Finnish invasion of Ladoga Karelia

Last updated
Finnish invasion of Ladoga Karelia
Part of the Continuation War and Eastern Front
Continuation War 1941.jpg
Finnish soldiers crossing the 1940-agreed border into the Soviet Union during the invasion
DateJuly – August 1941
Location
Result Finnish victory
Belligerents
Flag of Finland.svg  Finland
Flag of Germany (1935-1945).svg  Germany
Flag of the USSR (1936-1955).svg  Soviet Union
Commanders and leaders
Flag of Finland.svg Erik Heinrichs
Flag of Finland.svg Paavo Talvela
Flag of the USSR (1936-1955).svg Filipp Gorelenko
Units involved
Army of Karelia 7th Army

The Finnish invasion of Ladoga Karelia was a military campaign carried out by Finland in 1941. It was part of what is commonly referred to as the Continuation War. Early in the war Finnish forces liberated the Ladoga Karelia. It had been ceded to the Soviet Union on 13 March 1940, in the Moscow Peace Treaty, which marked the end of the Winter War. Later, in the summer of 1944, the Soviet Union reconquered the eastern part of Ladoga Karelia in the Vyborg–Petrozavodsk Offensive.

Contents

Initial layout of forces

At the start of the Continuation War the Finnish army was deployed in a defensive posture, but on June 29 Mannerheim created the Army of Karelia, commanded by Lt. Gen. Erik Heinrichs, and ordered it to prepare to attack Ladoga Karelia. The Army of Karelia consisted of VI Corps (the 5th and 11th Divisions), VII Corps (the 7th and 19th divisions) and Group Oinonen (also known as Group O, the Cavalry Brigade, and the 1st Jaeger Brigade and 2nd Jaeger Brigade). The Finnish 1st Division was kept in reserve. [1] The Finns planned to separate the defending Soviet forces by reaching the shore of Lake Ladoga and then to advance along the shores of the lake. [2]

Opposing them were the Soviet 7th Army with the 168th Rifle Division near Sortavala and the 71st Rifle Division north of Jänisjärvi ("Hare Lake"). The Soviets had prepared field fortifications along the border across Sortavala and at the important road crossings at Värtsilä and Korpiselkä. [3]

Beginning of the offensive

Map depicting the Finnish offensive operations in Karelia carried out in the Summer and Autumn of 1941 during Operation Barbarossa. The furthest advance of Finnish units and borders for both before and after the Winter War are shown. Map of Finnish operations in Karelia in 1941.png
Map depicting the Finnish offensive operations in Karelia carried out in the Summer and Autumn of 1941 during Operation Barbarossa. The furthest advance of Finnish units and borders for both before and after the Winter War are shown.

On July 9, the order for the offensive was given. The main task to break through the Soviet defences between Värtsilä and Korpiselkä was given to VI Corps, commanded by Maj. Gen. Paavo Talvela. [4] The Finnish offensive quickly overwhelmed the Soviet defenders. The Finnish 1st Jaeger Brigade (Col. Ruben Lagus) was brought from Group O to spearhead the assault and it managed to create a gap in the Soviet defences through which Finnish light infantry, some mounted on bicycles, pushed forward. [5]

The right flank of the Finnish offensive consisting of the Finnish 11th Division of the VI Corps met strong Soviet resistance on the eastern shore of the Jänisjärvi Lake, and clearing the resistance lasted until July 16. After clearing the resistance the 11th Division advanced and rounded the southern end of the Jänisjärvi Lake and set up positions facing west along the Jänisjoki River. [5] Simultaneously, the Finnish VII Corps had been attacking southwards on the west side of Jänisjärvi Lake; however, strong Soviet defensive effort turned the offensive into a crawl. It took until July 15 for the Finnish forces to reach the main Soviet defenses. It took until July 17 for the Finnish VII Corps to finally reach the Jänisjoki River, and clearing the surrounded Soviet forces lasted until July 21. [6] Since the Finnish advance had extended the frontlines, some of the Finnish forces were starting to redeploy on July 16, with the Finnish 1st Division being ordered to cover the eastern flank of the advance, while the Finnish 17th Division, which had left guarding of the Soviet base at Hanko to local troops, was brought to the area as well. The two-regiment-strong German 163rd Infantry Division was ordered to capture the town and railroad junction of Suvilahti. These acts had effectively increased the Finnish strength in the area by three divisions. [5]

The Finnish advance on the left flank of the VI Corps by the two-brigade-strong Group Oinonen stalled almost as soon as it had started. Its advance tied down some Soviet troops, but Talvela who commanded the Finnish VI Corps assessed that Group Oinonen's mission had been a resounding failure. However, he also criticized his superior's orders to use these lighter troops against known strong Soviet positions. [7]

