Hi,
I am looking for more information on how the Finns captured the Soviet base on Karelian Isthmus that became known as "Pola", after Kullervo Sippola who led the assault in September 1941. Any literature references that would have more information than "Tyrjän rykmentti" and "Siiranmäen miehet"? Most just mention that Sippola took it with his anti-tank squad and more or less leave it at that.
Also, does anyone have more details on what exactly happened when JR 28's Captain Aimo Ojanen tried to take the bunker facing Pola, giving it his name when he died in the process? The abovementioned books are vague and just leave you thinking he got drunk and attacked the deadly bunker with nothing but his pistol and another foolhardy soldier, an artillery fire-control officer from KTR 15. Apparently this took place on September 9, 1941. Anyone have a photo of Captain Ojanen? Different stories as to how these two events happened? Hints on good books to read?
Thanks!
-Jyrki
Looking for references to Pola, Ojanen
Ilmarinen, if this still is of interest: Look here. http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... start=1050
Best regards
Esa K
Best regards
Esa K
Hi,
I am pretty familiar with the sources mentioned here already - but thanks for the note! I've been able to gather a fair amount of information on Captain Ojanen himself, as well as the Soviet bunker. Regarding the events of September 9, 1941 there is not much in the war diaries, there is Jermo's story and some similar short references to him in other literature. Most of them seem to be based on the same original sources. The part about Ojanen being drunk was repeated to me by some veterans also but there are some suspicious details in these stories. "Tyrjän rykmentin rintamalehti" i.e. the 1941-44 field newsletter of the 7th Infantry Regiment also contains some interviews and short stories about Ojanen - many about the bunker, less about the man. I'm still continuing my work on this small detail of the Continuation War.
Thanks again for the heads up!
-J.
I am pretty familiar with the sources mentioned here already - but thanks for the note! I've been able to gather a fair amount of information on Captain Ojanen himself, as well as the Soviet bunker. Regarding the events of September 9, 1941 there is not much in the war diaries, there is Jermo's story and some similar short references to him in other literature. Most of them seem to be based on the same original sources. The part about Ojanen being drunk was repeated to me by some veterans also but there are some suspicious details in these stories. "Tyrjän rykmentin rintamalehti" i.e. the 1941-44 field newsletter of the 7th Infantry Regiment also contains some interviews and short stories about Ojanen - many about the bunker, less about the man. I'm still continuing my work on this small detail of the Continuation War.
Thanks again for the heads up!
-J.
Here are, by the way, some photos of the bunker - Ojasen bunkkeri/Ojanen's bunker/Istrebitel:
http://www.kaur.ru/php/elz-pic.php?obj=elz143&num=1
Click on the numbers to view the next photo, if your Russian is a bit rusty..
http://www.kaur.ru/php/elz-pic.php?obj=elz143&num=1
Click on the numbers to view the next photo, if your Russian is a bit rusty..
FWIW my main source was "Leningradin portilla" by Veli Virkkunen (who does sometimes seem to walk on the thin line between documentary fact and "documentary fiction"). What puzzled me was the bit about Ojanen "returning from a leave" with still more bottles of alcohol: AFAIK there were no scheduled leaves yet, and it doesn't seem too likely to me that someone in his position would've been among the first to be given leave or gone on a leave so soon (unles it was for something like a burial of a close relative). It could be that the veteran who "remembers" this had similar "returned from leave, got drunk, did something bold but stupid" stories in mind?
BTW I've thought that the name of this particular bunker wasn't necessarily "Istrebetel" and that it was only one of several bunkers of the same "istrebetel" type (or category) - but I freely admit it was just my assumption and I could be wrong.
Janne
PS When I checked Google to see what would pop up, I noticed that someone has placed "Ojasen bunkkeri" on the map in one of the Google Earth communities.
PPS It never occurred to me there would be more information on the subject available in English than in Finnish!
BTW I've thought that the name of this particular bunker wasn't necessarily "Istrebetel" and that it was only one of several bunkers of the same "istrebetel" type (or category) - but I freely admit it was just my assumption and I could be wrong.
