Finland Air Force

[gekho]

The journey to get the Messerschmitt Me-109s to Finland started on the 10th of February 1943 and took one month. The first seventeen pilots to ferry the fighters to Finland were: Ehrnrooth, Lahtela, Ervi, Puhakka, Pekuri, Euramo, Pokela, Tervo, Myllylä, Lehtonen, Nyholm, Juutilainen, Tuominen, Fräntilä, Lönnfors, Mäittälä and Peltola. The Finnish team traveled by air with a DC-2 from Helsinki to Berlin and from there to Werneuchen Air Base close to Berlin for Messerschmitt conversion training. Pokela was hurt during the conversion training, when the engine of his Me-109 caught fire at 200 m altitude after a touch-and-go landing and he had to make a forced landing. He had to be flown to Finland in the transport plane. "Manu" Fräntilä flew during the next three weeks 1 h 25 min with the Me-109E and 2 h 30 min with the Me-109G. The Germans had planned for more training, but the leader of the group, squadron commander Maj. Erkki "Immeli" Ehrnrooth thought that they had already spent enough time at Werneuchen and it was time to move on. In the beginning of March the Finnish team traveled by rail to Vienna and arrived there on the 9th of March 1943. The Finns waited a few days in Vienna for the word from the large Messerschmitt factory at Wiener-Neustadt that the fighters for Finland were ready for the acceptance test flights. The Finns flew the test flights over the Alps with great scenery.

The Finnish group took of from Wiener-Neustadt on the 10th of March 1943 and headed to Breslau. All aircraft had not been test-flown and the plan was that if there were any trouble with them they should land after circling the airfield. All fighters worked well so the group headed to the first destination. The Finns flew in four independent four-ship groups led by Ehrnrooth, Ervi, Lahtela and Puhakka. The visibility deteriorated immediately after takeoff and Fräntilä noticed that his fuel tanks weren't as full as they were supposed to be. They strayed left from their course and found a divert field short of their destination. With red "fuel low" lights on Fräntilä and Nyholm landed Rosenborn airfield, refueled and took off for a 10 min flight to Schöngarten Air Base at Breslau and joined Lahtela and Euramo there. Also Puhakka's group had landed on the way for refueling. From Schöngarten the groups flew via Thorn and Königsberg to Riga. When they took off from Riga Capt. Lahtela's canopy opened and his leather flight jacket was lost. The group landed at Riga to fix the aircraft and to fish Lahtela's jacket from the sea. They couldn't fix the canopy and so Lahtela, Ervi and Euramo stayed at Riga until March 14. On the 13th of March 1943 thirteen Messerschmitt Me-109-G-2s landed at Helsinki Malmi airfield.

 

[gekho]

The new Me-109s were used immediately for alert duties from Malmi airfield in the eastern suburbs of Helsinki. Only ten days after the arrival at Malmi Ilmari Juutilainen and Capt. "Pive" Ervi scrambled with the Me-109s and "Illu" Juutilainen shot down a PE-2 bomber over the Gulf of Finland close to the island of Suursaari. When the group was flying from Thorn to Königsberg Euramo had problems with his engine and he had to leave his Messerschmitt at Königsberg. The DC-2 "Hanssin Jukka" was again escorting the Messerschmitt team and Euramo hitchhiked a ride to Finland in the transport plane. When the team landed at Riga an order had arrived from the Finnish Air Force HQ telling Euramo to go back to Königsberg by rail to wait for the repairs. He was to fly the fighter immediately to Finland when it was ready. Euramo had to wait a week at Königsberg before he could fly the aircraft to Finland. The other Messerschmitts landed at Helsinki on the 16th of May 1943. These planes were mainly used ones while the first 16 Messerschmitts were new. The total number of Messerschmitt Me-109s that the Finnish Air Force purchased during 1943 - 44 was 162.

 

[Crimea_River]

Great stuff here!

 

[Gnomey]

Good stuff!

 

[Wayne Little]

That wouldn't be a bad idea Wayne, would make a nice change.

Good stuff!

If I can get a certain scarce decal sheet I will...!!

 

[gekho]

VL Pyry was a Finnish low-winged, two-seated fighter trainer aircraft, built by the State Aircraft Factory (Valtion lentokonetehdas) for use with the Finnish Air Force. The Pyry was in use from 1939 to 1962. The aircraft was a mixed construction of wood, steel, fabric, and duraluminium. The Finnish Air Force ordered a prototype of the aircraft in 1937. It was to be called VL Pyry I and carried the identification number PY-1.

The chief designer was Arvo Ylinen, and the other persons of the design team were Martti Vainio, Torsti Verkkola, and Edward Wegelius. The first flight was made on March 29 1939 by the factory test pilot, Lieutenant Jorma Visapää. The FAF ordered 40 aircraft in May and the aircraft were quickly constructed and were ready in spring of 1941. These aircraft were known as VL Pyry II and their identification numbers were PY-2 - PY-41. The first unit to be equipped with Pyrys was the Air Force School in Kauhava, in 1941. The aircraft was used to train pilots for 20 years and it was one of the most successful Finnish airplane constructions. Around 700 pilots were trained in the aircraft and the type accumulated over 56,000 flying hours. The first accident with a Pyry happened in March 1943, when major E.O. Ehrnrooth stressed the aircraft too hard. Ehrnooth, who was the commander of a Messerschmitt Bf 109 squadron, died in the accident. The last flight with the Pyry was made in Härmälä on 7 September 1962. Captain Veikko Hietamies was the pilot of the PY-1 and senior lieutenant Keijo Elio piloted the PY-27.

