View Single Post
Old 02-01-16, 08:34 AM   #72
Dowly
Lucky Jack
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Finland
Posts: 25,005
Downloads: 32
Uploads: 0


Default

30 January - DAY 62 of Winter War

Stockholm: Finnish Chargé d'Affaires Eljas Erkko passes on the main points of the Soviet Union's peace terms. The central question is the Soviet demand for bases on the Gulf of Finland. The Finnish answer is no.

Ladoga Karelia: the Soviet offensive on the River Aittojoki ends in failure as Group Talvela holds its ground.

Northern Finland: in the Salla sector the Russian 88th Division launches an offensive on the northern front at Saija, south of the River Tenniöjoki:

Finland intercepts a telegram from the Soviet 9th Army's new commander, V.I. Chuikov, in which he asks the commander of the 54th Division fighting in Kuhmo whether he thinks his division is surrounded or not.

The famous Spanish fighter pilot Nicolas Beries is on his way to Finland as a volunteer.

Oslo: Finland's Minister of Social Affairs K.-A. Fagerholm explains the situation in Finland and appeals for Norway to send civilian labour to Finland. A group of iron and metal workers have already volunteered.

Viktor Smeds, Chairman of the Finnish Amateur Boxing Association and President of the International Amateur Boxing Association proposes an international boxing tournament between Finland and Sweden to be held in Stockholm in February.

Abroad: in Britain, the little princesses Elizabeth and Margaret have stopped knitting socks for British servicemen in favour of clothes for Finnish children.

Daily losses: 85

***

31 January - DAY 63 of Winter War

Northern Finland: the Finnish defences repulse a massive Soviet offensive at Saija in the Kuhmo sector.

Lake Ladoga: the enemy carries out a number of assaults on islands in the lake.

Northern Finland: Finnish troops defeat a Russian ski battalion at Silmälampi and Löytövaara. The enemy loses 160 men and a large amount of automatic weapons.

The township of Rovaniemi suffers five dead in heavy bombing. The enemy is increasingly selecting civilian targets.

Prime Minister Ryti sends Finland's response to continuing contacts with the Soviet Union to Chargé d'Affaires Erkko in Stockholm.

A ship carrying children to Sweden is attacked by Soviet submarines.

Another staffed field ambulance leaves Stockholm for Finland.

Southern Ostrobothnia: the closing ceremonies for the 1939 session of Parliament begin in Kauhajoki with a church service at 4 o'clock in the afternoon. The ceremonies end with the evacuee Parliament giving three cheers for Finland's freedom.

Official figures suggest the enemy has conducted 643 air raids over Finland since the outbreak of the war, dropping over 20,000 bombs on a total of 207 different localities.

Abroad: the Finnish pavilion at the New York World's Fair is also to be kept open for the 1940 exhibition.

South African wine growers gift Finland 14,000 litres of wine and 7,000 litres of brandy.

Daily losses: 82

***

1 February - DAY 64 of Winter War

Karelian Isthmus: fighting intensifies on the Isthmus. At 10.50 in the morning the Russian artillery begins shelling the main defensive position of the Finnish 3rd Division in Summa, and later on also shells positions further back.

Preparations for the pending enemy offensive involve an unprecedented number of bombers.

Shortly after noon the enemy begins a massive offensive supported by tanks and aircraft. The enemy infantry follow the tanks, either by running or by creeping along behind armoured shields drawn by the tanks.

12 Squadron locates about 100 enemy artillery batteries in the Kuolemanjärvi-Kaukjärvi-Muolaanjärvi-Summa area of the Isthmus.

Enemy aircraft strafe the area around Pyhäjärvi railway station.

The Taipale sector is bombed by at first 50, and then 80 aircraft. At the same time another 30 aircraft bomb Haparainen village.

The enemy also bombs the southern coastal towns of Hamina, Loviisa, Porvoo, Hanko, Karjaa and Tammisaari.

Southern Ostrobothnia: the 1940 session of Parliament opens in Kauhajoki.

Abroad: the Board of the Swedish Red Cross urges the International Committee of the Red Cross to investigate attacks on Finnish civilians by the Soviet Air Force and to consider possible countermeasures.

The Soviet news agency Tass claims Sweden has emptied its prisons to allow convicts to go off to Finland as volunteers.

In London, prayers are said on behalf of Finland in St Paul's Cathedral. Those present include the Archbishop of Canterbury and all the Nordic ambassadors.

(Click for larger photo)

On break after a battle. Kollaa.

(Click for larger photo)

Regimental 'motti', some 400 Russians.

(Click for larger photo)

Simo "Simuna" Häyhä in Loimola. Häyhä served in Aarne Juutilainen's company i.e. 6/II/IR34 which was pulled from Kollaa to Loimola for rest.

Daily losses: 145

Last edited by Dowly; 02-12-16 at 04:00 AM.
Dowly is offline   Reply With Quote