Soviet paratroop operations in Winter War?

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Mikko H.
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Soviet paratroop operations in Winter War?

#1

Post by Mikko H. » 23 May 2007, 19:30

There is a myth common in non-Finnish sources that at some point of the Winter War the Red Army conducted a combat drop of paratroopers behind the Mannerheim Line that went wrong and was swiftly destroyed by Finns. This alleged operation has been discussed here before and shown to be the myth it is. However, it's known that three Soviet paratroop brigades did take part in the Winter War, but as conventional infantry.

Recently I found another mention of supposed Soviet paratroop operations. On this web page http://home.comcast.net/~harryfp/index.htm there is a list of historic combat drops of paratroopers, and the first two entries are:
February 1939
Nr Summa , Finland
Russia
Small Groups
Cut Lines of Communications

29 November 1939
Nr. Petsamo , Finland
Russia
Small Groups
Cut Lines of Communications
Obviously the first entry is misdated, perhaps it should be February 1940. The web site doesn't give its sources, but a very respectable historian has stated to me that he has made much use of this list and found it to be (otherwise) reliable.

Now, the obvious quiestion is: did the Red Army perform these two small paradrops, or is this just another myth of Winter War? Could it be that these operations weren't so much true combat drops but insertions of spies and saboteurs (desanty)?

Any info is welcomed!

Mikko H.
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Joined: 07 May 2003, 11:19
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#2

Post by Mikko H. » 23 May 2007, 20:36

Another claim from http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ ... borne1.htm:
Despite their early entrance upon the Airborne stage the USSR made little use of Airborne troops in World War II. The Soviet Union made the first combat use of parachute forces. On 2 December 1939, as part of its initial abortive invasion of Finland, the Red Army dropped several dozen paratroopers near Petsamo behind the opposing lines. They apparently came down on top of a Finnish unit, which shot many of them before they reached the ground. Subsequent Soviet attempts during the Finnish campaign to employ airborne forces, all small in scale, met equally disastrous fates. Their later activities were principally concerned with the dropping of supplies and individuals for guerrilla activities.
Can anyone verify this? I haven't read of anything like this in Finnish sources, but then, I haven't read them all.


OldBraggs
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#3

Post by OldBraggs » 23 May 2007, 21:17

The Times (UK) reported the following:

4 December 1939
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OldBraggs
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#4

Post by OldBraggs » 23 May 2007, 21:18

and 4 Feb. 1940
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tigersqn
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#5

Post by tigersqn » 24 May 2007, 08:27

OldBraggs wrote:The Times (UK) reported the following:

4 December 1939

Interesting information.
It would appear that they were in the main jumps of smaller scale.

I wouldn't put too much stock in the accuracy of these reports though. I'm sure there were drops, and probably quite a few, but my skepticism level rises when I here of "large-scale" drops from out of the blue.


EDIT: Wow..........I can almost smell the propaganda seeping off that second one. :lol:

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Harri
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#6

Post by Harri » 28 May 2007, 18:33

I think lots of rumours and propaganda was spread by both sides of the war. Could the Soviet parachutists actually have been some sort of "desants" like Finns called them? At least the numbers like "several dozens" would hint of that?

Never heard of any Soviet parachute operations at Lappeenranta. Tens of Soviet desants and bailed out pilots were although captured in Finland. I think they could be the origin of these stories.

Well, and sometimes journalists "write down their own stories" just to get a front page story...

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