THE LAST RUSSIAN BASE IN SNALO SECTION, PART IV

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

4th of December 1941

- Because the two patrol missions hadn’t given a positive result, Major Henriksson gave an order to attack to Hästö-Busö during the next morning at 06:30. The troops would move out from Stora Valterholmen. In this attack, the Section Vanne would need to occupy a bridgehead and after this, the men of the 4th Company under the command of Cavalry Captain Weissenberg would perform the main attack. The artillery and mortars had received an order to fire the battery areas and the northern shore of Hästö-Busö. On 4th of December 1941 at 06:00 the troops moved to their starting positions and the action began as planned. Section Vanne crossed the sound between Valterholmen and Hästö-Busö with rowing boats. After this the 4th Company came in with motorboats to this bridgehead and began to clear out the island.

Corporal H. Hartella and Major L. Henriksson.

- The mined structure 445 can be still found from the area.

- The structure has been partly filled, so it is very likely that this structure will disappear from the landscape during the coming years.

- The pit, which has been mined, must have been a huge one as so much stones lies nearby of the structure.

- The edge of the structure still peaks out under the dead branches.

- Communication trench also leads into the structure and it would seem to be nearly ready, even when the structure is far from ready.

- View from the entrance.

- There is a bit of water at the bottom of the communication trench.

- A lot of barbed wire still remain in the area.

- The communication trench, which is very deep...

- ...continues...

- ...and continues...

- ...until finally ending near of the gun position 46, a & b. It is clear that the intention has been to connect the gun position and the accommodation bunker with a communication trench, but the work has not been quite finished.