Martti Kujansuu wrote:
By account of CO Björkman, e.g.:
Kom./Ps.P: 4 September 1941
Christie-osasto joutui edetessään ankariin taisteluihin [...] menetti itse myös yhden Christie-vaunun, joka ammuttiin tuleen [...]
Panssariyksikköjen tappiot päivän aikana:
3./Ps.P: kaatuneita 1 ups., 1 mies, haavoitt. 7 miestä.
Christie-os.: kaatuneita 4 miestä, haavoitt. 1 ups., 1 sot.miest., 2 miestä. 1 Christie-vaunu tuhoutunut, 1 raskas vaurioitunut.
Yep, the particular tank was BT-7 R-100 commanded by Vänrikki Järvenpää (commander of Christie Detachment / Christie Osasto). One of the reports indicates that it got ambushed by antitank-gun, got hit several times and got set on fire. Major reason for the tank getting on fire were problems with fuel system (broken fuel pump?), due to which gasoline barrel had been placed on rear deck and apparently it got hit. Also aikersantti Pihlajamäki died inside the vehicle, private Hakala got out but didn't make it and neither did an uspecified soldier from Light Detachment 4, who died with the tank crew. What I have read suggests that burned tanks like this were usually irrecoverable losses, but I am wondering about the others. BTW: Most records seem to suggest that R-100 was destroyed during early hours of 5th of September - sometime in between midnight and 2AM.
6th Tank Co/Tank Btn war journal:
http://digi.narc.fi/digi/view.ka?kuid=2992716
But what about the others. The two T-26 tanks from 2nd Tank Co in 23rd of September. I see they also got on fire, what I have says that in different places and one of them was destroyed by Soviet tank, not antitank-gun. Heavy armoured car (BAF) in 28th of September in Uusiselkä - well it got on fire also. BTW: According some sources BAF belonged to 7th Armoured Car Platoon, but apparently it had already been disbanded by that time and its men and vehicles transferred to Tank Battalion.
The ones I am especially wondering are:
- T-26 (possibly R-71) from 1st Tank Co, 9th of September in Nisi, hit several times and completely destroyed.
- 2 x T-26 from 1st Tank Co, 26th of September, destroyed by BT-tanks and got on fire.
1st Tank Co war journal from 10th of September, apparently it lists T-26 tanks R-72 and R-71 simply as "tuhottu" (destroyed):
http://digi.narc.fi/digi/view.ka?kuid=2991086
Jarkko