ATTACK IN LAPPOHJA

(Hanko Cape in the Second World War, Niilo Lappalainen) 

21st of October 1941

- The Swedish volunteers (SFB) were given a task, to attack in the direction of Lappohja on 21st of October. The purpose of the attack was to identify the positions of the Russian heavy weapons. 

- At the same time, the Swedish volunteers should tie up as many Russian troops as possible, because part of the 55th Coastal Battalion would attack simultaneously on the right flank. 

- The attack started at 21:10 o'clock in the direction of the railroad. The Finnish artillery and mortars were firing to the advanced Russian positions. The purpose for the Finnish heavy guns, was to silence the Russian positions in the "Kouluvuori". 

- The area where the 24 men under the command of Lieutenant Åke Kretz were advancing was mined heavily and additionally there was a anti-tank obstacle, which was about three meters deep. 

- The patrol however managed to get through and destroyed two dugouts and pinpointed the locations of other Russian dugouts. The patrol got to their own lines, without casualties. In retaliation the Russian artillery started to fire to the area where the Swedish volunteers were based. Despite the heavy artillery fire, the Swedish commander ordered the men to line up and the squad leaders informed, that everyone was present. It was a miracle that no casualties occurred at this point.

- 453, a correct location.

- Here the emergency exit is also visible from the outside, although normally this pit would have been covered with loose stones, which the men could have moved away while digging their way out from the inside.

- A dome for the observation periscope. There are two of these domes in the Harparskog area, one for this bunker number 453 and the second one can be found from the bunker number 212.

- Bunker seen from a distance.

- Barbed wire covered chimney flue.

- The stone edging has retained its shape very well all through these years.

- A trench line leading towards the frontline area.

- Trench line connecting this bunker to the bunker number 307.

- Main entrance with the number visible, but I would assume from the shape of the numbers that it is not the original number from the war time, as the way that the numbers are drawn seems too "sloppy".

- The roof of the bunker.

- Interiors are really the same as in all of the accommodation bunkers. The iron bars, which are visible in the ceiling, once contained an inner ceiling. In some of the bunkers the inner ceiling is still remaining.

- Air pump with the hoses removed.