13 September 1941
Coastal Defence ship
Ilmarinen sinks after hitting a mine on the southwest side of Utö.
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Originally Posted by Wikipedia
The two Finnish coastal defence ships (Ilmarinen & Väinämöinen -D) participated in Operation Nordwind on 13 September 1941, in which German forces were to take the Estonian islands of Saaremaa and Hiiumaa. A group of Finnish and German ships were to be used in a diversionary operation to lure the Soviet fleet into battle – away from the real invasion force coming up from the south. Another German fleet, including the cruisers Emden, Köln, and Leipzig, waited further away to join the battle if the Soviets turned up; however, the northern fleet remained unnoticed and an order was given to turn around when they had reached a point some 25 nautical miles (46 km; 29 mi) south of Utö. The formation was led by minesweepers, but some mines had escaped being swept. The crew of Ilmarinen failed to take proper notice of the dragging paravane cable. It is likely that the ship had caught one or two sea mines in the paravane, and when the ship turned, the mines struck the bottom of the hull and exploded. The explosion blew a large hole in the ship, which soon developed a strong list and keeled over. The ship sank in just seven minutes. Only 132 men of the crew survived, and 271 were lost, most of them trapped inside the hull. Fifty-seven were rescued by the patrol boat VMV 1, which had maneuvered to the capsized hull and took on as many of Ilmarinen's crew as she could. During this time she too was at great risk of being obliterated if Ilmarinen's magazines had ignited.
The survivors were later known as Ilmarisen uimaseura (Ilmarinen's Swimming Team). Among the survivors were Ilmarinen's captain, Commander Ragnar Göransson, and the Commander of the Finnish Navy, Commodore Eero Rahola, as well as Lieutenant Viljo Revell, later a renowned architect.
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Northern Finland: German and Finnish troops attacking in the Kantalahti area punch through the Soviet defenses.
East Karelia: German 163.Division takes front responsibility in Kuuttilahti in western Svir.
Pyhäjärvi crossroad is captured.
Hitler considers Finland one of Germany's best allies in the war and as such he is willing to give Kola Peninsula to Finland.
Finnish daily losses: 385
Ilmarinen photographed from the bridge of
Väinämöinen during Operation Nordwind.