Interview of Morane/109 ace Antti Tani and Brewster/109 ace Jussi Huotari now out!
We interviewed two veteran fighter pilots, Mr. Antti Tani and Mr. Jouko "Jussi" Huotari in Kouvola on the 10th July 2002. Actually we were going to meet Mr. Antti Tani only, but before we had begun he mentioned that a Brewster pilot, Jussi Huotari, also lives in Kouvola and inquired whether we would like to have a word with him too? Well, of course! Mr. Tani, an energetic man, at once darted off with his car - marked with HLeLv34 insignia - to fetch Mr. Huotari. Mr. Tani is not showing his years, he looked like a fit 50-year old.
Antti Tani
Born Aug.3.1918 Hämeenlinna
21.5 victories during 272 missions
Jouko "Jussi" Huotari
Born Nov.23.1918 Nuijamaa
17 victories during 291 missions
Antti Tani's career as military pilot started in the Air War School in October 1939. After completed training he was posted in February 1940 in Squadron no.28 (LeLv28) that was just equipped with Morane-Saulnier 406 fighters delivered from France. Tani flew some missions during the Winter War with the Morane. As the Continuation War started, Sgt. Tani was serving as a cadre NCO and he flew reconnaissance and covering missions with Morane, gaining his first victory a couple of days after the start of the war. Totally Tani scored seven victories with the Morane, including two much faster Pe-2 bombers on recce mission. In April 1943 he was transferred to LeLv34 which was equipped with modern Messserschmitt Bf 109 G fighters. Having access to top class equipment Antti Tani's score began to increase at a steady pace. Operating from Kymi he flew his Messerschmitt fighter in the battles above the Gulf of Finland and in the defence of the city of Kotka. He also fought against multiple tenfold superiority as the Soviet Union launched the offensive in summer 1944.
Regrettably we do not have an abstract about the career of Jussi Huotari. He joined the ranks of LeLv24 on 2nd Nov 1941 where he served during the war. First flying with the Brewster B-239 fighter in the Finnish premier fighter squadron LeLv 24 he later received Messerschmitt 109 and his steady score nearly skyrocketed during the battles of summer 1944, as he shot down eight enemy aircraft during two months.
Antti Tani and his regular mechanic "Roope" Hiltunen, in front of MS-619 at Solomanni 1943.
- Antti Tani: The Pe-2 bomber used the dorsal turret and the gunner the belly turret. Well, I don't know exactly whether it was the radio operator or just a gunner using the belly gun. The dorsal gunner did hit me with one bullet, an incendiary bullet hit the undercarriage wheel site and there was a puff of smoke. I had flown next to him and signaled the fellows to turn and follow me. The fellow behind the MG just shook his head. Then I was enough of a fool to throttle back and then that devil began to shoot. Such a nasty man. Stupid enough to start shooting at a friendly man, I was in a way inviting them to visit us. He started shooting and with live ammunition, moreover. Fortunately the tyre was not punctured but the damage was contained. I smelt the smoke and then I knew that devil hit me. Then I climbed higher and gave him one burst. He went into a spinning dive and hit the forest. All three men of the crew survived.
- There are several French reports stating that the MS406 was much faster and had a better rate of climb than FAF test results prove. Were our planes of worse quality or is the French data pulled out of hat ? Maybe the planes were too difficult to maintain properly ? The first lot of Moranes were brand new from France when received, weren't they ?
Antti Tani: As far as I know they were. I was over there once, ferrying them home, well, I could not tell how many hours they had logged, not having seen the documents. Yet I think they were quite new ones.
As the war dragged on, did the performance of the aircraft deteriorate significantly, or did they remain constant ?
Antti Tani: No, in my opinion the engine of the Morane was fairly good. It was jolly reliable in the respect that they did not stop spontaneously but just once during the 1940-1941 peace. I don't remember his name, but something happened to him during takeoff at Naarajärvi. He tried to land on a field and reached it, but he touched down in a ditch. And there was a helluva stone in the ditch and the plane hit it. He lost his life in the crash. Actually he landed on the field but there was a birch that nudged him enough to make him go in that ditch. Yes, damn bad luck he had.
- How steady were the Brewster and the Morane as gun platforms, compared with the Messerschmitt for example? There are stories about Morane being a bit unstable with its short fuselage?
Antti Tani: The Morane was far more unstable than the Messerschmitt. It was far more stable in flight. Whether you were going fast or slow, she was steadier.
Jussi Huotari: At some time there were wing cannons (in the Messerschmitt) but it was considered they were unfeasible, three-cannon Messerschmitts. So the wing cannons were stripped off.
Antti Tani: The single time I got to shoot with the three cannon Messerschmitt, I did not like her, even though I shot down three IL-2. I fired one brief burst and at the second burst she began to veer as one of the wing cannons did not fire. Then I had to get as close to the target as ever possible and then take deflection in the wrong direction...
Was the other wing cannon jammed all the time in that mission ?
Antti Tani: Yes, it did not work, not a single shot did it fire. I had to kick down one pedal just as I fired to make the plane go straight for an instant during firing. I managed to shoot a brief burst when next to the target, pretty close.
The full interview can be found from Finnish Virtual Pilots Association Aviation History site:
http://www.virtualpilots.fi/hist/http://www.virtualpilots.fi/hist/http://www.virtualpilots.fi/hist/Antti Tani's aerial victories:
