The Finnish Air Defense
in the Winter War
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The Finnish Air Defense was consisted of the Air Force, the Antiaircraft
Forces and the Air Surveillance troops. The commander of the Air Defense
(and Air Force) was Major General J.Lundqvist, assisted by
the Commander of the Antiaircraft Forces, Col. F.Helminen and
the Air Defense HQ (ilmapuolustuksen esikunta, IPE).
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The Finnish Air Force (FAF)
Source: "Talvisodan Historia 1",p.186
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The history of Finnish Air Force began when the "Whites"
received an aircraft, Thulin Parasol (Morane Saulnier), from Sweden
in February 1918. The plane was a donation, and was flown to Finland
by a Swedish Count, Erik von Rosen.
So was the Finnish Air Forces born (at first it was the Finnish Aviation
Force, and in the 1920s, the name was changed into Finnish Air Forces).
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The war starts
The Finnish Air Force was, at the beginning of the war,
a weak air force in both quality and quantity. The planes were generally
outdated (the only "modern" fighter was the Fokker D.21
and the only modern bomber, the Bristol Blenheim) and compared to
the size of the country, not to mention the number of enemy planes,
the strength of the Finnish Air Force was too small.
As FAF couldn't afford a war of attrition, the Finnish fighters were
mainly reserved to defend the home front and the bombers to pinpoint
attacks in generally small formations. Besides occasional support
missions in the frontlines, the Army received mainly intelligence
data from the FAF (on 1 February 1940 a recon plane brought back pictures
where over 100 Soviet artillery batteries could be found, juicy targets
if the FAF had had more bombers or the Army more artillery shells).
Only in the battles in the Bay of Viipuri were the fighters and bombers
used in bigger numbers and regardless of losses.
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General data of the planes
used in combat during Winter War
Plane name |
Type
* |
Abb.*
|
Year*
|
Top
speed
km/h |
Ceiling
meters |
Armament
|
Bomb
load
Kg |
Fokker D.XXI |
F |
FR |
1936 |
418 |
10100 |
4 x 7.62
mm mg |
|
Bristol Bulldog
(MK IV) |
F |
BU |
1927 |
362 |
10180 |
2 x 7.7
mm mg |
4 x 25
|
Gloster Gladiator
|
F |
GL |
1934 |
395 |
10200 |
4 x 7.7
mm mg |
|
Fiat G.50 "Freccia"
|
F |
FA |
1937 |
480 |
10700 |
2 x 12,7
mm mg |
|
Morane Saulnier
406 |
F |
MS |
1935 |
450 |
8500 |
3 x 7.5
mm mg |
max 50
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bristol Blenheim
I,III,IV |
B |
BL |
1934 |
435 |
9200 |
2 or 3
x 7.7 mm mg |
max 1000
|
Fokker C V E |
R,U |
FO |
1924 |
265 |
7600 |
2 x mg
|
max 260
|
Fokker C X |
DB,U,R |
FK |
1934 |
356 |
8000 |
2 x 7.7
+ 1 x 7.62 mg |
max 400
|
Blackburn Ripon
II F |
U,R |
RI |
1926 |
180 **
|
? |
twin mg
+ 2 x mg |
max 400
|
Junkers K-43,
W-34 |
U |
JU |
1926 |
240 **
|
5800**
|
1 - 2 x
mg |
max 500
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* = Type; F = fighter, B = bomber, DB= dive
bombing, R = reconnaissance, U= utility
Abb. = abbreviations used by Finns
Year= the year of first flight
** = plane with wheels, with floats the performance was
less
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One Douglas DC-2 plane (airliner converted to a bomber), Finnish
designation DO, was donated from Sweden, but since it made only
one bombing run, I chose not to include it in here.
For more detailed Aircraft-info visit the
following web site: www.sci.fi/~ambush/faf/faf.html
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Types
and numbers of different warplanes that Finland received during Winter
War
|
Plane name and Finnish abbreviation |
Country |
sold / donated |
# of planes |
Notes |
Fiat G.50 (FA) |
Italy |
sold |
33 |
originally 35, but 2 destroyed
in transit |
Gloster Gladiator (GL)
|
England |
10 donated |
30 |
|
Morane Saulnier 406 (MS)
|
France |
donated |
30 |
|
Brewster 239 (BW) |
USA |
sold |
8 |
total number 44, didn't see
action = (dsa) |
Hawker Hurricane (HC)
|
England |
sold |
8 |
total number 11, 1 destroyed
in transit, dsa |
Bristol Blenheim (BL)
|
England |
sold |
22 |
1 destroyed & 1 damaged
in transit |
Douglas DC-2 (DO) |
Sweden |
donated |
1 |
made 1 bombing run |
Koolhoven F.K.52 (KO)
|
Sweden |
donated |
2 |
Utility plane |
The 3 Fokker C.V.D. (performance almost identical
with the Fokker C.V.E.) planes donated from Sweden were also used
in combat, but since it was originally a training plane, I didn't
include it into the above table.
