Tag Archives: Finnish Continuation War

Finnish forest leaves

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80 years ago, during the Finnish Continuation War against the Soviets, showing camouflaged Finnish troops outside the Karelian village of Vitele (Sotilaskasvoja Ylä-Vitele), 28 June 1944.

SA-Kuva image 154907_151418

Of note, the soldier to the left has what appears to be a Finnish-made Mosin m/39 rifle while the one on the left has a shorter m/27 or m/28 variant, with a “dog collar” sling attachment. Also, note what looks like a Finnish m/28 mess kit.

Captured during the Finnish offensive in July 1941, the Finns at the time of these photos were in the process of pulling back all along the collapsing Karelian Front as the Soviets advanced, as witnessed by what may be the same soldier in the nearby burning village of Suurmäki on 29 June.

SA-Kuva image 154968_151479

Hostilities between Finland and the Soviets ceased in early September 1944 after the Moscow Armistice guaranteed Finland’s 1940 borders sans the Barents Sea port of Petsamo and a lease on the Porkkala Peninsula. This led to a rapid recalibration in which the Finns harassed the retreating 200,000 German troops in the country– mostly the 20. Gebirgsarmee— as they retired to Norway during the so-called Lapland War which would simmer until April 1945.

Ciggys, Suomis, and Shades

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80 years ago today: a Finnish ski patrol on a smoke break, 26 March 1943, Limosaari (Klimetski) island area, Kurginitsa, Karelia.

Wartime Photograph Archive. SA-Kuva

Wartime Photograph Archive. SA-Kuva

Note the staples of the WWII (“Continuation War” in Finn parlance) Karelian front when it comes to personal arms: bolt-action Mosin rifles, KP31 9mm Suomi sub guns, a captured Soviet Degtyaryov DP-27/28 “pan” light machine gun, and the ubiquitous puukko knife. Also, note the aurinkolasit, or sunglasses, which appear to be of a German design, a must for use in the dazzling snow.

Wartime Photograph Archive. SA-Kuva

Wartime Photograph Archive. SA-Kuva

“A warm sauna awaits the scouts (Lämmin sauna odottaa partiomiehiä). Limosaari, Kurginitsa 1943.03.26.” Wartime Photograph Archive. SA-Kuva

Such remote operations in the remote Lappland and Karelian regions (Suomen kaukopartiotoiminta) were the stuff of legend, especially when coupled with the occasional epic Pervitin overuse!

Of course, while the West saw Finnish ski troops fighting against the “Brutish Reds” as romantic in 1939-40, and used the theme for a series of “Fighting Funds for Finland” committees in England and the U.S., the posters surely got problematic by 1941-42 when Stalin had morphed to “Uncle Joe.”