WAR STORIES FROM ÄÄNEKOSKI

Uuno HÄnninen's winter war

Uuno Hänninen 1914-2008

Uuno Hänninen 1914-2008

Uuno Hänninen, Private of the Reserve of the Finnish Defence Forces, was called to extra training a little before the Winter War. This was a code name for a general mobilization. On the 9th of October 1939, he reported for duty at the machine gun company of the III/JR28, the III Battalion of the Infantry regiment 28. At that time each three battalions of the infantry regiment had one machine gun company which were numbered 1.KKK, 2.KKK and 3.KKK (KKK = Finnish abbreviation for machine gun company). Thus, the machine gun company of the III battalion was called 3.KKK/JR28. Each battalion had also three rifle companies, and the companies of the III Battalion were called 7.K, 8.K and 9.K. Usually a machine gun company did not work uniformly but its maching gun groups were divided for the help of the rifle companies if necessary. Uuno Hänninen's duty was to work as a battle envoy of Second Lieutenant Tapio Pajari, leader of the II Troop of the 3.KKK.

10th DIVISION AND JR28

The JR28 was a part of the 10th Division, which was established by Central Finland's Military Disctrict. During the whole war it worked at the area of Taipale. It was one of the most famous battle places of the Winter War where the Finns' lines stayed till the end, despite the frenetic attacks of the Russian army. The first experience which the III/JR28 got with the enemy was already on the second day of the war, on the 1st of December 1939, at the line of Umpilampi, in front of the main defence position. From Umpilampi they withdrew on the same day to Burnaya River (also known as Taipaleenjoki), but some parts of the battalion stayed at Neosaari on the eastern side of Burnaya River, which was occupied until the Independence Day (6th of December) of the year 1939. At that point also the rest of the troops moved to the western side of the river after the Russians started the first more powerful attack in Taipale.

SECOND LIEUTENANT PAJARI FALLS IN BATTLE

The III/JR28 participated in the defence of the attack in the area of Terenttilä where the Russians crossed the Burnaya River. In the battles of the Independence Day the first man of the company who fell in battle was Uuno Hänninen's closest boss and the troop leader, Second Lieutenant Tapio Pajari. After these first battles the commander, Colonel Sihvonen, wanted to relieve himself of his duties. First it was Lieutenant Colonel Matti Nurmi and later, from the 17th of December 1939, Major Mauno von Schrowe who became the new commander. Captain Karl Lagerlöf continued as the commander of the III/JR28 and Lieutenant Kauko Siikki as the commanding officer of the 3.KKK.

RUSSIANS' GREAT ATTACK ON THE 15th OF DECEMBER 1939

When the Russians' next great attack began on the 15th of December 1939, the III/JR28 was staying on the front line in the area of Linnakangas, the left side of which bordered to Lake Ladoga and the positions were situated on a high lake bank. Besides, there were two defensive military fortifications made out of concrete, one of which was called Niittykasematti. The focus of the Russian attack was at the area where the II Battalion stayed in Terenttilä and at the area where the JR30 (Infantry Regiment 30) stayed in Kirvesmäki where the attacks of the enemy were repelled.

CORPORAL OF THE RESERVE

In the evening of the 16th of December 1939, the III/JR28 was moved into the reserve. Along with the others who served our country with distinction, Private Uuno Hänninen was nominated Corporal of the Reserve. There were no arguments for the nomination to be found at the National Archieves of Finland. On the same day, on the 21st of December 1939, Second Lieutenant Mauri Puranen from Viitasaari, became Uuno Hänninen's new boss and the leader of the troop. The next battle mission was to attack on the Boxing Day against the Russians who had come across the Lake Sukhodolskoye to Kelja. With the help of machine guns, the 7.K and the 9.K attacked which was stopped by the enemy. 27 men of the III/JR28 fell in the battle. After the attack, the battalion stayed as backup and returned to their accommodation area on the next day.

RENUMBERING OF THE UNITS

Around the end of the year the Finns renumbered their units in order to mislead the reconnaisance of the enemy. The 10.D became 7.D, and the JR28 became JR19. Thus, Uuno Hänninen's company became 3.KKK/JR19. January was a time of a more peaceful trench warfare, and the JR19 took turns on the front line at Terenttilä and Linnakangas with the regiment JR23 from Ostrobothnia. Also at this time the enemy's artillery, flight activity, and smaller attacks caused defeats to the Finns, for example on the 21st of January 1940, 2 men of the 3.KKK fell in battle.

GREAT ATTACK OF FEBRUARY

In February the Soviet Uniot started another great attack in Taipale. The III/JR19, which was on the front line in Terenttilä, faced the attack of the enemy on the 8th of February 1940 and lost to the enemy the bases 1 and 2, which where situated north of Mustaoja at the southern end of the swamp of Terenttilä. At the beginning of the evening, the Second Lieutenant Puranen received an order to secure the edge of the swamp with men armed with satchel charges and hand grenades. The bases were tried to be occupied back by counterattacks made by the I/JR19 and the II/JR23, but without any result.

BEING WOUNDED

According to a later testimony by Uuno Hänninen's troop leader Second Lieutenant Puranen, on the 10th of February 1940 Corporal Hänninen was with a group which went to change the machine gun group in front when it ended up in a grenade concentration of the enemy. Some of the men fell in battle, others were wounded. Just like the dead and the wounded, Uuno Hänninen lay on the ground. He was alive but unconscious because of the shock. However, he was not seriously wounded. Later it was discovered that both of his eardrums were damaged because of the air pressure caused by the strong explosion. The Russians continued their attack again on the 11th of February 1940 after three hours of fire preparation. However, in Terenttilä all the attacks were repelled in strict battles. The next night the III/JR19 moved back to have rest.

