This famous frontal firing bunker was built in 1937. The bunker is located on the Hill 65.5, as Red Army officially called it, close to the road leading to Lahde and then to Kamara . It was named Poppiuslinnake (Fort of Poppius) after the first commander of the fortification, Junior Lieutenant Poppius. The bunker was the key to Finnish defenses in Summa - Lahde sector. The Red Army code-named Poppius "Bunker No. 006
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Blueprint of the bunker, source: attachment to Vinterkriget 1939-1940 ur min synvinkel, Harald Oehquist
The western flank-firing casemate covered area to the west up to Miljoonalinnake. The eastern frontal-firing casemate covered southern approaches of the defense sector. Like those of Sk10, the front walls of Poppiuslinnake's casemates were made of steel armour. This bunker was spotted by the Red Army troops rather early during the combat and was subject to extremely heavy artillery fire, including open-sight fire from 45 mm and 76 mm cannons on the embrasures. Several embrasures were jammed and blocked this way.
By the day of final assault, February 10, 1940, the bunker had already been heavily damaged. The costly assault by 245th Rifle Regiment under Colonel Rosly (later awarded with the Golden Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union for the combat. The Regiment was awarded with the Order of Red Banner) in the early afternoon of February 11 succeeded and the Red flag was hoisted on the ruins of the bunker.
Fall of Poppius meant near breakthrough of Mannerheim line the only concrete fortifications behind Poppius were the test bunker and battalion HQ Sj6. Although Miljoonalinnake held out for one more day on the left flank, the Finnish troops were finally forced to retreat to the support line in some 1.5 km behind the main line of fortifications. After the war the bunker was blown up. The western casemate is almost completely destroyed, it is just several lumps of concrete remaining in the huge explosion crater. The western casemate is now buried under an observation hill constructed by Soviet Army right on top of it (the entire area is now used as a fire range for Russian IFVs and battle tanks). There have been numerous attempts to excavate the eastern casemate, but the hill is too massive to dig it with shovels.
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On the picture you can see the remaining entrance to underground barracks, the corridor that connected the two casemates. Despite massive explosions that tilted walls and rubbish inside , the inner parts of the bunker are still impressive. During massive rainy summers or in the springs after snow melts, the bunker is full of water. If you go inside, don't fall into empty water wells in the corridors.
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Picture source: Vinterkriget 1939-1940 ur min synvinkel, Harald Oehquist
Picture of western casemate of Poppius, taken in summer of 1943. The armoured plates are removed.
© Bair Irincheev 2001 - 2004