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This defensive area was built to protect the St. Petersburg - Viipuri highway, and respectively has a lot of fortifications. However, a lot of modernization and construction had not been completed by the time the war broke out.
Finnish map of the defensive area in 1:20000 scale
The general view of highway with remains of the bunkers (picture inspired by Red Army photos taken during Winter war, now available at The Battles of Winter War page by Sami Korhonen). The picture is taken from the site of destroyed Sk4 shelter. Anti-tank ditch is located approximately at the forest edge in the background of the picture.
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Graves and monument to Red Army men and commanders at the highway, in some 1.5 kilometres south from the bunkers. Most of the names on the graves are those of officers, several of them were posthumously awarded with the title of Hero of Soviet Union.
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Grave and monument to the tank crews of the Red Army, westwards from the highway:
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Finnish Grave of unknown soldiers |
Finnish monument to men of Kalvola |
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In the course of Winter War Finns would normally evacuate the dead and bury them in the towns or villages where soldiers came from; however, this was not possible to do after the breakthrough of Mannerheim Line in Febrary 1940. After the Finnish Army came back to the Karelian Isthmus in summer 1941, they buried unidentified remains of Finnish soldiers in a large grave next to ruins of Sk7 bunker. The monument, that was erected next to the grave in 1990s, has the following sign in Finnish, Swedish and Russian: Summa field cemetery To the memory of 204 unknown Finnish soldiers who died during the war of 1939-1940 and rest here Finnish State |
This monument is located in some 50 meters from the road that runs westwards from Vyborg - Saint-Petersburg highway, in middle of forest. If you want to find it, the best way to find it is to go southwards from the road when you see the old wooden poles of electric line. The monument is to the right from the line. The monument is located on the place where a wood and soil shelter was located during Winter War. It received a direct hit from a heavy Soviet shell and all who were inside the bunker, were killed. The sign on the white sross reads in Finnish: There was a bunker on this place during Winter War, it was hit and 19 guys from Kalvola gave up their spirit (Kalvola is a station and town southwards from Tampere) |
Summa Cross in Kalvola Graveyard, Häme, Finland
The general view of the monument that uses the original cross from the dugout
The text on the monument reads:
The cross of Summa. On December 21, 1939 at 13.15 a direct hit of an artillery shell destroyed the dugout of the 3rd Platoon, 5th Company, 15th Infantry Regiment in Summa, close to Majajoki, where the "Kalvola Company" fought in the Winter War. There were 21 men inside the dugout, out of whom 19 died in the burning dugout and only 2, who were at the exit, escaped wounded. In twilight of the Boxing Day 1939 the fallen soldiers were officially blessed for burial in the dugout grave and a birch cross was installed on the ruins of the dugout.
During Continuation War in 1942 the remains were brought to their home parish for funeral. The cross from the dugout grave was also brought along, and from 1951 it was set on the wall of chapel of Reserve officer union in a glasscase by Tapio Wirkkala. The Cross of Summa is reminding the following generations about the high price paid for freedom and independence of our Fatherland.
The following men were killed in the dugout
From Kalvola
Kaarlo V Honkasalo
Viljo O Lahti
Juho Lahtola
Vihtori J Laurila
Uuno H Lähteenmäki
Olavi J Majavesi
Lauri Mansikkamäki
Kustaa T Numminen
Onni Rantanen
Väinö O Salo
Uuno G Tajanen
Veikko V Viiala
Eino J Virtanen
Toivo J Vuorinen
Väinö A Vuorinen
From Hattula
Antto Heino
Sulo E Oksanen
Otto Saastamoinen
From Aura
Väinö N Lehtonen
This shelter, built in 1920s, is located in some 50 meters from the Sk6 bunker right at the highway. It is totally destroyed and hard to find these days.
This bunker was built in 1920s in some 100-150 meters from Sk6. It is totally destroyed and looks just like a small hill with a heap of concrete rocks.
Small shelter, built in 1920s. Located westwards from the highway, some 100 meters southwards from the Sk5. bunker. There is a round hole in the roof of the shelter, which makes me guess that it had an armoured observation cupola. This fact allows identifying shelter Sk14 as bunker No. 36 in Red Army terms. (See memories of Red Army Sgt Leontiev). The shelter is now partially destoryed and filled with water. It is easy to spot in the winter (looks like a small hill), but in other seasons it is hard to find due to thick foliage.
A shelter located north from Sk5 and is well visible from the highway. The shelter has not been modernized. Major part of the shelter now is nothing but a large rectangular hole in the ground with walls of concrete. Small part of the shelter is preserved, but is tilted by explosion and filled with soil.
This was supposed to be the last, 18th piece of concrete fortification in Summakyla defence sector. Constrcution of the bunker was never completed, just the floor and the well of the bunker were finished before the war. The bunker was supposed to be located in the anti-tank ditch and provide flanking machine gun fire along the ditch. The concrete foundation of the bunker and the well are still there in the ditch.
© Bair Irincheev 2001 - 2003