Janne
PS When I checked Google to see what would pop up, I noticed that someone has placed "Ojasen bunkkeri" on the map in one of the Google Earth communities.
PPS It never occurred to me there would be more information on the subject available in English than in Finnish!
Hi,
I am familiar with Virkkunen's books as well. While they are interesting, I feel there is a lot of "chit-chat" in them. I've read all the diaries and I do not believe he was on leave just before his death. In the beginning of the Continuation War he was the commander of the Machine Gun Company of the 3rd Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment. On July 3, 1941 he was transferred to the 2nd Battalion. He became the commander of the 3rd Battalion on August 17, 1941, when the previous commander Capt. Sutela fell (note that Jermo incorrectly says he was the commander of the 2nd Battalion). He is constantly "present" in the battalion diary after that until his death, so it seems inconceivable he went on leave, unless it happened between July 3 - August 17 when he was a company commander in the 2nd Battalion (I've not yet combed through the company level diaries from that time).
I certainly think the story about standing at the bunker entrance with his pistol and firing through the open door is just a "storytelling effect" at best. The veteran I spoke with said things like "he was unstoppable" and "no way to talk him out of it" and so on but it is possible his memory is tainted by what he's read and heard afterwards. "Tyrjän lehti" has one interview from 1942 that talks about Ojanen being drunk and it is said by an envoy (lähetti) who, it seems, was indeed present when Ojanen took off to his death. Perhaps he is the start of this rumour.
Anyways, what we can prove from official documents is that Ojanen got too close to the bunker that was later named after him, for one reason or another; he did not have any troops with him, he was with Lieut. Viuhkonen inspecting the lines (note that on Sept. 9, 1941 the lines were not that firm yet); he was shot at from the bunker or the trench next to it, he fell and his body could not be retreived despite several attempts. One man saw him fall from a nearby "auditory guard post" (kuulovartio). That's about all that the archives have. The (temporary) destruction of the bunker in March 1942 is a different story and much better documented than Capt. Ojanen's death. Ojanen's body was never found but he was given a burial and his gravestone is at the Ahvenisto cemetary in Hämeenlinna.
You might be right about "Istrebitel", my Russian contacts were not so sure about this when I discussed the name with them, anyways they accept that as the Russian name of Ojanen's bunker.
¨
I think I once pinned the bunker in Google Earth...
Here is a photo of Aimo Ojanen, probably taken around 1934 when he was a Second Lieutenant. That is the year he graduated from Cadet School.
-J.
I am familiar with Virkkunen's books as well. While they are interesting, I feel there is a lot of "chit-chat" in them. I've read all the diaries and I do not believe he was on leave just before his death. In the beginning of the Continuation War he was the commander of the Machine Gun Company of the 3rd Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment. On July 3, 1941 he was transferred to the 2nd Battalion. He became the commander of the 3rd Battalion on August 17, 1941, when the previous commander Capt. Sutela fell (note that Jermo incorrectly says he was the commander of the 2nd Battalion). He is constantly "present" in the battalion diary after that until his death, so it seems inconceivable he went on leave, unless it happened between July 3 - August 17 when he was a company commander in the 2nd Battalion (I've not yet combed through the company level diaries from that time).
I certainly think the story about standing at the bunker entrance with his pistol and firing through the open door is just a "storytelling effect" at best. The veteran I spoke with said things like "he was unstoppable" and "no way to talk him out of it" and so on but it is possible his memory is tainted by what he's read and heard afterwards. "Tyrjän lehti" has one interview from 1942 that talks about Ojanen being drunk and it is said by an envoy (lähetti) who, it seems, was indeed present when Ojanen took off to his death. Perhaps he is the start of this rumour.
Anyways, what we can prove from official documents is that Ojanen got too close to the bunker that was later named after him, for one reason or another; he did not have any troops with him, he was with Lieut. Viuhkonen inspecting the lines (note that on Sept. 9, 1941 the lines were not that firm yet); he was shot at from the bunker or the trench next to it, he fell and his body could not be retreived despite several attempts. One man saw him fall from a nearby "auditory guard post" (kuulovartio). That's about all that the archives have. The (temporary) destruction of the bunker in March 1942 is a different story and much better documented than Capt. Ojanen's death. Ojanen's body was never found but he was given a burial and his gravestone is at the Ahvenisto cemetary in Hämeenlinna.
