4 July 1944
The Battle of Äyräpää-Vuosalmi begins.
In the morning, Lieutenant Colonel Anisimov's 98. Army Corps started their attack against Finnish positions on the ridges of Kylä-Paakkola and Äyräpää. Their objective was to take the ridges and capture a bridgehead on the Vuosalmi side of River Vuoksi.
Anisimov had two infantry divisions to use in the attack; Colonel Isakov's 281st on the left and Major General Jakusov's 381st on the right. Major General Panitskin's 92nd Division was in reserve, to be used to cross the river.
On the Finnish side, the defence of the ridges fell on troops of Major General Martola's 2nd Division, which was in turn part of the III Army Corps, commanded by Lieutenant General Siilasvuo.
The area had been split in two sectors. On the left, Detachment E and on the right, Detachment W. Detachment E was led by the commander of IR 7 Lieutenant Colonel Ehrnrooth, and Detachment W by Colonel Wahlback of IR 49. Divisional artillery at this point of the battle consisted of six Artillery Battalions, split in two Artillery Groups (Tyk.R S & Tyk.R A).
Both Detachments had around a Battalion each defending the ridges on the south side of the river; reinforced III/IR 49 on the Kylä-Paakkola ridge and I/IR7 on the Äyräpää ridge.
The Soviet attack to capture these two strongpoints began at 5 am. First came a artillery preparation that lasted for an hour, followed by 200 bombers and ground-attack planes.
This preparation was aimed at the entire depth of 2nd Division's area. Commander of Detachment W, Colonel Wahlback was killed as his HQ was hit, and was replaced by Lieutenant Colonel Vänttinen the next day. In the front line, 2nd Division's officers suffered heavy casualties during this initial stage of the attack.
The main thrust of the attack was on both sides of the seam of the Finnish Detachments. Supported by tanks, enemy infantry began advancing as the bombardment stopped and soon breached the line at Äyräpää, getting all the way to the shore of River Vuoksi. Detachment E pushed the enemy out of these positions with a series of counter-attacks.
Another attempt was made in the evening to capture the ridges, but Finnish artillery and mortars dispersed the enemy groupings before the attack could begin.
Finnish artillery and mortars had supported the defenders by firing over 15,000 rounds during the day.
Casualties for the Finns exceeded 500 men on the first day of the battle, 85 of them dead and 439 wounded. The Soviet 98. Army Corps had lost 931 men; 187 dead, 744 wounded.
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Finns lose Suonionsaari and Ravansaari islands on the Gulf of Viipuri.
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VI Army Corps is ordered to withdraw to the 1939 borders in Eastern Karelia as their positions at Tulemajoki are breached.
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Ihantala:
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Mikko H. @AHF
Another day of relative quiet at Ihantala. Two Soviet attacks are repulsed at Tähtelä this morning, but later on the day Finnish radio intelligence captures a message stating that the Soviets are going to attack at 8 pm, supported by tanks and aircraft. Accordingly Finnish artillery and aircraft bomb the Soviet positions in the evening, and the attack is postponed. After 10 pm. the Soviet forces are observed forming for an attack. The Finnish artillery fires on them, and the attack is again aborted. This ends the Soviet offensive activity for this day at Ihantala.
At 7.28 pm. the Soviet aircraft try to repeat their success the day before yesterday by attacking again the Finnish airfield in Immola where Obstlt. Kurt Kuhlmey's German Stukas and Jabos are based. This time the defenders are ready, and only few bombs fall on the target. Losses are negligible.
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Finnish daily losses: 596
Wounded soldiers from Ravansaari island, waiting to be picked up to a first aid station.
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Probably taking the rest of the week off.