Red1917
Active Member
I've had this M27 for a while, actually got it at the HoCo gun show. Mangrove over on gunboards was able to find some great documentation on the rifle during his research of Finnish archives. Here's the rifle:
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The rifle was listed as belonging to one of the companies of Kevyt Osasto 6 (Machine Gun Company of Light Detachment 6) in early 1942, a bicycle infantry unit that was disbanded in early 1942 after Finnish troops had advanced enough at the Karelian Isthmus towards Leningrad and the older men were released from service. The unit was the spearhead of Finnish recapture of the Karelian Isthmus in 1941. Some records with the serial number recorded:
According to the unit war diary, the machine gun company was founded at the village of Kintaus on June 18th, 1941. Most of the men were from the municipality of Petäjävesi. The men gathered at Petäjävesi primary school between the 18th and 19th of June.
The machine gun company moved to Raiskila farm at Kintaus on the 20th of June. Apparently the firearms were issued at this time from a warehouse at Kintaus.
The company was transferred south-east via following waypoints:
June 22nd, Punkasalmi (Punkaharju) railway station,
June 22nd, Kesälahti and Hepovaara,
June 28th, “two kilometres from the border”,
June 30th, “across the border” in unknown location.
Here are some interesting snippets from the diary once they crossed the border:
“June 30th, 1941 At 20.00 Kevyt Osasto 6 crossed the border, proceeding in the direction Myötävaara - Rajala - Parikka. At 22.17, Detachment 1 encountered the enemy supported by two artillery batteries 700 meters south of the Kukkarniva bridge. The Detachment could not advance. Attempts were made to attack the enemy's back, circling Joutsenlampi - East of Varsalampi, but attemps were unsuccessful.
July 1st, 1941. At 10.30 a.m. Major Ehrnroth formed “Battle Division Ehrnroth” Vallden’s battalion and Kevyt Osasto 6. The attack began at 3.30pm with the battalion of Vallden and 2nd company of Kevyt Osasto 6 attacked under the leadership of Major Ehrnroth on the east side of Joutsenlampi - Varsalammi with the aim of the above-mentioned road. The rest of the Kevyt Osasto 6 attacked in the direction of Kankaala Road.
After the artillery preparations, Kankaala was captured at 4.15 pm, after which the heath of Varsalampi was reached. At 10.00 p.m, Koivuaho was reached, when at about 10.15 p.m Captain Hokkanen was killed. Ratsumestari Silen took command of the Detachment. As Jalkaväkirykmentti 28 continued the attack, the Detachment was assembled in the terrain of Myllymäki.
July 3rd, 1941. Scouting in the direction of Jaakkima. The new commander was Captain Sutela.
July 4th, 1941 At 6.00 the Detachment went to help Kuvaja battalion to Ristilahti.
July 5th, 1941 Still clearing the Ristilahti “motti”. 5 armored cars were destroyed.
August 13th, 1941. At 11.00 the attack started from Lapinmäki and at 19.00 Niva Station was in our possession.
August 14th, 1941. At 6.00 the attack continued and at 16.30 Oppola Road and Pajamäki were in our possession, defence line was as follows: Pykälämäki - Toukkalampi - Hepolampi - Tiilikkajärvi - north of Tiilikkajärvi to the west of point 83.5. At 5 p.m., an attack by an enemy convoy from the northeast was repulsed, 17 horses were killed.
August 17th, 1941. At 1 p.m., the Detachment received an order to march into the village of Reuskula, where Captain Sutela ordered the Detachment to group at Hill 52.5 for an attack to the hill 51.8 and towards the Sortavala highway with the task of clearing the hill 62.5 and Sikiö Island, finally aiming at the Nevalahti - Ahvenjärvi isthmus.
The attack began at 5 p.m. The enemy had begun a severe artillery concentration at 4:45 p.m. on the hill where the unit was regrouping, continuing until 5:30 p.m. At 5.15 pm, ratsumestari Paananen was killed. The Detachment, which had suffered heavy losses in artillery fire after repelling an enemy counterattack, defended itself on the north slope of Hill 51.8, from where it was ordered by Major Müller to draw to more favorable terrain to the south slope of Hill 52.5.
August 18th, 1941. At 3.00 the Detachment was moved to the southwest side of Sirkanniemi for regrouping. Ratsumestari Silen was appointed as th CO of the Detachment. At 4 pm, the Detachment moved to rest on the isthmus between Tiilikkajärvi and Latvajärvi by order of Major Inkinen.”
The diary continues through February of 1942, when the unit was disbanded. Although it doesn't tie the rifle to a specific person, it's amazing that this level of information exists, and is something I never thought I would be able to know about a rifle I owned. Thanks again to Mangrove for all his work preserving the history of these rifles for us.
