ORDER OF THE HANKO GROUP, 9/R, PART IV

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

(ORGANIZING RECONNAISSANCE AND OBSERVATION FOR THE ENCIRCLEMENT OF HANKO, WHICH IS BECOMING EMPTY) 

3rd of December 1941

8. Old phone lines must be removed from all those locations, which remain now without any troops. The phone lines must be left only to the most important areas. Commander of the artillery will be responsible for the phone lines of artillery. Constructing new phone lines must be avoided as much as possible. Only vital locations must be equipped with new phone lines. 

9. Those areas which are mined or booby-trapped, must be marked with a red marks and with warning signs. Those areas, which are free from mines and booby-traps, must be marked with white marks. 

10. The different sections must inform constantly me and the intelligence officer of Hanko Group, of the results of the reconnaissance and reaching the objectives. Additionally they need to make a proposal how the troops from the old frontline should be gathered and how observation positions should be arranged. 

11. I forbid all other persons, except those who are assigned to the above mentioned tasks, to move in the so-called rental area of Hanko. Section N (Os.N) must arrange guards to see that this ban is followed. Those persons who must go to the area, will be equipped with a pass by the chief of staff of Hanko Group or by the commander of Section N (Os.N). Also the troops, which are assigned to the above mentioned tasks, must be equipped with the pass. The pass must be collected away, once the task has been accomplished.

Commander of Hanko Group: Colonel Eino R. Koskimies.

Chief of Staff: Major J. Kiveliö.

- The gun position 47, a & b, can be still found from the area, although badly covered.

- The communication trenches, which have been mined into the rock, are very deep.

- The gun position, which would look to be partly collapsed.

- The same position as in the previous picture.

- It is difficult to shape out the edges of the communication trenches from this jungle.

- Next to the structure is at least one dugout remains.

- Communication trench, which leads to the second gun position in the area. In the background is the island of Bastholmen.

- View to the position. With a little work, this structure would also be an interesting tourist sight in the area. Next to the structure is the Sommarö marina, which at least during the summer time is a busy place.

- Stones next to the structure.

- Water has also occupied some of the positions and communication trenches.

- It would seem that bulrushes grows in the communication trenches and in the positions during the summer time.

- Communication trench, which has been dug to the ground. There is a stove in the middle of the trench, but it is in too good condition to be from the wartime.

- The communication trench, which has been dug to the ground, is in quite good shape.

- View from the gun position towards the firing direction. The position has been clearly defending the channel coming from north-west. Additionally any attack coming from the islands towards the mainland, would have been under a flanking fire from this gun position.