AAMULEHTI REPORTS, PART II

THE ISLANDS WEST OF HANKO HAVE BEEN CLEARED. 

GRAVE OF A SOVIET PILOT IS LOCATED IN HANKO

8th of December 1941

- The islands of Dödören and Gunnarsörarna on the west side of Hanko were occupied simultaneously. Dödören looked like a completely dead place. The shore was full of empty and full ammunition boxes and in the middle of a small forest was the yellow barracks, which looked strangely naked. Four guns were left here to their positions, which was build from concrete and stones. The guns were made unusable and so was the case in Gunnarsörarna. The smoke, which was rising from the tents, was the only sign of life here and the prisoners of war who were carrying the ammunition boxes to the pier.

- We continue our way to east, towards the city of Hanko and the Tulliniemi. Every rocky island, even those without vegetation has been fortified strongly. Barbed wire obstacles surround each of these and positions made from concrete and stone, are all over the islands. One can immediately see, that the Russians have spend a lot of time and work, to equip and fortify this base. Finally our motorboat reaches Tulliniemi. Its rocky shore is full of mines, which are cleverly hidden. There is a complete chaos in the breakwater. Few freight wagons have fallen into the sea and few still stands burned in the breakwater. A bit further away near of a storage building, we see a graveyard for the vehicles. About hundred vehicles and tractors stand there broken. The chaos is something, which is hard to imagine. There is even one armoured car in the middle of this. Everywhere around us, it is completely silent, only the strong wind is beating the shores with snow and covering the islands from where we just came, into a white veil.

- When looking from the sea, the city looks intact and even some of the windows from the warehouses in the shore have remained in one piece. But when looking even for a one single window from the city, which would have survived, we have to be disappointed. The Seurahuone building is looking at us, with huge black holes in the place, where windows once were located. In the field between of this building and the cemetery, there is a huge grave, which has been decorated with wreath. The text in the wreath says: The Hero of Soviet Union, pilot Antonjuk. A well known pilot from Hanko, who is also known by our troops.

TK - Leo Schulgin

- Structure, which is supposed to be located close to the structure 457 wasn't apparently ever build. It would have been a machine gun bunker/dugout. Structure 457 on the other hand would have offered accommodation areas for the machine gun bunker crew.