You might be right about "Istrebitel", my Russian contacts were not so sure about this when I discussed the name with them, anyways they accept that as the Russian name of Ojanen's bunker.
¨
I think I once pinned the bunker in Google Earth...
Here is a photo of Aimo Ojanen, probably taken around 1934 when he was a Second Lieutenant. That is the year he graduated from Cadet School.
-J.
- Attachments
-
- Aimo_Ojanen.jpg (10.74 KiB) Viewed 1370 times
Re: Looking for references to Pola, Ojanen
This could be a good spot to place the story of this bunker raid.
Kalervo Talvitie
Blowing up “Ojanen's bunker”
Jornal "Kansa Taisteli", vo. 08, 1959
Near Leningrad, in the middle of Carelian Isthmus on the Ohta sector, in front of stronghold Pola, 200m from our positions was situated a bunker we called “Ojanen's bunker”, the enemy had named it “ "Istrebitel", (=”destroyer”). ( 60°16'57,97"N, 30°9'45,59"E )
This (KaUR type) bunker comprised six embrasures two of which were armed with a fixed 45mm cannon with a MG under the barrel. There was a fine periscope with a 10x magnification. The entrance tunnel was 1m wide, 2m high, 3m long, made of reinforced concrete as the bunker itself. The bunker roof was 2m thick. The crew comprised a Lieut and 30 selected men.
Finns had tried to destroy this bunker in autumn 1941 by the best strike outfits of various units – in vain. This “Captain killer bunker” had been fired at with weapons of various calibers, many bullseyes had been scored – all in vain. Many kinds of plans had been drawn up to destroy this sinister structure – all in vain. The bunker was squatting at the Ohta road, menacing, and many a man had taken a bullet in stronghold “Pola” or elsewhere when keeping lookout .
On 30. Sept. 1942 at 14.00hrs JR42 JR 7 CO, Col. A. Kemppi briefed his battalion CO s . The ”Ojanen” bunker must be destroyed. The task was assigned to the CO of II Btn, Maj. Arvo Ahola.
I Btn was tasked to divert the enemy attention by attacking the enemy forepost in front of the left wing of the Center Sector, some 500m from our positions. For the same purpose the III Btn is ordered to sweep the patch of forest in front of their lines and set two NCO sentry posts at its Eastern perimeter.
To take the bunker the II Btn CO assign his Jaeger Platoon led by 2nd Lt. Niilo Voittis. For this task
the platoon is divided into four strike detachments, one of which is to be led by Ssgt. Eino Ripatti of 5.Coy who volunteered for the task. The detachments is armed with 12 SMGs, plenty of hand grenades and satchel charges. The team to blow up the bunker consists of 12 men from the Rgt. Sapper Platoon, led by Lt. Keijo Tujunen. The Sappers are provided with 230 kg TNT that they shall transport in four sleds. Both the Sappers and the strike force are equipped with white camo suits and skis.
On 31 March 1941 at 04.00 hrs the strike force is moving to the jumpoff positions with maximal carefulness and silence. There is no wind, temp -10deg C. The open ground is lit by moonlight although the moon is already setting. The snow is rough and the rustle of snow is relatively loud which make the men grumble. Maj. Ahola turns up and calms the men down by telling that everything is going to be fine, which visibly has an effect on the men who calm down.
The strike detachments goes out at 04.20hrs. The patrols are advancing with a 20m distance from each other. They are skiing silently, without ski sticks, making use of a blindside. The enemy side is still totally quiet. There is a tension in the air. At half-way there is a ridge and having reached that the Jaegers make a dash at the enemy trench leading from South to the bunker. Someone by accidents kicks a mine trigger string but the mine is a dud. Having spotted an enemy double sentry post the first strike patrol halts but as the patrols following them, led by Ripatti, are crowding at the spot Ripatti orders: “Get in that trench, the lot of you!” He and Jaeger Lehtisalo rush over the wire that is buried in snow and take out the nonplussed sentries who yet managed to alert the bunker crew.
