Mai-Guba raid

[mfy4444]

Hello all. This is actually a question. I am having trouble seeing a good railroad map of the Segezha and Belomorsk areas in 1941-42. From what I can tell, the Majewski raid of January 1942 struck a part of the Murmansk railroad far enough south of Belomorsk that the Soviets were still able to route rail traffic south from Belomorsk via the line connecting to the Archangel railroad. Is this true? I am also wondering how much the original Murmansk line was used after the Finns cut the southward connection at Medvezhegorsk/Karhumaki? It would seem that anything south of Belomorsk on the Murmansk line would be running to a dead end, since the Finns controlled the line from south of Lake Seg. So what was the purpose of the raid, and how much traffic would there be on the part of the line attacked?

So maybe I am asking, at what point did the rail line connecting Belomorsk to the Archangel rail line further east begin? Was it north or south of Segezha? I was of the impression (and this is stated too in Henrik Lunde's book "Finland's War of Choice"-- "Cutting the line south of Belomorsk would serve no purpose because a recently completed rail line from Belomorsk connected with the line from Archangel, thus avoiding the use of the southern part of the Murmansk Railroad from Belomorsk to Volkhov"-- p. 148) that the value of cutting this portion of the line, around Segezha- Mai Guba, was thus of limited value. Any thoughts on this question?

Regards

Mike Yaklich

[Art]

So maybe I am asking, at what point did the rail line connecting Belomorsk to the Archangel rail line further east begin?

The connecting station was Belomorsk itself.

I was of the impression (and this is stated too in Henrik Lunde's book "Finland's War of Choice"-- "Cutting the line south of Belomorsk would serve no purpose because a recently completed rail line from Belomorsk connected with the line from Archangel, thus avoiding the use of the southern part of the Murmansk Railroad from Belomorsk to Volkhov"-- p. 148) that the value of cutting this portion of the line, around Segezha- Mai Guba, was thus of limited value.

As far as traffic from Murmansk is concerned - yes.

[igor_verh]

Hi, rail line Belomorsk-Segezha has a local importance. Soviets used it to support Maselgskaya Army group. At January-February 1942 Red Army undertook a large offensive on that sector. So at that moment finnish attack on May-Guba had not little value.
P. Petrov, a petty officer of a training Battalion of 186th Infantry Division, about this diversion:
"In January 1942, the Finns send to Segezha region send their sabotage detachment strenght about a battalion. 7 km from the town of Segezha they completely burned Mai-guba station and 3 kilometers from the station in the village Lei-guba - timber factory. By order of the commander of the division our separate training battalion loaded into wagons and sent to Segezha. Arrived in the city, unload. Commandant of town explained to us the situation and set the task - to destroy the enemy force. The battalion commander, Lieutenant Kopyl asked him weapon to the soldiers. The fact that our battalion was armed with training rifles and rifles, damaged at the front. But the commandant replied that extra weapon he has not. So we began to pursue the Finnish squad. Finns quickly discovered the persecution, but not knowing that we do not have the proper weapons, began to recede. Before leaving, they threw an extra load blankets, ammunition, rifles, machine gun thrown even with discs, at least so a couple of us are armed. We chased them for a week, but could not catch up. They go skiing well, not what we do. A few kilometers from the border proceedings were discontinued, and we turned back to Segezha"(from http://www.plam.ru/hist/russkie_diversa ... hek/p4.php)
Also in Segezha was an airfield for fighters, hospitals, pulp-and-paper plant which produced a mortars, smg and airbombs. Some partisans detachments were located there. All it required the support - the food, weapon, fuel. Finnish sabotage groups regularly came on the line Maselgskaya-Belomorsk, set mines on the ways, fired trains.

[Vaeltaja]

Seems that it was also politically convenient for the Finns to attack that particular stretch of the 'Murman rail'. It allowed them to say to Germans that they kept their efforts up in cutting the rail, while appeasing the Western Powers by not attacking the actual lend-lease route in such a strength.

[Mangrove]

So what was the purpose of the raid, and how much traffic would there be on the part of the line attacked?

The purpose of the raid was in general to "cut temporarily enemy supply and communication links W of Uikujärvi in order to ease the pressure on the Seesjärvi-Äänisjärvi isthmus and to destroy enemy supply units, depots and small guard forces when met".

The more specific order was to "cut temporarily enemy supply and communication links between Sekehe and Vojatsu stations on the Murmansk railway at specific targets scouted by the Group Majewski and to destroy enemy supply units, depots and small guard forces when met. Also a few prisoners must be captured".

[igor_verh]

So maybe I am asking, at what point did the rail line connecting Belomorsk to the Archangel rail line further east begin? Was it north or south of Segezha?

Didn't find a good map, only this one now:

[Seppo Koivisto]

Photos of the Mai Guba raid found. Photos are taken by Toivo V. Narva, only about 10% of the photos he left behind can be found in SA-kuva. http://yle.fi/uutiset/harvinaiset_kuvat ... sa/7761893


Troops 1900 men and 250 horses leave Särkijärvi on 14 January 1942.


Mai Guba station in flames on 20 January 1942 at 02:15 hours.


Company of lieutenant Raevaara returns to Särkijärvi on 23 January 1942.

[Seppo Koivisto]

Map of the Mai Guba raid from Kansa Taisteli No. 1 1971. http://kansataisteli.sshs.fi/index.php?year=1970#1971

Mai_Guba_KT_1971_01.jpg (74.37 KiB) Viewed 1752 times

[Seppo Koivisto]

Mai Guba veteran Eino Syrjäniemi is 101 years.

Oli kylmä ja osa suurista sotilaista jäätyi suon päälle, upposivat sinne haarukoitaan myöten eivät päässeet liikkumaan. Me nuoremmat, viitisenkymmentä poikaa jotka olimme kevyitä ja nopeita, pääsimme etenemään

It was cold and some tall soldiers were frozen on a swamp, they plummeted up to crotches and couln't move. We younger, fifty boys were light and fast and could move forward.
https://www.mtvuutiset.fi/artikkeli/101 ... #gs.j39y4g