RECONNAISSANCE IN FORCE IN HANKO CAPE, PART II

(Hanko Cape in the Second World War, Niilo Lappalainen & History of Hanko Group, T-22005, Military Archives of Finland) 

1st of July 1941

- As the heavy artillery fire had alarmed the Russians, they had the time to occupy their positions. Russians started a counter attack, which was supported by three tanks. During the counter attack, some of the Russians managed to get behind the Finnish troops and captured one officer and four men, from which one was wounded. The heavy counter attack convinced Lieutenant Blomqvist to order the men to retreat, during which the company lost most of it heavy weapons, as they had entered a heavily mined and booby trapped area. The Russian artillery also responded quite quickly and fired to the area of the mill. 

- The losses for the Finnish troops were 1 officer and 12 men reported as KIA or MIA. Thirteen men were reported as wounded. During the morning, two of the men, which were reported as missing, managed to get back to their own lines, after wandering in the enemy lines. The Russians claimed a one single Red Army soldier named P. Sokur, of destroying 13 Finns and capturing 3 prisoners.

- One of the two mined defensive positions near of the gun position 41, b.

- Stones near of the position.

- View towards the island of Prästön and the tip of the Grundsund peninsula.

- Entrance into the second mined position in the area.

- The actual position.

- The same position seen from the ground level. The whole position is nearly filled with vegetation.

- More stones and a view towards the island of Gråön.

- Additionally the shoreline contains several dugout remains, from which one is seen in the picture. The islands of Storholmen and Vedaholmen can be seen in the background. The first Russian held islands are also fully visible from the shoreline.

- View at the tip of the small peninsula where the mined positions are located. On the left side is the island of Storholmen, which most likely contains Finnish advance positions.