Mannerheim Line sectors

Summa - Lahde sector

Bunker	Built	Description	Additional comments
Sj1	1920s	Enkell type bunker	Destroyed
Sj2	1920s - 1930s	Enkell type bunker rebuilt into test bunker	Damaged by combat and after the war
Sj3	1920s	Enkell type bunker	Destroyed by direct hit in January 1940
Sj4 "Poppius"	1937	Two casemates, front and flank-firing, for 2 MGs	Heavily damaged during combat and after the war
Sj5 "Millioner"	late 1930s	Flank-firing bunker for 4 MGs	Damaged by combat and after the war
Sj6 HQ "Torsu"	1920s	Large accommodation bunker	Old shelter, desroyed in 1940
Sj7	1920s	small shelter	Intact
Sj8	1920s	small shleter	Intact
Sj9	1920s	Either a shelter or ammo depot	Located in Saapas (Hammer) grove, almost completely detroyed by explosion
Sj10	1920s	either a shelter or ammo depot	Located in Saapas (Hammer) grove, almost completely detroyed by explosion

This area is one of the most famous battlefields of the Winter War. In fact, this is where the Red Army broke through the Mannerheim line. The sector is some 1.5 kilometers wide, with Summajarvi lake and swampy Majajoki river valley in the west and Munasuo swamp (called the Valley of Death by the Red Army soldiers) and Saapaas (Longboot) grove (codenamed Hammer grove by the Red Army) in the east.

The western part of the sector is dominated by the long ridge stretching from south to the north, called "Sormi" ("Finger") by the Finns and "Yazyk" "Tongue" by the Red Army. This sector was considered as the most dangerous by the Finns; respectively, strong fortifications were constructed in the area, the most famous ones being the Miljoonalinnake or Miljoonakorsu and Poppiuslinnake. Miljonalinnake stands for "millioner fort" in Finnish. The pillbox received this name officially for the extremely high cost of construction. The Red Army troops called it "Bunker No 0011". Poppiuslinnake was named after Second Lieutenant Poppius, who commanded the Finnish troops in the area. This is where Miljonalinnake (pillbox 0011, as it was codenamed by the Red Army) is situated. In some 1000 meters to the west there is another hill with Poppiuslinnake, called Hill 65.5 by the Russians. The Poppiuslinnake was respectively codenamed pillbox 006. Another impressive, but not used fortification in this defensive sector is the Test Bunker (Koelinnake).

Drawing of Summa - Lahde defense area

Finnish map of the Summa - Lande defense area, scale 1:20000

Summakyla (Summa village) sector

This is the defensive sector covering the Vyborg highway, starting from the Summajoki river (now Kamyshevka river) in the west to Summajarvi lake (Zhelannoye lake) in the east. After the reconstruction in 1937 - 1939 the defensive area consisted of 9 bunkers and 9 shelters. The most famous pillbox of this area is probably Sk2, a Million bunker, designated pillbox number 45 by the Red Army troops. Immediately at the highway are located small bunkers Sk5 and Sk6, as well as shelters Sk14 and Sk15, now virtually destroyed. One of the better preserved pillboxes in this sector is Sk10, which was virtually undamaged during the combat and proved to be too large to destroy after the war. On the extreme left flank of the defense area is Sk17, a pillbox similar to those found in Muolaa and Salmenkaita defense sectors.

Drawing of Summakyla defence sector

Finnish map of the Summakyla defense area, scale 1:20000

Karhula sector

The defences were constructed on the hill right to the north from Karhula (now Dyatlovo) settlement. The fortifications that I managed to discover include 4 bunkers to the north from the village. One of them, carrying no identification, stands right on the edge of the village. The two others are fairly small and were completely destroyed - it is just a heap of concrete lumps and stones that is left from them. One of the bunkers on the western edge of the hill shows how scarce concrete was in pre-war Finland - it is made wood beams and concrete poured on them, mixed with large stones.

The more famous location in Karhula sector is Marjapellonmäki, or Hill 38.2, as it was called by the Red Army troops. The hill was extremelly hard to capture, the local people now call it Death Hill. In 1993 Finnish veterans from 10th Infantry Regiment erected a monument to remember all those fallen in fighting in this area. It is located in approximately ne kilometer south from Dyatlovo (Karhula village).

Leipasuo sector

This defensive area covers the Saint-Petersburg - Viipuri railway from Peronijoki river area (now Perovka) to Suursuo swamp (now Komarikhinskoye swamp). Apparently, the defensive area had 7 concrete bunkers, five constructed in the 1920s and 2 constructed in late 1930s. The latter two (Le6 and Le7) are located some 100 meters to the east from the railway. Two other bunkres, Le3 and Le4, are located directly at the railway some 3 kilometers to the north from Le6 and Le7 bunkers. The defensive area also fielded a flood dam on Peronijoki river (Perovka river).

Drawing of Leipasuo defense area

Finnish map of Leipasuo defense area, scale 1:20000

Suurniemi (Muolaanjarvi) sector

This sector stretches from Suursuo swamp (Komarikhinskoye swamp) in the west to the Muolaanjarvi lake (Glubokoye lake) in the east. According to the map supplied by Karelia society, the defensive system consisted of 7 concrete bunkers connected by trenches with barbed wire, anti-tank ditch and dragon teeth obstacles. According to Mr.Smirnov, the bunkers were supplied by electricity from industrial electrical network. The three bunkers that I saw all look very impressive, with one of them, Su2, having inner compartments preserved. Someone even lived in side the bunker after the war!

Drawing of Suurniemi defense area

Finnish map of Suurniemi defense area, scale 1:20000

Kolmikesala sector

I lack both a good map and information about fighting in this area. All I could find are two bunkers, apparently constructed in 1920s, lacking reinforcement and completely destroyed, and a large shelter, with two entrances well preserved. Picture of one of the bunkers is here. Some two kilometers south from these fortifications there are dragon teeth, barbed wire and a completely destroyed concrete bunker. In contrast with Summajarvi or Muolaanjarvi sectors, I could not find any developed trenches infrastructure in the area.

© Bair Irincheev 2001 - 2003