Encirclement of Viipuri, 20-28.08.1941.

All photos were taken at October, 2001.

In the end of August 1941 Finns had attacked Viipuri (Vyborg) from the West and East. Soviet toops made several attempts to repulse the attacks from the East by counterstrikes. 3 main Soviet strikes were: Suur Pero - Lyykylä, Vääräkoski - Pilppula, Kämärä railway station - Kämärä village.

Summers of 1940 and 1999 were very hot in Southern Karelia, and many pine forests were destroyed by fire. So the picture looked more ominous than usual.

Vääräkoski - Pilppula road, 24(?).08.1944.

counterattack

Stony flat low hillock at the road. The fire which had destroyed the pine-tree forest, had destroyed and moss, which covered the history of former battles. All the items which had been left on the ground 60 years ago, have appeared again. So simply on the ground of this battlefield were found: Soviet RGD-33 hand grenade, several Soviet 7.62mm rifle cartridges, and broken Finnish coffee cup (with marks "Arabia Suomi Finlandia"). (After the making of this photo on the ground also were found another one RGD-33, more Soviet 7.62mm ammo, Finnish 7.62mm and 9mm ammo, Soviet rifle bayonet.) So it was necessary to make more thoroughful research to open the history of this fight.

Close look to the battlefields.

cartridge cases

Digging the thin layer of sand on the bottom of foxholes one can find evidences of fierce battles. Thousands of cartridge cases formed a 15-cm thick layer on the bottom of Maxim MG position. The cartridge cases hav markings like "VPT 36"- "VPT 40" - Valtion Patruuna Tehdas (State Cartridge Plant, Lapua, Finland), produced in 1936-1940. Note also the Finnish hand grenade M41. So Finnish soldiers had fought there. These positions are placed on the eastern edge of the flat low hillock. In 200 m to the West (to Viipuri) there are some Soviet foxholes (with Soviet cartridge cases). Possibly it was the starting point of the Soviet counterattack to the hill. Finnish fire was very intensive but Soviet soldiers managed to push Finns from the hill back to the East (from Viipuri) - more Soviet foxholes were found on the other side of this hillock. But this temporal success didn't saved Viipuri from the encirclement. Finns made a breakthrough in Kämärä and made a bridgehead on the Southern bank of the Gulf of Vyborg, and this operation had resulted in famous Porlammen motti - the encirclement in Porlampi - the village to South of Viipuri where the most part of heavy equipment of retreating Soviet forces were left to Finns.


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