The Battle of Tienhaar

On June 10, the troops of the Leningrad Front on the Karelian Isthmus went on the offensive and by the end of June 19, advancing up to 100 kilometers and entered the approaches to Vyborg. Given this, the front commander, Marshal L. A. Govorov , ordered the commander of the 21st Army, Colonel General D.N. Gusev, to take control of the city of Vyborg over the next day. Directly from the south, the 314th and 90th rifle divisions of the 108th corps of Lieutenant General M.F. Tikhonov and the 372nd rifle division of the 97th corps of Major General M.M. Busarov were approaching the city . The offensive was supported by the 1st Red Banner Tank Brigade, the 30th Guards Tank Brigade, the 27th, 31st and 260th Separate Guards Tank Breakthrough Regiments, the 1222nd and 1238th Self-propelled Artillery Regiments, and also part of the forces 5 1st Guards Artillery Breakthrough Division ^[1] .

On the Vyborg direction, Soviet troops were opposed by units of the Finnish 4th Army Corps Lieutenant General T. Laatikainen . The city’s defense was directly assigned to the 20th Infantry Brigade, parts of which were transferred from Karelia on July 17-19. The brigade was well equipped and consisted of 5133 soldiers and officers ^[2] . The brigade was supported by a company of self-propelled guns (9 self-propelled guns BT-42 ) from the tank division ^[3] and part of the forces of the 3rd Air Defense Regiment ^[4] .

From the east, the city was covered by the 3rd Infantry Brigade, taking up defense near the Tammisuo station along the Vyborg - Antrea - Hiitola railway . In the reserve northwest and north of Vyborg were the tank division of General R. Lagus and the 10th Infantry Division, which had already suffered heavy losses in previous battles. In addition, parts of the 17th Infantry Division were hastily transferred to the war zone from Karelia. The enemy’s aviation group also increased significantly. Fulfilling the request of the Finnish leadership, the German command promptly provided significant assistance to the ally, and already on June 16 Luftwaffe aircraft of the Kulmey combat group began arriving at the Immola airfield .

On the morning of June 20, Soviet troops launched an assault on Vyborg. The 286th and 19th rifle regiments of the 90th division, supported by the 260th separate guards tank regiment and the 1238th self-propelled artillery regiment, delivered the main blow from the east along the Cannaksentie highway . At the same time, the 1074th and 1078th rifle regiments of the 314th rifle division struck a blow from the southeast along the coastal highway and the Teriyoki-Vyborg railway ^[6] . At the same time, parts of the 97th Rifle Corps were tasked with cutting the Vyborg- Tali railway and bypassing the city from the north-east.

Initially, the attackers were limited to reconnaissance in battle, trying to identify weaknesses in the enemy’s defense. At the same time, support for aviation and artillery was limited - the Soviet command decided to try to avoid major destruction in the city. Around noon, after a short artillery preparation, the Soviet troops launched a decisive offensive. At first, the street battles took on a fierce character and the enemy offered fierce resistance, but after about two hours the organized defense of the Finns was broken - parts of the 20th Infantry Brigade began to retreat.

Despite the critical situation, the commander of the Karelian Isthmus defense forces, Lieutenant General K. L. Ash , nevertheless hoped to turn the tide and if not to keep Vyborg, then at least stabilize the situation. In the afternoon of June 20, units of the tank division were ordered to advance to the Suur-Merioki and Tienhaar regions with the task of taking up defense in the northwestern suburbs of Vyborg and on the coast of the Vyborg Bay. At the same time, units of the 10th Infantry Division also began to advance to the same area with approximately the same task. A little later, the 17th Infantry Division, parts of which were just starting to arrive on the Karelian Isthmus, were ordered to take up defenses along the Saimaa Canal , and partly move to the Tienhaar area and take up defenses on the northwestern coast of the Kivisillasalmi Strait ^[7] .

At this time, the battles for Vyborg entered the final stage. The retreat of the 20th Infantry Brigade under the onslaught of the Soviet troops turned into an erratic escape. The brigade was saved from complete destruction only by the fact that Finnish sappers managed to undermine most of the many bridges and crossings in the city, including the bridge to Papula , the railway bridge to Salakka-Lahti , the Fortress bridge and two bridges leading to Linnansaari . This circumstance significantly slowed down the offensive, but nevertheless, by the end of the day, Soviet troops completely captured Vyborg. At about 17-30, a red flag was hoisted above Vyborg Castle ^[7] .

