At Niilo Lappalainen book ÄÄnisen Rannoilla (at the shores of Lake Onego) there is also some information about the raid.
Here some:
igor_verh wrote:As usual, Soviet version have a few differences. According soviet sources, command of Medvezhyegorsk Army group had information about a possible sabotage at 5 March. So at that day 1st Partisan brigade obtain an order to take positions near Vodla river. Finnish squad also was seen by Nikolaev's recon platoon, which was at 7-8 March in Big Klimenitskiy Island area.
The book mentions that among the local (Island Klimetski) civilian population there were Soviet informers, that sent info about the coming raid to the Soviet side.
igor_verh wrote:But only 9 March Finnish detachment came ashore near the village Besov Nos (Бесов Нос).
Lappalainen mentions the place being between Besov Nos and the mouth of River Vodla (at a wrong place - 6-7 km too much South) because of orientation mistakes.
igor_verh wrote:At morning 10 March finnish squad came to Vodla river and divided into 2 groups. Smaller group (15 saboteurs) penetrated on Shala's timber factory territory, were ambushed by partisans from detachment #6 and was completely destroyed.
Because of the orientation mistakes and because of that the original larger attack plan had to be dropped, and only two targets were to be attacked:
I platoon, led by Ltn Supinen against the vessels (barges) at the Vodla River
II & III platoons led by Cornet Hirvi-Kunnas against the accommodation quarters at Šalski (Shala?)
Ltn Supinen and seven of his men got ( most probably )killed there, three managed to get away. At least one of the three, Corporal Leitto was takes as POW, and returned to home after the war.
Three barges were mentioned to have been set alight and one machine gun captured, but lost later.
II and III Platoons managed to fulfill their task without any casualties. during the "less than one hour" combat 5-6 buildings were reported to have been set on fire.
igor_verh wrote:Main group came under fire of heavy machine gun on Vodla river and retreated to the west. Grigorjev sent detachment #3 and #4 on persecution. They had an order - pressed finns to Vasilisin island. So they did it well.
As mentioned by Martti earlier, the original Finnish plan was to capture the Vasilisi Island with another unit and so secure the Englund unit way back home.
igor_verh wrote:Partisans from detachment #8 let enemy came to short distance and opened fire. Most part of finnish saboteurs was KIA. 3 of them were captured.
Lappalainen estimates that about 15-20 Finns got killed there.
Privates (dragoons) Petman and Selin and private 1st class Back were taken as POW there. Back told to Petman that the Soviet had shot the wounded Ltn Englund.
Petman was interrogated and offered a job as a Soviet spy. He accepted the offer and 15th March he was sent to Finland, but when arriving the Finnish lines he revealed himself and told how he got away from the Soviet captivity.
Finnish translated interrogation report dated 11th March 1942 of Petman from the Karelian security service archives.
The report was made by the 1st Partisan Brigde IV detachment deputy commander Pimenev with translator Anna Romanovna Leontjeva:
http://www.klubi.biz/sotavangit/perus2.php?id=106
igor_verh wrote: Total finnish losses in fight with partisans - 48 KIA, else 20 were KIA or captured by frontier guards, which also took part in the operation. From book "History of 1st Partisan Brigade of Karelian front".
According to the Finnish side 39 men did not return from the raid (one, Petman returned later) = ( 35 KIA and 4 POW -Petman that got away ?)
igor_verh wrote: From telegram of 1st Partisan brigade command:
"...Kalinin's detachment,which was sent in ambush on Vasilisin Island, completly destroyed finnish main group, which appeared on the lake near Vodla river. As a result of battle by partisans killed 40 finnish soldiers, 3 finns captured and taken to the headquarters, captured 20 smg, 8 rifles, 10 carbines, large quantity of ammunition, valuable documents. From the main group of Finns could leave 7 men, our losses - 1 KIA, 3 WIA. Wounded were taken to the brigade's location. Harassment continues"
As above
igor_verh wrote: From memories of partisan Boris Voronov, kommisar Aristov's orderly:
"Saboteurs set fire to a barge at the mouth Vodla, had something to undermine on the timber factory, but we drove them into the lake. According to the plan squad had to pressed finns to the island Vasilisin where was the ambush.
A partisan group accompanied Finns from left side, another one from the right. Behind Ivan Grigorjev and his orderly Vasya Makarikhin rode on a sleigh pulled by a horse, and with a heavy machine gun. Finns will dodge left, opened fire on them, and they are returning to the course necessary to us. Begin to turn to the right, again their "Align" with machine guns.
Finnish reports also mention the Soviet sleigh mounted machine guns chasing them, but affecting no casualties.
igor_verh wrote: Then our planes swooped and helped.
Finnish reports do not mention any Soviet aircraft, but Lappalainen book mentions that because of Soviet aerosans, three Finns escaped to Island Kurdilo, and were never heard again.
Regards, Juha