13 August 1941

I AK takes front responsibility in the area of Sortavala.

Karelian Isthmus: Mannerheim orders Colonel Pajari's 18.Division to take the northern shore of river Vuoksi between Enso and Pölläkkälä and establish bridgehead on the west side of the river.

IV AK receives orders to start preparing for an attack.

http://i.imgur.com/oxhReHRt.jpg

Finnish daily losses: 327

http://i.imgur.com/rcUdZwsl.jpg
Machine gun nest inside a childrens' hospital in Sortavala

14 August 1941

18.Division's forces surround Enso and Jääski.

Antrea is captured after heavy fighting lasting the entire day.

I AK attacks against the Soviet 168.D in Lahdenpohja - Sortavala area.

http://i.imgur.com/y6T7NJut.jpg

Finnish daily losses: 349

http://i.imgur.com/cSYQ0dql.jpg
Soldier from assault company with messenger dog 'Taru'

15 August 1941

At 1510hrs, IR30 headquarters receives message from II./IR30:

"The city (Sortavala) has been taken and the blue cross flag flies over the city hall. Own losses: 1 KIA, 3 WIA. Enemy losses number dozens."

Majority of the defending Russians (168.D) have left the city earlier during the day.

Of those Russians who remained in the city, 540 were taken prisoner.

Finnish 10.Division repulses Soviet 265.Division's counter-attack in Timoskala.

VII AK takes front responsibility in Tulemajärvi sector.

http://i.imgur.com/jYcYTGht.jpg

Finnish daily losses: 256

http://i.imgur.com/pnjMT96l.jpg
Russian prisoners asking their comrades holed up in a cellar to surrender. (Sortavala)


Finnish newsreel of the battle of Sortavala:
http://www.elonet.fi/fi/elokuva/638072

In Finnish naturally, but there's some nice footage there that might interest some.

16 August 1941

Northern Finland: Finnish IR53 (III AK) is encircled near Kiestinki.

IR37 reaches Lake Ladoga in Melloistenlahti, south of Sortavala.

7.Division's commander Colonel Svensson becomes Knight of the Mannerheim Cross #5 for leading the attack on Sortavala.

Colonel Pajari orders his 18.Division to attack across river Vuoksi in Hopeasalmi.

http://i.imgur.com/zrTn8DQt.jpg

Finnish daily losses: 255

http://i.imgur.com/mIMSUJhl.jpg
Colonel Svensson (center) and General Heinrichs (right) in Sortavala.

17 August 1941

Karelian Isthmus: 18.Division's vanguard battalion crosses river Vuoksi in Hopeasalmi at 2300hrs.

"The order to capture the north shore of the river from Enso to Pölläkkälä and to establish a bridgehead on the south side had been received on the 13th of August.
The purpose was to get behind the enemy troops defending the western part of the isthmus and so make the upcoming attack of the IV AK easier in that direction.

The first men of IR27 rowed across the river in complete silence. The surprise was near perfect, only resistance they met was a 10-man patrol which was quickly destroyed.
By first light, almost the entire regiment had moved across and a couple kilometers deep bridgehead had been established."

10.Division attacks towards Räisälä.

http://i.imgur.com/GqPYarxt.jpg

Swedish Volunteer Battalion takes front responsibility in Hanko sector.

Finnish daily losses: 294

http://i.imgur.com/VxVCQeKl.jpg
2nd Lieutenant Lehtonen from Jaeger Battalion 1 receives the Iron Cross 2nd class.
His patrol destroyed a Russian 6-inch gun battery on 4th of August in Kotasuo.

18 August 1941

Stalin offers peace to Finland.

Finnish ambassador in Washington, Hjalmar Procopé, is informed confidentially by US Under Secretary of State Sumner Welles of Stalin's readiness to start peace talks with Finland.

Due to the success by both Finnish and German armies in the east, Finland sees no reason to make a separate peace with Soviet Union.

Sergeant-Major Oiva "Oippa" Tuominen becomes Knight of the Mannerheim Cross #6. He has shot down 18 enemy planes by this time.

After two days of fighting, Finnish 10.Division breaks through to Räisälä and routs the Soviet 265.Division.

http://i.imgur.com/anABAUbt.jpg

Finnish daily losses: 209

http://i.imgur.com/7QR86WAl.jpg
Russian POWs taken in Räisälä.

***

King B. Ooze has summoned me to his court, so I will return to this on Monday/Tuesday unless I find time to write something for the weekend.

19 August 1941

East Karelia: Group O begins attempting a breakthrough in Aittojoki towards Suojärvi.

11. Division attacks from Hyrsylä to Tsalkki.

http://i.imgur.com/9bqop2Gt.jpg

Northern Finland: German 36.AK restarts its offensive on the east side of Salla.

Finnish daily losses: 224

http://i.imgur.com/go4jdEml.jpg
Finnish soldier walking past a burning building in Kiviniemi.

