INFANTRY WEAPONS |
|
OF THE FINNISH DEFENCE FORCES 1939 - 1945 |
LIGHT INFANTRY WEAPONS In 1918 a newly born Finnish Army had inherited a wide variety of former Russian infantry weapons. Thus the rimmed 7.62 mm Russian rifle cartridge (7.62x53R) became standard also in Finland. The most typical Finnish infantry rifle before and during the WW II was Russian 7.62 mm Mosin-Nagant m/91. Already during the 1920's the performance of old Russian rifles were improved. New Mosin-Nagant type infantry rifle VKT m/27 [VKT = Valtion kivääritehdas = State Rifle Factory] called "the spitz" was developed for the conscripts by the Army. Soon was although noticed that new rifle had several faults and weaknesses and it was not accepted by the Civil Guard [Suojeluskunta] which developed its own Sako m/28 (Sako = Suojeluskuntain asekorjaamo Oy = Civil Guard Weapons Repair Shop Corporation) and improved Sako m/28-30 rifles. Rifles were better than m/27 but the production quantities remained reduced. During the late 30's Army and Civil Guard designed a new joint infantry rifle Sako m/39 (called "Ukko-Pekka") which was actually a kind of combination of former Finnish models and became the best Mosin-Nagant type rifle ever produced. Captured Soviet m/91-30 rifles were also used in Finland during the war. Although acquired in considerable quantities other rifle models were usually directed to Air Force, Naval Forces and Home Troops. 7.62 mm Lahti-Saloranta m/26 (L/S-26)
light machine gun (called as "fast rifle" in
Finland) was the standard light automatic "squad
weapon" of the Finnish Army until better Soviet 7.62
mm Degtyarev m/27 LMG (called "Emma")
partly replaced it during the Continuation War. Degtyarev
LMGs were captured in noticeable quantities in Winter War
and at the beginning of the Continuation War. In 1939
there were two L/S-26 LMGs in each rifle platoon
while in 1941 there were four L/S-26s or Degtyarevs
(one for each infantry squad). |
||
|
||
. At first the standard Finnish pistol cartridge was 7.65 mm Parabellum but there were also pistols using short 7.65 mm and 9.00 mm Browning as well as larger 9.00 mm Parabellum cartridges. During the 1930's more powerful Finnish 9.00 mm Parabellum cartridge (called "SMG cartridge" in Finland) became a new standard because of the introduction of the sub-machine gun. Reliable German-made 7.65 mm Parabellum m/23 pistol was the most numerous weapon among the officers in regular service but the new Finnish 9.00 mm Lahti L-35 pistol became also popular during the war although it was quite heavy. The growing need for better larger calibre pistols was solved in bying small quantities of almost any available models from Germany and Italy but the lack of powerful pistols continued through the war. The most typical reserve officer's pistol was thus either original 7.65 mm FN model or its weak Spanish-made copy bought from France in 1919. At the beginning of 1930's a new 9.00 mm Suomi m/31 SMG entered service. This handy and powerful "squad weapon" was especially effective at close range when fighting in forest and caused serious losses to Soviet soldiers during Winter War. In 1939 each rifle platoon had two SMGs, in 1941 it was four but by 1944 the number was already three in each rifle squad (10 - 15 per rifle platoon). Even artillery and supply troops were later equipped with a small quantity of SMGs. Finnish guerrilla ("sissi") patrols were almost solely equipped with Suomi SMGs in addition to captured Soviet automatic rifles and a few ordinary rifles for long range fire. Finnish
modification of Soviet PPS-43
SMG 9.00 mm m/44 did't see action during
the WW II. |
Weapon Designation: . |
Cartridge: (cal.[mm], type] |
Number: [pcs] |
Country of Origin: |
Notes: |
Pistols (Pistoolit [Pist.]): . |
||||
Walther
model 4 . FN-Browning m/10 Ahlberg Ruby m/19
