Battle of Porlampi

Soviet howitzers of the 101st howitzer artillery regiment captured at Porlampi.

Date	30 August 1941
Location	Porlampi, Finland
Result	Decisive Finnish victory

Belligerents

Finland

Soviet Union

Commanders and leaders

Paavo Talvela

Karl Lennart Oesch

M. N. Gerasimov

Vladimir Kirpichnikov (general)

Units involved

IV Corp

23rd Army

Strength

43,000

35,000

Casualties and losses

700 casualties, 2700 wounded

7000 casualties, 1000 wounded, 9000 prisoners

Paavo Talvela

M. N. Gerasimov

The Battle of Porlampi, also known as the Battle of Porlammi, was a military engagement fought between the Finnish Army and Red Army from 30 August to 1 September 1941 on the Karelian Isthmus. The battle was fought near the town of Porlampi during the second month of the Continuation War. The battle was a Finish victory and effectivly ended the reconquest of Karelia.

Territorial disputes between the Soviet Union and Finland caused the outbreak of the Winter War in November 1939. Several months of fighting ensued, during which the Red Army was able to push back the Finnish defenders on the Karelian Isthmus. Located on the main road to the vital port of Vyborg, the town of Porlampi was occupied by the Soviets in March 1940 following the Battle of Summa.

Following the end of the Winter War in March 1940, Finland was forced to cede the parts of Karelia to the Soviet Union, with Porlampi being one of the territories given over.

On 22 June 1941 the German Wehrmacht launched Operation Barbarossa, the planned invasion of the Soviet Union. Prior to commencement of Barbarossa, Finnish and German officers had planned for possible Finnish participation in the war against the Soviet Union. Finland mobilized 16 infantry divisions, one cavalry brigade, and two jäger brigades of the Finnish Army to the newly established border with the Soviets on 21 June, and on 22 June conducted Operation Kilpapurjehdus, an action that violated the Moscow Peace Treaty. That same day, German naval bombers began mining the waters around Leningrad, with some of the aircraft being deployed from airfields in Finland. On 25 June a flight of Soviet bombers struck at airfields in Finland, and Soviet artillery stationed in Hanko fired on Finnish targets.

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