The number (in parentheses) shows the number
of planes under repair.
Fighter-units
Unit |
Plane |
Dec 1st |
Jan 15th |
Feb 1st |
Feb 15th |
March 1st |
March 15th |
LLv.22 |
BW
|
|
|
|
|
4 |
6 |
LLv.24 |
FR
|
36 |
29 |
28 |
26 |
24 |
25 |
LLv.26 |
BU
|
10 |
8 |
8 |
|
|
|
GL
|
|
|
9 |
18 |
3 |
|
FA
|
|
|
|
3 |
11 |
23 |
LLv.28 |
MS
|
|
|
|
8 |
25 |
23 |
HC
|
|
|
|
|
|
10 |
TOTAL |
46 |
37 (2) |
45 (1) |
55 (5) |
67 (22) |
87 (19) |
Table source: "Talvisodan Historia
4", p.97
Until further notice, the image will be
unavailable for viewing.
Picture and background
information courtesy of Jouni Rönkkö
"Finnish
Air Force -almost in service- 1935-1945"
This FR-76, was the
first Fokker D.21 in the FAF. When the war started, this
was the only plane, which had the
20 mm cannons installed in the wings (as a test). With
this plane, Lt. Tatu Huhanantti downed a Soviet SB-2 bomber
on December 20th 1939. The plane flew in the LLv.24.
|
Unit |
Plane |
Dec 1st |
Jan 15th |
Feb 1st |
Feb 15th |
March 1st |
March 15th
|
LLv.42 |
BL
|
|
|
|
|
12 |
8 |
DO
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
LLv.44 |
BL
|
8 |
6 |
8 |
9 |
5 |
5 |
DO
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
1 |
LLv.46 |
BL
|
9 |
5 |
11 |
8 |
7 |
6 |
TOTAL |
17 |
11 (3) |
19 (3) |
18 (8) |
25 (3) |
20 (9) |
Table source: "Talvisodan Historia 4", p.97
Until further notice, the image will be
unavailable for viewing.
Picture and background information
courtesy of Jouni Rönkkö
"Finnish
Air Force -almost in service- 1935-1945"
This Bristol Blenheim
flew in the LLv 44. It was one of the three bombers with
permanent skis attached.
On February 25th 1940, the plane had on accident while
landing, and spent the rest of the war under repair.
|
Reconnaissance
and utility planes
Unit |
Plane
|
Dec 1st |
Jan 15th |
Feb 1st |
Feb 15th |
March 1st
|
March 15th
|
LLv.10
|
FK
|
12 |
13 |
9 |
7 |
5 |
6 |
LLv.12 |
FK
|
13 |
9 |
9 |
8 |
4 |
3 |
GL
|
|
|
|
3 |
8 |
6 |
LY
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
LLv.14 |
FK
|
4 |
4 |
5 |
5 |
3 |
4 |
FO
|
7 |
5 |
7 |
7 |
- |
- |
GL
|
|
|
|
2 |
6 |
7 |
LLv.16
(except the 3rd flight) |
RI
|
9 |
5 |
4 |
5 |
4 |
4 |
FO
|
|
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
FK
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
3 |
3. / LLv.16 |
JU
|
5 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
1 |
- |
FO
|
|
|
|
|
5 |
5 |
LLv.36 |
RI
|
6 |
5 |
4 |
4 |
1 |
- |
KO
|
|
|
|
1 |
2 |
2 |
VP
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
1 |
1.
/ T-LLv.39 |
JU
|
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
TOTAL |
58 |
49 (8) |
45 (6) |
49 (6) |
48 (8) |
48 (7) |
Table source: "Talvisodan
Historia 4", p.97
Until further notice, the image will be
unavailable for viewing.
Picture and background information
courtesy of Jouni Rönkkö
"Finnish
Air Force -almost in service- 1935-1945"
This Fokker C.X.
started the Winter War in the LLv.10, but was transferred
to LLv.12 on January 5th 1940.
The plane was eventually destroyed after the Winter War,
during the Interim Peace, in an accident,
when the plane ran out of gas during flight
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The
Swedish Volunteer Unit
Unit |
Plane
|
Dec 1st |
Jan 15th |
Feb 1st |
Feb 15th |
March 1st |
March 15th
|
F-19 |
GL
|
|
|
|
11 |
11 |
9 |
HH
|
|
|
|
1 |
1 |
2 |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
12 (3) |
12 (3) |
11 (3) |
Table source: "Talvisodan Historia
4", p.97
Until further notice, the image will be
unavailable for viewing.
