STRONG ARTILLERY FIRE, PART II

(History of the Hanko Group, T-22005, Military Archives of Finland)

8th of October 1941

- Immediately after the Russians had started to fire, I opened fire with all my batteries to the nearby islands, from where the Russian infantry weapons had opened fire. Sometimes an enormous yell could be heard from the islands, just like the Russians would have started an attack. Because of this, our artillery fired and dealt the eastern shore of Hästö and the shores of Björkholmen, Vrakholmen, Stora Valterholmen, Långholmen and Grislom. At the same time we were also firing with two batteries to Koö and with the battery Ranta, which was subordinated to us, to Hästö. All of the other Russian batteries we managed to silence, except the battery in Långskär, which was still firing.

- At 8:30 our fire control position in Stoskär received a direct hit. 2nd Lieutenant Merikangas and gunners Sipola and Ovaska were wounded. Ovaska was wounded fatally. Only after the enemy fire control position in Björkholmen had been destroyed, did the enemy artillery in Långskär stop firing. 

Captain T. Louhivuori

- Ladders into the observation cupola.

- Embrasure for the machine gun with the sound isolation visible on the walls. Generally speaking the areas where the sound isolation was missing, it echoed horribly.

- Rust has almost eaten the stove.

- An old bucket lies on the floor.

- Technical equipment of this bunker, with the main difference being that there is no well. Instead a reservoir has been placed to the bunker to provide water. All of the bunkers were normally equipped with a well, but if that was not possible, then a reservoir was placed instead.

- Embrasure for the anti-tank gun has been blocked effectively. The air pipes to which the half-masks were connected still remain.

- To the outside.

- The whole bunker, with a particular striking colour.

- Moss now grows on the wall.

- Both embrasures and the "flank wing".

- Barbed wire still surrounds and protects the observation cupola.

- Entrance to the interiors.

- Armor plate is still attached firmly to the embrasure.

- Traces from the camouflage paint can be still seen in the observation cupola.

- The numbers have faded away and only the number 3 can be seen fairly easily.