AJAN SUUNTA REPORTS, PART II

ISLAND IN A DAY, THREE AT ITS BEST 

4th of December 1941 

- Pits, fragments from shells, black and brown soil here and there, all together in a one big chaos. A road leads from a fire observation position to a dugout and then to another dugout and to the machine gun position. A direct hit has been scored to one of the gun bunkers, which has a thick wall protecting it. Artillery commander is pleased to note this. There's another dugout, most likely a machine gun position, which has burned. Submachine gun magazines are here and there, telling about the night of horror. There is also a dugout either for an officer or for a political officer. The helmets, red star and alone winter cap are telling about the chaotic retreat. 

- We move to a next island, which can be reached by using a bridge that the engineers have quickly built. Using the bridge requires strong nerves, as the Russians are greeting us with rifle shots. Others think that a boat is better, but the white colour of it does not please the Russians, who greet it with shots from a submachine gun. This new island we note to be some kind of a mini-Gibraltar. The effect of artillery fire is clearly seen here also, it looks like every inch of the island would have been covered with pieces from artillery shells. The result is absolutely horrifying. Their kitchen dugout has remained and we examine the pea soup cubes, which are in frozen state. In the middle of all this, is pieces of bread and other eatable stuff. 

- Other islands wait and moment by moment, our wedge is closing the heart of the encirclement. In that wedge, there is work, strength and Finnish "Sisu". Soon the encirclement will be broken. Again we can control the islands of the free Finland. 

TK - Helmer Winter

- There are few dugout remains beside the road, which leads to the structures 438, 439 and 447. These have nearly disappeared from the landscape.

- There are not too many remains here.

- From some only the edges can be pointed out anymore.

- The main road in the area.