THE UNEXPERIENCED BATTALION DID NOT HOLD OUT

On the 18th of February 1940, the enemy succeeded in occupying Terenttilä's new bases 1 and 2 from the I/JR19. At night, however, they succeeded in occupying back the bases by a counterattack in which some parts of the III/JR19 also participated. In the next day's battles they succeeded in keeping the bases. At night on the 20th of February 1940 the fresh II/JR63 commanded by Major Tiiri changed the III/JR19 back to the area of Virstakivi to rest. The unexperienced battalion could not hold out but the enemy could brake in already during the same day on the 20th of February 1940 in the direction of the way leading to Virstakivi. The tired and worn-out III/JR19 had to cancel their resting and some parts of it were ordered to participate in occupying back the lost stations, in which they actually succeeded by the evening of the 22nd of February 1940.

8./JR19 TIRED TILL THE END

At night on the 22nd of February 1940, 30 minutes past the midnight, Lieutenant Vatanen, commanding officer of the company 8./JR19, informed that his men were totally exhausted and that they fall asleep in the trenches because of the constant counterattacks. After this, the III/JR19 was let to go back to rest, which went on for approximately a week. On the 1st of March 1940 the III/JR19 received again the area of Linnakangas. The Russians did not try to attack with greater forces at the area of Linnakangas during the whole Winter War, and also in the beginning of March it was relatively quiet there. The Light Detachment 7 changed the III/JR19 away from Linnakangas in the evening of the 6th of March 1940, but Second Lieutenant Puranen's machine gun troop still stayed in the area as a backup till the end of the Winter War.

PEACE ON THE 13th OF MARCH 1940 AT 11 A.M.

Peace was established on the 13th of March 1940 at 11 a.m. In Taipale, the positions of the Finns did give in but they never broke. On an undated bill the commanding officer of the company, Lieutenant Kauko Siikki, suggested Corporal Uuno Hänninen a 2nd Class Medal of Liberty. The commander of the battalion, Captain Lagerlöf, supported the bill but it never ended up in the Headquarters in order to be approved. Probably the papers of the battalion were lost when the battles went on intensely. Thus, Uuno Hänninen's name was not found in the dispatches of the Commander-in-chief in which the names of all receivers of medals of honor were mentioned. Corporal of the Reserve Uuno Hänninen was moved to civilian life on the 21st of May 1940.

WAR DIARIES OF THE III/JR19 IN THE ARCHIEVES OF WAR

In the Archieves of War, no war diaries of the 3.KKK/JR 19(28) can be found. They have been lost in the battles of the Winter War. Instead, the war diary of the III Battalion can be found as a whole set in the Archieves of War, beginning from the 10th of October 1939 and ending on the 10th of August 1940.

WAR DIARIES OF THE III/JR19(28), FROM THE 10th OF OCTOBER 1939 TILL THE 30th OF NOVEMBER 1939

The series of the war diary begins from the mobilization of the regiment and the things made along with it and continues with the repairs of the defense positions on the upcoming defense line. The war diary ends when the Winter War starts when the Russians start an artillery concentration against the Finnish positions.

WAR DIARIES OF THE III/JR19, FROM THE 30th OF NOVEMBER 1939 TILL THE 11th OF FEBRUARY 1940

The war diary begins on the 30th of November 1939 at 03:15 a.m. when the regiment receives a telephone message according to which Russians had broken off the diplomatic relations with Finland. Because of this, the commander of the regiment and the adjutant were ordered to inmediately move to Pärssinen. The war diary ends with the atmospheres of the Russians' great attack in Taipale.

WAR DIARIES OF THE III/JR19, FROM THE 11th OF FEBRUARY 1940 TILL THE 10th OF AUGUST 1940

The war diary begins with the atmospheres of the Russians' great attack on the 11th of February 1940 and ends with the events of the battalion during the summer 1940 after the peace had been established.

THE LIGHT DETACHMENT 7, FROM THE 7th OF MARCH 1940 TILL THE 17th OF JULY 1940

The Light Detachment 7 changed the III/JR19 away from Linnakangas in the evening of the 6th of March 1940. However, some parts of the 3.KKK/JR19(28) were subordinated to the Light Detachment 7 and they stayed there until the end of the Winter War. The war diary begins with the point of subordination and continues until the events of the summer 1940 in the detachment, after the peace had been established.

III/JR28 DISPATCH NUMBER 1, ON THE 13th OF SEPTEMBER 1939

The dispatch number 1, signed by the commander of the III Battalion, Captain Vilho Korte on the 13th of September 1939, in which the commanding officers and the troop leaders of the companies of the battalion are ordered. The dispatch is validated by the adjutant Second Lieutenant Savolainen.

ALPHABETIC NAME LIST OF THE 3.KKK/JR19, ON THE 13th OF OCTOBER 1939

The alphabetic name list of the machine gun company of the III Battalion on the 13th of October 1939. In the list there are persons' name, military rank, number of the dog tag, date when reported for duty, and in some cases a close relative is mentioned, which often is the wife. Apparently the number of children is also mentioned in the table.

WORKS CITED

  1. http://www.propatria.fi
  2. Archieves of War