Continuation War, day by day.

[Dowly]

12 May 1943

Fighting in North Africa ends.

Finnish daily losses: 17


Soldier cleaning his machine gun at base "Tirva 3". (Svir)

***

13 May 1943

Aunus Group: "Our patrol destroyed two living dug-outs and three prepared positions, one of which was made of concrete on the east side of Vaskusjärvi. Enemy losses 20 KIA."

Finnish daily losses: 19

***

14 May 1943

No entry.

Finnish daily losses: 16

***

15 May 1943

No entry.

Finnish daily losses: 15

***

16 May 1943

25 planes strike Kotka, but most of the bombs fall outside of the city.

Finnish daily losses: 20

***

17 May 1943

Karelian Isthmus: "Our ambush patrol met with a 2-3 platoon size enemy unit on the south side of Leimassaari. The five man point patrol was eliminated at close range after which our patrol attacked the main body of the enemy, killing at least 15 soldiers before withdrawing under mortar support with no own losses."

Finnish daily losses: 21


8.Division's mascot "Piltsu".

***

18 May 1943

No entry.

Finnish daily losses: 10


What's left of an shot down IL-2. (Tiiksjärvi)

[Schroeder]

Originally Posted by Dowly

17 May 1943

Karelian Isthmus: "Our ambush patrol met with a 2-3 platoon size enemy unit on the south side of Leimassaari. The five man point patrol was eliminated at close range after which our patrol attacked the main body of the enemy, killing at least 15 soldiers before withdrawing under mortar support with no own losses."

Interesting. They were on patrol but had mortars near by and were able to communicate with them? Did the patrols carry heavy radio equipment?

[Dowly]

Originally Posted by Schroeder

Interesting. They were on patrol but had mortars near by and were able to communicate with them? Did the patrols carry heavy radio equipment?

The reports found in the HQ war diary are often shortened and might not give a very clear picture for these smaller engagements. Here's the original from Infantry Regiment 16's diary:

"At 0730hrs our ambush patrol (2+11) led by 2nd Lieutenant Kirkkala left to the front terrain of base "Mauri". At 1030hrs, a strong enemy detachment approached our patrol and its point patrol was quickly encircled. The 5 man patrol responded to surrender demands by opening fire and it was quickly eliminated. Contact was quickly made with the enemy's main body during which our patrol was forced to withdraw back to base "Mauri" at 1100hrs. Our mortars supported the retreat of the patrol by firing 77 grenades, and judging by the cries heard they inflicted some casualties. Confirmed enemy losses: 20"

[Schroeder]

Thanks.

[Dowly]

Here's something about the patrol radios used by Finland:
http://ilmakilta.info/kyynel.php

Seems to be a bit soddy translation, but I'm too lazy to translate the couple of pages from a book I have on the LRRPs.

[sublynx]

By 1943 the Finnish government would have known about the massive bombings of German cities and would have expected an allied landing somewhere on the western front. Maybe they thought that Denmark is no more a safe zone for the children, and that at least having them back in Finland would have the Finns in position to try to safeguard them, instead of any authority in Denmark, an area that could have become a battlezone like France and the Low countries after the allied landings.

[Dowly]

19 May 1943

A NCO defects from Soviet submarine Sts-303 on the Gulf of Finland.

Commander Travkin's Sts-303 had tried to breakthrough the anti-submarine nets, but had been spotted and has now been evading her pursuers for three days. Her batteries and oxygen was starting to be at criticial levels when NCO Galkin during his watch intentionally surfaced the boat and leaped to the sea. A nearby German vessels picks him up as Sts-303 submerges again.

Finnish daily losses: 19


Dutch-German actress Ilse Werner visiting Finland. (Helsinki)

***

20 May 1943

Karelian Istmus: "Heavy AT, mortar and smallarms fire towards our base "Sormenkärki" near the mouth of Rajajoki river."

Finnish daily losses: 16


Patrolman Pfc. Mäenpää on a prisoner capture mission. (Uhtua)

***

21 May 1943

Aunus Group: "Our snipers have killed 89 enemies between the 11th and 20th of May."

Finnish daily losses: 16

***

22 May 1943

Minelayer "Ruotsinsalmi" sinks a Soviet submarine (Sts-408) near Tallinn.

Finnish daily losses: 21

***

23 May 1943

Four Blenheims from LeLv 42 bomb the Murman railway. One plane is lost.

Aunus Group: "Our patrol cleared 200 meters of enemy trenches in the Svir power plant area. At least 15 enemies were killed."

Finnish daily losses: 22

***

24 May 1943

No entry.

Finnish daily losses: 17

***

25 May 1943

No entry.

Finnish daily losses: 18

[Faith]

Stumbled onto this thread the other day, and I love it. Keep up the good work.

[Dowly]

Originally Posted by Faith

Stumbled onto this thread the other day, and I love it. Keep up the good work.

Thanks!

[Dowly]

26 May 1943

Maaselkä group: "At 0400hrs the enemy attacked the southern end of Hussinsaari island and began pushing the defenders northwards. 30 minutes later another enemy unit attacked the island from the east, forcing our troops to retreat. Fighting is ongoing."

Finnish daily losses: 20


Morane fighter taking off from Tiiksjärvi airbase.

***

27 May 1943

Navy: "Germans notified us yesterday of a possible enemy submarine sailing in the middle of Gulf of Finland. The suspected submarine was depth charged after which oil, air and a first aid kit were seen raising to the surface."

