RECONNAISSANCE ATTACK BY THE 55TH INFANTRY REGIMENT

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

6th of July 1941 

- After 55th Infantry Regiment took the responsibility in the Hanko Cape, it's commander decided to perform an reconnaissance attack in the evening of 6th of July. The attack was planned to be carried out in the section of 1st Battalion and its purpose was to destroy the Russian positions in the Dragsvik Bay. Additionally some prisoners were to be captured, test the defences of the enemy and to get an idea of the layout of the base. At the same time the strength of the enemy artillery and its positions could be clarified. 

- The attack was to be led by a 2nd Lieutenant G. Raustiala and the squad contained six volunteers from the jaeger platoon of the regiment and a non-commissioned officer. Additionally a support group was gathered, which was led by an officer and contained two five men teams and medics. Machine gun and a two light machine guns were to be cover up the retreat. Artillery and the regiment light mortars were also reserved to support the attack. The attack was well planned, the officers had examined the maps, fire plan was laid out and some recon was made the night before the attack. 

- The action began at 23:00 o'clock when the artillery started to bombard the enemy positions. The mortar team fired to the area of Lappohja elementary school. After five minutes, the mortars began firing the area of Borgars, which was the objective for the attack. The bombardment ceased at 23:12 o'clock and the squad went on to attack. The squad managed to advance in five minutes to the observation tower, which was located in the enemy base. Here they received a heavy fire from a dugout and a machine gun fire and grenades behind the observation tower. The small squad could not sustain such a defensive fire and it had to retreat. It was impossible to destroy the dugout or to capture prisoners. 

- Three men were wounded in action.

- The shoreline in the Grundsund area, which is facing directly towards the Russian held islands, is full of dugout remains.

- Most of the dugout remains here have survived nicely all through these years, as there aren't much people living nearby even during the summer months.

- Most of the dugouts however are covered with water, some less...

- ...and some more.

- One of the many dugout remains, with the islands of Vedaholmen and Storholmen in the background.

- Old paths still criss-cross in the area.

- One of the biggest dugout remains in the area. The entrance into the structure is still visible in the foreground of the picture.

- The same remains seen from the opposite direction. Stones have been used to reinforce this structure.