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30 September 1941
Soviet forces begin to withdraw from Petroskoi. 11.Division cuts the city's railway and road connections to north. Finnish daily losses: 102 http://i.imgur.com/36xsfuQl.jpg Finnish tanks on the road to Petroskoi. |
1 October 1941
Petroskoi is captured: Quote:
http://i.imgur.com/mhGYfLDt.jpg Finnish daily losses: 61 Finnish losses in September: 4949 Finnish losses in the war (so far): 20 344 http://i.imgur.com/x9JUB6sl.jpg Petroskoi Mannerheim Cross recipient(s): 2nd Lieutenant Pentti Iisalo - For leading his platoon behind the enemy during the battle of Tiuri and holding the position until reinforcements arrived. *** 2 October 1941 VII AK's attack towards Karhumäki begins. 7.Division reaches eastern Svir. Finnish daily losses: 83 http://i.imgur.com/dtjW9VFl.jpg Horses were of great help in getting supplies to areas inaccessable by vehicles. *** 3 October 1941 US Foreign Minister Cordell Hull congratulates Finnish ambassador Procopè for Finnish army's success on recapturing Karelia. Finnish daily losses: 72 http://i.imgur.com/yTdpcY2l.jpg At-gun in position. (4.Division's area) Mannerheim Cross recipient(s) Major-General Taavetti Laatikainen - For leading the II AK. |
4 October 1941
Battlegroup Kuistio, formed from elements of 7.Division, refuses to cross River Svir at Voznesenye. The men are exhausted after fighting almost constantly for three months and cannot understand why they should advance further east. http://i.imgur.com/3CjYzVlt.jpg The age limit on driver's license is dropped to 17 years. Finnish daily losses: 53 http://i.imgur.com/Jv38ijtl.jpg Young Karelian boy and his kitten. *** 5 October 1941 4.Division's attack towards Kontupohja begins. http://i.imgur.com/26ZWRPQt.jpg Crossing River Svir fails again, as 7.Division's troops refuse to advance. Finnish daily losses: 74 http://i.imgur.com/V6FaKhFl.jpg Award ceremony for German soldiers. |
6 October 1941
The twice failed crossing of the Svir will be tried for the third time at 14.00. This time the battlegroup commander, Colonel Kuistio, has ordered the artillery group to support the crossing. After artillery fire preparation the troops move across the river under a smokescreen without much difficulty and the attack can continue. The strongly fortified Voznesenye is captured by midnight. At the crossroads south of the town, the battlegroup is divided into two parts: IR 9 continues to the southeast and IR 51 to the west. Finnish daily losses: 72 http://i.imgur.com/VP8GIbul.jpg First snow falls on Summa. |
7 October 1941
Group O reaches the village of Munjärvi. http://i.imgur.com/UmFn4Nht.jpg President Ryti awards Mannerheim with the 1. and 2. class Mannerheim Cross. Others who received the Mannerheim Cross on this day: Medical Colonel Simo Brofeldt (#19) - For organising the evacuation of Detachment Lagus' wounded soldiers by air in East Karelia. Sergeant Eino Mallila (#20) - For leading his MG section out of encirclement, fighting through three enemy lines. Colonel Kaarlo Heiskanen (#21) - For successfully leading the 11.Division through operations with minimal own losses. Finnish daily losses: 54 http://i.imgur.com/kr5X7KKl.jpg Camouflaged AT-gun. |
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8 October 1941
Supply & Service ministry urges building managers and janitors to make sure windows are kept closed to save fuel on heating. Finnish daily losses: 71 http://i.imgur.com/CXISnlpl.jpg Sergeant Skyttä leading an assault on enemy positions in Honkaselkä. *** 9 October 1941 The prolonged war begins to cause growing problems in the national economy and the livelihood of the population. Finnish daily losses: 86 http://i.imgur.com/I0CGTJAl.jpg Pommiansa M/41 Quote:
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That picture about a sergeant leading his men in an attack is a harrowing one. The one man every rifle is pointed at at that moment and if he gets shot right there, the attack might stall immediately. No wonder officer and underofficer mortality was especially high.
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Combat deaths during the whole of Continuation War: Officers 6,2 % of the total NCO's 18 % " The grunts 75,7 % Here's some numbers from the battle of Vuosalmi in July 1944 for the Jääkäriprikaati (JaegerBrigade of the Finnish Armoured Division). The numbers are from Lauri Jäntti's book "Kannaksen suurtaisteluissa kesällä 1944". Jäntti served in the Finnish Armoured Division. At the beginning of the battle the brigade had a combat strength of 144 officers +479 NCO's +2712 men = 3335 altogether - about 25 officers and 100 NCO's per battalion The losses after the first day of battle at Vuosalmi (the unit counterattacked the attacking Red Army) were 25 officers, 64 NCO's and 309 men. After four days of battle the unit had on third of its strength left, 1093 combatants. Jääkäriprikaati was always thrown into the worst places, and it was 1944, not 1941, but maybe the numbers are still indicative. According to "Taktikens utveckling i sovjetarmén under det Stora Fosterländska Kriget 1941 - 1945" (edited by Lieutenant General K.S. Kolganov from the Red Army) the Red Army of 1941 had its leaders leading by example which led to big losses among the officers and NCO's. By the winter of 1941 the opposite was the truth, the leaders were giving orders to the men and then following if any advance was made. This led to communication breakdowns, which was fixed by an order in the autumn of 1942, where it stated that leaders should stay in a place where there would a good balance of being able to observe the battlefield, and lead. The lesson of all this: to maximise the chance of survival one should be a grunt in the beginning of a war, and at end of it an officer :) |
Thanks for the info, sublynx. Much appreciated. :salute:
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10 October 1941
The Finnish Army offers to transfer those buried in field cemeteries to their home regions, if it is the wish of the relatives. AOK Norwegen's attack towards Murmansk railway is halted by order of Hitler. Finnish daily losses: 81 http://i.imgur.com/b8YRIO7l.jpg Brewster with engine heater. |
11 October 1941
Of the ~38 million marks in the President Kallio Fund, 37,8 millions have so far been given to a total of 22 412 families. Finnish daily losses: 51 http://i.imgur.com/hGPdmZwl.jpg Panoramic view of Lahdenpohja. |
12 October 1941
Victory parade is held in Petroskoi. Major-General Talvela notes on his diary: "I was very touched when I saw our brave Jaegers drive past us on their bicycles. Their struggle has been nothing less than a hero story. In their dirty and worn summer uniforms, the remnants of these brave troops drove past us - more than half of them have fallen or are wounded. Now they can have a little break, but soon new heroic deeds await them." Brigade K(uussaari) captures Porajärvi. http://i.imgur.com/9hbrOxVt.jpg Finnish daily losses: 61 http://i.imgur.com/GLnSryOl.jpg German tank advancing. (East of Kiestinki) Mannerheim Cross recipient(s): Colonel Einar Vihma - For successfully leading his troops during the Battle of Viipuri Corporal Antti Sokka - For using his AT-rifle to destroy numerous tanks and trucks in a number of battles. Pfc. Tauno Savolainen - For showing personal bravery and cool-headedness while being alone and surrounded by enemy forces not once, but in two occasions. Both times, he drove the enemy away capturing some of them as prisoners of war. |
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