Read a book by a Finn Kalle Korpi on why the Northern attack on Murmansk failed, the "reasons":

1. The attack was postponed due to Finnish attack starting after 29th June after the Soviet bombings of Finland--> no surprise attack.

2. Not enough air cover, the Soviet aeroplanes bombed the attacking troops frequently

3. the Red navy quite freely from the sea shot at the attacking troops and destroyed the supply columns

4. The roads actually " were not there " as they were in the maps.

5. The enemy defensive lines were unknown

6. The Red Army could easily move their troops with the Murmansk train line to cover the main attacks.

7. the Germans had not heavy artillery and anyway they could not have been moved ahead due to bad roads

8. Also there was a belief that success elsewhere meant that attacking in the murmansk sector was "rather unnecessary"

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From Merridale´s "Ivan´s war"

Women veterans with medals were treated with suspicion for years after the war. When it was worn by a woman, the coveted medal " For military service " ( za boevye zaslugi ) was jokingly held to be " for sexual service " ( za polevye zaslugi ).

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Ah, yes, under the pretty banners of Communism and all that waffle about Women's Liberation associated there remained a deep substratum of chauvinism.

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" Send a messenger to pick up the fur gloves".

the Stavka code for the beginning of operation Uranus

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Old propaganda posters by Finns to the Soviets. Maybe someone who speaks Russian can translate.



In this one I think it is the politruk eating all the food instead of the soldier.



Simply " Death"...



Just look at those smiling POW´s smoking...I suppose there´s also a list of "prices" what you can get when you take military equipment with you...

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The prisoner on the left is wearing the weirdest hat I've ever seen. Looks like a Budenovka but without its normal shape. Weird!

Thanks for the posters though Kai, reminded me of something I found a while ago and will post in a sec...

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There's no honorable way to kill, no gentle way to destroy. There is nothing good in war. Except its ending.

Thanx Stefan!

And actually here´s some more:

http://www.englishrussia.com/?p=385



Mannerheim as seen by the Soviet propaganda. Rather bloody, I´d say....

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I love the pay rates, is it any surprise soviet soldiers could be shot for carrying these leaflets?

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There's no honorable way to kill, no gentle way to destroy. There is nothing good in war. Except its ending.

Some nice pics ( postcards actually ) from a parade by Finns autumn 1941 from the Karelia area "taken back" from the USSR

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Very nice pictures KP. On the back of the tanks, do you know what significance the short legged swastika has over the long legged ones ?

I know they are Finn emblems but I am not sure if they are called swastika's. If not correct tell me.

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Work Harder ! Millions on welfare are depending on you.

The short legged one was originally "donated" in the plane by Swedish count von Rosen in 1918 and it stayed our symbol.

http://www.axishistory.com/index.php?id=6577

http://surfcity.kund.dalnet.se/swedi...eden_rosen.htm

I think they could be called von Rosen crosses.

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Thank you [img]graemlins/salute.gif[/img]

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Work Harder ! Millions on welfare are depending on you.

Interesting, they appear to be wearing Russian tank crew hemets (spot the anorak). Have you ever seen one of the helmets the tank crewmen are wearing Kai?

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There's no honorable way to kill, no gentle way to destroy. There is nothing good in war. Except its ending.

Yea I have noticed the same thing.....whats the story with that??

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The war against Russia will be such that it cannot be conducted in a knightly fashion. This struggle is one of ideologies and racial differences and will have to be conducted with unprecedented, unmerciful and unrelenting harshness. -Adolf Hitler

It's strange, it looks like the Wehrmacht reviewing Russian tankers [except for the emblems on the tanks]

To be honest I think our army was somewhat sort of everything so our army could be expected to wear anything that could be used, really.

We never had any tank force to start with so I would say there were no Finnish tanker clothes/helmet etc either.

In some WW2 pics ( not in these I think ) you can see the Finnish troops wearing the Red Army helmet or the German WW1 type as well...

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From " Stopped at Stalingrad ":

On the 17th October 1942 the 6th Army sent its strength report. The army had a total of 334,000 men, but only 66,549 were combat troops. ( The figures did not incl the 4th Army troops then subordinated to Paulus ). Zeitzler issued a companion directive to all German army commands, ordering an immediate 10% reduction in Headquarters´ personnel, from Army Group down to divisions.

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Maj. general Mihail Lascar

http://www.worldwar2.ro/generali/?article=95

22 November 1942: Oak Leaves to the Knight’s Cross

He was taken to the Kranogor camp, then to Suzdal and Ivanov and finally to the special Camp no. 48, reserved for generals. On 12 April 1945 he was named commander of the second Soviet sponsored Romanian volunteer unit: Horia, Closca si Crisan Division, which he commanded until 12 September.

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Looking closer, those helmets look like they are leather and have ear pieces built in, which I'm not sure RKKA ones did. Still, would be interesting to have a closer look.

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There's no honorable way to kill, no gentle way to destroy. There is nothing good in war. Except its ending.