Page 411 - Le Operazioni Interforze e Multinazionali nella Storia Militare - ACTA Tomo I

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disaster consisting of innumerable casualties and immense losses.
The defence of the Bay of Vyborg had been neglected as the direction was not consid-
ered to be of operational importance during the winter months. There were few troops,
mostly from costal artillery, in the area and the necessary fortifications and communi-
cation arrangements were unfinished. Once the exact ramifications of the development
dawned on the defenders, troops were transferred and deployed on the Bay of Vyborg
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from wherever conceivable, even the Northeast part of Finland the Lapland Front. The
result was a mishmash of troops from varying branches of service: singular battalions
of navy, artillery and infantry. Only the infantry had experience in battling armoured
forces. Panic arose within other branches of service, and the front quickly fell back at
some places.
The troops of the Bay of Vyborg were organised under the Coastal Group and Major
General Kurt Martti Wallenius was appointed its commander. After a mere three days,
however, he was dishonourably discharged due to his heavy use of alcohol. According
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to Wallenius, the mission appointed to him was impossible.
In his letter to Marshal Mannerheim, the Supreme Commander, the obstinate Walle-
nius stated that he knew of no commander that was a teetotaller. He was replaced by the
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Chief of General Staff, Lieutenant General Karl Lennart Oesch. The fact that the most
4 Vladimir Vasiljevitsh Kirpitshnikov, Lyhyitä sotahistoriallisia muistelmia, vaikutelmia, ja johtopäätöksiä
sodasta Suomea vastaan talvella 1939 - 40 ja kesällä 1941, etupäässä silmällä pitäen 43.D:n toimintaa
(Short of war historical reminiscences, impressions, and conclusions of the Winter War). National
Archives. Sotatieteellisen neuvottelukunnan luettelot. Vladimir Vasiljevitsh Kirpitshnikov was born in
Ulyanovsk region in 1903. He had been in the Red Army in the 1920s, since the first half. In the Winter
War Kirpitshnikov work was the 43 sniper division commander and his military rank at the time was
Colonel. He was ousted in this task at the beginning of March in 1940, when 43.D not been able to move
forward quickly enough to the Bay of Vyborg over to the north shore. Kirpitshnikov was further rank of
major general in the war worthy of the Finns captured. He wrote a report on prison during the Winter
War battles. Kirpitshnikov returned after the war, the Soviet Union, where he was executed, probably in
1946; Yrjö Järvinen 1937, Panssarijoukot ja venäläinen panssaritaktiikka. (Helsinki 1937), passim.
5 KS 0037. = Päämaja n:o 550/Op.1. sal. 19. 2. 1940. National Archives. T 2865/7; KS 1230. = PM n:o
612/Op. 1 25. 2. 1940. National Archives. T 2865/6; KS 2350 = PM n:o 626/Op. 1. 25. 2. 1940. National
Archives. T 2865/6.; Viipurin lohkon toimintakertomus (war diary). National Archives. Spk 3229; Marshal
Mannerheim, Muistelmat II osa (Memories, Part II), (Helsinki 1952), 209.
6 Lasse Laaksonen, Eripuraa ja arvovaltaa - Mannerheimin henkilösuhteet ja johtaminen (Discord and
Authority – The Personal Relationships of Mannerheim and his Generals and their Effect on Leadership)
(Jyväskylä 2004), passim; Viipurin lohkon toimintakertomus (war diary). National Archives. Spk 3229;
Marshal Mannerheim, Muistelmat II osa (Memories Part II). (Helsinki 1952), 209.
Lasse Laaksonen, Eripuraa ja arvovaltaa Mannerheimin henkilösuhteet ja johtaminen Discord and Authority
– The Personal Relationships of Mannerheim and his Generals and their Effect on Leadership). See also
English summary. (Jyväskylä 2004), passim. Wallenius military career and background Where the War
Generals come from? The Road to the Mannerheim’s Command 1918-1939 (Keuruu 2011) for example 200-
215 223-229
7 ”Herra sotamarsalkka”, Wallenius letter to Mannerheim 15.9.1941. Mappi 7. K.M. Walleniuksen arkisto.
National Archives. Yksityisarkistot 602:344; PÄÄMAJA 3.10.1941 ”Kenraalimajuri K..M. Wallenius”
(Mannerheim’s letter to Wallenius. Upseerien siirtoja, rangaistuksia, kuolemantapauksia ym. koskevia
asiakirjoja. PM - Pv.PE, Komento-osasto, Kom I. National Archives. T 22316/5; W.E. Tuompo. Muiden
lausuntoja Mannerheimista. Mannerheim -teoksen II osan käskirjoitusta. Kenraali Heinrichsin kokoelma.
National Archives. Pk 1172/65.