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Battle of Petsamo (1939)
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Petsamo was fought between Finnish and Soviet
troops in the area of Petsamo in the far north of Finland in 1939 and 1940. The Finnish troops were greatly outnumbered but managed to contain the Soviet troops due to the extreme terrain and weather.
(Lapin Ryhmä) of the Finnish Army which had its headquarters at Rovaniemi
. The troops were later reinforced with the 11th Separate Company and a 3rd Company which wasn't part of the original mobilization plans. Also the small Reconnaissance Group 11 (Tiedusteluosasto 11) was added to the troops. All the troops were called Detachment Pennanen (Osasto Pennanen) after their commander captain Antti Pennanen.
in the Kola Peninsula
. The army consisted of three divisions, the 104th, 52nd and the 14th. Only the 104th and 52nd Divisions took part in the operations in Petsamo. The Soviets had an overwhelming superiority in troops in the area, but most soviet troops were prepared to fight against possible British-French landing near Murmansk and didn't fought against Finland.
. The 52nd Division was moved to Petsamo
by boat. The 52nd took over the attack from the 104th and pushed back Detachment Pennanen all the way to Höyhenjärvi until the attack was halted on December 18. During the following two months the Soviet forces stood still. During this time the Finnish troops made several reconnaissance and guerilla raids behind enemy lines. After the two month pause the Soviet advance continued and this time attacks on February 25 forced the Finnish troops to Nautsi
near Lake Inari
. Here the troops stayed until the end of the war.
.
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
troops in the area of Petsamo in the far north of Finland in 1939 and 1940. The Finnish troops were greatly outnumbered but managed to contain the Soviet troops due to the extreme terrain and weather.
Finland
The Finnish troops consisted of the 10th Separate Company (10.Er.K) in Parkkina and the 5th Separate Battery (5.Er.Ptri) in Liinahamari. The separate companies and batteries didn't belong to any specific division of the Finnish Army and could be placed in ad hoc formations. The troops were part of the Lapland GroupLapland Group
The Lapland Group was a formation of the Finnish Army during the Winter War between Finland and the Soviet Union. The Group was formed on 13 December 1939 from troops of the North Finland Group. The Group was placed under the command of Major General Kurt Martti Wallenius and had its headquarters...
(Lapin Ryhmä) of the Finnish Army which had its headquarters at Rovaniemi
Rovaniemi
Rovaniemi is a city and municipality of Finland. It is the administrative capital and commercial centre of Finland's northernmost province, Lapland. It is situated close to the Arctic Circle and is between the hills of Ounasvaara and Korkalovaara, at the confluence of the Kemijoki River and its...
. The troops were later reinforced with the 11th Separate Company and a 3rd Company which wasn't part of the original mobilization plans. Also the small Reconnaissance Group 11 (Tiedusteluosasto 11) was added to the troops. All the troops were called Detachment Pennanen (Osasto Pennanen) after their commander captain Antti Pennanen.
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union had the 14th Army14th Army (Soviet Union)
The 14th Army was formed in October 1939 in the Leningrad Military District. It participated in the Soviet-Finnish war, during which its 52nd and 104th Rifle Divisions fought in the Battle of Petsamo.From 24 June 1941 the Army included...
in the Kola Peninsula
Kola Peninsula
The Kola Peninsula is a peninsula in the far northwest of Russia. Constituting the bulk of the territory of Murmansk Oblast, it lies almost completely to the north of the Arctic Circle and is washed by the Barents Sea in the north and the White Sea in the east and southeast...
. The army consisted of three divisions, the 104th, 52nd and the 14th. Only the 104th and 52nd Divisions took part in the operations in Petsamo. The Soviets had an overwhelming superiority in troops in the area, but most soviet troops were prepared to fight against possible British-French landing near Murmansk and didn't fought against Finland.
The battle
Elements of the 104th Division crossed the border on November 30, 1939 and occupied the Finnish part of the Rybachi Peninsula. The 242nd Infantry Regiment of the 104th Division reached Parkkina on December 1. The Finnish troops withdrew to LuostariLuostari
Luostari is a rural locality in Pechengsky District of Murmansk Oblast, Russia located near the Norwegian border. Before World War II, Luostari was part of Finland. It was occupied by the German army during World War II. Luostari/Pechenga airfield is located nearby....
. The 52nd Division was moved to Petsamo
Petsamo
Petsamo may refer to:*A former area of Finland, which is now Pechengsky District and part of Kolsky District of Russia*Finnish name for the urban-type settlement of Pechenga, Russia...
by boat. The 52nd took over the attack from the 104th and pushed back Detachment Pennanen all the way to Höyhenjärvi until the attack was halted on December 18. During the following two months the Soviet forces stood still. During this time the Finnish troops made several reconnaissance and guerilla raids behind enemy lines. After the two month pause the Soviet advance continued and this time attacks on February 25 forced the Finnish troops to Nautsi
Nautsi
Nautsi is a tiny village in the Kolsky District, Murmansk Oblast, Russia. Prior to World War II, it belonged to Finland. The headwaters of the Paatsjoki river, which forms part of the border between Norway and Russia, begin near here. Finnish forces retreated to this location during the 1939 war...
near Lake Inari
Lake Inari
Lake Inari is the third largest lake in Finland and the largest lake in Sápmi. It is located in the northern part of Lapland, north of the Arctic Circle. The lake is 117–119 meters above sea level and it is regulated at the Kaitakoski power plant in Russia...
. Here the troops stayed until the end of the war.
The Peace
In the Moscow Peace Treaty Finland was forced to cede parts of her territory to the Soviet Union. Among these areas was Finnish part of the Rybachi peninsula (Kalastajasaarento) in the extreme north of Petsamo. The Soviet Union would take the whole Petsamo area after the Continuation WarContinuation War
The Continuation War was the second of two wars fought between Finland and the Soviet Union during World War II.At the time of the war, the Finnish side used the name to make clear its perceived relationship to the preceding Winter War...
.
See also
- Operation Platinfuchs