HANKO GROUP ORDER OF THE DAY, N.O. 20, PART I

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

3rd of December 1941 

Soldiers of the Hanko Group!

- Our task of softening and guarding the encirclement of Hanko is coming to its end. Enemy has during the night of 2nd and 3rd of December evacuated the Hanko Cape and the surrounding islands, using a naval task force, which moved in a several convoys, which in total have consisted nearly twenty ships. The very intense artillery fire which has continued for weeks and the numerous explosions and fires which have happened later, have for a long time raised the suspicions that the enemy is leaving and now we can finally confirm that. Enemy has thought it wise to choose an uncertain escape by sea, than to stay in Hanko Cape through the winter. Winter would have meant for our enemy, that it would have been completely isolated and as the sea would have frozen, it would have had great difficulties to organize its defences so that the lines would have held. They would have been either utterly destroyed or would have been forced to surrender. 

- So the encirclement of Hanko is empty. All that remains is to clean up the encirclement, so that it can again be occupied. At this very day, when the Finnish flag is again raised in the city of Hanko and in the forts which surround it, I want to thank all the officers, non-commissioned officers and men who belongs to the Hanko Group. You have showed your bravery in the numerous difficult island battles, you have remained alert untiringly in your post. You have performed your individual assignments vigorously. I mention the officers, non-commissioned officers and men from the Swedish Volunteer Battalion and all the other foreign volunteers who have fought side by side with us. They came from their peaceful and safe homelands to help us and have brought glory to their country, by showing courage and acts of a good soldier. 

Commander of Hanko Group: Colonel Eino R. Koskimies.

Chief of Staff: Major J. Kiveliö.

- The remains of the gun position 48 is a sad sight. The whole structure has been covered totally. If you don't know what has been here, you wont even notice the whole mined structure.

- The edge of the mined structure still peaks out under the ground.

- Even when the whole structure will disappear soon from the landscape, the stones which area nearby of the structure will reveal the location for some time.

- Most of the bigger stones have been used to construct the nearby harbour.

- Sad thing to look at. There is a marina nearby, which seems a very busy place during the summer time. Next to that marina, just within a walking distance is three interesting fortifications, which could have been used to promote the area for tourists. Now it is starting to be a bit too late at least for the biggest structure of them all...