FMP - Railway Batteries 1939

Winter War 1939 - 1940

Railway Battery

In 1939 there was a sole unit called Railway Battery (Rautatiepatteri, Raut.Ptri) which had only one heavy 152 mm (6") 152/45 CRaut Canet gun on a waggon carriage. Most of the time battery was subordinated to Salmi Sector of the Sea Defence of Lake Ladoga (Laat.Me.P) north from Lake Ladoga and it moved a lot mainly at Pitkäranta - Impilahti area. Battery Chief was Lt. L. Paaso.

Although subordinated to coastal defence battery fired mostly at land targets. In January 1940 it supported Finnish defensive battles at River Kollaa but on 7.1. its barrel exploded probably due to extreme coldness. New barrel was changed in Helsinki between 9.1. - 11.1.1940 after which battery returned back. Two days before the war ended on 11.3.1940 battery received two more guns.
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Continuation War 1941 - 1944

Railway Battery / 2nd Railway Battery 1941 - 1944

In the summer 1941 Railway Battery (nicknamed "Iivari") had initially only two 152/45 CRaut Canet guns. Battery was located to Tohmajärvi - Värtsilä area where it received two more guns on 21.7. and on 31.7.1941. After that all four railway guns operated on railways lines Jänisjärvi - Suojärvi and Jänisjärvi - Uuksu supporting the attack of the Karelian Army (Kar.A). On 21.9.1941 battery was re-named as 2nd Railway Battery (2. Rautatiepatteri, 2.Raut.Ptri). Battery Chief was Capt. U. Karhunen.

According to certain sources there would have been two railway batteries (1st and 2nd) already in July 1941 each having two guns and they would have been attached together in September 1941 as 2nd Railway Battery. Battery was organized as follows:

Strength (6.1941): 174 men
steam locomotive, 17x waggon

Patterinpäällikkö / Battery Chief
Tulenjohtue (Tjue) (Fire Control)
----- Tulenjohtoryhmä (Tjr.) (Forward Observing Squad)
Tulipatteri (TPtri) (Gun Battery) [2->4x 152/45 CRaut]
Ilmatorjuntaryhmä (It.R) (Anti-Aircraft Squad) [2x 7.62 mm twin AAMG]
Radankorjausryhmä (Rad.Korj.R) (Railway Repair Squad)
Toimitusjaos (Toim.Js) (Delivery Section)
Liikenneryhmä (Liik.R) (Traffic Squad)

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In 1942 battery was at Karhumäki and at River Svir. At the beginning of May 1943 it returned back to coastal defence of Lake Ladoga. In June 1944 battery was for a short while subordinated to Eastern Gulf of Finland Coastal Brigade (ISuom.RPr.) at Karelian Isthmus but was returned back to Lake Ladoga where it for example partisipated in firing landed Soviet troops at Tuulos since 26.6.1944. After the armistice on 4 September 1944 2.Raut.Ptri was moved at first to Käkisalmi, then to Savonlinna from where it was moved to Brödtorp in Hanko Peninsula.
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1st Railway Battery 1941 - 1944

Four 180 mm 180/57 NRaut super heavy railway guns were repaired in Finland from the partly destroyed Soviet guns captured in the summer 1941 at Säiniö in Karelian Isthmus and in December 1941 in Hanko peninsula. In Finland guns belonged to 1st Railway Battery (1. Rautatiepatteri, 1.Raut.Ptri) formed between 11.9. and 21.9.1941. During that period Battery Chief was Lt.Cmd. M. Salminen but he was replaced by Lt./Capt.(42?) H. Seppälä. Since 1943 battery was led by Capt./Maj.(23.6.44) T. Laukkanen.

Battery had initially only one intact captured gun but the second one was completed already in December 1941. Third gun was attached in June 1943 and fourth on 28.10.1943. The practical rate of fire was 3.5 to 5 shots in a minute. Shells weighted 97.5 kg. Total strength of the battery was about 250 men and the crew for one gun was 35 men.

1.Raut.Ptri was located to western Karelian Isthmus and operated on the railway Viipuri - Koivisto - Terijoki from where battery occasionally fired Soviet shipping on eastern Gulf of Finland between late 1941 and summer 1944. Battery was subordinated to separate Coastal Artillery Regiment 2 (RTR 2) and had several prepared positions in Jäppilä - Anttonala - Ino region (III Coastal Artillery Battalion / RTR 2). Guns could fire from the rails in the sector of 360 degrees which made their use very practical.

In June 1944 two guns and many waggons were damaged in Soviet aerial attacks. Since July 1944 battery was in the artillery reserve of Supreme HQ (PM). The fifth gun was under repairs together with the two damaged ones in Helsinki but was never completed. After the armistice in September 1944 battery was initially moved near Helsinki and after further repairs in October to Brödtorp in Hanko peninsula.
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3rd Railway Battery 1942 - 1944

3rd Railway Battery (3. Rautatiepatteri, 3.Raut.Ptri) was formed in the end of 1942. It was equipped with repaired captured 305 mm (12") super heavy 305/52 ORaut railway guns. A total of three guns were completed in October 1942, February 1943 and by the end of July 1943. Battery was all the time located to Hanko peninsula but was used only for performance trials. In 1944 Battery Chief was Maj. H. Aarva.

The weight of the gun was as huge as 348 tons and even the barrel weighted 50 tons. Rate of fire was in practise 0.5 to 1 shot / minute. Maximum sector if fired from the rails was only a few degrees but gun could be lowered to a prepared concrete position from where it could fire in the sector of 360 degrees. There were separate armoured waggons for ammunition and generator as well as the combinated one for fire-control and signalling. Battery was equipped with a Finnish fire control system and a computer. Shells weighted 320 to 480 kg depending on the type. Battery had about 450 men and the crew for one gun was 51 men.
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Separate Railway Artillery Battalion 1944

Separate Railway Artillery Battalion (Erillinen rautatiepatteristo, Er.Raut.Psto) was formed in October 1944 at Brödtorp, Hanko peninsula. It consisted of 2.Raut.Ptri (4 - 180/57 NRaut) and 3.Raut.Ptri (3 - 305/52 ORaut). Commander was Maj. T. Laukkanen.

On 1.1.1945 captured and repaired railway guns were ceded to Soviet Union as part of Finnish war indemnity program.
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Sources: ENQOV1, PAUJY1, PAUJY3, TENJU1, TALHI, JATHI, SUOSO [10]
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