Picture and background information
courtesy of Jouni Rönkkö
"Finnish
Air Force -almost in service- 1935-1945"
This Gloster Gladiator
was one of the planes of the Swedish voluntary unit F
19, which operated in Lapland.
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Problems
During the Winter War, no planes came out from the Finnish
aircraft factories, since repairing virtually ate up the whole capacity.
Finland captured 25 Soviet planes.
The maintenance and repairing of planes was very difficult
due to lack of spare parts and the large number of different plane
types.
The State Aircraft Factory (Valtion lentokonetehdas)
repaired both engines and planes. Engines and other parts were salvaged
from downed planes and cannibalized from damaged ones. The engine-department
of the Tampella produced 4 engines during the war. From the factory
of "Brothers Karhumäki" (Veljekset Karhumäki)
repaired training planes with an average speed of 1 / month.
Of the problems in maintenance of planes acquired
from abroad the British Blenheim - bombers are a good example; the
engines were of different type, than in those planes bought before
the war, the radios were set on a different frequency than the Finnish
ones, the Finnish bombs didn't fit in the British bomb racks, and
on top of all, the engines used 100-octane gas, that the Finns didn't
have!
The bomb-situation was adequate throughout the war. The Finns
dropped some 6 400 bombs, 208 tons, most of which were 12,5 kg and
50 kg bombs. New bombs were sent with some of the plane-shipments
from abroad, and the Finnish Tolfvan-company produced 80 tons / month.
The aviation fuel-situation was also adequate throughout
the war, except for the 100-octane gas needed in the Blenheim bombers.
At the start of the war, the air force had in it's stocks 3,9 million
liters of fuel. During the war, a total 3 500 tons of aviation fuel
was transported to Finland via Stockholm-Turku, along with lubricants.
When the war ended, a further 3 000 tons were on it's way. The Finns
lost, in Soviet air attacks, some 70 tons of fuel.
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Results
The FAF flew an estimated total of 5 900 combat missions
(6 300 combat flight hours) during the Winter War,
from which 3 900 were interception missions, 800 bombing runs, 70
recon (aerial photograph) and 1100 other.
The Swedish volunteer unit flew an additional 600
flight hours (all flights included) .
The FAF consumed approximately 2 100 tons of aviation fuel (the biggest
consumption was in February nearly 830 000 liters) , 850 000 rounds
and 208 tons of bombs.
In whole, FAF claimed 190 confirmed kills, 143 bombers, 37
fighters and 10 reconnaissance planes, and nearly 100 probable.
The Finnish plane losses were 62 destroyed (including
11 FR, 17 GL, 7 FK, 5 RI and 12 BL) and 35 planes damaged.
From the losses, 47 were downed by the Soviet forces.
The Soviet fighters shot down 35 planes, the Soviet AA-fire 8 planes
and 4 for unknown reasons (the figures include the losses suffered
by the Swedish voluntary unit and the planes lost while in transit
to Finland) .
In the flight units, 77 men (41 officers,
33 NCO's, 1 private) were either killed in action (KIA)
or missing in action (MIA) .
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Not until 1925 was the antiaircraft established as a military
branch in Finland. During the 1930's, it received only a small appropriation,
and therefore it was very limited in equipment.
As with every other military branches, Finland tried to buy
as much AA-weaponry as possible when the threat of war was increasing.
Sweden was again the biggest contributor, but Finland had also ordered
134, 20 mm AA-guns from Germany (made in summer 1939 "the Veltjens-deal")
. 50 guns were eventually transported, but when a Swedish newspaper
wrote about it, Germany stopped all it's shipments to Finland and
disallowed all shipments to Finland to pass through (delaying shipments
from Italy) , the rest, 84 guns, came long after the war .
Picture source: "Talvisodan
Historia 4", p.263 |
The antiaircraft forces were poor in other equipment too.
It had 8 acoustic bearing devices (manned by 4 men, it determined
the bearings to enemy plane formations by auditory perception) , 8
search lights and 20 tracking lights. This equipment was concentrated
in the Helsinki and Viipuri areas. The Finns had also a severe shortage
in fire control and other optical equipment (range finders etc.) .
The number of AA-weapons rose during the war, despite the
losses suffered (almost 50 AA-mg's and around 20 AA-guns, including
both 40 mm and 20 mm guns) . From the 50 ordered 40 mm guns, from
the State Gun Factory (Valtion Tykkitehdas) , the first one came out
after the war. So the increase in numbers was only possible by acquisitions
from abroad.