In the battles for Vyborg, the total losses of the 20th Infantry Brigade, according to Finnish data, amounted to about 560 people, and irretrievable ones - 162 soldiers and officers. Of this number, 62 people were captured ^[7] . Although the brigade escaped total destruction and suffered relatively small losses, the morale of the brigade personnel was completely undermined. While randomly retreating, the soldiers of the 20th Infantry Brigade dropped their weapons, did not obey orders and urged soldiers from other parts of the Finnish army to take flight ^[9] .

All this created a critical situation for the Finnish defense of the strategically important Kivisillasalmi Strait and the village of Tienhaar. In this village, the road leading from Vyborg bifurcated, forming two highways - northwest towards Lappeenranta and west towards Kotka . Around 18-00 on June 20, only a small detachment formed the head of artillery of the 20th Infantry Brigade, Lieutenant Colonel P. Arr, at this site. At the same time, the Finnish sappers could not destroy the road and railway bridge across the strait.

The opportunity was created for the Soviet troops to immediately force the strait and seize the bridgehead on the northwestern coast of the Vyborg Bay. However, this chance was missed. Only in the morning of June 21 advanced Soviet units reached the strait. At this point, the Finnish command was able to significantly strengthen its defense. Late in the evening of June 20, advanced units of the 10th Infantry Division and a battalion of assault guns from the tank division approached the Kivisillasalmi Strait. For greater effectiveness, the remaining artillery of the 20th Infantry Brigade and the arrived artillery units were combined into one combat group. On the night of June 21, without encountering opposition from the Soviet troops, Finnish sappers blew both bridges across the strait.

In addition, the Finnish command took the most severe measures to restore order and discipline. The commander of the 20th Infantry Brigade, Colonel A. Kempii, was removed from his post and put on trial by a military tribunal, and alarmists, cowards and violators of military discipline were ordered to be shot on the spot ^[8] .

On June 21, at 18-00, the commander of the Leningrad Front, Marshal L.A. Govorov gave order No. 6264 to the commander of the 21st army, which stated:

1. Using the success of parts 108 SK, immediately crossing the strait at Prig. Torn off and leading the battle in the area of ​​Hietala ferry the main forces of 108 SK to the west. Vyborg Bay shore and no later than 21.6. having captured Tienhar, provide a bridgehead at the turn: mz. Haihiyoki, Nurmi, Tervayoki, in readiness to develop a strike in the West. direction and no later than 24.6, go to the line: Linala, Nisalahti.

At the same time, with part of the forces, develop a strike in a general direction to the north, ensure the capture of the crossings in the Justila area and force the Saiman-Ditch Canal, in parts 97 and 109 SK ^[10] .

Before the offensive, the composition of the 108th Rifle Corps was changed. On June 20, the 314th Infantry Division was withdrawn from the corps, and at the end of the day on June 21, the 268th Infantry Division. At the same time, the corps was reinforced by the 372nd Infantry Division, which, together with the 90th Infantry Division, was to participate in crossing the strait. The 46th Infantry Division made up the reserve of the corps ^[6] .

On the night of June 21-22, the battalion of the 1236th Infantry Regiment of the 372nd Infantry Division conducted reconnaissance in battle, but unexpectedly ran into organized resistance they were forced to retreat. All day June 22, parts of the 108th Rifle Corps did not take any active action and fought an enemy battle across the strait with the enemy. And only in the morning of June 23, Soviet troops finally launched a large-scale offensive in order to force the Kivisillasalmi Strait with the forces of the 1240th and 19th regiments of the 90th Infantry Division, as well as the 372nd Infantry Division in full force ^[6] .

By this time, the Finnish defense was again strengthened. The 17th Infantry Division arrived in the combat area, the 61st regiment of which occupied the most important section of the strait defense next to the destroyed bridges, and the artillery group was brought up to 11 divisions. The command and control of the troops was also reorganized. Since June 22, units operating in this area (10th, 17th Infantry Divisions, 20th Infantry and Cavalry Brigades) were united under the headquarters of the 5th Army Corps, General A. Svenson , deployed from Karelia.