Ripatti and Lehtisalo are now leading the charge at the bunker while the rest of the men follow them at a close distance. The 15 enemies that meet them are dispatched with and as soon as one mag is spent it is replaced with a full one. The bunker entrance is preceded by a stretch of covered trench: Ripatti empties his mag in the darkness before entering in it. In the tunnel he is about to fall in a dugout where men are chattering in a loud voice. The dugout is left alone while Ripatti and Lehtisalo are pushing on.
There is a 45mm AT gun, three men manning it: Ripatti greets them in Finnish “Good day” before shooting. Ripatti grabs a TT pistol as a memento. At the same moment the patrol has reached the door of the bunker which the crew has managed to lock. There is loud discussion in the bunker while its Mgs are firing at the no-man's land. Ripatti jumps to the bunker roof and facing the Finnish positins he is waving his fur cap and yelling:
-We are here!
Everything has happened as planned and the other strike patrols have fulfilled their tasks.
Sgt. Nieminen's and Cpl. Hämäläinen's squades have attacked to the right, in the direction of the road. Pfc. Piiparinen throws a satchel charge in the dugout and soon the roof logs are flung in the air.
At that moment the enemy launches a counterstrike with a platoon attacking in the trench and also on the thick snow of the field, partly in the cover of a smokescreen.
The Jaegers number just ten - Nieminen, Hämäläinen, Piiparinen, Cpl Kajander, Pfc. Räsänen, and Heinonen, Salmijärvi, Niemi, Kontiainen and Tikka. The enemies do not wear white and it is easy for the lads to pick them off, Jaeger Salmijärvi notably gets one attacker after the other with his rifle.
Yet the pressure is threatening: the weak securing detachment is fighting a superior enemy at a very close range.
Sgt. Laakoli and Jaegers Korpi, Kuitunen, Hynönen, Palonen and Niini have proceeded about one hundred meters from the bunker. Soon the enemy launches a counterstrike there, too, but they are repulsed.
The Sapper detachment led by Lt. Tujunen who have followed the Jaegers pulling four heavily loaded sleds have been engaged by an energetic enemy soldier. Lt Tujunen pulls the trigger faster but his cartridge is a dud, and next both fire and miss. A hand grenade is flying at Tujunen but fortunately it goes off beyond the bend of the trench. Tujunen requests the assistance of a Jaeger next to him. The Jaeger fires a few bursts in the tunnel but the enemy fires back and the Jaeger is wounded in one leg, then the enemy throws a hand grenade that again wounds the Jaeger.
This troublesome enemy is now left alone, the Sappers climb out of the trench, proceeding on the both sides. They reach the bunker and pile up a charge of 230kg explosives against the door. Cpl. Antti Arvola and Pfc. Partinen remain there to detonate the charge while Tujunen and the other Sappers, Cpl. Hämäläinen, Sappers Reinikainen, Nevalainen, Jaakkola, Vaskinen, Koskinen, Pynnönen, Matikainen and Teittinen – join the Jaegers to successfully fend off the enemy pushing at them.
Soon there was a bang. A thick cloud of smoke was billowing in the air, and another along the ground from the bunker door. A flame flashed out of each embrasure, the rear part of the bunker had collapsed. The front wall seemed to be intact, but it was found to be crumbling later. The crew manning the bunker had been wiped out.
The return was the hardest part of the mission. It was quite light already so the enemy was able to see the withdrawing Finns also from their rear positions. As the securing patrol covering the withdrawal on the right pulls back the enemy mans the trench opening an intense rifle fire. Enemy MGs are firing at the no-man's-land and ten 6” shells hit the route the detachment has to take.
One of our men is wounded by the MG fire, but the two men ahead of him disregard Ripatti's order the return to the wounded man. Ripatti gets angry and yells:
-You *s, get back at once, else...!
