Finnish tank Destruction Badge.A Short Article

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Juha Hujanen
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Location: Suur-Savo,Finland

Finnish tank Destruction Badge.A Short Article

#1

Post by Juha Hujanen » 17 Apr 2003, 10:53

We all know about German tank destruction badge but few other than Finns are aware that there was Finnish award for tank destruction too.So i did write
this short article about history of Finnish tank destruction badge.Enjoy.

Finnish Tank Destruction Badge.


9.6.44 Red Army launched its 4th strategic offensive on Karelian Isthmus.260 000 men and over
600 tanks and assault guns smashed Finnish defensive line and advanced towards Finland,while
Finnish troops desperatly tried to slow them down and buy time that reinforcements from others
theatres could arrive.
Finnish Army anti-tank capability had not been progressed much during 2.5 years of trench war period.
Equipment was obsolete and Panzerschrecks and Panzerfausts received from Germany were stored
to rear-echelons and kept in secret.Red Army tank tactics and equipment had been much improved
during heavy fightings with Germans.

While heavy fights raged on the front,all available means were taken to bolster anti-tank
capability.One of those was tank destruction badge.Finnish General HQ published 28.6.44 this
order:

TANK DESTRUCTION BADGE.

To raise skillful and brave tank destroyers and bolter their spirits to new feats in their
demanding task,Field Marshal had desited that they will be given special badge for tank destruction.

Following regulations are followed when badge is given:
1.Badge for tank destruction is awarded to man who destroys tank with closequarter weapons or
while acting as gunner to a gun.
Destruction of a tank with closequarter weapon can be happened for example shooting (excample
Panzerschreck,Panzerfaust,anti-tank rifle grenate),by throwing (example anti-tank handgrenate,satschelcharge,
anti-tank mine),pulling or pushing (example slide mines),by placing an explosive to tank or
by others similar actions but mines and others similar actions,which don't require immident
contact to enemy are not accepted as base for award.

2.Five classes of award are issued:

1 tank destroyed-one wide stripe with figure.
3 tanks destroyed-above figure stripe one narrow stripes without figure.
5 tanks destroyed-above figure stripe two narrow stripes without figure.
10 tanks destroyed-above figure stripe three narrow stripes without figure.
15 tanks destroyed-above figure stripe four narrow stripes without figure.

Wide stripe with figure is 7x3 cm white stripe with dark tank figure.
Wide stripe is sewed to right sleeve so that upper corner is 10cm below elbowseam,badge in
the middle and narrow stripes above it with 0.5 cm distances.

Narrow stripes are 7x0.5 cm and white.

3.Those who should be rewarded with badge are nominated by Company CO with retroactive from 1.6.44.

4.Award is given by Divisional CO.

5.When a award is given,it should be noted to military pass.

6.Awards are suplied for temporary by General HQs training department,who will send them to
units,when badges are made.

Idea for tank destruction badge was most likely came from German Panzervernichtungsabzeichen.
But when German award was given only for tank destroyed with hand held weapon,Finnish badge
was given to gunners of tank/assault gun or gunner of anti-tank gun.
Special attention was required,that tank was really destroyed,before award was given.CO of Armoured
Division Generalmajor Lagus required that enemy tank should burn or explode before he gave award.

Between 1.6.44-6.10.44 322 badges and 86 stripes to badges were awarded.Highest
award,badge with 4 stripes, was given to Lance Corporal Toivo Ilomäki.While being an gunner
to 75 K/40 anti-tank gun in 24th Gun Company,he destroyed 22 Russian tanks.

Lance Corporal Jaakko Rytöniemi of 32nd Gun Company received badge with 3 stripes when he destroyed
13 tanks as gunner to 75 K/40.Lance Corporal Olli Soimala from Assaultgun battalion received
badge with 3 stripes,when he destroyed 11 tanks as gunner of Stug 3.

Highest number of tanks destroyed with handheld weapons had Lance Corporal Ville Väisänen from
2nd Borderjaeger Battalion.He destroyed 8 tanks with Panzerfaust in one day.Later on same day
he became MIA.Private Eero Seppänen destroyed 7 tanks with Panzerschreck.He was from 49th IR.

Highest ranking soldier awarded was Captain Harald Hohethal,CO of Gun Company/IR45.He destroyed
T-34 with Panzerschreck.

Armoured Division received highest number of awards:52 badges and 15 stripes
2nd Division:46 badges and 14 stripes
5th Division:22 badges and 5 stripes
Cavalry Brigade:20 badges and 1 stripe
IR12:19 badges and 6 stripes

For the rest of units who received badges i have no info.

Generalmajor Lagus suggested to General HQ 14.8.44,that in his Armoured Division also drivers
and commanders of tanks/assaultguns should get badges.He noted that in assaultguns close team effort
of gunner,driver and commander was required to achieve results.27.8.44 General HQ rejected
his request and noted that only who was directly responsible of destruction of enemy tank will
get award.Also they wanted award no more badges than enemy tanks were destroyed.

