This is a standard bunker for 2 MGs for flanking fire. The bunker is locaed on the isthmus between lakes Muolaanlampi and Äyräpäänjärvi in some 20 meters from eastern shore of Muolaanlampi lake. The assault on the bunker started on February 23 and the battle lasted the whole day.
Abstracts from the battle diary of the 1st artillery battalion, 2nd Field Artillery Regiment, 1.1.40-12.4.40, SPK 1890
February 23, 1940
Overcast in the morning, no airplanes of the enemy in the air at all. All day long strong artillery fire of the enemy to our right. At around 1300 a message came, that the enemy broke through at Kaivanto isthmus and our troops withdrew behind Salmi bridge. At the same time we received the message that forward observer of the 2nd battery Junior Lieutenant Levanto went missing in action. Nothing was known about his fate for the whole afternoon. As late as 1900 we received a message from the 2nd battery that Levanto came back. He was also besieged in the bunker! As the enemy's infantry approached the bunker, he sent away all the artillery observers from the bunker. When our infantry also withdrew, Levanto took over the command of the bunker and started to defend it wtih a heavy and a light MG. Ruskies surrounded the bunker completely, they tried to destroy the bunker with satchel charges, they tried to burn the observation cupola, they shot into observation slits. 2 defenders of the bunker were killed adn 4 were wounded. Enemy's tanks went pass the bunker...
...Finally, Levanto gathered all the surviving defender of the bunker and started to break out of the bunker. Against him came our counterattacking infantry, and Levanto rallied them to capture the bunker back from the enemy. The battle lasted well into the night. Levanto became our second hero after Virtanen!
One can also concluide from these siege cases that these bunkers are nothing but ratholes.
The frontal wall of the bunker. To the right one can see the wing wall. This bunker, unlike other bunkers between Muolaanlampi and and Muomaanjarvi, does not stick out from the surrounding terrain.
One of the gunports of the bunker is still partially preserved.
Inside the bunker - the same gunport.
One more view of the frontal wall of the bunker and protective stone layer. One can judge about the strength of the artillery fire on the bunker from the fact that the layer should have been about 1 meter higher!
A tree growing through the hole of the armoured cupola. The roof of the bunker partially collapsed after the explosion
© Bair Irincheev 2001 - 2007