***

20 August 1941

Ladoga Karelia: Fighting ends on the southeast side of Sortavala. The remaining Russian forces withraw from the Rautalahti encirclement over Lake Ladoga to Valamo and Leningrad Front.

http://i.imgur.com/rCwmRH6t.jpg

Karelian Ishthmus: Russian forces are ordered to withdraw to the Viipuri - River Vuoksi - Pyhäjärvi line.

http://i.imgur.com/72RYH4At.jpg

Hitler orders Waldemar Erfurth to inform the Finns, that Hitler wishes them to surround Leningrad from the north.

After talking with Mannerheim, Erfurth informs to Berlin that Finland is reluctant to take part in the attack on Leningrad.

Finnish daily losses: 183

http://i.imgur.com/0sAHJSOl.jpg

21 August 1941

IV AK's attack on the west side of River Vuoksi begins.

11.Division captures Suvilahti.

KevPrT* advances to Kuparsaari during the morning
(*Light Brigade Tiiainen)

The retreating Russians burn the village of Käkisalmi, which is captured by 15.Division by evening.

http://i.imgur.com/Kir1oVCt.jpg

Hitler halts the attack on Moscow and concentrates on Ukraine and Leningrad.

Finnish daily losses: 263

http://i.imgur.com/TBAUzSGl.jpg
War material left behind by retreating Russians in Rautalahti.

***

22 August 1941

8.Division reaches Säkkijärvi - Vahviala line by evening.

http://i.imgur.com/kN2gdkwt.jpg

Germany takes Estonia.

Finnish daily losses: 179

http://i.imgur.com/VpJrxkXl.jpg
Knocked out Russian tank in Suvilahti.

23 August 1941

10. and 15. Division reach river Vuoksi - river Suvanto line.

Russian forces encircled in Kilpola island withdraw across Lake Ladoga.

http://i.imgur.com/LvYImEKt.jpg

Finnish daily losses: 226

http://i.imgur.com/QDYiPBOl.jpg
Machine gun dugout

***

24 August 1941

Units of 8. Division cross Gulf of Viipuri unopposed to Lihaniemi.

http://i.imgur.com/kKBxpF8t.jpg

Finnish daily losses: 307

http://i.imgur.com/7atQtWCl.jpg
Wartime drawing.

***

25 August 1941

East Karelia: 11.Division's attack to the Säämäjärvi-Suotjärvi isthmus begins at 1500hrs.

Karelian Isthmus: 12.Division cuts the Viipuri-Leningrad railway near Kämäri.

Russian counter-attack on the east side of Viipuri against 18.Division's bridgehead west of river Vuoksi is repelled.

KevPrT's commander Colonel Matti Tiiainen is mortally wounded when his tent is hit by a artillery shell.

Units from 8.Division capture the railstation at Sommee on the southwest side of Viipuri and Tienhaara to the northwest of the city.

http://i.imgur.com/S75hQyft.jpg

Finnish daily losses: 320

http://i.imgur.com/Ed8dCTdl.jpg
Last war's scars in Taipale.

One good thing came out of this for Finland because they would not seal off Leningrad from their end they were spared being over run by the Russia at the end of the war.

Cool thread, a huge effort :)

IIRC, I-18 is a Polikarpov I-16 type 18.

Oh, most definitely. Had Finland taken part in the siege, I doubt the Red Army would have been ordered to stop after the summer battles of 1944.
Thanks, sublynx. I sometimes think "Why did I start it?!" :)

The I-18 is likely a typo in the unit war diary. The variants were typically not mentioned and often even nicknames of planes/tanks were used in the combat reports. For example the I-153 was called 'Tsaikka' and T-34 'Sotka' (='Duck').

26 August 1941

Three Russian Divisions (43., 115., 123.) in and around Viipuri are quickly being surrounded by the advancing Finnish 8., 4. and 12. Division.

Finnish daily losses: 247

http://i.imgur.com/TqbGhJsl.jpg
Well deserved rest.

27 August 1941

Group of deserters who have been hiding in the woods try to destroy an ammo dump in Helsinki.

Number of officers are killed when a timed mine blows up a bridge they are on near Antrea.

Mannerheim gives order to prepare the Karelian Army to advance to river Svir and Petroskoi (Petrozavodsk).

http://i.imgur.com/ElZbgWmt.jpg

A lone bomber strikes Porvoo, killing 27 and wounding 60.

Mannerheim gives a negative answer to the Germans' proposal regarding Leningrad. (20 August)

Finnish daily losses: 284

http://i.imgur.com/JFsS4yPl.jpg
Viipuri

28 August 1941

Soviet 23rd Army HQ gives order to withdraw from Viipuri area.

43.Division withdraws south, towards Koivisto while 115. and 123.Division fight their way towards Summa.

The main roads are controlled by Finns which forces the retreating Russians to leave their heavy equipment behind as they fight through the forests and smaller roads.

http://i.imgur.com/VLGOkuEt.jpg

Finnish daily losses: 235

http://i.imgur.com/zGxat64l.jpg
Unknown Finnish submarine.