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The rifle was listed as belonging to one of the companies of Kevyt Osasto 6 (Machine Gun Company of Light Detachment 6) in early 1942, a bicycle infantry unit that was disbanded in early 1942 after Finnish troops had advanced enough at the Karelian Isthmus towards Leningrad and the older men were released from service. The unit was the spearhead of Finnish recapture of the Karelian Isthmus in 1941. Some records with the serial number recorded:
According to the unit war diary, the machine gun company was founded at the village of Kintaus on June 18th, 1941. Most of the men were from the municipality of Petäjävesi. The men gathered at Petäjävesi primary school between the 18th and 19th of June.
The machine gun company moved to Raiskila farm at Kintaus on the 20th of June. Apparently the firearms were issued at this time from a warehouse at Kintaus.
The company was transferred south-east via following waypoints:
June 22nd, Punkasalmi (Punkaharju) railway station,
June 22nd, Kesälahti and Hepovaara,
June 28th, “two kilometres from the border”,
June 30th, “across the border” in unknown location.
Here are some interesting snippets from the diary once they crossed the border:
“June 30th, 1941 At 20.00 Kevyt Osasto 6 crossed the border, proceeding in the direction Myötävaara - Rajala - Parikka. At 22.17, Detachment 1 encountered the enemy supported by two artillery batteries 700 meters south of the Kukkarniva bridge. The Detachment could not advance. Attempts were made to attack the enemy's back, circling Joutsenlampi - East of Varsalampi, but attemps were unsuccessful.
July 1st, 1941. At 10.30 a.m. Major Ehrnroth formed “Battle Division Ehrnroth” Vallden’s battalion and Kevyt Osasto 6. The attack began at 3.30pm with the battalion of Vallden and 2nd company of Kevyt Osasto 6 attacked under the leadership of Major Ehrnroth on the east side of Joutsenlampi - Varsalammi with the aim of the above-mentioned road. The rest of the Kevyt Osasto 6 attacked in the direction of Kankaala Road.
After the artillery preparations, Kankaala was captured at 4.15 pm, after which the heath of Varsalampi was reached. At 10.00 p.m, Koivuaho was reached, when at about 10.15 p.m Captain Hokkanen was killed. Ratsumestari Silen took command of the Detachment. As Jalkaväkirykmentti 28 continued the attack, the Detachment was assembled in the terrain of Myllymäki.
July 3rd, 1941. Scouting in the direction of Jaakkima. The new commander was Captain Sutela.
July 4th, 1941 At 6.00 the Detachment went to help Kuvaja battalion to Ristilahti.
July 5th, 1941 Still clearing the Ristilahti “motti”. 5 armored cars were destroyed.
August 13th, 1941. At 11.00 the attack started from Lapinmäki and at 19.00 Niva Station was in our possession.
August 14th, 1941. At 6.00 the attack continued and at 16.30 Oppola Road and Pajamäki were in our possession, defence line was as follows: Pykälämäki - Toukkalampi - Hepolampi - Tiilikkajärvi - north of Tiilikkajärvi to the west of point 83.5. At 5 p.m., an attack by an enemy convoy from the northeast was repulsed, 17 horses were killed.
August 17th, 1941. At 1 p.m., the Detachment received an order to march into the village of Reuskula, where Captain Sutela ordered the Detachment to group at Hill 52.5 for an attack to the hill 51.8 and towards the Sortavala highway with the task of clearing the hill 62.5 and Sikiö Island, finally aiming at the Nevalahti - Ahvenjärvi isthmus.
The attack began at 5 p.m. The enemy had begun a severe artillery concentration at 4:45 p.m. on the hill where the unit was regrouping, continuing until 5:30 p.m. At 5.15 pm, ratsumestari Paananen was killed. The Detachment, which had suffered heavy losses in artillery fire after repelling an enemy counterattack, defended itself on the north slope of Hill 51.8, from where it was ordered by Major Müller to draw to more favorable terrain to the south slope of Hill 52.5.
August 18th, 1941. At 3.00 the Detachment was moved to the southwest side of Sirkanniemi for regrouping. Ratsumestari Silen was appointed as th CO of the Detachment. At 4 pm, the Detachment moved to rest on the isthmus between Tiilikkajärvi and Latvajärvi by order of Major Inkinen.”
The diary continues through February of 1942, when the unit was disbanded. Although it doesn't tie the rifle to a specific person, it's amazing that this level of information exists, and is something I never thought I would be able to know about a rifle I owned. Thanks again to Mangrove for all his work preserving the history of these rifles for us.
