Battle in Salmenkaita sector, Feb 21, 1940

Junior Lieutenant V. Ivanov, 17th Motor Rifle Division:

Our regiment started an offensive against Finnish fortified line at Salmenkaita sector on February 21, 1940. The MG company that I led had a mission to provide for the offensive of the 3rd Battalion with flanking fire. By 10 o'clock my MG company was in the jump-off position at the edge of a forest southwards from the river. The 3rd battalion started its assault. We opened fire at the birth grove that was in front of us. The 3rd Battalion was about to reach the grove. Enemy did not return fire. I ordered my crews to cease fire and my company rushed to the grove, following the 3rd and the 1st Battalions that had already occupied it.

Battle diary of the 6th Infantry Regiment:

February 21, 08.30. Enemy opened artillery at the whole front of defence of the regiment. Artillery barrage was intensifying to a hurricane fire from time to time. 12.30 Enemy launched an assault against the defences of the 3rd Battalion, enemy's infantry unit took casualties but managed to get a foothold in our defences in front of 9th Company's positions with assistance of armoured shields mounted on skis. 13.30 Enemy launched assaults at the highway against the 3rd Battalion and managed to get a foothold in the birch grove north west from the highway. Storngponit 2 was lost (squad Salorantra, destroyed one tank during the retreat).

16.15. Enemy launched assaults from Paisalansaari and managed to get a foothold on the norhtern bank of Salmenkiata river, a firefight is underway in the strongpoint of the 9th Company. 17.00 Enemy's unit managed to gain ground in the grove on the northern bank of Salmenkaita river and launched assault from their under cover of snow blizzard. We counterattacked in the evening, enemy put up stubborn resistance, but finally was driven away to the southern bank of the river. We captured 4 machine guns and other materiel.

18.00. The 1st Battalion reports that the enemy launched assaults under cover of snow blizzard and captured one casemate at the river bank. The battalion is organizing a counterattack. 19.45 The 3rd Battalion reports that the enemy had broken through to the west from the highway. 19.50. Order to the 2nd and the 1st Battalions to dispatch one platoon each and send them to the highway. 3rd Battalion to provide a guide for the two platoons. Request to the Division HQ about a battalion for a coutnerattack, the Division promised to send a battalion. Order to a battalion from the 5th Infantry Regiment to report to the Regimental HQ.

21.10. 26th Infantry Regiment reported that it is sending a reinforced company. Lieutnenant Pekkarinen left in order to guide the company from Vuosalmi to the CP of 3rd Battalion. 24.00 1st Battalion of the 5th Infantry of the 5th Infantry Regiment departed to the 3rd Battalion from our CP.

Battle Diary of the 3rd MG Company, 6th Infantry Regiment, under Lieutenant of Reserve L. Mela:

On February 21 enemy opened strong artillery fire from light and heavy guns, as well as mortars. The artillery fire lasted all day and night long. Enemy's infantry launched assaults at 14.30. They walked slowly and calmly in long assaulting lines and reached the barbed wire obstacles, wherethey were partially dectroyed by our small arms fire. MG nest of JUnior Sergeant Lahdensuu took a direct hit in the afternoon, the MG is destroyed, Privates K. Nyberg and U. Apilainen are lightly wounded. Enemy captured the so-called Koivikkoniemi, a cape wtih a grove at the strongpoint of the 8th Company.

Battle Diary of the 8th Company, 6th Infantry Regiment.

February 21, 13.00. Enemy launched assault after a strong artillery strike. Our losses: 7 KIA, 10 wounded. Enemy lost around 150 men KIA.

Junior Lieutenant V. Ivanov, 17th Motor Rifle Division:

Commander of the 1st Battalion, Comrade Stepanov, who happened to be next to me, told me that in his opinion the 3rd Battalion ended up being not where it was supposed to be, it was supposed to be a little bit to the left. I checked with the map and relized that Comrade Stepanov was right - we had to correct the mistake, as our left flank was exposed. I ordered my MG company to move up to the left flank.

