Winter War battles in Kuhmo
When the war began, the Soviet troops intended to attack from the Repola area towards Kuhmo parish village and from there to Kajaani and Oulu. Their aim was to cut Finland in half at the countrys narrowest point.
Hostilities began in Kuhmo on 30 November 1939 at 9:45 am when a Red Army unit attacked across the border to Laamasenvaara, where the war claimed its first victims.
The heaviest battles in the Kuhmo region for Finns were fought in the terrain of Kilpelänkangas and Löytövaara. Despite the enemys superior numbers and furious pressure, the Finns held their position in Löytövaara until the end of the war.
The Soviet troops advanced furthest in the terrain near Jyrkänkoski, where the Finns had to retreat to fortified positions.
Jyrkänkoski
Reconstructed in their original places and in similar fashion, the area features the wooden structures of an anti-tank obstacle and the northern bridge support of the blasted, former road bridge with barbed-wire entanglements, a stretch of trench, a machine gun emplacement and a splinter protection. In addition, a skid and winch for transporting anti-tank obstacle rocks was repaired. The Winter War in Kuhmo info board in five-languages describes not only the battles in the adjacent areas but also the Winter War in general in the Kuhmo area. The weapons and other artefacts of the area were provided and the structures erected by the local reservist association.
Source: The Winter War in Kuhmo
For more information:
http://www.talvisotakuhmossa.fi/index_eng.asp
Guide app for the Winter War tour:
http://m.en.talvisotakuhmossa.fi/
