*POKE*


JR23 - 3rd machinegun company - 13.02.40 - 13.03.40

13.02.40

Artillery fire still fierce. Enemy attacked at Terenttilä, but was pushed back with heavy casualties.
One platoon from our company was sent to Mustaoja for the night. Sgt. Aleksi was wounded on the way there.
Bases 5, 6 and 7 have half-platoon each. Enemy air activity was dense.

14.02.40

Company was at the front like yesterday. Pressure from the enemy was heavy, especially at Terenttilä, but
again all attacks were pushed back. Lance corporal Luoma was mildy wounded. Late at night, ensign Mikkolainen
was killed. He was the CO of 3rd platoon. Enemy air activity dense.

15.02.40

Front was occupied by half-platoons at 5, 6, and 7 bases, rest of the half-platoons were in their dugouts near Kaasno-oja(sp?).
Enemy air conducted numerous bombing attacks during the day at Pihkahovi without any mentionable damage. At base 5 private
Ylihärsilä was killed. Soldiers from base 5's front positions pulled to rest during the evening.

16.02.40

Bases 6 and 7 manned with half-platoons. Not much happened during the day. Enemy air continued bombing Pihkahovi area.

17.02.40

Day remarkable peaceful, enemy air very light.

20:30 - Company's supply platoon left with battalion on skis towards Pyhäjärvi's Noitermaa where the plan was to take shelter in the
two houses still standing there.

18.02.40

06:00 - Breakfast.

Due to heavy air activity, orders came to stay in the dugouts unless otherwise told. The day was spent resting, which was welcomed by
the battle-weary soldiers.

21:00 - Meal.

Air activity dense, they are attacking areas around our dugouts so no real danger from them. 2. platoon got to go to sauna.

19.02.40

Clear skies all day with moon during the night. Air activity dense. 3. platoons turn for sauna.

20.02.40

6:00 - Wake up call and breakfast.

All weapons cleaned during the day. Air activity remains dense. 1. platoon went to sauna during the night.

17:15 - Ready order was given, company ready to move out. Company was to be ready to move out at 19:15, but the
order was cancelled.

21.02.40

Finally we got a snowstorm, so no air activity. Day was spent resting. One volunteer joined our ranks later in the evening.

22:02.40

6:30 - Wake up call and breakfast.

Weather was foggy, no air activity.

18:00 - Meal.

Company set a two man guard for the battalion area for the night, company area was guarded by one man.

23.02.40

6:30 - Wake up call and breakfast.

10:30 - Corporal Järvenpää's platoon left on skis to patrol the Pyhäjärvi-Noitermaa area.

11:00 - Ensign Lahtinen left with few NCO's to recon the placement of enemy vehicles. Sergeant Jaskari and Antila (sp?) left to
search and open up a way for an counter-attack thru the shore of Kiimajärvi towards Pahkala.

18:00 - Meal.

24.02.40

6:30 - Wake up call and breakfast.

10:00 - Company wide test firing of the machineguns. 2. and 3. platoon's ammo boxes carried to sauna to dry up.

18:00 Meal.

11 soldiers on leave.

25.02.40

6:30 - Wake up call and breakfast.

Sunny day, air activity was light.

18:00 - Meal.

Company took leave for the night and went to the youthclub at Montrua.

26.02.40

6:30 - Wake up call and breakfast.

Air activity moderate.

17:30 - Meal.

18:00 - Company left to do fortifications from which it was ordered back after few hours when alert order was given.

22:30 - Company left to Konnitsa.

27.02.40

03:00 - Company arrived to Konnitsa where it took shelter in three houses.

03:30 - Meal.

12:00 - Company loaded on trucks and moving out to Vuosalmi where it took shelter in five houses.

14:00 - Equipment left Konnitsa towards Vuosalmi, arrived at 23:00. Company reinforced with 3 sergeants.

28.02.40

5:30 - Company had meal.

Recon for suitable frontline positions completed during the morning, digging commenced immediately.

18:00 - Meal. Immediately after meal company moved to vuoksi area and took positions merged with other companies as follows:
1. platoon with 9. company, 2. platoon with 8. company and 3. platoon with 7. company.
Weather was foggy, no air activity.

29.02.40

01:30 - Supply platoon left towards Vuoksenranta arriving at 04:00 at Kaskiselkä.

05:00 - Meal distributed to front positions via horse.

Company made fortifications, no contact with enemy. Air activity dense.

19:00 - Meal distributed to the front positions. Company reinforced with 16 men.