"Esp." Beretta m/15, m/19 Beretta m/35 FN-Browning m/10-22 m/23 Parabellum vz.38 Husqvarna m/07 vz.24 Beretta m/34 Mauser m/96 FN m/35 "GP" Lahti L-35 |
7.65 Br . 7.65 Br 7.65 Br 7.65 Br 7.65 Br 7.65 Br 7.65 Br 7.65 Pb 9.00 Br 9.00 Br 9.00 Br 9.00 Br 9.00 Pb 9.00 Pb 9.00 Pb |
500 . 2.500 1.000 7.000 1.500 3.090 2.500 7.000 1.700 850 3.280 560 500 2.400 100 |
Ger . Bel Fin Spa/Fra Ita Ita Bel Ger Cze/Ger Swe Cze/Ger Ita Ger Bel Fin |
Small quantities obtained by civils, Army, Police and prison authorities between 1910 and 1930. Obtained during Winter War. FN m 1910
copy obtained in 1919 with wooden Weak
Spanish FN copies made during Obtained in 1940. Obtained 1941 - 1942. Enlarged version of m/10, obtained in 1940. Made by DWM, also 9 mm P-08 models. Made by
CZ, obtained from Germany Pistols of volunteer Swedish SFK in 1940. Made by CZ, obtained from Germany in 1940. Mainly bought by Home Troops in 1943. Also 7.62 mm Pb models. Obtained during Winter War. Made by
VKT for trials in 1938; |
Sub-Machine Guns (SMG) (Konepistoolit
[Kp.]): . |
||||
Bergmann . . m/31
Suomi Shpagin
PPSh-41 |
7.65 Pb . . 9.00
Pb 7.62 Rus |
1.600 . . 62.000 2.500 |
Sui+Fin . . Fin SU |
M/18-I, obtained from Switzerland during 1920's by Civil Guard, 200 Finnish copies also made by L. Lindelöf Works in 1923. 3.900 produced by
Tikkakoski during 1930's, War booty 1942 - 1944. |
Rifles and Carbines (Jalkaväenkiväärit
[Jv.Kiv.] ja karabiinit): . |
||||
Mauser m/96 . Carcano m/38 m/91 m/91 rv m/91 suomal. m/91 rv suomal. m/91-24 m/27 "pystykorva" m/27 rv m/28 m/28-30 m/39 m/91-30 m/91-30 suomal. |
6.5 Swe . 7.35 Ita 7.62x53R 7.62x53R 7.62x53R 7.62x53R 7.62x53R 7.62x53R 7.62x53R 7.62x53R 7.62x53R 7.62x53R 7.62x53R 7.62x53R |
+60.000 . 94.500 +180.000 +4.000 70.000 3.000 26.000 55.000 2.000 33.000 +30.000 7.000 *) 28.300 5.000 |
Swe . Ita Rus Rus Rus/Fin Rus/Fin Rus/Fin Fin Fin Fin Fin Fin SU SU/Fin |
Obtained from Sweden during Winter War (1940). Bought from Italy in 1940, fixed sights. Mosin-Nagant m 1891 (barrel length 800 mm). Mosin-Nagant
m 1891 dragoon rifle Re-newed
in Finland 1919 - 1923; Cavalry
version of m 1891 dragoon rifle, Re-barreled
1923 - 1928 by Civil Guard with New "Mosin-Nagant"
type rifle made Cavalry version of m/27 (barrel length 610 mm). New "Mosin-Nagant"
type Civil Guard Improved m/28
made by Sako, New mutual
Army and Civil Guard rifle made War booty
1939 - 1940. Re-worked
version with new stock, |
Sniper Rifles with Scope (Tarkka-ampujakiväärit): (Most Finnish
sniper rifles used during the war were without a scope; |
||||
m/28 m/33 m/37 m/39 PH m/39 sov m/39-43 m/39-44 m/91-30 PE |
7.62x53R 7.62x53R 7.62x53R 7.62x53R 7.62x53R 7.62x53R 7.62x53R 7.62x53R |
11 25 150 100 200 300 50 200 |
Fin/Ger Fin/Ger Fin Fin Fin/SU Fin/Ger Fin SU |
Sako rifle m/28 with Zeiss scope for Civil
Guard. Sako rifle m/28-30 with Zeiss-made VKT rifle
m/27 with Finnish Physica Rifle m/39 with Physica scope, 1943. Rifle m/39
with Soviet PE or PEM Rifle m/39 with German Ajack scope, 1944. Rifle m/39
with Finnish Väisälä m/44 War booty
1939 - 1940, |
Automatic Rifles (Automaattikiväärit): . |
||||
m/36
Simonov m/38 Tokarev m/40
Tokarev |
7.62x53R 7.62x63R 7.62x52R |
<1.000 3.950 15.000 |
SU SU SU |
AVS-36, automatic, war booty 1939 - 1940. SVT-38, semi-automatic, war booty 1939 - 1940. SVT-40,
semi-automatic, war booty 1941 - 1944, |
Light Machine Guns (LMG) (Pikakiväärit
[Pk.]): . |
||||
Chauchat
m/18 . m/21 Lahti-Saloranta
m/26 Degtyarev
m/27 FN
Browning type D |
8.00 Fra . 6.50 Swe 7.62x53R 7.62x53R 7.92 Ger |
8.000 . 350 5.700 3.400 700 |
Fra . Swe Fin SU Bel |
Donated from France in 1940. Used by
secondary troops and training units, worthless weapon. 200 used by volunteer Swedish in 1940 (SFK). Produced
by VKT during the 1930's 4.600 pcs, War booty
1939 - 1940, Obtained during Winter War. |
.