The main Finnish advance continued southwards towards the town of Loimola (ru), through which ran the railroad between Sortavala and Petrozavodsk. Loimola was captured by the Finnish forces by July 15. General Talvela pressed his forces further and the 1st Jaegar Brigade finished its 110 km long contested advance when it reached the shore of Lake Ladoga at Koirinoja (ru) the next day. This also severed the connections between the Soviet forces in the area. [8] While Talvela continued his advance both further east along the shore of the Lake Ladoga as well as further inland the Soviets had reorganized some of their forces and were rushing reinforcements to the east shore of Lake Ladoga. The Soviet 452nd Motorized Infantry Regiment set up defensive positions around the town of Salmi; however advancing Finnish forces encircled the defenders and captured Salmi by 21 July. After the VI Corps reached the 1939 border on July 23 Mannerheim ordered a halt the next day to advances further east and set the forces to preparing defensive positions along the Tuulema River. [8] Crossing of the 1939 border did not sit well with all of the Finns and over 2,000 men initially refused to cross the old border. [9]

Continued fighting in Ladoga Karelia

The Finnish 7th Division of the VII Corps launched its attack towards the town of Sortavala from the east and managed to capture the village of Ruskeala on July 25 allowing the Finns to present a unified front against the Soviets defending Sortavala. The Soviets had in turn reinforced their defending 168th Rifle Division in the area with the Soviet 198th Motorized Division and prepared to launch a counterattack towards Jänisjoki River however the Finns managed to capture the plans of the Soviet counterattack. With access to the Soviet plans and having fresh troops readied against the Soviet advance, the counterattack failed and by August 1 the Soviet 198th Motorized Division was already in full retreat. The Finnish decision to order the Finnish II Army Corps to advance trapped the Soviet forces. [10]

By August 7 the Finnish 2nd Division of the II Corps had already reached the shore of Lake Ladoga at Lahdenpohja and cut off the Soviet divisions north-west of Lake Ladoga from their intended withdrawal routes. Near Sortavala the attacking Finnish forces of the 2nd, 7th and 19th divisions were reorganized into the I Army Corps and the town fell to the Finnish forces on August 15. The defending Soviet forces of the 168th Rifle Division withdrew along the coast but were encircled. The Soviets managed to evacuate most of their manpower on barges over Lake Ladoga. The Finns captured large amounts of war material that the Soviets had not been able to evacuate. [11]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Continuation War</span> Finnish war against the Soviet Union (1941–44)

The Continuation War, also known as the Second Soviet-Finnish War, was a conflict fought by Finland and Nazi Germany against the Soviet Union during World War II. It began with a Finnish declaration of war and invasion on 25 June 1941 and ended on 19 September 1944 with the Moscow Armistice. The Soviet Union and Finland had previously fought the Winter War from 1939 to 1940, which ended with the Soviet failure to conquer Finland and the Moscow Peace Treaty. Numerous reasons have been proposed for the Finnish decision to invade, with regaining territory lost during the Winter War regarded as the most common. Other justifications for the conflict include Finnish President Risto Ryti's vision of a Greater Finland and Commander-in-Chief Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim's desire to annex East Karelia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paavo Talvela</span> Finnish general

Paavo Juho Talvela was a Finnish general of the infantry, Knight of the Mannerheim Cross and a member of the Jäger movement. He participated in the Eastern Front of World War I, the Finnish Civil War, the Finnish Kinship Wars, the Winter War and the Continuation War.

The Army of Karelia was a Finnish army during the Continuation War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vyborg–Petrozavodsk offensive</span> 1944 Soviet military offensive against Finland during the Continuation War

The Vyborg–Petrozavodsk offensive or Karelian offensive was a strategic operation by the Soviet Leningrad and Karelian Fronts against Finland on the Karelian Isthmus and East Karelia fronts of the Continuation War, on the Eastern Front of World War II. The Soviet forces captured East Karelia and Vyborg/Viipuri. After that, however, the fighting reached a stalemate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Nietjärvi</span>

The Battle of Nietjärvi was part of the Continuation War between Finland and the Soviet Union, which occurred during World War II. The battle ended in a Finnish victory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Finnish invasion of the Karelian Isthmus</span>

The Finnish invasion of the Karelian Isthmus refers to a military campaign carried out by Finland in 1941. It was part of what is commonly referred to as the Continuation War. Early in the war Finnish forces liberated the Karelian Isthmus. It had been ceded to the Soviet Union on 13 March 1940, in the Moscow Peace Treaty, which marked the end of the Winter War. Later, in the summer of 1944, the Soviet Union reconquered the southern part of the isthmus in the Vyborg–Petrozavodsk Offensive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Finnish invasion of East Karelia (1941)</span>

The Finnish invasion of East Karelia was a military campaign in 1941. It was part of the Continuation War. Finnish troops occupied East Karelia and held it until 1944. For over a month after the outbreak of the Continuation War, the Karelian Army reinforced and prepared to resume its earlier offensive while waiting for the recapture of the Karelian Isthmus. The Soviets had prepared fortifications and brought troops to the front. When encirclements on the western shore of Lake Ladoga were resolved, the Finnish 7th Division was transferred to the junction of VI and VII Corps.

