AV-boats

[Juha Tompuri]

The photo caption mentions this captured boat (as seems to be written on the life-buoy) as "from Viipuri"

SA-photo 40106 from Virolahti summer/autumn 1941
A Soviet origin or a re-captured (AV?) boat?

Regards, Juha

[BarSeek]

The photo caption mentions this captured boat (as seems to be written on the life-buoy) as "from Viipuri"

As written on the life buoy, it belonged to boat "Nord" from home port Viipuri.

[Juha Tompuri]

Thanks,

Can you say anything about the design: any apparent Soviet or Finnish style visible?

Regards, Juha

[Juha Tompuri]

AV-110, serving as a mailboat from Pyhtää to Suursaari
SA-photo #111649

[BarSeek]

AV-92 , SA-photo 29170, 29172, 28908, 29175



AV-105, SA-photo 28907, 29176 (another boat must be YM-53, see SA-photo 29181)



AV-121, SA-photo 29175

[Vaeltaja]

Rather exotic MG mount for a boat i would say.

Wheeled mountings are not exactly the standard.

[Juha Tompuri]

AV-132 at Kiestinki sector on its way to Tuoppajärvi/Pääjärvi?

[Juha Tompuri]

AV-92 , SA-photo 29170, 29172, 28908, 29175

AV-92 here too?'

[lupodimare89]

Resuming this old series of posts i would like to try clarify/further asses events concerning the AV boats during the Winter War (espacially their losses).

So-far the most solid encounter remains the loss of AV-45 (with four killed) while leaving Lavansaari on 30 November. Encountered and sunk by DD "Gordyi".
HOWEVER in the above discussion i read this:

Code: Select all

According to Heikki Tiilikainen and Ilmari Pusa book Talvisodan Jäinen Loppunäytös ( Icy final act of Winter War) that the boat name was [b]AV-114[/b] and of the four persons on board three were from Coast Guard and one was a civilian fleeing from the Island.

Further strengthened by this:

Kai Säteri at book Rajavartiolaitos ( The Finnish Border Guard) mentions that the Island Lavansaari Coast Guard unit boat was AV-114 and that Island Seiskari Coat Guard unit boat (one female and four men onboard) was captured by a Soviet destroyer.
Total Coast Guard vessel losses during the Winter War were 11 AV-boats.

So apparently the sunk boat waas AV-114 and not AV-45?

Interestingly, this could explain why in some sources the name of the sunk boat is given as "V-14"... maybe it was some kind of contraction of "AV-114"? (PS: some Russian source indicate the Soviet ship involved as the torpedo boat/Guard boat "Sneg". But this is apparently mistaken.

As extra note, I took note of a very vague line that could indeed mention another AV boat captured:

Code: Select all

Another motorboat fin¬nov was arrested and killed by the destroyer "Karl Marx" 30 November 1939 on the schooner "Aiva" and motor boats were interned 10 Finns.

The translation is very ugly (unclear if the boat was captured or captured and then sunk), but maybe "Karl Marx" was the destroyed encountered by the second AV boat? (one female and four men onboard, mentioned as captured).
Maybe she was turly the AV-45?

[Seppo Koivisto]

All four men of the Lavansaari coast guard station and one female worker tried to escape with AV-114 to Someri Island, but it was shelled down by a Soviet destroyed 6 kilometers before Someri. One female caterer decided to hide in the cellar of the coast guard station, she became POW and survived the war.
https://100tekijaa.fi/hilma-mannonen

Some more information on AV-boats on this web page. Already on 29 November 1939 an officer and ten men from a Soviet destroyer inspected the steamer S/S Suursaari, but let her go.
http://ruotsinsalmensuulla.blogspot.com ... isota.html
http://ruotsinsalmensuulla.blogspot.com ... ellyt.html

[lupodimare89]

Thank you! These multiple data pretty much identify the AV-114 as the sunk boat. When i have time it could be interesting to try further matching of info. I found no apparent clear detail about the other destroyer's encounter (reportedly ended in seizure), but maybe the info it's hidden somewhere in these (or similar) pages.


I noticed other interesting things however:
Suursaari vallatiin lyhyeksi ajaksi mutta osittain miehitysjoukkon laiminlyönnin takia saari menetettiin 2.1.1940 ja raivaaja Kimmo sekä rautavene YM 53 jäivät viholliselle.
Suursaaresta tuli kuukaudeksi käyttöön kerran jo viholliselle menetetty ja takaisin saatu hinaajaraivaaja Kimmo.
YM 53 Merivoimien alus, 2.Rannikkoprikaatin kalustoa. Jäi Suursaareen viholliselle seuraavana talvena, josta vallattiin takaisin.

So apparently both tugh Kimmo and motorboat YM-53 passed on hand multiple times each time Suursaari was captured and re-taken (I think none of these occasions imply some naval seizure/incident, possibly they were just abandoned on spot each time). The events occurred on 23 and 29 November on S/S Suursaari also are interesting but as noted by the text didn't happens on war-time and there was no military capture/seizure.