WINTER WAR 1939 - 1940

Background of the Results Achieved

There were three kinds of pilots in Finland: young conscripts, reserve pilots and the largest group, pilots in regular service. Combat pilots were either officers or NCOs. Also conscripts and reservists of whom some were very experienced civilian pilots achieved excellent results. Led by their pre-war instructors and flown side by side with regular Finnish Air Force (FAF) personnel they met all the demands. One seldom mentioned point was also that due to their small amount FAF flying personnel knew each others well. Despite of the lacks in equipment, crushing enemy superiority and harsh winter conditions combat spirit remained excellent and losses relatively low.

In the late 1930's gunnery, plane handling and orientation trainings were extensive in FAF and only the most talented young pilots were accepted to fighter squadrons LLv.24 and LLv.26 including later high scored fighter aces Lt. (Maj. in 1943) Jorma "Joppe" Karhunen, Sgt (WO in 1940) Ilmari "Illu" Juutilainen and Sgt (Lt. in 1943) Lauri "Lapra" Nissinen to mention a few. The results were seen later: ten Finnish pilots became fighter aces during the Winter War and only two of them were killed in action. The list of the FAF top fighter pilots in the Winter War can be seen on page Finnish Fighter Aces 1939 - 1944.
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Aerial Losses and Victories

Combat Sorties

FAF flew a total of 5.963 sorties (official FAF figure) during the Winter War. There are also other figures which differ from this one but according to Atso Haapanen [HAAAT2] correct figure for the Finnish combat sorties is anyway over 5.800. Soviets flew over 100.000 (according to certain sources about 83.000) combat sorties of which 63% on Karelian Isthmus. That means at least the ratio of about 1 : 14 (5.800 : 83.000). This figure indicates also largely the strengths of the fighting forces. In short Finns met a more than ten times stronger enemy.
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Aerial Victories and Combat Losses of FAF in Winter War 30.11.1939 - 13.3.1940

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FAF Combat Losses

During the Winter War FAF lost only 45 planes and Swedish volunteer unit F 19 four ones in combat. A total of 56 pilots and crew members were killed or missed in action. Planes were not always totally destroyed and in many cases they were rebuilt (as a hybrid of two or more damaged planes), repaired or used in building new aircraft (as spare parts).

At least one Finnish plane is known to be shot down by friendly fire during the Winter War: FR-77 on 1.12.1939.

It is worth mentioning that so far the official Soviet (Russian) kill figures have been so miraculous that it is of no use to even compare these and official Finnish figures.
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FAF Non-Combat Losses

Additionally combat planes were lost and pilots killed due to technical failures and accidents. This figure could well have been about 50% of the total losses. In Finland these losses were (16 + 2 =) 18 planes and (21 + 1 =) 22 pilots or only about 25% of the total losses of KIA and MIA. True Soviet non-combat losses are not known.
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FAF Combat and Non-Combat Damages

A total of 35 FAF planes were also badly damaged of which only six in aerial combat. True Soviet damage figures are not known.
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Total Losses of the Finnish Air Force

During the Winter War total combat and non-combat losses of FAF flying personnel were 75 KIA or MIA (41 officers + 33 NCOs + 1 men) and 26 WIA or injured = 101 pilots and crew members. These figures include also the losses of the other foreign volunteers except Swedes of the flying regiment F 19 who lost three officers KIA and one WIA.

The complete list on FAF aircraft destroyed and damaged during the Winter War (30.11.1939 - 13.3.1940) is seen on page Finnish Air Force Losses 1939 - 1941.
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Soviet Combat Losses in Comparison with the Finnish Losses

The end result of the Finnish fighter regiment LentoR 2 was a total of 170 confirmed and 70 non-confirmed kills in about 500 major aerial battles. Swedish volunteers of F 19 achieved 9 confirmed and 5 non-confirmed kills and Test Flight (Koelentue, KoeLtue) as well as bomber squadrons of the LentoR 4 both five confirmed kills. Additionally the latter ones had eight non-confirmed kills.

Finnish anti-aircraft artillery shot down 314, Field Army (organic AA) 49 and Naval Forces 41 Soviet planes (= 404 planes). This would mean a total loss of about 600 - 650 planes. According to a recent mutual research total Soviet combat losses would have been at least about 580 destroyed aircraft *.

Soviet fighters shot down 34 Finnish planes and their anti-aircraft artillery only four. The ratio of the confirmed aerial victories of the Finnish units (Swedish volunteer unit F 19 excluded) was thus about 5.4 : 1 (180 / 34) and the ratio of the total aircraft losses in combat at least 11.8 : 1 (580 / 49) or more for the Finns.

According to sources Finnish anti-aircraft fire damaged 376 Soviet planes and 105 would have been destroyed or seriously damaged in Finnish air raids against Soviet airfields (confirmed from aerial photographs). During the Winter War a total of 164 Soviet planes of which at least 31 totally destroyed were reported by the Finnish Military Intelligence to be forced-landed on Estonian territory where Soviets had several airbases.

* As late as in 1986 the official Soviet figure on their aircraft losses was 261 air force and 12 navy planes!
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Sources: PERVE1, LAPAH1, FALGR, KESTE17, KESTE19, KESTE20, KESTE30, HAAAT1, HAAAT2, PELMA1, TALHI, NEVSA1
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