HEAVY INFANTRY WEAPONS During the WW II the main heavy infantry weapon in Finnish Army was Russian 7.62 mm Maxim m/09 MG. This version was either with original Russian Sokolov m/09 wheel mount (Maxim m/09-09 [called Maxim-Sokolov m 1910 in Russia]) or with newer Finnish m/21 tripod mount (Maxim m/09-21). Maxim MGs were improved and redeveloped in
Finland. Starting in 1927 moving parts were standardized
and since 1933 original textile belt was replaced
gradually by Finnish-designed steel belt. After reworking
MGs were much more reliable and easier to overhaul and
repair. Finnish-made Maxim m/32-33 (with a new
improved tripod mount m/33) had a rate
of fire risen to 1.150 rpm using special Finnish
invention called "accelerator". |
||
|
||
. Another important group of heavy infantry weapons are mortars. Mortar is a very simple and cheap but highly accurate and effective weapon. Mortars with a maximum range of 2,7 to 5,3 kms gave a fast light artillery support for the infantry and replaced infantry guns in Finland. Finnish Army had bought 81 mm Brandt-Stokes mortars (range 2,7 km) during the late 1920's and these were licence-built and improved in Finland. By 1939 the maximum range had almost been doubled in 81 mm Tampella m/38 (range 4,9 km). In Finland light mortar platoon of infantry battalion consisted of three mortars. During Winter War only separate infantry battalions had organic mortar platoons but during Continuation War mortar platoon was a standard in all Finnish infantry battalions. Infantry regiment's organic mortar company consisted of two light mortar platoons. By 1940 a new Finnish 120 mm Tampella m/40 heavy mortar (range 5,3 km) was fully developed. In 1941 regimental mortar company could also consist of one heavy (3x 120 mm mortar) and one light mortar platoon (3x 81 mm mortar) and was called heavy mortar company. During spring and summer 1942 all Finnish divisions disbanded one of its three infantry regiments but left its organic mortar and [AT] gun companies to division level units. By 1944 all divisional motorized heavy mortar companies had two heavy mortar platoons (3+3). Also
captured Soviet 50 mm, 82 mm and 120 mm mortars were used
mainly during the Continuation War. |
Weapon
Designation: . |
Cal: [mm] |
Number: [pcs] |
Country of Origin: |
Notes: |
Machine Guns (MG) (Konekiväärit [Kk.): . |
||||
m/09-09 . m/09-21 m/32-33 MG 08 |
7.62x53R . 7.62x53R 7.62x53R 7.92 Ger |
1.000 3.000 1.000 1.200 1.000 |
Rus/(Fin) SU/(Fin) Rus/Fin Fin Ger |
Maxim m/05 and Maxim-Sokolov m/10 MGs with wheel mount, partly re-newed. Re-newed Maxim with
tripod mount, 200 new Improved
Maxim with new tripod mount, rate Obtained
in 1941 with optical sights for |
Mortars (Kranaatinheittimet [Krh.]): . |
||||
Brandt-Stokes
m/? Tampella m/33, m/35, Tampella m/38 m/3? Tampella m/40 m/38 |
81 81 81 82 120 120 |
? ? ? ? 62 200 |
UK Fin Fin SU Fin SU |
Range 2.7 km. Licence made Brandt-Stokes mortars, Improved
model, range 4,9 km; War booty,
during Winter War; Obtained
after Winter War 1940 - 1941; War booty
1941, range ? km; |
.
Sources:
PALMA1, PARUN1, KANPE2,
TALHI, JATHI . : |
© 2001 - 29.9.2003 Harri Anttonen