Finnish Veterans Day 27.4

The Battle of Tali-Ihantala (June 25 to July 9, 1944) was part of the Finnish-Soviet Continuation War (1941–1944), which occurred during World War II. The battle was fought between Finnish forces—using war materiel provided by Germany—and Soviet forces. To date, it is the largest battle in the history of the Nordic countries.

The battle was one of attrition, with the Finns suffering proportionally more casualties than the Soviet forces. It marked a point in the Soviet offensive when the Finnish forces first prevented the Soviets from making any significant gains.

However, already earlier at Siiranmäki and Perkjärvi the Finns had halted advancing Soviet forces. Finnish forces achieved a defensive victory, although Russian historian N. Baryshnikov criticizes this as an exaggeration.
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Tali–Ihantala taistelu käytiin jatkosodassa Saksan tukeman Suomen ja Neuvostoliiton välillä vuonna 1944. 

Teheranin konferenssissa 1943 Neuvostoliitto oli sitoutunut lisäämään sotilaallista painetta Saksaa vastaan erityisesti juuri Normandian maihinnousun tapahduttua.

Tali ja Ihantala kylien alueella, 8–14 kilometriä Viipurista pohjoiseen ja koilliseen, käyty kamppailu on Pohjolan maiden historiassa suurin koskaan käyty taistelu. Suomen armeija pysäytti Neuvostoliiton suurhyökkäyksen tässä taistelussa.
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Battle of Tali-Ihantala

Talin-Ihantalan taistelu

Estonian Volunteers - Finnish Infantry Regiment 200

Battle of Tali-Ihantala
Part of the Continuation War
Finnish soldiers marching next to a destroyed Soviet T-34 tank
Date June 25 to July 9, 1944 Location 60°46′5″N 28°52′43″E Karelian Isthmus Result Finnish defensive victory
Belligerents
Finland  Germany	Soviet Union
Commanders and leaders
Karl Lennart Oesch Kurt Kuhlmey	Leonid Govorov Dmitry Gusev Aleksandr Cherepanov
Strength
50,000	150,000 Soviet sources: 48,000–60,000
Casualties and losses
1,100 killed 1,100 missing 6,300 wounded 8,500 total casualties	Finnish estimate: 300 tanks 120–280 aircraft Later Finnish estimate: 21st Army: estimated 4,500–5,500 killed 13,500–14,500 wounded 23rd Army: 1,458 killed, 288 missing, 6,159 wounded 27,500 total casualties

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Kurt Kuhlmey (19 November 1913 – 30 April 1993) was a Stuka pilot of the Second World War. He flew over 500 combat missions, and in July 1942 was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes), which was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.

On 9 June 1944 the Soviet Union launched a major offensive on the Karelian Isthmus. The Soviet Army forced the Finns to abandon their defensive lines and on 20 June took Viipuri, the second largest city of Finland. As a reinforcement SG 3 was posted to Finland in June 1944, forming Gefechtsverband Kuhlmey (Detachment Kuhlmey) with Oberst Kuhlmey commanding a composite unit comprising elements of I./SG 3, I./SG 5, II./JG 54 and NAGr.1.

Kuhlmey planes:
I/SG 3:   33 kpl Junkers Ju 87 D-5 Stuka divebomber
II/JG 54: 29–62 kpl Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-6  fighters
I/SG 5:   16 kpl Focke-Wulf Fw 190 F-3 - ja F-8 Jabo
I/NaGr 5: 1–8 kpl Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-8 scout

TGr.10:  35 kpl Savoia Marchetti SM.81/AR transport 
Junkers Ju-52 transport

Detachment Kuhlmey's actions in Finland during 16 June and 21 July 1944 was hugely influential in the final outcome of the offensive and of the Continuation War. Together Finnish Air Force units and Detachment Kuhlmey made 1,020 bombing sorties against the Soviet troops and armour. The Soviets lost some 300 tanks, 120-280 aircraft and over 20,000 troops. As a result the Soviet advance stalled, and ensuing peace talks led to a cease-fire between the Soviet Union and Finland on 4 September.
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Liesl Yamaguchi / Penguin classics.co.uk / Unknown-soldiers

Yamaguchi has turned again English Finnish author Väinö Linna's novel appeared in 1954 in The Unknown Soldier.
Translation Unknown Soldiers published in April 2015 the US publishing house Penguin Penguin Classics series.

Liesl Yamaguchi (b. 1984 in Santa Monica, California, United States) is an American literary scientist, translation science teacher and translator.

In 2015, Yamaguchi worked as a teacher of Translation Studies at the University of Tampere in Finland and a visiting researcher at the École normale Dr. supérieure'ssa in Paris, France.


Previously, he has served as the US Ambassador to Finland Barbara Barrett assistant in Helsinki in 2008-2009.
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Rannalle himmeän lahden aurinko laskenut on.
Kutsu jo soi iltahuudon, taakka jo laskettu on.
Taattoa muista sa silloin, askel jo uupunut on.
Lapset ja lastemme lapset, teidän nyt vuoronne on.

Hoivatkaa, kohta poissa on veljet, muistakaa: Heille kallis ol' maa.
Kertokaa lastenlapsille lauluin: Himmetä ei muistot koskaan saa!

Hymni soi holvissa hiljaa, tummana kaipuuta soi.
Aika on korjannut viljaa, sarka jo kynnetty on.
Ammoin me marssimme kahden, tulta löi taivas ja maa.
Rannoilta Äänisen lahden kelle nyt kertoa saa?

Hoivatkaa, kohta poissa on veljet, muistakaa: Heille kallis ol' maa.
Kertokaa lastenlapsille lauluin: Himmetä ei muistot koskaan saa!

Laineissa Laatokan mahti, kahlita kenkään ei voi.
Veljet sen rantoja vahti, konsa on koittava koi?
Ylväänä Karjalan heimo tuskansa kantanut on.
Maaäiti suojaansa sulkee, vartija poissa jo on.

Hoivatkaa, kohta poissa on veljet, muistakaa: Heille kallis ol' maa.
Kertokaa lastenlapsille lauluin: Himmetä ei muistot koskaan saa!