 

[gekho]

The Finnish Air Force signed an agreement on 24 March 1934 for the purchase of seventeen Bristol Bulldog Mk.IVA fighters. The aircraft were to be used as front-line fighters and were delivered to the country in February 1935. The serial numbers were 7810 to 7826 and they were coded from BU-59 to BU-75. After the outbreak of the Winter War, the Swedish State donated two Bulldog Mk.IIAs, which were received on 15 December 1939, and coded BU-214 and BU-216. The Swedish Air Force called the Bulldog for J7 (J=jaktflygplan which means fighter) and used twelve between 1931 and 1940. On 7 November 1938 the Finnish Bulldogs were transferred to LLv 26 of Lentorykmentti 2 (2nd Flying Regiment) and this were they were in service at the time of the outbreak of the Winter War on 30 November 1939. The Squadron was at the time under the command of kapteeni (Captain) Erkki Heinilä and based at Heinjoki (Heinilä was to leave command to majuri Raoul Harju-Jeanty during December). The 2nd and 3rd Flights (these Flights were flying Fokker D.XXIs) of the squadron were subordinate to LLv 24. The remaining of the squadron was called Osasto (Detachment) Heinilä and tasked with interception and protection duties in the rear lines of the Karelian Isthmus with ten remaining Bulldogs. The first contact between Soviet aircraft and Finnish fighters happened at 11:45-11:55 on 1 December 1939 when six Polikarpov I-16s from 7 IAP jumped a Bulldog pair of LLv 26. While the other Bulldog was separated, BU-64 piloted by ylikersantti Toivo Uuttu was left alone to fight the Russians. After scoring hits on one I-16, he himself was also shot down and he crashed at Muolaanjärvi getting injured in the process. Uuttu's victim also crashed and became the first aerial victory ever over Finland. Since the claim wasn't witnessed it was only credited to his as a probable.

The fighters of 7 IAP claimed one reconnaissance aircraft shot down. On 6 December, the detachment moved to Mensuvaara and three days later on to Käkisalmi. On 23 December, a patrol led by luutnantti Pentti Tevä took off on an interception mission towards Lake Laatokka (Ladoga). Over Käkisalmi at 11:55, they encountered a formation of 6 to 7 SBs from 24 SBAP, which were bombing from the altitude of 1700 m and 100 meters above clouds. Tevä shot one down and it crashed into the Lake Ladoga confirmed by the coastal units. Lentomestari Lennart Mildh dove after the formation but could not gain enough speed until surprisingly one SB passed beneath him. He had an opportunity to fire at the SB for several minutes. The SB received hits and dove steep into a low-lying cloud and Mildh was credited with a damaged aircraft.

On 25 December, a formation of forty SBs escorted by twenty I-16s approached to bombard Käkisalmi. A swarm of Heinilä's Bulldogs took off in defence and shot down one of the escorting fighters while the bombers managed to escape. At 12:00 on 27 December 1939, kersantti Valio Porvari claimed a damaged I-16 over Käkisalmi. On 28 December the detachment moved with five Bulldogs to Immola and on to Parola. On the last day of 1939, the unit moved to the ice-covered Lake Littoinen for protection of the city of Turku (Åbo) in Western Finland.

22 bombers were reported over Turku on 31 December, dropping 105 bombs without human losses. The port tug Vetäjä III was sunk by a direct bomb hit, and the mud-lifter Karhu was damaged and sank later. Several buildings were damaged. The Bulldogs of Osasto Heinilä attempted to intercept the bombers and reported some hits. This was fifteen SBs of 10 AB flying in waves at 3,500 – 4,000 meters altitude, which returned reporting that they had bombed seven transports in the port. On 14 January 1940 Turku was bombed again and several buildings were destroyed. Six Bulldogs of the Osasto Heinilä/LLv 26 took off from Littoinen. One SB was shot down jointly by lentomestari Lauri Lautamäki (BU-72) and AA artillery. The bomber crashed at Perniö.
The bomber was from 10 AB, which reported that ten SB2 bombed fuel stores in the port of Turku.

During January there were numerous combat engagements but the detachment didn't manage to claim any further victories. On 2 February the detachment's remaining Bulldogs were submitted to Täydennyslentorykmentti 2 (2nd Conversion Regiment) and the personnel returned to LLv 26. After the end of the Winter War in April, the Bulldogs were transferred to T-LLv 35 and LLv 34. At the outbreak of the Continuation War on 22 June 1941, these units still had eight Bulldogs in working order. Some of them were later in service in T-LLv 17, before all the remaining seven Bulldogs were submitted to LeSK (Air Fighting School) in the summer of 1942. Three Bulldogs broke down during the rest of that year, two during the following year. The very last mission with a Finnish Bulldog ended when BU-59 overturned during landing on 22 February 1944. During the Winter War Finnish Air Force claimed 2 victories with Bulldogs (all with pilots from LLv 26). During the same period, LLv 26 lost one Bulldog in combat (on 01/12/39).

