Sinking of the Finnish escort vessel Uisko 16th Sept-43

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Sinking of the Finnish escort vessel Uisko 16th Sept-43

#1

Post by Juha Tompuri » 27 Jun 2019, 22:02

16th September 1943 Finnish escort vessel Uisko was sunken by a Soviet Il-4 torpedo bomber.
18 crewmember died and only two survived.
Daughter of one of the perished is interested in finding out more about the events on 16th September.
Specially the Soviet points of view about the case are of interest.
Finnish coast guard ship "Uisko" victim to a bomb attack 16. September 1943
That day, the ship was on a sentry post near Keri island to stop the Soviet submarines from accessing the Baltic Sea from the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland. Suddenly, a Russian bomber appeared.
The bomber descended rather low above the water and dropped a torpedo into the sea. "Uisko" was completely crushed and sank within seconds. 19 sailors went to the bottom of the sea.
http://www.histrodamus.ee/index.php?eve ... g=eng#1509

On the 16th, the well-aimed torpedo sent the Finnish patrol ship Wisko (a former fishing trawler with a tonnage of 219 brt) to the bottom. The events took place in the following sequence: making a flight in the western part of the Gulf of Finland, at 17.05, Razgonin discovered north of Naissar Island“Single-pipe two-masted transport with a displacement of 2500-3000 tons, the depth of the board is 2.5 m, judging by the draft - loaded”. Due to the low cloudiness, Alexander Ilyushin walked at a low altitude, as a result of which his attack was completely sudden for the Finns. The patrolman who had stopped for hydroacoustic search did not have time to move or open anti-aircraft fire, and received a torpedo hit in the center of the hull. Nothing prevented Razgonin from making two circles and observing the agony of his victim, which after 8-10 minutes completely disappeared under water. Along with the ship, 19 sailors were killed, including Commander Lieutenant Sandholm, only one survived. In the following days of the month, the Razgonina crew was unsuccessful, although it flew several times on cruising flights.
http://www.bellabs.ru/51/Morozov/Morozo ... -1943.html


In Finnish:
http://www.turunsotaveteraanit.fi/sites ... 1-2016.pdf
Attachments
SA-photo 106880 Uisko.2.jpg
SA-photo 106880
SA-photo 106879 Uisko.2.jpg
SA-photo 106879

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Re: Sinking of the Finnish escort vessel Uisko 16th Sept-43

#2

Post by Juha Tompuri » 27 Jun 2019, 22:16

Alexander Ivanovich Razgonin, who managed to sink Uisko
Image

Razgonin plane, 1943
Image

Image
https://ok.ru/ogeroyakh/topic/67231145689193


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Re: Sinking of the Finnish escort vessel Uisko 16th Sept-43

#3

Post by Mangrove » 28 Jun 2019, 07:32

- From Saattajaosasto's war diary:
"While the escort vessels Uisko and Tursas were at the submarine listening position 59°47'5 and 24°58', an enemy aeroplane approached them from the direction of Tallinn at 3.54 p.m. The plane flew at low altitude and turned from the west side of Tursas towards Uisko and dropped a torpedo at c. 800-1000 metres away from the altitude of less than 50 metres.

The torpedo hit the right side and the vessel exploaded at 3.55 p.m. Tursas rescued the surviving two men (Sergeant Kjellin and Seaman Antikainen) and Corporal Eskelinen, who was killed in action. The location the vessel sunk was marked with a spar buoy, depth was 75 metres. The plane was observed and alarm was sounded in both vessels. Both vessels were sailing when the torpedo was dropped. Losses were two officers, 10 non-commissioned officers and 6 men".

- War diary of the HQ of the Finnish Navy refers the plane as a Boston (Douglas A-20). The plane also fired upon a Finnish Air Force Høver M.F. 11 operated by Lentolaivue 6, but scored no hits.

- Lentolaivue 6's war diary confirms the enemy plane was a Boston. There's more detailed after-action report in the archives.

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Re: Sinking of the Finnish escort vessel Uisko 16th Sept-43

#4

Post by Juha Tompuri » 01 Jul 2019, 20:49

Thank You!

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Re: Sinking of the Finnish escort vessel Uisko 16th Sept-43

#5

Post by Mangrove » 08 Jul 2019, 15:41

Lentolaivue 6's after-action report (T 5847/4) again describes the plane as a Boston, but I do not think there was a variant of Douglas A-20 or Ilyushin IL-4 that could carry two torpedoes as it is written in the report:

"Liaison flight between 3.35 and 4.25 p.m. on 16 September 1943.

Plane: NK-172
Crew: Pilot Sergeant major ("lentomestari") Venna. Observer "military civil servant" ("sotilasvirkamies") Hurme and machine gunner mechanic Putama.
Loadout: An observer machine gun
Mission: Liaison flight from Helsinki to Tallinn.
Execution: Enemy Boston plane fired upon the plane at grid 115 b 98 at 3.55 p.m., after which it dropped two torpedoes against the nearby escort vessel Uisko, sinking it. The enemy plane headed east and NK indicated the location to nearby escort vessel Tursas, which saved two men from the sea.
Weather: Cloud cover 10/10, visibility 10-15 nautical miles. "
Uisko_LeR5.jpg

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Re: Sinking of the Finnish escort vessel Uisko 16th Sept-43

#6

Post by Juha Tompuri » 09 Jul 2019, 07:33

Thanks!

