Lapland War

• 1. Prelude And Negotiations

  ›

  The Moscow Armistice signed on the 19th of September 1944 marked the end of Finnish cooperation with Nazi Germany. Finland had fought alongside German forces since Operation Barbarossa began in June 1941 during the Continuation War. The agreement demanded that Finland break diplomatic ties with Germany and expel any remaining German soldiers from its territory. President Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim wrote a direct letter to Adolf Hitler before accepting Soviet demands. The Wehrmacht had anticipated this shift and planned an organized withdrawal as part of Operation Birke starting in April 1944. German high command began planning for potential separate peace negotiations as early as mid-1943. They improved roads from northern Norway to northern Finland using prisoner-of-war labor during the winter of 1943, 1944. Casualties among these prisoners were high because many wore summer uniforms despite being captured in southern Europe. The Germans surveyed defensive positions and prepared to evacuate materiel from Lapland meticulously.

• 2. Evacuation Operations

  ›

  Operation Birke triggered frantic efforts by the 20th Mountain Army after the ceasefire announcement on the 2nd of September 1944. Large amounts of military equipment were evacuated from southern Finland while harsh punishments were set for hindering the withdrawal. The Germans seized Finnish shipping initially but then allowed Finnish tonnage to be used to hasten evacuations. A secret agreement reached by the 15th of September let Germans inform Finns of their withdrawal timetable. This arrangement permitted Germans to use Finnish transport for evacuation while destroying roads behind them. The first German convoy departed from Kemi in northern Finland on the 21st of September 1944 escorted by submarines and cruisers. The Kriegsmarine attempted to land and seize Suursaari island on the 15th of September 1944 in Operation Tanne Ost. Soviet aircraft supported Finnish defenders and prevented capture of the island. A German naval detachment arrived at Utö island on the 16th of September threatening to open fire with artillery before allowing net-layers to pass. The last German convoy left Kemi on the 21st of September 1944 under submarine escort.

• 3. Land Battles And Tactics

  ›

  First hostilities between the Finnish Army and the 20th Mountain Army took place southwest of Pudasjärvi around 08:00 on the 28th of September 1944. Finnish advance units issued a surrender demand then opened fire on a small German rearguard contingent. The Germans told Finns they had no interest in fighting but would not surrender. On the 29th of September at a bridge crossing the Olhava river, Germans detonated explosives killing the Finnish company commander. Finnish troops attempted to encircle Germans at Pudasjärvi into a pocket called motti through forest flanking movements. The Battle of Tornio began on the 30th of September 1944 when three Finnish transport ships departed from Oulu without air or naval escorts. Infantry Regiment 11 landed alongside Civil Guard-led uprising securing both port and town bridges over the Tornio River. Alcohol looted from German supply depots caused disorganization while stiffening resistance bogged down the attack. Germans took 262 Finnish civilian hostages attempting to trade them for captured soldiers before releasing them on the 12th of October. Four additional waves of Finnish ships arrived with fighter escorts despite Stuka dive bomber attacks sinking SS Bore IX and SS Maininki.

• 4. Scorched Earth Devastation

  ›

  German withdrawal effective by November left Lapland systematically destroyed according to orders from Lothar Rendulic. A strict order issued on the 6th of October classified only military sites as targets for destruction. By the 8th of October Germans bombed factory areas of Kemi heavily damaging infrastructure. The demolition order extended on the 9th of October to include all governmental buildings except hospitals. On the 13th of October all covers installations and objects usable by an enemy were ordered destroyed in northern Finland. Fire spread beyond government buildings destroying housing in Rovaniemi after a train loaded with ammunition caught fire at the railroad station on the 14th of October. The explosion spread throughout primarily wooden buildings of the town. First Finnish units reached Rovaniemi vicinity on the 14th of October but Germans repelled attempts to capture intact bridge over Kemi river. They left mostly scorched town to Finns on the 16th of October 1944. At Tankavaara four battalions of Finnish Jaeger Brigade unsuccessfully attempted dislodging twelve-battalion German 169th Infantry Division entrenched in fortifications on the 26th of October. German 6th SS Mountain Division Nord reinforced by artillery prevented Finnish 11th Division gaining upper hand despite successful flanking operations.

• 5. Soviet Arctic Offensive

  ›

  The Soviet Karelian Front led by General Kirill Meretskov initiated Petsamo, Kirkenes Offensive starting the 7th of October pushing XIX Mountain Corps toward Norway. By the 25th of October front captured Norwegian port of Kirkenes. The 14th Army pursued German troops withdrawing southwest from Petsamo and Kirkenes approximately into Finnish territory along Lake Inari. Soviet reconnaissance troops met with Finnish Army at Ivalo by the 5th of November. The 26th Army followed withdrawing XVIII Mountain Corps around over Finnish border in southern Lapland to Kuusamo and Suomussalmi before leaving area in November. Soviet troops stationed in Ivalo did not leave until September 1945. For most practical purposes war in Lapland concluded early November 1944 after Germans withdrew from north-eastern Lapland at Karigasniemi on the 25th of November 1944. Only four battalions of Finnish troops remained on the 4th of November in north-western Lapland dropping to mere 600 men by February 1945. Germans continued withdrawal remaining in positions first at Palojoensuu village then fortified position along Lätäseno River on the 26th of November.

• 6. Demobilization And Aftermath

  ›

  The 20th Mountain Army successfully withdrew most of its over 200,000 men as well as supplies and equipment from Lapland to Norway. Casualties were relatively limited: 774 killed, 262 missing and around 2,904 wounded Finns. Germany experienced around 1,000 deaths and 2,000 wounded with 1,300 German soldiers becoming prisoners of war handed over to USSR. Estimates show 14,900 buildings representing 40, 46 percent of Lapland's property destroyed alongside railway and road infrastructure. Six hundred seventy-five bridges fell victim to demolition efforts plus 2,800 road storm drains removed. Over 800,000 cartridges, 70,000 mines and 400,000 other explosives had been demined in Lapland by 1973 totaling 1,142,000 units. Reconstruction of Lapland lasted until early 1950s though railway network not functional until 1957. There was never an official peace agreement signed between Finland and Germany until government noted hostilities ceased in 1954. A Finnish battle patrol raised flag on three-country cairn between Norway Sweden and Finland celebrating end of wars on the 27th of April 1945.