Finnish Army (1939)

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The Finnish Army at the beginning of the Winter War in 1939 consisted of 9 field divisions, 4 brigades and a number of small independent battalions and companies. The Army was organised into three corps. The II and III Corps were organised into the Army of the Isthmus which was located on the Karelian Isthmus, the likely location for the main Soviet Attack. The IV Corps defended the area north of Lake Ladoga. The defence of the rest of the border up to Petsamo by the Arctic Ocean was given to the North Finland Group which consisted of a handful of independent battalions.

In order to organize replacements for the units a Field Replacement Brigade (Kenttätäydennysprikaati, KT-Pr) of nine battalions was formed. But due to the severity of the Soviet attack the battalions had to be used as combat troops. Also three Replacement Divisions or Home Replacement Divisions (1.Koti.TD - 3.Koti.TD) were formed from the available reservists. As the situation became more alarming the 1st and 3rd Replacement Divisions were reformed into the 21st and 23rd Divisions and sent to the front on December 19th. The 2nd Replacement Division was deployed as individual regiments to Northern Finland.

Contents 1 Order of battle 1.1 Army of the Isthmus 1.2 Independent formations 1.3 Reserves of C-in-C 2 External links

[edit] Order of battle

[edit] Army of the Isthmus

Army of the Isthmus (Kannaksen Armeija, KannA) under Lieutenant General Hugo Österman was located on the Karelian Isthmus.

• II Corps (II AK) under Lieutenant General Harald Öhquist
  • 4th Division
  • 5th Division
  • 11th Division

• III Corps (III AK) under Major General Erik Heinrichs.
  • 8th Division
  • 10th Division

• Reserve
  • 1st Division

Immediately by the border on the isthmus were the four delaying groups named after their location:

• U-Group at Uusikirkko (including the Cavalry Brigade)
• M-Group at Muolaa
• L-Group at Lipola
• R-Group at Rautu (including the 3rd Brigade of 1st Division)

[edit] Independent formations

IV Corps (IV AK) (in the Ladoga Karelia) under Major General Juho Heiskanen (from 4 December 1939 on Major General Woldemar Hägglund).

• 12th Division
• 13th Division

North Finland Group (Pohjois-Suomen Ryhmä) under Major General Wiljo Tuompo.

• Lapland Group (Lapin Ryhmä) in Salla and Petsamo
• North Karelian Group (Pohjois-Karjalan Ryhmä) in North Karelia

[edit] Reserves of C-in-C

• 6th Division (Southern Finland)
• 9th Division (Northern Finland)
• Field Replacement Brigade (KT-Pr)

[edit] External links

• The Finnish Army in the Winter War at winterwar.com
• Suomi m 1931 Militaria: Weapons