A FLAME THAT FOR A SHORT WHILE LOOKS LIKE A POPLAR DRAWN BY FIRE, PART I

(Hanko Besieged, Edited by Pelle Lindholm) 

July 1941 - August 1941

- The tenant has emphasized his cold attitude towards the host, by building a wall or a curtain between them and us. The wall is made from leafy trees (It's strange what the Russians have against coniferous trees), which are already dead and form an ugly and impermeable fence, from an nosy eyes. We have already sent everything else through the fence, but without an result. During the night, one patrol will move out in order to burn the fence down.

- It is nearly a perfect night for such an attempt. A thick fog rises from the ground in the mild summer night and the smoke from the numerous forest fires mixes to the fog. The moon is shining though, but in this ghostly lighting one cannot spot any figures too clearly. We think, that we can safely walk with our heads high, after we have passed the hill, with only the leafy fence separating us in the open ground from the tenant.

- The patrol moves out during the mid night. The two Danes have volunteered for the mission, two harden sinners, who's conscience carries several night attacks against the Russian. One of the Danes I hear is a trapper in civilian life and his civilian profession of course inspire several humorous notes. The third man for the patrol is moved to a position, from where he can cover the patrol with his light-machine gun, when the patrol starts to return to our own lines. At first we can distinguish the two men against the clear sea, when they advance in the shoreline. When they have moved for a few tens of meters, they arrive to the first Russian barbed wire obstacle. The noise from cutting the barbed wire is audible to us. I would assume, that the metallic clicks should be also heard to the Russian side in the quiet night. No reaction however comes from the Russian side. The patrol now is nowhere to be seen, most likely they are now crawling towards their objective.

TK - Laurin Zilliacus

- Not much is remaining from the structure 250. There is a very distinct knoll in otherwise a flat area. On top of the knoll are few remains from the dugouts and a short section from the trench line would seem to remain at the bottom of the knoll. At first it looked like a ditch, but then again the ditch does not lead to anywhere.

- View from the trench line offers still a clear view to the shoreline.

- View to the supposed trench.

- Shoreline in Pargas. Picture taken towards Långstrand peninsula.

- View on top of the knoll, where few remains from the dugouts can be just and just pointed out. Not much is remaining, just a slight depressions on the ground.

- The same remains as in the previous picture, just seen from a different direction.

- Second remains, which is a bit easier to shape out from the picture.

- The same remains just seen from a different direction.