Parts of the 108th Rifle Corps began the operation to force the strait at 8-30 a.m. on June 23 after a 30-minute artillery bombardment. Immediately the attackers came under the hurricane rifle and artillery fire of the enemy and were not successful. Not a single boat reached the opposite shore. In the afternoon, a massive attack was repeated, but again failed to break through to the opposite bank. After suffering heavy losses, Soviet troops were forced to retreat to their original borders. Based on the fact that it was impossible to carry out the crossing on this section without appropriate artillery and air training, the command of the 108th Rifle Corps decided to temporarily stop the operation ^[6] .

The failure of the 21st Army in the operation to force the Kivisillasalmi Strait and attack on Tienhaar forced the Soviet command to concentrate the main efforts northeast of Vyborg in the vicinity of the Tali station, where the general attack began on June 25. According to Soviet data, until the end of June, parts of the 108th Rifle Corps were limited to shelling enemy positions and conducting local operations. So, on June 25, 3 small islands were captured (Hunnukalansari, Revonsari and Rionsari), however, an attempt to land the reconnaissance group of the 314th Infantry Division on the island of Pampunsari was repelled by the enemy. On June 28, the private operation of the 286th regiment of the 90th division led to the capture of the Uransari island, but failed to capture the island of Oravansari. The rest of the 108th Rifle Corps did not take active offensive actions ^[6] . According to Finnish data, Soviet troops nevertheless made attempts to force the Kivisillasalmi Strait after June 23, but the attacks of June 25 and 30 were repulsed like all the previous ones ^[11] . The Soviet troops also failed to capture Leppassaari Island, located in the Vyborg Bay southwest of Sorvali . The attacks of the 19th regiment of the 90th Infantry Division on this island undertaken on June 22-23 were repelled by the 200th Regiment of the Finnish Cavalry Brigade ^[12] .

Until the conclusion of the ceasefire agreement on September 19, 1944, the front line in this area did not change, although separate clashes between Finnish and Soviet forces arose several more times ^[11] .

The battle of Thiejaar in Finnish military history is of great importance. This was the first time since the beginning of the Soviet offensive, when the Finns managed to repel the onslaught of the Red Army. The latter circumstance acquired even greater importance, given the fact that this “defensive victory” followed immediately after the most severe defeat in the battles for Vyborg, which led to an increase in panic and defeatism among the Finnish army. However, the Finnish command managed to turn the tide and make full use of the pause that arose in the Soviet offensive after the capture of Vyborg. In Finnish historiography this circumstance is explained as follows.

The personnel of the Red Army, naturally, expected that the capture of Vyborg would be celebrated as it should. In addition to rewarding with medals, promotion, increasing rations and distributing vodka, the victory was celebrated by robberies and rampant drunkenness. All this gave the Finnish army a respite to pull up fresh formations, find the best positions for defense, and replenish ammunition depots ^[9] .

- Finnish historian H. Meinander

According to Finnish data, only in the battles of June 22-23, the losses of the Soviet side amounted to about 2000 people killed and wounded. Finnish losses were also significant. So, only the 61st regiment of the 17th Infantry Division in the battles of June 22-27 lost 46 people killed and 350 wounded ^[11] . Lost and other parts. For example, the 200th regiment of the cavalry brigade in a battle on June 23 for the island of Leppasaari lost 3 people killed and 13 wounded ^[12] .

Cinema

• “Ahead of the Front Line” ( Etulinjan edessä ) is a 2004 Finnish-Swedish film about the military route during the “continuation war” of the 61st Regiment of the 17th Infantry Division and about its commander A. Martinen .

Comments

Sources

• Никитин В. Выборгский гамбит. Финская историография боев на балтийском побережье летом 1944 года. - SPb. : ООО "Издательство "Карелико", 2013. — 348 с. — ISBN 978-5-904261-13-9 .
• Иринчеев Б.К. Прорыв Карельского вала. Четвертый сталинский удар. — М. : Яуза-каталог, 2016. — С. 225-258. - 272 p. — ISBN 978-5-906716-52-1 .

• Журналы боевых действий (Из фондов ЦА МО РФ). Сайт "Память народа. 1941-1945"
• Фотоархив сил обороны Финляндии (SA-KUVA)