 

[Gnomey]

Good stuff!

 

[AARP Hurricane]

Blenhiem Mk 1

 

[AARP Hurricane]

Blenhiem Mk IV

 

[Gnomey]

Good shots!

 

[Wayne Little]

Cool!

 

[rochie]

some amazing picture there !

 

[Wayne Little]

Expecting to see some more pics mate!

 

[gekho]

During the Winter War, the Finnish Air Force (FAF) obtained 30 Mk II fighters from the UK. Ten of the aircraft were donated while the other 20 were bought by the FAF; all were delivered between 18 January and 16 February 1940. The Finnish Gladiators served until 1945, but they were outclassed by the more modern Soviet fighters during the Continuation War. The aircraft was mostly used for reconnaissance from 1941 onwards. The Finnish Air Force obtained 45 aerial victories by 22 pilots with the aircraft type during the Winter War and one victory during the Continuation War. Twelve Gladiators were lost in combat during the Winter War and three during the Continuation War. Two pilots became aces with this aircraft: Oiva Tuominen (6.5 victories with Gladiators) and Paavo Berg (five victories).

Besides the FAF Gladiators, the Swedish Voluntary Air Force, responsible for the air defence of northern Finland during the later part of the war, was also equipped with Gladiator fighters, designated as J8s (Mk Is) and J8As (Mk IIs) by the Swedes. The Flying Regiment F 19 arrived in Finnish Lapland on 10 January 1940, and remained there until the end of the hostilities. It fielded 12 Gladiator Mk II fighters, two of which were lost during the fighting, and five Hawker Hart dive bombers, plus a Raab-Katzenstein RK-26 liaison aircraft and a Junkers F.13 transport aircraft. The aircraft belonged to and were crewed by the Swedish Air Force, but flew with Finnish nationality markings. The Swedish Gladiators scored eight aerial victories and destroyed a further four aircraft on the ground. One concern was expressed when F 19's executive officer Captain Björn Bjuggren wrote in his memoirs that the tracer rounds of the Gladiator's machine guns would not ignite the gasoline when penetrating the fuel tanks of Soviet bombers.

 

[Wayne Little]

Good stuff! keep it coming...

 

[Gnomey]

Nice shots!

 

[gekho]

5 SB-2s had been salvaged from aircraft shot down over Finland during the Winter War by 25 June 1941. They were assigned to LeLv 6 for anti-shipping missions. Most of these had M-103 engines and were, commonly, but incorrectly, called SB-2bis. 3 more were delivered during the late summer of 1941 while one crashed on 2 August. 16 were purchased from Germany, but delivery was very protracted and almost all needed thorough overhaul before they were usuable. All were brought up to the same standard, even the sole SB-2 with M-100 engines. During 1942 they were on anti-submarine patrols, sinking 2 and damaging several others. The first flight of LeLv 6 was converted to the SB-2 by October 1942. Occasionally they were flown on ordinary bombing missions, but not very often. Not one was lost on operations, but 7 were lost through accidents during the Continuation War. They ended their service by hunting German U-boats in the Baltic, not suprisingly without success.

- SB-2M-100A, Unit: 2/LeLv 6, Serial: VP-8 (SB-8). Numella, Summer 1941. Aircraft was captured by Finn during Winter War. Three markings of the sink ship (on 10 July, 25 July and 24 August of 1941.). In the Winter 1943 SB-6 and SB-8 were converted to the type USB, the trainer version of the aircraft.
- SB-2M-103, Unit: 2/LeLv 6, Serial: SB-1. Pilot - Lt.Erkki Forsten. Helsinki-Malmi, Finland, October 1942.
- SB-2M-103, Unit: 2/LeLv 6, Serial: SB-10. Autumn 1942. Finns got this aircraft on 5 November 1941. Since 13 August 1942 this plane operated in 2/LeLv 6.
- SB-2M-103,Unit: 2/LeLv 6, Serial: SB-10. Autumn 1942. Finns got this aircraft on 5 November 1941. Since 13 August 1942 this plane operated in 2/LeLv 6.
- SB-2M-103, Unit: 1/LeLv 6, Serial: SB-19. Turku, Spring-Summer 1943. Finns got this aircraft in April of 1942.

Source: WINGS PALETTE - Tupolev SB/B.71 - Finland

 

[Wayne Little]

 

[4trade]

Great presentation, Gekho!

I put here a link to the museum, that have some of those Finnish planes: Keski-Suomen Ilmailumuseo

Go Exhibitions...and Main Exhibition....you see some of those planes. There is that Pyörremyrsky (Tornado) too, shame that camera don´t show it. If you go WW2, it is just behind that Messerschmitt