Minor encounters on Onega Lake

[lupodimare89]

I write here given the specific focus on Finnish operations.

While the main engagements between Soviets and Finnish forces in Onega Lake has been covered in other topics (4 September 1942 and 14 September 1943). I would like to know more details about these two:

1) "Spring 1942"
""Finnish patrol crossed the ice and set fire to some Soviet barges""
I have no other details, including exact date, Finnish ships involved, the exact claim of sinking/destruction, Soviet confirmation of losses.
Technically (so far) could be the biggest-main full loss inflicted to one side in Onega Lake.


2) 21 - 22 June 1944
Possibly the very last "encounter" in Onega Lake, source is J.Meister.
Soviet gunboat "Морской охотник" ((no idea what she was??) and "several gunboats" (BKA?) shelled Kallio.
On 21 June, Finnish forces evacuated Limosaari; it say "at the same time", tugboat "Аарно" (Aarno) suffered 2 killed.
Unclear to me, from short text if the casualties/raid was implied to be from the gunboats shelling Kallio or some other (air?) raid.

[Mangrove]

1) "Spring 1942"
""Finnish patrol crossed the ice and set fire to some Soviet barges""
I have no other details, including exact date, Finnish ships involved, the exact claim of sinking/destruction, Soviet confirmation of losses.
Technically (so far) could be the biggest-main full loss inflicted to one side in Onega Lake.

See Vodla River raid March 1942

2) 21 - 22 June 1944
Possibly the very last "encounter" in Onega Lake, source is J.Meister.
Soviet gunboat "Морской охотник" ((no idea what she was??) and "several gunboats" (BKA?) shelled Kallio.
On 21 June, Finnish forces evacuated Limosaari; it say "at the same time", tugboat "Аарно" (Aarno) suffered 2 killed.
Unclear to me, from short text if the casualties/raid was implied to be from the gunboats shelling Kallio or some other (air?) raid.

There's no mention of any activity against Kallio on 21 or 22 June 1944. However, from Äänisen rannikkoprikaati's war diary:
"9.11 p.m. [on 19 June 1944] three motor gun boats closed in Kallio, staying at c. 8 kilometres away and opened fire. We counter-fired. The vessels released smoke and retreated towards east. Meanwhile, three motor gun boats advanced towards Toloorga(?) and Ruoppa-oja. As our battery opened fire, the vessels counter-fired, released smoke and retreated towards east. All vessels disappered towards Vytegra, last ones at 10.25 p.m."

[lupodimare89]

Thank you for your reply! Very interesting the first case, even if after reading it, it came out from the naval warfare matter.

Concerning operations on late June 1944, the diaries mention at some point this tug "Aarno"? I should stress that's not exactly stated in the text i have found were the allaged attack (or air raid?) occurred, just it it was likely around 21 June.

For what i know, the Finnish forces scuttled everything floating on the lake except VTV-1 (saved inland).
It could be interesting to know if some boats/tugs were instead seized intact by advancing Soviets, but i've not heard of it so far.

[Mangrove]

I should stress that's not exactly stated in the text i have found were the allaged attack (or air raid?) occurred, just it it was likely around 21 June.

According to Rannikkotykistörykmentti 14's war diary, there was an air attack by four IL-2 against tug boats "Aarno", "Kaukopää" and barge "1006" carrying mixed troops from various infantry and coastal artillery units at 6.15 - 6.30 a.m. on 22 June 1944. They were travelling from Vatniemi/Ватнаволок to Kontupohja/Кондопога when the attack took place.

"Aarno" received hits to its steering and "Kaukopää" ran aground. Two men aboard "Aarno" and seven men aboard the barge were killed, 12 men were wounded. Seven horses were killed (or had to put down later by the Finns) as well as eight horses that were wounded.

[lupodimare89]

Thank you for your research! These diaries are very interesting, I suppose they exists only as photos or someone made a digital version of it?

[Mangrove]

These diaries are very interesting, I suppose they exists only as photos or someone made a digital version of it?

Digitized Finnish War Diaries

Apparently the National Archives of Finland is working, among other things, with algorithms to recognise and transcript handwritten war diaries into plain Finnish.
Recognition and Enrichment of Archival Documents
Twitter.com - Tomi Ahoranta

When will the transcribed texts be published?
[...]
As soon as we have the interface for showing images and texts. We also have to process more than just test pages with Handwritten Text Recognition.