Jäger Movement.

And over on alternatehistory, it was just pointed out to me that Prikaatikenraali - Brigadier General - is also a post WW2 rank. So what rabk generally commanded a Brigade-sized formation in WW2 (JR's I assume? An Eversti?)
ex Ngāti Tumatauenga ("Tribe of the Maori War God") aka the New Zealand Army

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