1 February 1944
Air Force:
20 enemy sorties; 115 planes
2 Finnish sorties; 4 planes
Finnish daily losses: 15
***
2 February 1944
Maaselkä Group: "On the northeast end of lake Hiisjärvi, a enemy patrol managed to slip through our lines to artillery observer positions where it killed one man and wounded several others. The enemy withdrew with one prisoner."
Air Force:
13 enemy sorties; 15 planes
10 Finnish sorties; 19 planes
Finnish daily losses: 17
Base "Turistikukkula" at night. (Uhtua/IR 11 sector)
***
3 February 1944
Air Force:
7 enemy sorties; 13 planes
4 Finnish sorties; 5 planes
- A lone PE-2 was shot down by two Finnish Messerschmitts over Kallbådagrund.
Finnish daily losses: 15
***
4 February 1944
Air Force:
1 Finnish sortie; 1 plane
Finnish daily losses: 12
***
5 February 1944
Air Force:
1 enemy sortie; 1 plane
2 Finnish sorties; 2 planes
Finnish daily losses: 24
***
6 February 1944
"Peace bombings" against Helsinki.
Soviet Air Force heavily bombs Helsinki to try force Finland to peace talks. 103 people are killed and nearly 300 are wounded.
Air Force:
155 enemy sorties; 367 planes
11 Finnish sorties; 23 planes
- One confirmed Yak-7B shot down over Siestarjoki in a dogfight between 4 Messerschmitts and 5-10 Yak-7Bs.
Finnish daily losses: 28
Finnish Messerschmitt over Malmi airfield.
***
7 February 1944
Karelian Isthmus: "Near the northern end of lake Kapujärvi our strike team assaulted enemy positions where it destroyed two dug outs and at least 10 enemies, and took two prisoners with them. Own losses 1 dead, 3 wounded."
Air Force:
27 enemy sorties; 76 planes
11 Finnish sorties; 29 planes
Finnish daily losses: 21
Helsinki during the night of 6/7 February.
***
8 February 1944
The United States strongly suggests that Finland enters peace talks and tries to get out of the war.
German HQ accepts Mannerheim's request that German troops would take front responsibility in the Uhtua area. Finnish Third Division is to be pulled back in 2-3 weeks.
Air Force:
12 enemy sorties; 24 planes
12 Finnish sorties; 30 planes
Finnish daily losses: 9
***
In related news, the research by Finnish National Archives into whether Finnish SS troops committed war crimes is to be released later today. I shall post it either here or in a new thread (depends of the results of the research).