The men get back and the wounded man is placed in the sled pulled by Ripatti while MG bullets are sweeping the snow around the men. The wounded man is evacuated to the friendly lines and by 08.45 hrs the Jaegers and the Sappers are back in their jumpoff position.
Our casualties include three KIA and five WIA. The enemy lost 33 men KIA plus the men killed in the dugout and the bunker. The Ojanen bunker had been destroyed.
(1583 words)
Kalervo Talvitie
Blowing up “Ojanen's bunker”
Jornal "Kansa Taisteli", vo. 08, 1959
Near Leningrad, in the middle of Carelian Isthmus on the Ohta sector, in front of stronghold Pola, 200m from our positions was situated a bunker we called “Ojanen's bunker”, the enemy had named it “ "Istrebitel", (=”destroyer”). ( 60°16'57,97"N, 30°9'45,59"E )
This (KaUR type) bunker comprised six embrasures two of which were armed with a fixed 45mm cannon with a MG under the barrel. There was a fine periscope with a 10x magnification. The entrance tunnel was 1m wide, 2m high, 3m long, made of reinforced concrete as the bunker itself. The bunker roof was 2m thick. The crew comprised a Lieut and 30 selected men.
Finns had tried to destroy this bunker in autumn 1941 by the best strike outfits of various units – in vain. This “Captain killer bunker” had been fired at with weapons of various calibers, many bullseyes had been scored – all in vain. Many kinds of plans had been drawn up to destroy this sinister structure – all in vain. The bunker was squatting at the Ohta road, menacing, and many a man had taken a bullet in stronghold “Pola” or elsewhere when keeping lookout .
On 30. Sept. 1942 at 14.00hrs JR42 JR 7 CO, Col. A. Kemppi briefed his battalion CO s . The ”Ojanen” bunker must be destroyed. The task was assigned to the CO of II Btn, Maj. Arvo Ahola.
I Btn was tasked to divert the enemy attention by attacking the enemy forepost in front of the left wing of the Center Sector, some 500m from our positions. For the same purpose the III Btn is ordered to sweep the patch of forest in front of their lines and set two NCO sentry posts at its Eastern perimeter.
To take the bunker the II Btn CO assign his Jaeger Platoon led by 2nd Lt. Niilo Voittis. For this task
the platoon is divided into four strike detachments, one of which is to be led by Ssgt. Eino Ripatti of 5.Coy who volunteered for the task. The detachments is armed with 12 SMGs, plenty of hand grenades and satchel charges. The team to blow up the bunker consists of 12 men from the Rgt. Sapper Platoon, led by Lt. Keijo Tujunen. The Sappers are provided with 230 kg TNT that they shall transport in four sleds. Both the Sappers and the strike force are equipped with white camo suits and skis.
On 31 March 1941 at 04.00 hrs the strike force is moving to the jumpoff positions with maximal carefulness and silence. There is no wind, temp -10deg C. The open ground is lit by moonlight although the moon is already setting. The snow is rough and the rustle of snow is relatively loud which make the men grumble. Maj. Ahola turns up and calms the men down by telling that everything is going to be fine, which visibly has an effect on the men who calm down.
The strike detachments goes out at 04.20hrs. The patrols are advancing with a 20m distance from each other. They are skiing silently, without ski sticks, making use of a blindside. The enemy side is still totally quiet. There is a tension in the air. At half-way there is a ridge and having reached that the Jaegers make a dash at the enemy trench leading from South to the bunker. Someone by accidents kicks a mine trigger string but the mine is a dud. Having spotted an enemy double sentry post the first strike patrol halts but as the patrols following them, led by Ripatti, are crowding at the spot Ripatti orders: “Get in that trench, the lot of you!” He and Jaeger Lehtisalo rush over the wire that is buried in snow and take out the nonplussed sentries who yet managed to alert the bunker crew.
