Indications on military maps

[igor_verh]

Hello! What can mean these three symbols on finnish military map?

[Slon-76]

supposedly (by analogy with the Soviet maps)

1 - mortar (?)
2 - cannon
3 - AТ-cannon

[Art]

2 - cannon

It must be a heavy machinegun (KK):
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... 2#p1481212

3 - AТ-cannon

Probably antiaircraft, hard to discern on this scheme.

[JTV]

1. Mortar. The symbol used for mortar FO team is very similar (small area in lower tip limited out with additional line).
2. Medium machinegun (Maxim and other similar machineguns with tripod)
3. Antitank gun. Sometimes used with a number, which would often indicate caliber of the gun.

The box-shaped things are most likely dugouts (korsu).

Jarkko

[igor_verh]

Thanks for the information!

[igor_verh]

Hello! In the Finnish reports I have seen two different types of coordinates, for example, x=3200, y= 9200 and 38.00 ; 34.40. How are they formed, there is bound to a particular sheet of map or point on map? How they translate into real coordinates on the terrain?

[Swing]

According to "Lyhennykset ja taktilliset merkit" book from 1941 (Abbreviations & tactic symbols) approved by E. Heinrichs: 1- 81 mm mortar, 2 - heavy 7,62 mm machinegun, 3 - anti-tank cannon. Sorry for delay, welcome for another decodings

[Mangrove]

How are they formed, there is bound to a particular sheet of map or point on map?

The "38.00 ; 34.40" refers to the pre-war Soviet coordinate system which used degrees and minutes to pin-point a location. I think the other system is a Finnish system used in late-war maps. Besides coordinates you will also have to know the map page to which the coordinates refer to. To my knowledge there is not way to directly transform a coordinate into modern coordinate system if it does not use degrees but you will have to overlay the map into e.g. Google Earth.

http://digi.narc.fi/digi/view.ka?kuid=2979299 (a Soviet map)
http://digi.narc.fi/digi/view.ka?kuid=3082934 (a Finnish map)

[igor_verh]

How are they formed, there is bound to a particular sheet of map or point on map?

About soviet coordinates - from interrogation report of leut. Malahov N.V. (2./JR 132):

[igor_verh]

Hi to all! Does anybody known, what mean triangles on this map and what difference between them (line inside)?

Thanks in advance!

[John Hilly]

Hi to all! Does anybody known, what mean triangles on this map and what difference between them (line inside)?

Thanks in advance!

Artillery symbols. Line inside means heavy artillery. These all are battalions.

With best, J-P