Finnish Forces in WWII

[Ben2]

Does anyone have any details or resources on Finnish forces in WWII and the Winter War? I know that they used mostly captured Russian AFVs, like T-26s and BT-7s, but were there any home grown vehicles or German vehicles?
As a former Russian porovince, did they use the Mosin Nagant? And does anyone have details on the squad structure that they used and the mortars, LMGs and other support weapons that they used?

I'm thinking about cooking up a Finnish list.

 

[weasel_fierce]

Rifles would be mostly finnish manufacture. Nagant's were plenty available, but not standard issue.

They had a few native LMG's, but especially in Continuation war, most will be russian DP LMG. Im not sure if any MG34 and 42 were given them.
Heavy machine guns, a few native weapons, very similar to hte maxim, as well as captured maxim guns.

They did receive small numbers of Panzerfausts.

The only german vehicles seem to have been STUG's, which they received in some number, but rather small. The finn's were mostly an infantry force.


Platoon structure seems to have been 4 squads to a platoon. In winter war, its very likely that only 2 of these will have an LMG. For continuation war, Im not sure, but I'd be surprised if every squad werent LMG equipped.

 

[Bernard]

http://www.axishistory.com/index.php?id=35

This link should give you a good idea about it

 

[Epaminondas]

Good websites relating to Finland in the winter war and continuation war.

http://www.kevos4.com/

http://www.mil.fi/perustietoa/talvisota_eng/index.html

http://www.sodatkuvina.cjb.net/

http://www.rajajoki.com/index.htm

http://www.mosinnagant.net/finland/default.asp

http://www.winterwar.com/

http://www.jaegerplatoon.net/MAIN.html

Only axis power who surrendered conditionally. Also the only one the US didn't declare war on, or was at war with.

 

[Elvis in Combat]

Check out this site:
http://www.winterwar.com/mainpage.htm

Equipment Sites:
http://mailer.fsu.edu/~akirk/tanks/finland/finland.html
This site contains more than just the German and Soviet equipment numbers at axishistory. <-That's still a great site.

http://www.jaegerplatoon.net/MAIN.html

Note that the Finns had PzIVJs and used them against...the germans. Or so I've read but I need a better source with more information:

PzKpfIV Ausf. J
"They did become involved in the fighting against Germans in Lapland."

Pictures of a lot of their tanks during WWII:
http://www.andreaslarka.net/

 

[SickBunny]

That would have been the war of lapland... after the continuation war ended, the treaties demanded for Finland to drive out the German forces remaining in the country... that was not a happy time... the germans decided to burn and run...

 

[Elvis in Combat]

Thanks!

Now I have yet another war within WWII to research. WWII research never ends it seems.

 

[SickBunny]

Wasnt a proper war I think... but it was ugly... since both sides were veteran combatants... and those had been our allies at one point...

 

[Epaminondas]

What is interesting is the different views of the lapland war from the German and Finnish sides.

From the finish side it was a pretty nasty episode where the Germans inflicted significant damage to some villages etc.

Germans viewed it as their former allies betraying them, and a series of sucessful withdrawal actions.

===

Pretty sure the IVJs never got into action in the north. If I recall correctly, by the time they got up to the north, the lapland war was pretty much over- ie never caught up to the retreating Germans.

One or two did hit landmines left over...