Ripatti and Lehtisalo are now leading the charge at the bunker while the rest of the men follow them at a close distance. The 15 enemies that meet them are dispatched with and as soon as one mag is spent it is replaced with a full one. The bunker entrance is preceded by a stretch of covered trench: Ripatti empties his mag in the darkness before entering in it. In the tunnel he is about to fall in a dugout where men are chattering in a loud voice. The dugout is left alone while Ripatti and Lehtisalo are pushing on.
There is a 45mm AT gun, three men manning it: Ripatti greets them in Finnish “Good day” before shooting. Ripatti grabs a TT pistol as a memento. At the same moment the patrol has reached the door of the bunker which the crew has managed to lock. There is loud discussion in the bunker while its Mgs are firing at the no-man's land. Ripatti jumps to the bunker roof and facing the Finnish positins he is waving his fur cap and yelling:
-We are here!
Everything has happened as planned and the other strike patrols have fulfilled their tasks.
Sgt. Nieminen's and Cpl. Hämäläinen's squades have attacked to the right, in the direction of the road. Pfc. Piiparinen throws a satchel charge in the dugout and soon the roof logs are flung in the air.
At that moment the enemy launches a counterstrike with a platoon attacking in the trench and also on the thick snow of the field, partly in the cover of a smokescreen.
The Jaegers number just ten - Nieminen, Hämäläinen, Piiparinen, Cpl Kajander, Pfc. Räsänen, and Heinonen, Salmijärvi, Niemi, Kontiainen and Tikka. The enemies do not wear white and it is easy for the lads to pick them off, Jaeger Salmijärvi notably gets one attacker after the other with his rifle.
Yet the pressure is threatening: the weak securing detachment is fighting a superior enemy at a very close range.
Sgt. Laakoli and Jaegers Korpi, Kuitunen, Hynönen, Palonen and Niini have proceeded about one hundred meters from the bunker. Soon the enemy launches a counterstrike there, too, but they are repulsed.
The Sapper detachment led by Lt. Tujunen who have followed the Jaegers pulling four heavily loaded sleds have been engaged by an energetic enemy soldier. Lt Tujunen pulls the trigger faster but his cartridge is a dud, and next both fire and miss. A hand grenade is flying at Tujunen but fortunately it goes off beyond the bend of the trench. Tujunen requests the assistance of a Jaeger next to him. The Jaeger fires a few bursts in the tunnel but the enemy fires back and the Jaeger is wounded in one leg, then the enemy throws a hand grenade that again wounds the Jaeger.
This troublesome enemy is now left alone, the Sappers climb out of the trench, proceeding on the both sides. They reach the bunker and pile up a charge of 230kg explosives against the door. Cpl. Antti Arvola and Pfc. Partinen remain there to detonate the charge while Tujunen and the other Sappers, Cpl. Hämäläinen, Sappers Reinikainen, Nevalainen, Jaakkola, Vaskinen, Koskinen, Pynnönen, Matikainen and Teittinen – join the Jaegers to successfully fend off the enemy pushing at them.
Soon there was a bang. A thick cloud of smoke was billowing in the air, and another along the ground from the bunker door. A flame flashed out of each embrasure, the rear part of the bunker had collapsed. The front wall seemed to be intact, but it was found to be crumbling later. The crew manning the bunker had been wiped out.
The return was the hardest part of the mission. It was quite light already so the enemy was able to see the withdrawing Finns also from their rear positions. As the securing patrol covering the withdrawal on the right pulls back the enemy mans the trench opening an intense rifle fire. Enemy MGs are firing at the no-man's-land and ten 6” shells hit the route the detachment has to take.
One of our men is wounded by the MG fire, but the two men ahead of him disregard Ripatti's order the return to the wounded man. Ripatti gets angry and yells:
-You *s, get back at once, else...!
The men get back and the wounded man is placed in the sled pulled by Ripatti while MG bullets are sweeping the snow around the men. The wounded man is evacuated to the friendly lines and by 08.45 hrs the Jaegers and the Sappers are back in their jumpoff position.
Our casualties include three KIA and five WIA. The enemy lost 33 men KIA plus the men killed in the dugout and the bunker. The Ojanen bunker had been destroyed.
(1583 words)