Battle of Tali-Ihantala

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Battle of Tali-Ihantala
Part of the Continuation War

Finnish soldiers marching next to a destroyed Soviet T-34 tank
Date June 25 to July 9, 1944
Location Karelian Isthmus, Finland
Result Decisive Finnish Victory
Combatants
Finland
Germany		 Soviet Union
Commanders
Karl Lennart Oesch Dmitrii N. Gusev
Strength
50,000 [1] 150,000 [1]
Casualties
1,100 killed
1,100 missing
6,300 wounded[1]		 4,500-5,500 killed
13,500-14,500 wounded[2][3]
Continuation War
Silberfuchs – Hanko – Uhtua-Kiestinki – Repola-Rukajärvi – Porlammi – 1st Tuulos – Suursaari – Fourth strategic offensive – Valkeasaari – Kuuterselkä – Siiranmäki – Tali-Ihantala – 2nd Kollaa – Syväri – Bay of Viipuri – Vuosalmi – 2nd Tuulos – Nietjärvi – Ilomantsi
Map of the Karelian Isthmus. The River Vuoksi can be seen originating from near the city Imatra.
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Map of the Karelian Isthmus. The River Vuoksi can be seen originating from near the city Imatra.
Parts of Karelia, as they are traditionally divided.
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Parts of Karelia, as they are traditionally divided.

The Battle of Tali-Ihantala (June 25 to July 9, 1944) was part of the Continuation War (1941-1944) between Finland and the Soviet Union that occurred during World War II. German units also took part in the battle on Finnish side. The battle ended in a decisive Finnish victory which ultimately ensured Finnish independence.

Contents

[edit] Background

Main article: Continuation war

After the initial Finnish offensive of 1941, the Continuation War was stabilized to trench warfare with very little activity on either side. When the Siege of Leningrad was lifted January 1944, Stavka received orders to plan an offensive against Finland to push it out of war.

The Soviet attack on the Finnish front commenced on the Karelian Isthmus on June 9, 1944, (coordinated with the Allied Invasion of Normandy). Three armies were pitted there against the Finns, among them several Guard formations - Soviet crack troops.

The attack soon breached the Finnish front line of defence in Valkeasaari on June 10 and the Finnish forces retreated to their secondary defence line, the Vammelsuu-Taipale (V-T) line. The Soviet attack was supported by a massive artillery barrage, air bombardments and armoured forces.

The VT-line was breached in Sahakylä and Kuuterselkä on June 14 and after a failed counterattack in Kuuterselkä by the Finnish armoured division the Finnish defence had to be pulled back to the VKT-line (Viipuri (Vyborg) - Kuparsaari - Taipale).

The abandoment of VT-line was followed by a week of retreat and delaying battles. The Soviet offensive was crowned when the city of Viipuri (Vyborg) was captured by the Soviets on June 20 with only a short battle.

Mannerheim had asked for German help on June 12, and on June 16 the Flight detachment Kuhlmey arrived in Finland. A few days later the battalion sized 303. Assault Gun Brigade and the 122nd Division Greif had also arrived but after that the Germans offered only supplies, among which the Panzerfaust anti-tank weapons were the most important.

Finland sued for peace on June 21, and the Soviet Union replied that only unconditional surrender was acceptable, so Finland refused. The German Foreign Minister Ribbentrop arrived on June 22 and demanded a guarantee that Finland would fight to the end as a precondition of continued German military support. President Ryti gave this guarantee as a personal undertaking.

On June 21 Stavka ordered the Leningrad front to breach the VKT-line at Tali, and to advance to Lake Saimaa.

[edit] Forces

Finnish:

German:

Soviet:

  • Soviet 21st Army (Col.Gen Dmitrii N. Gusev) (15 divisions)
    • XXX Guards Corps
    • XCVII Corps
    • CVIII Corps
    • CIX Corps

[edit] The terrain

The Battle of Tali-Ihantala was fought in a small area (100 km²) between the Gulf of Viipuri and the River Vuoksi.

The Soviet attack was concentrated on the area east of the city of Viipuri (Vyborg), from the southern village of Tali to north towards Ihantala. This was the only suitable terrain for armoured forces on the Karelian Isthmus, 10 km wide and limited by lakes and the River Vuoksi on the east.

[edit] Tali: June 25-June 30

Sturmgeschütz-Brigade 303 on the move.
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Sturmgeschütz-Brigade 303 on the move.
Finnish StuG III Ausf. G assault guns.
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Finnish StuG III Ausf. G assault guns.

The fighting in the area began on June 25, and on June 30 the Finnish forces retreated from Tali. The heaviest fighting took place between July 1 and July 2 when the Finns lost some 800 men per day.

[edit] Ihantala: July 1-July 9

The following Finnish concentration of artillery fire was the heaviest in the country's military history[4]. It was based on the famed fire correction method of a Finnish Artillery General Vilho Petter Nenonen which enabled easy fire correction and quick changes of targets[1]. At the critical Ihantala sector of the battle the Finnish defenders managed to concentrate their fire to the extent of smashing the advancing Soviet spearhead[4].

In the praised Russian book Bitva za Leningrad 1941-1944 ("The Battle of Leningrad") edited by Lieutenant General S.P. Platonov:

"The repeated offensive attempts by the Soviet Forces failed ... to gain results. The enemy succeeded in significantly tightening its ranks in this area and repulse all attacks of our troops ... During the offensive operations lasting over three weeks, from June 21 to mid-July, the forces of the right flank of the Leningrad front failed to carry out the tasks assigned to them on the orders of the Supreme Command issued on June 21."

