ESTONIAN VOLUNTEERS |
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IN FINLAND DURING WW II 1939 - 1944 |
ESTONIAN VOLUNTEERS |
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IN FINLAND DURING WW II 1939 - 1944 |
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Eesti auks, tuleviku pandiks! . Estonian volunteers in Winter War 1939 - 1940 At the end of 1939 Estonia and Finland were under the hard political and military pressure of Soviet Union. Strong Red Army formations of about 25.000 men were already on Estonian ground. Soviet bombers flew air raids to Southern Finland from Estonian airfields when the Winter War started on 30.11.1939. During the Winter War most Estonian volunteers arrived in Finland skiing across the frozen Gulf of Finland. Volunteers were sent to unofficial "volunteer foreign brigade" called Detachment Sisu (Osasto Sisu, Os.S) located at Lapua. Detachment was founded on 8.1.1940 and subordinated to Home Troops Staff. First Estonian volunteers enlisted on 9.1.1940. When the Winter War ended on 13.3.1940 unit was still training at Lapua and Estonians were the most numerous group. In
addition to Detachment Sisu about 200 Estonian
volunteers fought on the front and at least one was
killed in action. After the Winter War most volunteers
stayed in Finland but those who travelled back to Estonia
which rather soon became Soviet Estonia were imprisoned
and sent to Soviet prison camps. Former Commander-in-Chief
of Estonia Army General Johan Leidoner
was also arrested and murdered in Soviet Union in 1940. Estonian volunteers in Continuation War 1941 - 1944 Already at the beginning of Soviet occupation in 1940 lots of Estonian refugees escaped from Soviet Estonia using small boats because of Soviets' illegal acts against Estonian people. Some of them had arrived in Finland while others travelled to neutral Sweden. A few Finnish speaking Estonians joined Finnish Army and Navy during 1940 and 1941. When during the early phases of Operation Barbarossa Germans occupied Estonia in 1941 they treated Estonians like other Soviet people. Estonians would have been ready to fight against Soviet Union as volunteers even under German flag but Germans' negative attitude spoiled the atmosphere. Estonian
pilots formed a volunteer flying unit of their own but
Germans' didn't take it quite seriously and so Estonian Sonderkommando
Buschmann operated with a handful of captured Soviet
aircraft and other ancient planes. Volunteer Estonian Infantry Regiment 200 Attempts to form volunteer Estonian units under German Wehrmacht were unfruitful. Conscription became compulsory later in 1942 and Germans forced Estonians to join their so called Estonian Legion, a Waffen-SS organization commanded by the Germans. Former Estonian military leaders and higher officers turned now to Finnish Government and asked Finland to form Estonian volunteer unit. Things went on slowly because Germans were unwilling to leave Estonians to go to Finland but the number of Estonians grew when more and more volunteers who didn't want to serve in German units arrived in Finland during the 1943. In the autumn 1942 the Commander of Finnish III Battalion / Infantry Regiment 47 (18.D) Major C. Gripenberg proposed that all volunteer Estonians would be gathered into his battalion (nicknamed "Vallila Battalion") in Karelian Isthmus. Marshal Mannerheim was Gripenberg's maternal uncle and supported the idea. Already in the summer of 1943 Gripenperg's battalion had over 370 Estonian volunteers. The highest Estonian officer was Major J. Peiker as the assistant of the Battalion Commander. At the end of 1943 it was decided to form the whole Estonian volunteer regiment in Finland: Infantry Regiment 200 (Jalkaväkirykmentti 200, JR 200). It was officially formed on 18.2.1944. Regiment consisted of two infantry battalions and regimental units and was commanded by Finnish Lt.Col. E. Kuusela who spoke fluent Estonian. Unit was at first subordinated to Kannas Group (Kannaksen ryhmä) re-named later IV Army Corps (IV Armeijakunta). Former III/JR 47 was re-named as I/JR 200 (I Battalion) and it was located at Jalkala, Karelian Isthmus. Commander of the I Battalion was Finnish Major E. Kivelä who was a very experienced and appreciated soldier and the Knight of the Mannerheim Cross number 9. Strength of the I Battalion was 37 officiers + 94 NCOs + 749 men = 880 men. Those volunteers who had no former military training were in II/JR 200 (II Battalion) at Taavetti (Luumäki) in Military Training Center Number 26. Commander of the II Battalion was Finnish Lt.Col. V. Savonen who also spoke fluent Estonian. The sole unit within JR 200 which had only Estonian leaders was [AT] Gun Company (Tykkikomppania, Tyk.K) or 14./JR 200 led by Lt. A. Kann. Gun Company had three gun platoons equipped with a total of four 50 Pst.K/38 and two 75 Pst.K/97-38 AT guns. Company was at first trained in Karelian Isthmus but came back to Taavetti at the beginning of June 1944. Strength was 5 officers + 14 NCOs + 118 men = 137 men. Mortar Company (Kranaatinheitinkomppania, Krh.K) or 13./JR 200 had two heavy mortar platoons equipped with 120 mm mortars (3 + 3) and two additional light mortar platoons equipped with 81 mm mortars (3 + 3). The last ones were for infantry battalions after training. Other
