FIELD ARTILLERY WEAPONS

IN WINTER WAR 1939 - 1940

Field Gun Designation in Finland

Field artillery pieces were designated in Finland with calibre (in full millimeters), gun type, [back-slash (optional)], model year and additional attributes. Gun type was indicated with the following shortenings:

K - Kanuuna = cannon, gun
H - Haupitsi = howitzer
M - Mörssäri = mortar
LK - Lyhyt kanuuna = short(-barreled) cannon
VK - Vuorikanuuna = mountain cannon
RK - Rykmentinkanuuna = regiment cannon (= infantry gun)

Most designations are universal or otherwise understandable but there are also "home-made" ones indicating a year obtained or a year a model has (presumably) originally entered service for the first time.
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Field Gun Models in Winter War

Before Winter War the most common Finnish field gun model was still a rather good but ineffective Russian 76.2 mm light howitzer m1902 (76 H/02). Another common model was short-barreled 76 LK/13. At the beginning of Winter War of all the 412 field guns and 73 guns without recoil system issued to artillery units only less than 11% were classed as heavy. That was typical in most European countries.

The amount of long range ammunition was minimal and in many cases guns capable of ranges over 10 km in paper could in reality reach only 3 km with obsolete shells. The need for long-range artillery pieces was really urgent. Even the old French de Bange cannons helped a lot because their ammunition was modern with excellent ballistic characteristics and ranges much longer than of those models mainly used.

New Finnish 105 mm howitzer model (originally a Swedish Bofors design) had not yet entered service and modern artillery pieces were hard to find anywhere. Finnish Army managed to buy field guns from France, USA, Sweden, UK, Belgium, Spain and Norway but got mostly secondhand or obsolete models - and too late: the main part didn't arrive in Finland until after the Winter War. France, UK and Norway donated older field artillery pieces and US prices were only nominal. All countries mentioned before also delivered ammunition.

Difficult transport conditions (by ship to Norway, through Norway and Sweden by train to Tornio; Finland and moving there to Finnish gauge trains) meant very long shipping times. In April 1940 Germans captured lots of Finnish weapons in Norway but delivered some of the material to Finland later in 1940. All artillery pieces, ammunition and equipment were classed, tested, inspected, modified and/or repaired in Finland before issuing to troops and that took time too.

Certain models have been added to the following list although they have not been used in Finland during the Winter War. Newly formed artillery units had these weapons already during the war but they were not yet combat ready (were under training, lacked personnel, horses or necessary equipment like vehicles for moving their artillery pieces). For example 12 75 K/97, 20 90 K/77 de Bange and British 84 K/18 cannons and four super heavy 210 H/17 howitzers were that kind of weapons.
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In the following list the country of origin is either a country where guns were produced, modified and/or obtained:

Aut = Austria
Bel = Belgium
Cze = Czechoslovakia
Fin = Finland
Fra = France
Ger = Germany
Jap = Japan
Nor = Norway
Pol = Poland
Rus = Russia
Swe = Sweden
SU = Soviet-Union
UK = United Kingdom (Great Britain)
USA = United States of America

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Winter War 1939 - 1940
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Sources: PAUJY1, PAUJY2, PAYJY3, PARUN1, TALHI
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