We arrived there and occupied a trench, abandoned by the White Finns. We spotted a gunport in some 150 meters from the trench. We looked at it more carefully. Wow, it was a bunker! It was silent, however. Finns in the bunker either wanted us to come closer or simply failed to spot us.

I decided to seize the opportunity and capture the bunker. I ordered MG platoon leader Junior Lieutenant Gutorov to concentrate fire of 4 MGs on the gunport of the bunker. After this I myself led my second platoon under Comrade Vasiliev into assault against the bunker. When we were in some 20 meters from the bunker, I waved my hand - this was a signal to Gutorov to cease fire. IN a twinkle of an eye we rushed to the bunker and climbed on top of it. The bunker could no longer fire at us. However, it could still fire at our comrades in the grove.

There were many stones on top of the bunker - they protected the concrete roof from the artillery fire, but in this case these stones helped us more than they did to Finns: we threw the stones from the roof and blocked the gunport. The bunker was blind and thus harmless. We still had to destroy its garrison, though. I put ten hand grenades one after another through the chimney of the bunker. I guess that heated the stove inside the bunker very well! After that there was no more sound heard from inside the bunker.

The top of the knocked out bunker was like a small hill. Although it was small, it was high enough for me to spot another bunker in some 100 meters from it. We could not lose a second. Before the other platoons could arrive, I threw myself to the second bunekr. I managed to climb it. There were less stones on top of this one than on the first. I kickde the stones with my foot and they all fell on the ground.

Some more hits and all stones from the roof fell down.
I shouted:
— Fudashkin!
(Fudashkin was a scout. You just had to shout his name and he would be there. An extremelly fast soldier! He was awarded with Order of Red Banner for his heroic actions after the war). When Fudashkin ran about half of the distance from the first bunker, I shouted him an order to bring Junior Lieutenant Vasiliev with his platoon.

Vasiliev arrived in few minutes. We blinded this bunker with snow and stones, and set up all-round defence. I left Junior Lieutenant Gutorov to lead my men and returned to the jump-off area in order to get information about the situation of the entire regiment. But before I reached the dug-out of Comrade Stepanov and Chief of Staff of the 3rd Battalion Ilyin, a phone rang in the dug-out. It was a call from my company: the White Finns counterattacked against the besieged bunker.

Battalion Commander Stepanov immediately dispatched a platoon as a reinforcement and I went back wtih this platoon. However, when we reached the bunker, it turned out that the call was made by the phone operator who panicked. I could hear Finns talking inside the second bunker. I called the battle engineers and they completed the destruction of the enemy's garrison inside the bunker.

Battle Diary of the 3rd MG Company, 6th Infantry Regiment, under Lieutenant of Reserve L. Mela:

Two bunkers, the so-called beach casemates with 2 machine guns, one belongning to Jubior Sergeant K. Virtanen and the second one the Junior Sergeant A. Toikka, were captured by the enemy during a strong blizzard that started during the afternoon. The enemy managed to capture the bunker despite strong fire from our side and high losses. (Junior Lieutenant Honkkila fired his MG from Bunker No. 15 all day long).

Only 2 men made it alive from the two bunkers. These are Corporal V. Peltola, who, according to his own report, was sent for help, and Private A. Parkkonen, who was a sentry outside the bunker. When the enemy's infantry was almost at point-blanck range, Parkkonen tried to hide inside the bunker, but the door was locked from the inside. After this Parkkonen buried himself in snow and lied there for several hours, listening to sounds of the enemy's infantry firing at the door of the casemate at point-black range and trying to break the door. At В 21.00 Parkkonen maanged to slip away from the bunker under cover of darkness and made it to the Bunker No. 36. He had to be sent to the first aid station as his both feet were frostbitten from several hours of lying in snow.

The men who remained in the first beach casemate were: Junior Sergeants Kosti Ilmari Virtanen, Privates Markku Tuominen, Fabian Makinen and Vilho Eloranta. The men who remained in the second casemate were: Junior Sergeant Alpo Toikka, Corporal Lauri Riihela, Privates Lauri Kurittu, Armas Patari and Eino Huuhko. In the evening we could hear a loud explosion from the bank of the river, which meant that the enemy managed to destroy at least one of the beach casemates.