01.03.40

05:00 - Meal distributed to front positions. Company prepared machinegun positions. Contact with enemy during the afternoon.

19:30 - Meal distributed to front positions.

02.03.40

05:00 - 1. and 2. platoons pulled from the front to houses near Vuosalmi where they had meal. 3. platoon had their meal distributed to them to the frontlines.

19:30 - Meal.

3. platoon was suddenly attacked by a platoon sized force of russkies. The enemy was pushed back, one prisoner caught.

03.03.40

05:00 - Meal at the houses near Vuosalmi where 3. platoon arrived during the morning, 2. half-platoon arrived late at night.

18:30 - 1. platoon rotated to the front, taking positions in 8. company's sector. Air and artillery activity dense.

04.03.40

05:00 - Meal prepared for frontline troops at the nearby supplyroad where 2. and 3. platoons were positioned during the night. 1. platoon was positioned to the front positions,
6 men were wounded.

19:00 - Meal. 2. platoon rotated to the front, 1. got out. Enemy attacks repulsed.

23:00 - Supply platoon moved to the forest next to the supply road. Reinforcements from JR6, 16 men.

05.03.40

05:00 - Meal delivered to 1. and 3. platoon.

2. platoon in the line, privates Mäki and Mäkelä wounded. Enemy made no gains on the company's sector.
Air and artillery activity heavy.

20:00 - Meal delivered to the line for 2. platoon. 3. platoon as acting as backup, positioned to the left side of the ferry and north side of Vuohinen(sp?). Returned during the night.

11 men from supply platoon ordered to regiment as backup, they returned during the night. Corporal Vaahtoniemi was wounded by enemy bomb. 3. platoon's private Hautaviita was aswell
wounded by an enemy bomb.

06.03.40

05:00 - Meal delivered to the front. 2. platoon still in frontlines, 1. moved to front during the morning aswell.
Heavy artillery activity, but line was held.

19:00 - Meal delivered to the front. Corporal Mäkirintala wounded.

07.03.40

3. platoon moved to front reliefing 2. platoon. Enemy's attacks repulsed throughout the line. Corporal Panula wounded.

08.03.40

04:00 - Meal delivered to the front. 2. platoon rotated with 1. platoon and took positions on the line. During the day Corporal Ämmälä, private Iikka and private Suonpohja were wounded. Private Muikku was killed.

Russkie tried to attack at Pölläkkälä but was pushed back. 7 men back from leave.

09.03.40

Only 1. platoon in front. Heavy artillery all day. No attacks. 1. Platoon returned from the front after meal.

10.03.40

05:00 - Meal. Company resting.

19:00 - Meal.

11.03.40

Rested all day. Air activity heavy.

18:00 - Meal. Alert given after which 3. platoon and a half-platoon from 1. got into the line near the ferry, north of Vuosalmi.

2. platoon and half-platoon from 1. returned to rear.

12.03.40

Enemy kept constant artillery barrage on our lines. No air activity. ensign Tanner wounded.

After meal, 3. platoon was rotated from the front and was replaced by 2. platoon and a half-platoon from 1.

13.03.40

Day started with heavy artillery, but then it got quiet.

11:00 - War is over. Complete silence. The men climbed from their positions and waved at the enemy.

After meal, 3. platoon was moved to front, 2. platoon returned to rear.

Strange how he simply states, "War is over." "We wave at the enemy."

The war diaries are more of an formal thingamaling where one only writes down the important stuff concerning the actions of the unit.

Eating was important then!!!! Formal yes but I really wonder what he was thinking when he wrote the war has ended. Silence. We wave at the enemy. Seems like he turned off any feeling about it. Kind of dropped his weapon and started to make his way home. The war was over. Different times. Different thoughts.

The mentalitety at River Taipale sector was pretty grim. Taipale was hit hard constantly from mid-late December to early February and there was huge losses on both sides. Not only did the russians keep constant pressure by attacks, they hammered the finnish positions from air and (IIRC) with the 84 batteries they got as artillery support.

There's an radio broadcast recorded from Taipale that one can listen (tho, think it works only for those living in Finland :hmmm:) that gives a pretty good idea off the amount of russian arty fired at the finns. You hear a constant, sort of an windy sound (like wind blowing to a microphone) during the broadcast, except that's no wind it's one constant 'BOOOOOOOOM' that's coming from the arty hits.

Lastly, maybe the finns described in the diary were already aware of the fact that after 105 days of fighting and dying they now have to pullback from the positions they had held against everything the russians threw at them.

Not saying I know exactly what happened, just speculating. :salute: