The official AHF Winter & Continuation War quiz thread

Esa K · Post by **Esa K** » 13 Nov 2006 14:17

Thanks Juha

...these naval things is always giving me a headache...

New q: Who was the ex Minister of Defence who commanded a Division in the Continuation War...?

Best regards

Esa K

PS What is ice-hockey...?

DS

Mikko H. · Post by **Mikko H.** » 13 Nov 2006 16:08

AFAIK the only men who had been ministers of defense before or during WWII and in active military service during the war were Malmberg, Nenonen, Österman, Walden and Valve.

But none of them commanded a division during the Continuation War...

EDIT: In fact the only Continuation War era division commander who at some point held any cabinet minister portfolio was kenraalimajuri (later jalkaväenkenraali) Ilmari Armas-Eino Martola, who was 'minister in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' (aka. Second Minister of Foreign Affairs) from 21 September 1944 to 17 November 1944.

Esa K · Post by **Esa K** » 13 Nov 2006 16:27

Mikko H. wrote:AFAIK the only men who had been ministers of defense before or during WWII and in active military service during the war were Malmberg, Nenonen, Österman, Walden and Valve.

But none of them commanded a division during the Continuation War...

So, it must have been someone else then...

(and as you pointed out, Martola was not Minister of Defence...)

Best regards

Esa K

Juha Tompuri · Post by **Juha Tompuri** » 13 Nov 2006 16:47

Esa K wrote: What is ice-hockey...?

A typo ?

Regards, Juha

Janne · Post by **Janne** » 14 Nov 2006 09:07

Well, if it wasn't any of the above, it wasn't a Minister of Defense of Finland! Or maybe it was - of the People's Republic: Major General Akseli Anttila was the MofD in that short-lived government and commanded a division in the Winter War and IIRC during the outbreak of the Continuation War.

Esa K · Post by **Esa K** » 14 Nov 2006 15:38

Janne wrote:Well, if it wasn't any of the above, it wasn't a Minister of Defense of Finland! Or maybe it was - of the People's Republic: Major General Akseli Anttila was the MofD in that short-lived government and commanded a division in the Winter War and IIRC during the outbreak of the Continuation War.

Correct...! Major General Akseli Anttila is the answer. He was the Minister of Defense (or as it was called: "Sotaministeri" - "Minister of War") in Stalins little marionette government (also known as the "Terijoki-government" or the "Kuusinen-government") intended to be settled in Helsinki if the Winter War had ended in an other way than it did. And, at least in the beginning of the Continuation War he was the commander of the Soviet 71st Division in Eastern-Karelia.

So, congrats to Janne, and back to Finland, and Helsinki...

Best regards

Esa K

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PS

Juha Tompuri wrote:
Esa K wrote:What is ice-hockey...?
A typo ?

A typo... No, or is it? Think I now have tricked myself with this, cause my initial intention was to say something like: I dont like ice-hockey anymore, not at least at the moment...

DS.

Janne · Post by **Janne** » 15 Nov 2006 11:33

Continuing my previous theme: what is the Indian connection?

Esa K · Post by **Esa K** » 15 Nov 2006 15:49

Hmmm... a long shot maybe, but: Is the connection the two Fokker T.VIII-W planes bought by Finland, and wich was intended to be delivered in January- March 1940 but then never reached Finland. Could the connection be that the plane type originally was constructed to be used in Dutch East-India...?

best regards

Esa K

Janne · Post by **Janne** » 16 Nov 2006 09:43

It isn't about equipment and it's a more direct connection than that.

Esa K · Post by **Esa K** » 16 Nov 2006 10:57

Janne wrote:It isn't about equipment

Hmmm... As I see it, theres then only two options left: Soliders or diplomacy.
Could it be so then that the planned Franco-Brittish expedition force included an Indian unit...?

Best regards

Esa K

Janne · Post by **Janne** » 16 Nov 2006 11:53

No, that's not it - this time the exotic connection is not with the Winter War!

Esa K · Post by **Esa K** » 16 Nov 2006 12:10

Cause I popped up here again, new try: Could it then be so that India was the only part of the British Empire/Commonwelth that did not declare war on Finland 6/12 1941...?

again

Esa K

Janne · Post by **Janne** » 16 Nov 2006 15:03

Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand and the Union of South Africa issued their own declarations of war after Great Britain did - and I would've had to accept this as a correct answer.
I had quite forgotten that India, a self-governing colony (I believe) at the time, was in that list together with the dominions and I had a more specific connection in mind.

Hint: the correct answer will link Brad Pitt and the Continuation War!

Esa K · Post by **Esa K** » 17 Nov 2006 14:26

New try: Could the link be Heinrich Harrer (acted by Brad Pitt in the movie "Seven years in Tibet"), or, could it be so that the SS unit Harrer belonged to was in Lapland when Harrer was inprisoned in India...?

best regards

Esa K

Janne · Post by **Janne** » 18 Nov 2006 11:18

Heinrich Harrer is indeed the link and you're so close you cannot avoid stumbling on the correct answer...