The following number of guns came to Finland during
the war:
- 20 mm AA-gun: 76
- 40 mm AA-gun: 72
- 40 mm AA-gun: 13 (Vickers guns, to the Navy)
- 75 - 76 mm AA-guns: 45
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General
data of the most common AA-weapons
Weapon |
Weight
in action |
Muzzle velocity
m / sec |
Effective range meters |
Practical ROF rounds / min |
7,62 mm AA-mg m/31 (VKT) |
69 |
810 |
600 |
1000 |
20 mm AA-gun M/38 (BSW) |
770 |
800 |
1200 |
120 |
40 mm AA-gun m/38 (Bofors) |
2150 |
850 |
3000 |
80 |
76 mm AA-gun m/29 (Bofors) |
3450 |
750 |
6000 |
15 |
For more detailed information about
Finnish AA-weapons, check the Jaeger
Platoon website !
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AA-weapons
situation on November 30th
Weapon |
#'s on
November 30th |
Ammunition
in stock |
Notes |
7,62 mm AA-mg m/31 |
70 |
1 828 235 |
The navy had
also 26 and FAF 20 AA-mg's |
7,62 mm mg (used in AA-role) |
71 |
20 mm AA-gun M/38 (BSW & Oerlikon) |
34 |
103 145 |
The Navy had 1 and FAF 7
guns |
40 mm AA-gun m/38 (Bofors) |
53 |
121 000 |
The Navy had also 16 guns
|
76 mm AA-gun m/29 (Bofors & Vickers)
|
38 |
7 141 |
The Navy had also 25 |
Only the AA-mg's had ammunition in generous numbers,
except the number of tracers, of which the Finns had a total of 100 000
rounds (an adequate ratio of normal rounds and tracers was 1 / 10) .
The Finnish antiaircraft forces were generally deployed
to protect the major cities (Helsinki, Viipuri, Turku, Tampere and Jyväskylä)
and smaller cities along the railroad network and especially the ones,
which were railroad junctions. In the early days of Winter War, the front-line
troops had virtually no AA-defense. During late December and January,
the troops eventually received some AA-guns to protect the rear areas.
The P-SR (North Finland Group) received it's first
AA-weapons in December 12th, when the 4th AA-mg company was transported
to Kajaani and Hyrynsalmi. Only after the Swedish volunteer unit arrived,
did the cities in northern Finland (Rovaniemi, Kemi and Kemijärvi) receive
better protection, than the 7,62 mm AA-mg's provided.
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AA-weapons
situation on March 13th
Weapon |
#'s in March 13th |
Ammo consumption |
Confirmed kills
** |
Ammunition in March 13th * |
7,62 mm AA-mg |
121 |
494 000 |
51 |
1 808 500 |
20 mm AA-gun |
90 |
54 000 |
104 |
147 000 |
40 mm AA-gun |
100 |
76 000 |
128 |
174 400 |
76 mm AA-gun |
81 |
5 200 |
31 |
63 600 |
* = including also the Navy and Air Force stocks
** = November-December 66 kills, January 56 kills, February
131 kills and March 61 kills
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The effectiveness of antiaircraft can't be judged solely
by the numbers of downed enemy airplanes. The effects that are gained
by forcing the enemy to bomb from high altitude, turn away completely
or disrupt the aim of the bomber, are all clear, and can even have
a decisive impact on the outcome of a defensive battle.
Picture source: "Talvisodan
Historia 4", p.324
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The Finnish antiaircraft forces claimed a total of 314 confirmed
kills, and an estimate of 300 damaged. The navy claimed 5 confirmed
kills and 17 probable.
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Air
Surveillance
Finland was divided into 52 Air surveillance areas. Every
area had numerous air surveillance posts (ilmavalvonta-asema) ,
and an Area Air Defense Center (ilmapuolustusaluekeskus, IPAK) .
The total number of air surveillance posts was around 650, and the
members of the women's Lotta Svärd -organization, contributed a lot
in manning these stations (often with high risk ) thus
freeing men to the fronts.
Picture source:
"Talvisodan Historia 4", p.188 |
Early in the war (and later also) , the changes in the front-lines
led to the closure of the Uusikirkko, Loimola and Suomussalmi air
surveillance areas, but the equipment was moved to tighten the air
surveillance net by establishing new ones, and by strengthening existing
ones.
In the Aaland Islands (Ahvenanmaa in Finnish) , an air surveillance
area was established in December. Lt. J.Jarkka was appointed
as the commanding officer, and under his command, a relatively functional
surveillance net was created, which based almost solely on volunteers.
The task was made difficult by the anti-militaristic attitudes of
the Aalanders, who looked upon national defense with disapproval (as
Aaland was, in late 1921, declared a demilitarized area, the natives
were freed from the duty of armed service, a special right, that still
exists) . But except some navy's AA-weapons, the Aaland Islands lacked
any AA-defenses.
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