Finnish daily losses: 14


Air is seen escaping from a depth charged enemy submarine.

***

28 May 1943

Karelian Isthmus: "Our returning patrol (1+8) attacked a 70 man enemy unit near Ohta road. Atleast 10 enemies were killed, patrol returned without losses."

Finnish daily losses: 18

***

29 May 1943

No entry.

Finnish daily losses: 10


Soldiers' canteen in the Svir power plant area.

***

30 May 1943

Maaselkä group: "Our strike team struck an enemy base near Kommunarofjärvi. They destroyed 27 various emplacements and 5 living dug-outs, killing 41 enemies and taking one prisoner. Own losses 8 wounded."

Finnish daily losses: 23

***

31 May 1943

No entry.

Finnish daily losses: 27

***

1 June 1943

The Finnish SS-battalion arrive to Finland for a month's leave.

Finnish daily losses: 29


Finnish SS-volunteers arrive to Hanko on board the Warthe.


EDIT: Forgot to add that by request from the Simon Wiesenthal Center, the Finnish National Archives have launched an investigation to see if any Finnish SS-volunteers took part in the killings of Jews. The study is estimated to be finished in November this year.

[Faith]

Where are you getting those daily losses numbers? Even for the wars of the 20th century, those are hard to come by. Are they from a website, or a big book?

[Dowly]

Originally Posted by Faith

Where are you getting those daily losses numbers? Even for the wars of the 20th century, those are hard to come by. Are they from a website, or a big book?

Finns tracked their casualties closely and today the FInnish National Archives are digitizing a bunch of stuff related to the wars among them detailed losses for each day and service records of every soldier who died during the wars.


This is the database I am using (in Finnish/Swedish):
http://kronos.narc.fi/menehtyneet/

[Dowly]

2 June 1943

Karelian Isthmus: "A well camouflaged enemy group managed to sneak past our obstacles and into the trenches near Räikkölä. Our troops pushed them back with a counter-attack."

Finnish daily losses: 15


Russian wreck near Suursaari.

***

3 June 1943

No entry.

Finnish daily losses: 17

***

4 June 1943

No entry.

Finnish daily losses: 26

***

5 June 1943

Karelian Isthmus/2.Division: "At 0100hrs our patrol (1+2+12) left to the forest area south of Harvasuo. Immediately upon arrival they found themselves nearly surrounded by a strong enemy ambush patrol. Own patrol began a fighting retreat inflicting at least 10 casualties to the enemy. Own casualties brought back were two killed and three wounded. On the enemy side we had to leave one body and one possibly wounded soldier.
Added later: Another patrol sent to Harvasuo at 0600hrs to find the possibly wounded soldier. They came back with two bodies, making the total casualties four killed and three wounded.

Finnish daily losses: 22


Vesivehmaa airbase.

***

6 June 1943

No entry.

Finnish daily losses: 27

***

7 June 1943

Maaselkä Group: "1.Division attacked three enemy bases in their sector. First one was near Stalin's channel against the enemy base opposite to base "Aalto". Five living dug-outs with men inside were destroyed and two enemy soldiers taken prisoner. Own losses five dead, seven wounded.
Second attack took place at the same time as the first near Salmijärvenjoki river. This attack stalled before it could breach the second line of obstacles. Losses: 2 dead, three wounded.
The third attack was near Leppäjoki river. The entire enemy base was destroyed and four prisoners were taken. Own losses were seven wounded."

Finnish daily losses: 20

***

8 June 1943

No entry.

Finnish daily losses: 30


Summa

[Dowly]

9 June 1943

Karelian Isthmus: "Our artillery struck enemy positions in the Lempaala area destroying a number of bunkers completely."

Maaselkä Group: "At 1130hrs our operation to burn the village of Maaselkä and any enemy positions in the area began. Incendiary rounds fired by our artillery and mortars set the southern part of the village and enemy positions to the southwest on fire. Our strike team began their attack against the enemy positions at 1230hrs, managing to clear 400 metres of trenches and to destroy eight wooden bunkers and two dug-outs. The strike team was then forced to retreat by a strong enemy counter-attack."

Finnish military intelligence estimates a 30% decrease in Russian forces on the Finnish front from last year.

Finnish daily losses: 17

***

10 June 1943

Maaselkä Group: "Yesterday's operation caused about 130 enemy casualties (KIA/WIA) and the destruction of 30 dug-outs, ~900m of trenches, 50 various bunkers, 30 houses, ~1000 mines and multiple various storage buildings."

Finnish daily losses: 17


Finnish SS-volunteer meets his mother after two years away from home.

***

11 June 1943

Mannerheim visits the Svir area.

Finnish daily losses: 19

***

12 June 1943

No entry.

Finnish daily losses: 22


Marshal Mannerheim and Generals Mäkinen and Svensson. (Svir)

***

13 June 1943

No entry.

Finnish daily losses: 15

***

14 June 1943

Karelian Isthmus: "Enemy attack on Rivalinmäki from three directions repelled."

Finnish daily losses: 13


House built by the Field Artillery Foundation for General of Artillery Nenonen is being disassembled for move to Helsinki. (Karhumäki)

***

15 June 1943

No entry.

Finnish daily losses: 20

[Schroeder]

When Finns talk about casualties is that the same as the English meaning (as in wounded or dead) or does it only count people killed as it would be in German?