Up this week in the AvA: Battle of Ilomantsi

[Mister Fork]

The Battle of Ilomantsi



The Battle of Ilomantsi was a part of the Continuation War (1941–1944). It was fought from July 26 to August 13, 1944, between Finland and the Soviet Union in an area roughly 40 kilometers wide and 30 kilometers deep, near the Finnish-Soviet border, close to the small Finnish town of Ilomantsi, in North Karelia. The battle ended with a Finnish victory—the last major Soviet attack against Finland was stopped here. The Soviets were expecting a quick victory and used mostly older assets as their newer units were assigned against the German front.  The Finns however were determined to stop the Red Army and pound them into submission to end the Continuation War for once and for all. With German forces now out of their country, the Finnish forces assembled their best equipment including captured Soviet tanks and aircraft.

Finland
Brewster
Bf-109G2
Bf-109G6
P40M (sub N)
Lagg-3 (sub La-5)

Armor
T-34/76 (captured)
Panzer IV/H
StugIII (sub Jagdpanzer IV)
SdKfz 251
Wirbelwind

Soviet Union
La-5FN
Yak-7B
Yak-9U
Yak-9T

Armor
T-34/76
T-34/85
M-16
M-3