Didn't know before that Soviet plane that torpedoed Uisko, had sort of an "aerial combat" just before dropping it's torpedo (the 2 torpedoes being a mistake?)

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Re: Sinking of the Finnish escort vessel Uisko 16th Sept-43

#7

Post by Seppo Koivisto » 09 Jul 2019, 08:37

According to the web page Soviet modified A-20G's could carry two 45-36AN torpedoes, which weighted 935 kg each.
https://vvsairwar.com/2018/01/09/the-do ... t-service/
http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WTRussian_WWII.php

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Re: Sinking of the Finnish escort vessel Uisko 16th Sept-43

#8

Post by Juha Tompuri » 09 Jul 2019, 11:15

According to Soviet data, Razgonin flew a Il-4, when sinking Uisko.
http://www.bellabs.ru/51/Morozov/Ships.html

A bit strange, that there seems not to have been any AA-fire, either from Uisko, nor Tursas.

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Re: Sinking of the Finnish escort vessel Uisko 16th Sept-43

#10

Post by Juha Tompuri » 10 Jul 2019, 20:26

Uisko wreck location:
https://register.muinas.ee/public.php?m ... iew&id=435
https://www.hylyt.net/item/uisko-3051/#

Are there underwater photos of Uisko wreck?

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Re: Sinking of the Finnish escort vessel Uisko 16th Sept-43

#11

Post by Seppo Koivisto » 10 Jul 2019, 21:51

Google translation from the link Juha posted.
on September 16, flying in the western part of the Gulf of Finland, at 17: 05 crew found one-pipe two-masted transport with a displacement of 2500-3000 tons north of the island of Naissar. The boards towered above the water by 2.5 m. Razgonin decided that the transport was loaded. Due to the low clouds, the torpedo bomber was walking at a low altitude, as a result of which his attack was completely unexpected for the Finns. The patrolman who stopped for sonar search did not have time to give way or open anti-aircraft fire. He received a torpedo hit in the center of the body. Nothing prevented Razgonin from making 2 laps and observing how after 8–10 minutes the ship completely disappeared under water. This victory of Razgonina is also confirmed by the documents of the enemy: aptly aimed torpedo sent the Finnish patrol ship Wisko to the bottom of 219 tons. Together with the ship killed 19 sailors. By the end of September, the tonnage of the enemy vessels sunk by Razgonin reached about 30 thousand tons.
https://ok.ru/ogeroyakh/topic/67231145689193

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Re: Sinking of the Finnish escort vessel Uisko 16th Sept-43

#12

Post by Juha Tompuri » 12 Jul 2019, 23:19

Image
Alexander Ivanovich Razgonin, with his (WWII) medals.
https://ok.ru/ogeroyakh/topic/67231145689193

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Re: Sinking of the Finnish escort vessel Uisko 16th Sept-43

#13

Post by Juha Tompuri » 15 Jul 2019, 22:17

Image Uisko stern 20mm Madsen
SA-photo 95063

Image Uisko bow 75mm (Canet?)
SA-photo 95057

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Re: Sinking of the Finnish escort vessel Uisko 16th Sept-43

#14

Post by Mangrove » 16 Jul 2019, 07:37

Uudenmaan Rannikkoprikaati, 16 September 1943:
"3.10 - 3.55 p.m. Enemy flight, 1 Boston. Altitude 400 metres. Route: East - 141 d2 [NW of Suursaari] - 116 a7 - ? ?. The plane sank Finnish vessel Uisko with two torpedoes at grid 116 A 7 and fired upon a Finnish NK seaplane with machine gun, but scored no hits."

Itä-Suomenlahden Rannikkoprikaati, 16 September 1943:
"2 p.m. Weather. Rankki. Wind east, 6 m/s. Barometric pressure 760.2 [mm Hg]. Temperature +12.8. Cloud cover 10/10, cloud base 800 metres. Visibility 6 kilometres."

Itä-Suomenlahden Rannikkoprikaati, 16 September 1943:
"3.07 p.m., 1 two-engine plane over Luppi towards west."

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Re: Sinking of the Finnish escort vessel Uisko 16th Sept-43

#15

Post by Seppo Koivisto » 17 Jul 2019, 22:33

According to the Finnish article Uisko and Tursas were listening for submarines with their engines stopped and the approaching aircraft was first misinterpreted as Finnish (text says Boston, but probably Finnish SB-2, which were used for anti-submarine tasks). Therefore Uisko was a sitting duck. It is also said that Tursas could start its engines in time to make an evasive move and (the second?) torpedo missed Tursas. Next day an order was given to move in full speed if any aircraft was seen.
http://www.turunsotaveteraanit.fi/sites ... 1-2016.pdf (page 21)

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