How many tanks did the Finnish Armoured Division destroy?

[PrincessEqual]

I found in the archives of the Armoured Division that their stats are 141.But in Erkki Kakela's book, the numbers 122 and 131 appear.Have the numbers in the file been recalculated?Which number is more accurate?

[Michael Kenny]

I found in the archives of the Armoured Division that their stats are 141.But in Erkki Kakela's book, the numbers 122 and 131 appear.Have the numbers in the file been recalculated?Which number is more accurate?

I think you will find that there is no definitive number as there in no way they can know exactly how many tanks they destroyed compared to how many they claimed. Its all guesswork anyway.

[Mangrove]

I found in the archives of the Armoured Division that their stats are 141.But in Erkki Kakela's book, the numbers 122 and 131 appear.Have the numbers in the file been recalculated?Which number is more accurate?

Do you only count kill claims by Finnish armoured units or also by infantry and artillery units attached to them? Do you count claims made by e.g. Osasto Lagus and Panssaripataljoona (Armoured Battalion) before Panssaridivisioona (Armoured Division) was formed in June 1942? Do you count claims made by German Sturmgeschütz-Brigade 303 under Panssaridivisioona?

- Vahvistettu 1. Jääkäriprikaati (with Panssaripataljoona) claimed 3 tanks as destroyed and 2 as captured at Karhumäki and Poventsa between 5 and 10 December 1941.

- Panssaridivisioona (including infantry and artillery units) claimed 141 tanks (90 T-34, 24 KV and 27 others) between 10 June and 21 July 1944. These figures apparently do not contain claims by Sturmgeschütz-Brigade 303.

- Rynnäkkötykkipataljoona claimed 11 T-34, 3 KV and 3 assault guns at Kuuterselkä between 14 and 15 June 1944.
- 2./Rynnäkkötykkipataljoona claimed a T-34 at Perkjärvi on 16 June 1944.
- Taisteluosasto Björkman (including infantry units) claimed 32 tanks at Tali-Ihantala between 26 and 30 June 1944. Out of these, 1./Rynnäkkötykkipataljoona claimed an assault gun between Nurmilampi and Talinmylly on 27 June 1944.

- Rynnäkkötykkipataljoona claimed 8 T-34, 6 assault guns, 4 unknown tanks and a KV at Vuosalmi between 11 and 18 July 1944 (see below), out of which:

• Ps. 531-6 from 1./Rynnäkkötykkipataljoona claimed 3 assault guns and a T-34 on 11 July 1944. LINK

• Ps. 531-25 from 1./Rynnäkkötykkipataljoona claimed 2 assault guns on 11 July 1944 and an assault gun on 13 July 1944. LINK

• Ps. 531-19 from 1./Rynnäkkötykkipataljoona claimed a KV on 13 July 1944. LINK

[tramonte]

Army and Gefechtsverband Kuhlmey claimed total 750 during summer of 1944 in Karelian Isthmus. However Leningrad Front reported that 294 tanks and assault guns were written off in period of 9.6-20.7.44. Armoured division likely destroyed around 40-60. Many "destroyed" were likely just knocked out or damaged. Let's not forget that Wehrmacht and Luftwaffe together claimed in Eastern Front twice as many AFVs that Red Army actually lost in combat. Not all tank losses were inflicted by enemy. Canadian army reported that 20-40% of its tank losses were caused by other reason than enemy fire and mines.