regimental units were Signals Company
(Viestikomppania, VK) (strength 2 + 10 + 137 = 149 men)
at Järvenpää (50 kms north from Helsinki) and Engineer
Platoon (Pioneerijoukkue, Pion.J) (strength
1 + 5 + 52 = 58 men) at Utti. The latter one was
commanded by Estonian 2nd Lt. E. Jaagus. Estonians in Combat In the summer of 1944 I/JR 200 was at Karelian Isthmus when the Soviets' massive "Fifth Strategic Strike" began on 9.6.1944. During the day battalion was subordinated to 10.D. After breakthrough at Valkeasaari next day battalion was ordered to counter-attack enemy's armoured spearhead together with Jäger Battalion 1 (Jääkäripataljoona 1, JP 1) from Cavalry Brigade. I/JR 200 was without its own AT weapons but it had one AT gun borrowed from 10.D. Despite of that battalion managed to stop the attack of 10 - 12 Soviet tanks at Raivola. Battalion remained at their positions until it was ordered to withdraw to VT-line at Sahakylä and later to Vammeljärvi for rest. Losses - 14 killed, 37 wounded and 58 missed - were not as high as they could have been. On 12 June 1944 battalion was subordinated to 2.D and ordered back to VT-line at Ahijärvi next day. On 16.6. Soviets broke through the VT-line at Kuuterselkä but Estonian battalion hold the line at Ahijärvi two more days. It was then moved to coastal defence at the Bay of Viborg and subordinated to Cavalry Brigade. Losses during this period were 12 KIA + 52 WIA + 7 MIA. II/JR 200 and regimental units arrived in the Bay of Viborg at Uuras on 21.6. 10 km west from the positions of I/JR 200. Constant air raids and concentrated artillery fire inflicted minor losses but battalion saw no other action against Soviets. On 7 July II/JR 200 was moved next to I/JR 200. Regiment was for the first time together and was ironically subordinated to German 122. Infanterie-Division "Greif". In Germans' eyes all Estonians in Finland were deserters because Germans had formed their own "volunteer" Estonian units in 1943 and 1944. Despite of that Germans and Estonians fought side by side and repelled all attacks succesfully. Now JR 200 received for the first time new German AT weapons Panzerfausts and Panzerschrecks. On 17 July regiment was
subordinated to 15.D and it was moved to the
line at River Vuoksi. Fortress Battalion 4 and 5
(Linnoituspataljoona 4 & 5, Lin.P 4 & 5) were
subordinated to JR 200. Officers were also re-positioned:
Maj. E.Kivelä became the Chief of Staff of JR
200, Estonian Cav.Capt. V. Pärlin took the
command of I/JR 200 and Estonian Maj. J.
Peiker commanded II/JR 200 thereafter. Return to Home When the Soviets attacked Estonia in 1944 it was decided between Finnish and German military authorities that regiment can go back to defend Estonia but without its weapons. Regiment was moved across the Gulf of Finland on 19 August 1944 but over 150 men stayed in Finland. They were releaved from duty on 17 September 1944. Regiment Commander Lt.Col. Kuusela wrote in his order of the day: "Stay calm and keep the faith to the future of Estonia". When the
regiment arrived in Estonia its strength was 168 officers
+ 162 NCOs + 1.422 men = 1.752. Germans forced soldiers
to wear German SS uniforms at once but most refused to
leave their "field gray" Finnish uniforms. All
weapons given to Estonians were obsolete and only a
handful of shots were distributed to each soldier.
Additionally battalions were separated again and re-trained
by officers and NCOs from Estonian SS Legion.
This would not have been necessary because all Estonians
were already well trained in Finland and most men had
rather good military experience. Both battalions fought
hard against Russians even after German troops left their
positions and escaped from the front towards Germany.
Most survived Estonians fought later in various German
units until the end of the war. Estonian Volunteers in Other Finnish Units Estonian radio experts served in Supreme HQ Radio Battalion (Päämajan radiopataljoona, PM Rad.P) and those who also spoke Russian in Air Force Radio Battalion (Ilmavoimien radiopataljoona, Ilmav.Rad.P). In 1943 Finnish Radio Intelligence (Radiotiedustelu) (Commander Col. R. Hallama) formed secret Estonian group codenamed "Hawk" which was actually reconnaissance group intended for Estonia in special duties after Germans withdrawal. Estonian engine mechanics were in Motor Car Repair Shop 5 (Autokorjaamo V). About 400
mainly former Estonian merchant fleet sailors served in
Finnish Navy. One of the best-known
Estonians was Lt. L. Loodus who acted as the 1st
Officer and later in the summer 1944 as Chief of gun boat
Karjala. . |
© 2001 - 10.2004 Harri Anttonen