Finnish 6th Division (Continuation War)
Encyclopedia
The 6th Division was a unit of the Finnish Army
during the Continuation War
.
in Northern Finland in 1941. As part of Operation Arctic Fox
the division attacked with the SS Division Nord and German 169th Infantry Division
against Salla
with the goal of reaching Kandalaksha
on the White Sea
coast. The division also fought alongside a small German tank unit, the Panzer-Abteilung 211, which consisted entirely of captured French tanks. The attack was a failure.
In 1942 the 6th division was reorganized into the 12th Brigade but was later brought back to division strength in 1943.
The division was transported to the Maaselkä isthmus in 1942, but after the Soviet main assault started in 1944, it was moved to the Karelian Isthmus
. There it took part in the decisive Battle of Tali-Ihantala
.
After the Continuation War ended, the division also took part in the Lapland War
. The division was disbanded after it had occupied Rovaniemi
.
See also: List of Finnish divisions in the Continuation War, Finnish 6th Division (Winter War)
Finnish Army
The Finnish Army is the land forces branch of the Finnish Defence Forces.Today's Army is divided into six branches: the infantry , field artillery, anti-aircraft artillery, engineers, signals, and materiel troops.-History of the Finnish Army:Between 1809 and 1917 Finland was an autonomous part of...
during the Continuation War
Continuation War
The Continuation War was the second of two wars fought between Finland and the Soviet Union during World War II.At the time of the war, the Finnish side used the name to make clear its perceived relationship to the preceding Winter War...
.
History
The 6th Division was attached to the German XXXVI CorpsGerman XXXVI Corps
The XXXVI Corps was a German military formation in World War II.It was formed in October 1939 and took part in the invasion of France. In August 1940 the corps was moved to southern Norway and from there to northern Finland....
in Northern Finland in 1941. As part of Operation Arctic Fox
Operation Arctic Fox
Operation Arctic Fox was the codename given to a campaign by German and Finnish forces during World War II against Soviet Northern Front defences at Salla, Finland in July 1941. The Operation was part of a larger Operation called Operation Silver Fox which aimed in capturing the vital port of...
the division attacked with the SS Division Nord and German 169th Infantry Division
German 169th Infantry Division
The German 169th Infantry Division was a German military unit during World War II.The division was formed in 1939. It took part in Operation Fall Gelb and stayed in France until being transferred to Finnish Lapland in 1941. The division was part of the German XXXVI Corps which also included SS...
against Salla
Salla
Salla is a municipality of Finland, located in Lapland. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of ofwhich is water. The population density is....
with the goal of reaching Kandalaksha
Kandalaksha
Kandalaksha is a town in Kandalakshsky District of Murmansk Oblast, Russia, located at the head of Kandalaksha Gulf on the White Sea, beyond the Arctic Circle. Population: 40,564 ; -History:The settlement has existed since the 11th century...
on the White Sea
White Sea
The White Sea is a southern inlet of the Barents Sea located on the northwest coast of Russia. It is surrounded by Karelia to the west, the Kola Peninsula to the north, and the Kanin Peninsula to the northeast. The whole of the White Sea is under Russian sovereignty and considered to be part of...
coast. The division also fought alongside a small German tank unit, the Panzer-Abteilung 211, which consisted entirely of captured French tanks. The attack was a failure.
In 1942 the 6th division was reorganized into the 12th Brigade but was later brought back to division strength in 1943.
The division was transported to the Maaselkä isthmus in 1942, but after the Soviet main assault started in 1944, it was moved to the Karelian Isthmus
Karelian Isthmus
The Karelian Isthmus is the approximately 45–110 km wide stretch of land, situated between the Gulf of Finland and Lake Ladoga in northwestern Russia, to the north of the River Neva . Its northwestern boundary is the relatively narrow area between the Bay of Vyborg and Lake Ladoga...
. There it took part in the decisive Battle of Tali-Ihantala
Battle of Tali-Ihantala
The Battle of Tali-Ihantala was part of the Continuation War , which occurred during World War II. The battle was fought between Finnish forces—using war material provided by Germany—and Soviet forces...
.
After the Continuation War ended, the division also took part in the Lapland War
Lapland War
The Lapland War were the hostilities between Finland and Nazi Germany between September 1944 and April 1945, fought in Finland's northernmost Lapland Province. While the Finns saw this as a separate conflict much like the Continuation War, German forces considered their actions to be part of the...
. The division was disbanded after it had occupied Rovaniemi
Rovaniemi
Rovaniemi is a city and municipality of Finland. It is the administrative capital and commercial centre of Finland's northernmost province, Lapland. It is situated close to the Arctic Circle and is between the hills of Ounasvaara and Korkalovaara, at the confluence of the Kemijoki River and its...
.
Commanders
- ColonelColonelColonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Werner Viikla (1941) - Colonel A. Mäkiniemi (12th Brigade)
- Major GeneralMajor GeneralMajor general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
E. Vihma (1943)
Organization
The 6th Division was organised from men from the Far-North Military Province (Perä-Pohjolan Sotilaslääni). It lacked the Heavy Artillery Battalion.- Infantry Regiment 12 (RovaniemiRovaniemiRovaniemi is a city and municipality of Finland. It is the administrative capital and commercial centre of Finland's northernmost province, Lapland. It is situated close to the Arctic Circle and is between the hills of Ounasvaara and Korkalovaara, at the confluence of the Kemijoki River and its...
) - Infantry Regiment 33 (SodankyläSodankylä-Twin towns: Kola, Russia, since 1968 Berlevåg, Norway, since 1971 Norsjö, Sweden, since 1977 Heiligenblut, Austria, since 1979-External links:* – Official website* * * * * *...
) - Infantry Regiment 54 (Western Lapland)
- Field Artillery Regiment 14 (TornioTornioTornio is a town and municipality in Lapland, Finland. The municipality covers an area of of which is water. The population density is , with a total population of . It borders to the Swedish municipality of Haparanda...
) - Light Battalion 3
- Engineer Battalion 36
- Signal Battalion 36
See also: List of Finnish divisions in the Continuation War, Finnish 6th Division (Winter War)
Finnish 6th Division (Winter War)
The 6th Division was a unit of the Finnish Army during the Winter War; its name was later changed to the 3rd Division .-History:...