The 8th Army was a field army of the Soviet Red Army during the Second World War.

7th Division was a Finnish Army division in the Continuation War. The division was formed Savo-Karjala military province from the men in Pohjois-Savo and Pohjois-Karjala civil guard districts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hannu Hannuksela</span> Finnish general

Hannu Esa Hannuksela was a Finnish Major General during World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Tali–Ihantala</span> 1944 battle of the Continuation War

The Battle of Tali–Ihantala was part of the Finnish-Soviet Continuation War (1941–1944), which occurred during World War II. The battle was fought between Finnish forces—using war materiel provided by Germany—and Soviet forces. To date, it is the largest battle in the history of the Nordic countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antero Svensson</span> Finnish major general (1892–1946)

Antero Johannes Svensson was a Finnish major general, a member of the Jäger Movement and a recipient of the Mannerheim Cross. He participated in the Eastern Front of World War I as a volunteer of the 27th Royal Prussian Jäger Battalion, in the Finnish Civil War as a platoon and squadron commander, the Winter War as a brigade and division commander, and the Continuation War as a division and corps commander.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Porlampi</span> 1941 battle of the Continuation War

The Battle of Porlampi, also known as the Battle of Porlammi, was a military engagement fought between the Finnish Army and Red Army from 30 August to 1 September 1941 on the Karelian Isthmus. The battle was fought near the town of Porlampi during the second month of the Continuation War. The battle was a Finnish victory and effectively ended the reconquest of Karelia.

The I Corps refers to several short-lived units of the Finnish Army before and during the Continuation War. The longest-lived I Corps participated in both the Finnish invasion of Ladoga Karelia and the Finnish invasion of the Karelian Isthmus in 1941 before being disbanded in early 1942, before being re-designated V Corps.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Einar Mäkinen</span> Finnish general

Einar Nikolai Mäkinen was a Finnish lieutenant general and a member of the Jäger movement. He participated in the Eastern Front of World War I, the Finnish Civil War, the Winter War and the Continuation War. Before the Continuation War, he participated in negotiations with the Germans regarding plans for the war.

The II Corps was a unit of the Finnish Army during the Continuation War. During the war the corps participated in combat first northwest of Lake Ladoga and on the Karelian Isthmus before moving to the Povenets–Lake Segozero region by late 1941. During the Soviet offensive of 1944, the corps conducted a fighting retreat to the region of Ilomantsi, with parts of its forces participating in the subsequent Battle of Ilomantsi.

The VI Corps was a corps of the Finnish Army during the Continuation War of 1941 to 1944, where the Finnish Army fought alongside Germans against the Soviet Union. The unit was formed during a reorganization of other Finnish army corps on 29 June 1941, prior to the start of Finnish offensive operations on the night of 9–10 July.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aarne Blick</span> Finnish general

Aarne Leopold Blick was a Finnish lieutenant general, Knight of the Mannerheim Cross and a member of the Jäger movement. He participated in the Eastern Front of World War I, the Finnish Civil War, the Winter War and the Continuation War.

The VII Corps was a corps of the Finnish Army during the Continuation War of 1941 to 1944, where the Finnish Army fought alongside Germans against the Soviet Union. Under command of Major General Woldemar Hägglund, it took part in the Finnish invasions of Ladoga Karelia and East Karelia, including the capture of Petrozavodsk. During its existence, its composition varied significantly. It was disbanded in May 1943.

The 2nd Division was a unit of the Finnish Army during the Continuation War. It participated in the Finnish invasion of Ladoga Karelia at the start of the war and defended against the 1944 Soviet Vyborg–Petrozavodsk offensive on the Karelian Isthmus where it suffered heavy casualties.

References

Citations

Bibliography

  • Lunde, Henrik O. (2011). Finland's War of Choice: The Troubled German-Finnish Alliance in World War II. Newbury: Casemate Publishers. ISBN   978-1-61200-037-4.
  • Nenye, Vesa; Munter, Peter; Wirtanen, Tony; Birks, Chris (2016). Finland at War: The Continuation and Lapland Wars 1941–45. Osprey Publishing. ISBN   978-1-4728-1526-2.