By this time the Finnish army had concentrated half of its artillery in the area, along with the army's only armoured division, with StuG III assault guns as its primary weapon and German 303. assault gun brigade. The defenders now finally had the new German anti-tank weapons that were previously kept in storage.

Finnish soldiers in a foxhole. One of the soldiers is holding a Panzerfaust
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Finnish soldiers in a foxhole. One of the soldiers is holding a Panzerfaust

On July 2 the Finns intercepted a radio message, according to which the Soviet 63rd Division and 30th Armored Brigade were to launch an attack on July 3 at 04:00 hours. The following morning, two minutes before the supposed attack, 40 Finnish and 40 German bombers bombed the Soviet troops, and 250 guns fired total of 4,000 artillery shells into the area of the Soviets. On the same day, beginning at 06:00, 200 Soviet planes and their infantry attacked against the Finnish troops. By 19:00 the Finnish troops had restored their lines.

On July 6 the Soviet forces had some success, despite of the Finnish 6th Division's support of 18 artillery battalions and one heavy battery for their defence. However, the Soviets were thrown back on the following day, and their counterattacks at 13:30 and 19:00 that day did not mount to success. By July 7 the focus of the Soviet attacks was already changing to the area of Vuoksi and the Soviets now began transferring their best troops to Estonia, to fight the Germans. From July 9th on the Soviet troops no longer attempted a break-through. Nevertheless, smaller fighting continued.

[edit] Losses

The Finnish sources estimate that Soviet army lost about 300 tanks in the Tali-Ihantala[1], mainly to air attacks and close defence weapons. 120-280 Soviet aircraft were shot down.[citation needed]

The Finnish army reports that 8,561 men were wounded, missing and/or killed in action. Based on the daily and 10-day summary casualty reports of the Soviet 21. Army the Soviets reported their losses as about 18,000-22,000 killed or wounded. The uncertainty about casualties rises from the fact that 25% of the forces of 21. Army didn't participate in the battle. However, the possibility exists that the Soviet Union gave a lower casualty number for purposes of morale.[citation needed]

[edit] Impact

The Battle of Tali-Ihantala finally convinced the Soviet leadership that conquering Finland was - if not impossible - extremely hard, and not worth the cost. The Red Army, which for the previous two years had marched from one victory to another at the other scenes of World War II, had concentrated an overwhelming force against Finland and failed.

The Battle of Tali-Ihantala was possibly the single most important battle fought in Finland's Continuation War, as it largely determined the outcome of the entire war - or more precisely, the final outcome of two sequential wars, including the Winter War of 1939-1940 - and the following and final peace negotiations between Finland and the Soviet Union, while the World War II was still going on.

A part of the reasons leading to the Soviet failure was that the Finns were able to intercept the Soviet radio messages and to forewarn and prompt the Finnish Army to put a firmly resolved defence. Also, the existence of the Finnish Salpa Defence Line was an important matter in the peace negotiations in Autumn 1944.

It remains unanswered whether or not the Soviet Union would have had enough adequate resources for defeating Finland, if some of its forces were not needed elsewhere, and/or if its forces were not so strongly sponsored by USA.

Nevertheless, the Finnish armed forces had made conquering Finland at least far too costly, if not even impossible. What had taken place on the Finnish Karelian Isthmus in the end of the summer 1944, led to the final peace talks between Finland and the Soviet Union, and to Finland's continued existence as an autonomous and independent nation. The cease-fire between the Soviet Union and Finland began 07:00 September 4, 1944, although for the following 24 hours the Red Army failed to comply with it.

[edit] Related operations

At the same time, the Soviet 59th Army attacked across the islands of the Bay of Viipuri from July 4th on, but the attack to the mainland was thrown back to the sea by the German 122nd Division of the V AK on July 10th.

After the Soviet failure at Tali on July 3, the Soviet 23rd Army attempted crossing the River Vuoksi on July 4 at Vuosalmi, but was not able to expand the beachhead, despite of the fact that it had three divisions there against the Finnish 2nd Division. The Soviet breakthrough attempts lasted there until July 21st.

Before the end of the war the Finns were still able to encircle two more Soviet divisions near Ilomantsi. By July 12th the Soviet Union was ready to discuss peace terms with Finland.

In addition to the defensive victory gained at Tali-Ihantala, the front line held fast at Kivisilta and Tienhaara to the north of the Bay of Viipuri, and at Vuosalmi on the shores of the River Vuoksi. Further defensive victories were achieved at the Bay of Viipuri and on the northeast side of the Lake Ladoga, and in the Battle of Ilomantsi the Soviet contingent was besieged.

On July 12, the Soviet troops received an order to stop their attempts to advance and to dig in. Soon, the Finnish scouts noticed trains with empty trucks advancing towards the city of Viipuri to take troops away from the Finnish front. They were needed for the great push towards Berlin.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e Koskimaa, Matti, Veitsenterällä, 1993, ISBN 951-0-18811-5, WSOY
  2. ^ Archives of Soviet Ministry of Defence, daily casualty reports of 21. Army June 29 - July 10, 1944, 10-day casualty summaries of 21. Army, June-July 1944. Daily reports consists 3,198 KIA, 363 MIA and 13,125 WIA. With the information of 10-day summaries, the casualties of the first four days of the battle could be estimated, which gives total Soviet losses to about 22,000 from which 4,500-5,500 KIA/MIA. According to Soviet military medication statistics from the wounded, about 6% died to their wounds, and those would not be included in the numbers above.
  3. ^ Manninen, Ohto, Molotovin coctail, Hitlerin sateenvarjo, 1994, ISBN 951-37-1495-0, Painatuskeskus
  4. ^ a b Maanpuolustuskorkeakoulun historian laitos, Jatkosodan historia 1-6, 1994
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