Finnish Material Losses during June 1944

[Mangrove]

Here's a summary of Finnish material losses due to all causes between 1 and 30 June 1944. The original is Päämaja's Huolto-osasto's ("Department of Supply") report, T 15707, dated 24 July 1944:

SMALL ARMS:

26201 rifles
4585 sub-machine guns
2435 light-machine guns
2310 pistols
1109 machine guns
987 flare guns
312 anti-tank rifles

5.4 million 7.62mm cartridges lost to the enemy
1.1 million 7.62mm cartridges lost due to the enemy action

3.7 million 9.00mm cartridges lost to the enemy
1.0 million 9.00mm cartridges lost due to the enemy action

ARTILLERY:

237 mortars
217 anti-tank guns
132 light field guns
78 fortification guns ("linnoitustykkejä")
66 anti-tank guns (75mm, sic!)
45 rocket launchers ("raketinheittimiä", sic!). Marked also with "Psk?".
35 light field howitzers
31 heavy field howitzers
25 super heavy field guns ("järeitä kenttätykkejä")
25 anti-tank guns (45mm)
14 heavy field guns
8 armour howitzers (114mm) ("panssarivaunuhaupitseja")
7 anti-tank guns (75mm, sic!)

63080 anti-tank rounds lost to the enemy
500 anti-tank rounds lost due to the enemy action

28230 mortar grenades lost to the enemy
22682 mortar grenades lost due to the enemy action

20979/9262 light/heavy cannon shells lost to the enemy
49779/2897 light/heavy cannon shells lost due to the enemy action

5694/4866 light/heavy howitzer shells lost to the enemy
6675/4906 light/heavy howitzer shells lost due to the enemy action

SUPPLY:

(Apparently not including armoured vehicles)
c. 300 lorries
c. 70 cars
c. 60 tractors
c. 30 motorcycles

41 tonnes of gasoline and 13430 litres of diesel ("kaasuöljy") were lost due to enemy action at Tuulos.
14 tonnes of gasoline was left to Viipuri due to damage caused by aerial bombing.
5200 hectolitres of moist firewood was lost to the enemy.

32000 pairs of skis and poles
10520 bicycles
3393 sleds
3273 carts
2955 reins and 304 artillery reins
842 ahkio
838 hay boxes ("keittolaatikko")
145 field kitchens

[Juha Tompuri]

Huge numbers.
Of course, our captured war booty made up the armament losses quite well

4585 sub-machine guns
2435 light-machine guns

About as much as we had when Winter War started.

45 rocket launchers ("raketinheittimiä", sic!). Marked also with "Psk?".
8 armour howitzers (114mm) ("panssarivaunuhaupitseja")
7 anti-tank guns (75mm, sic!)

Psk = Panssarikauhu = Panzerschreck
114mm panssarivaunuhaupitsi = BT 42 assault gun
7 75mm anti -tank guns = Sturmgeschütz III ?

Regards, Juha

[Mangrove]

Of course, our captured war booty made up the armament losses quite well

Here are some numbers of material issued to the troops between 1 and 30 June 1944. I have calculated the difference between losses and issued material as well:

22360 rifles (-3841)
7870 sub-machine guns (+3285‬)
657 light-machine guns (-1778‬)
329 pistols (-1981‬)
554 machine guns (-555)
1038 flare guns (+51)
25 anti-tank rifles (-287)

125 mortars (-112)
129 anti-tank guns (-88)
67 light field guns (-65)
0 fortification guns (-78)
35 anti-tank guns (75mm, -31)
451 rocket launchers (+406)
60 light field howitzers (+25)
11 heavy field howitzers (-20)
6 super heavy field guns (-19)
0 anti-tank guns (45mm, -25)
13 heavy field guns (-1)
0 armour howitzers (114mm, -8)
7 anti-tank guns (75mm, ± 0)

[Juha Tompuri]

Thanks!

Some June captured material was issued later to the troops.
That list also includes stuff in addition to the captured ones.

Regards, Juha

[Mangrove]

One of the largest loss of equipment during the summer of 1944 took place at Alavoinen Station at Olonets Karelia on 24-25 June 1944. Retreating Finnish forces were forced to burn down railcars containing much of 14. Vaatetuskomppania's clothing stores and other supplies. 24990 pairs of mittens, 16797 pairs of footwear, 12513 pairs of trousers and coats together with tens of thousands of various underwear and other articles were lost.

[Mangrove]

Finnish armoured vehicle losses between 1 June and 19 September 1944. Apart from five armoured tractors, all losses were between 1 and 30 June 1944. Source is document "Katsaus taisteluvälinehuoltoon ajalla 1.7.44 - 19.9.44" by Major General Svanström and Lieutenant Colonel Korpinen. The list does not contain the ISU-152 that was lost shortly after capture.

"BAB" Armoured Cars: 2 due to enemy fire, 1 due to engine failure
"BAF" Armoured Cars: 1 due to engine failure
T 26 A, B and C: 20 due to enemy fire, 5 due to engine failure
BT 42: 2 due to enemy fire, 6 due to engine failure
Armoured tractors: 51 due to enemy fire, 11 due to engine failure
Sturmgeschütz III: 5 due to enemy fire, 3 due to engine failure
----------------------------
80 due to enemy fire, 27 due to engine failure

[Art]

Sturmgeschütz III: 5 due to enemy fire, 3 due to engine failure

That looks a somewhat loose classification. According to
http://www.andreaslarka.net/sturmi.html
4 vehicles were knockout out in combat (No. 1, 3, 17, 29), on hit Finnish mine (No. 2), one was abandoned in operational condition (No. 23), and one stuck on the battlefield and was blown up (No. 24). Further three were seriously damaged in combat but recovered.

[Harri]

There seems to be also damaged weapons which after repairs returned later back to troops or remained in stocks. In heavy weapons category the majority of total losses were old guns without recoil system in use of fortification and coastal defence troops (nearly all of these were lost in East Karelia) and small calibre 37 mm AT guns which were used as auxiliary "side-guns". These units were basically without organic towing vehicles and equipment had to be abandoned.

"Armoured tractors" means captured Komsomolets tankettes. The most important losses of weapons were covered during July and August 1944.