At the closing stages of war,there were plans to replace fabric badge with metal one,so it
would be more durable and easily changed to another uniform,but plans were forgotten when
war ended.In front lines wearing of badge was sometimes discouraged,because they could expect no mercy from Russian tankers if they should became POW.

In heavy battles during summer 44, 950 Russian tanks were destroyed by Finns.Of those 612
were destroyed by Army (Armoured Division and Infantry formations).Majority of tanks destroyed
by army were credited to men operating Panzerschrecks and Panzerfausts.They were proud carriers
of Finnish tank destruction badge.

Sources:Erkki Käkelä-Marskin Panssarintuhoojat
Pekka Kantakoski-Punaiset Panssarit
Eino Pohjamo-Rauta Palaa
Kari Kuusela&Esa Muikku-Panssari 2/1982
Attachments
Lance Corporal Jaakko Rytöniemi.JPG
Lance Corporal Jaakko Rytöniemi from 32nd Gun Company/17th Division destroyed 13 tanks as gunner of 75 K/40.He wears badge with 3 stripes.
Lance Corporal Jaakko Rytöniemi.JPG (30.53 KiB) Viewed 1979 times
Officer Canditate Lauri Leppänen.JPG
Officer Canditate Lauri Leppänen from Assaultgun Battalion destroyed 5 tanks as gunner to Stug3.
Officer Canditate Lauri Leppänen.JPG (37.32 KiB) Viewed 1978 times
Tank destruction badge with 2 stripes.JPG
This badhe with 2 stripes belonged to 1st Leutenant Gregotius Ekholm,CO of Jaeger Company/3rd Brigade.He destroyed 7 tanks with Panzerschreck.He was awarded with Knight of Mannerheim Cross.
Tank destruction badge with 2 stripes.JPG (16.64 KiB) Viewed 1979 times
Last edited by Juha Hujanen on 20 Apr 2003, 15:30, edited 1 time in total.

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Marcus
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#2

Post by Marcus » 17 Apr 2003, 20:36

Thanks Juha.

/Marcus


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Macmedal
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Joined: 17 Mar 2002, 02:03
Location: GB

#3

Post by Macmedal » 17 Apr 2003, 20:56

Thanks Juha

Interesting information.

It is one of the anomolies of Third Reich Awards that the Germans chose a Panzer IV Tank to symbolise the destruction of an enemy tank. Yet the Fins more correctly chose the Russian T34 tank on their award.

Nick

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jacques
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Posts: 96
Joined: 17 Jun 2002, 09:05
Location: France

#4

Post by jacques » 21 Apr 2003, 18:38

Hi
interesting article. Keep on sharing pics showing this badge worn
jacques

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alpinoinMT
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Joined: 06 Dec 2011, 07:09
Location: Montana - by God - USA

Re: Finnish tank Destruction Badge.A Short Article

#5

Post by alpinoinMT » 04 Nov 2017, 17:12

Ville Väisänen never ceases to amaze me - what a story is his!
There is not too much written [in English] about his military career, & in Finnish, I do well until I encounter the slang. I do know he used the Lahti 20mm to destroy Soviet armor at the start of the Continuation War, & of course his exploits at the Battle of Tali-Ihantala on 28 June 1944. where he destroyed 8x Soviet tanks with Panzerfaust 30s [short range & no doubt he did it in less]. I wonder who was supporting him, a man cannot carry 8x Panzerfausts! He must of been part of a team, but the one who did the deadly [to both sides] shooting. And the Russians must have wondered what the hell was going on in that sector.... one after another. From all I can gather, he was killed on the 9th attack, either the exploding tank getting him, or the Panzerfaust being hit & detonating. Anyway, I ask if someone might help me learn more, or clarify events. As an old grunt I understand the gravity of hitting armor at close quarters with a weapon that works, sometimes, & most critically, tanks usually come with swarms of kindred infantry, who would not be pleased with your destroying their ride, firepower & brothers. But that is what Ville did.

A last question, from the Finnish writings, the slang of the suomalainen sotilas...

"destroyed at least one trolley and numerous firefighters and PST cannons" what are these? I think PSTs are anti-tank guns?

"destroy the ninth Climate or Sotka" I know a "sotka" is a T-34, but what is a "Climate"? Thanks-Kiitos
Attachments
Ville_Väisänen_145.jpg
Ville_Väisänen_145.jpg (24.31 KiB) Viewed 963 times
a reporter once asked me, after an awards ceremony
"are purple hearts for soldiers & bronze stars for officers?'

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John Hilly
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Joined: 26 Jan 2010, 10:33
Location: Tampere, Finland, EU

Re: Finnish tank Destruction Badge.A Short Article

#6

Post by John Hilly » 05 Nov 2017, 15:28

alpinoinMT wrote:"destroy the ninth Climate or Sotka" I know a "sotka" is a T-34, but what is a "Climate"? Thanks-Kiitos
Your Climate must mean Klim Voroshilov aka KV-1 tank, caaled Klimi by the Finns.

Original Finnish words used would help understanding Firefighters and trolley.

With best, J-P :milwink:
"Die Blechtrommel trommelt noch!"

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