Finnish Reconquest of Ladoga Karelia (1941) - The Beginning of The Offensive

The Beginning of The Offensive

On July 9, the order for the offensive was given. The task to break through the Soviet defences was given to VI Corps, commanded by the hero of Battle of Tolvajärvi, Maj. Gen. Paavo Talvela. He had borrowed as much artillery as possible from other units of the Army of Karelia and even from the 1st Jäger Brigade. (Col. Ruben Lagus) from Group O. With strong artillery support he unleashed the 5th Division (Col. Eino Koskimies) to Korpiselkä July 10, overwhelming its defenders by the next morning. Talvela wasn't satisfied with the aggressiveness of Koskimies, and he relieved him from command and gave the 5th Division to Col. Lagus.

Lagus pursued the retreating Soviet IR 52 eastward with his light units and reached Tolvajärvi on July 12. Then he turned southwards and advanced using small roads, some in such poor shape that his men had to carry their bicycles. On July 14 his forces cut off Sortavala-Petrozavodsk railroad, and the next day they reached shores of Lake Ladoga, severing Soviet routes around the lake. The Soviets had to transfer two regiments and separate battalions from Karelian Isthmus to close down the hole on the eastern side of Lake Ladoga.

By July 4 the 11th division (Col. Kaarlo Heiskanen) had already found that Soviet forces had temporarily abandoned their trenches across the border, and they used the opportunity to capture them. By July 9, when the general offensive began, they had already pushed eastward from their captured positions over the roadless terrain and cut the road running from Korpiselkä to Värtsilä and Suistamo, on the eastern shore of Jänisjärvi. From there they threatened to encircle Soviet forces south of Korpiselkä and those fortified in Värtsilä. To prevent encirclement, the Soviets had to leave their positions and retreat eastward. The Soviet IR 367 was able to hold its positions north of Jänisjärvi until defenders of Värtsilä had retreated there by July 12. Heiskanen continued pressing IR 367 around the eastern side of Jänisjärvi, and reached Jänisjoki, running from Jänisjärvi to Lake Ladoga July 16, where they went on the defensive.

Lagus continued his offensive immediately along the north-eastern coast of Lake Ladoga. The Soviet Mot. IR 452 was coming from the Karelian Isthmus and its first units were set to defensive at Salmi, where the Tulemajoki reaches Lake Ladoga. Finnish forces arrived there on July 18, and early next morning they started the battle by crossing the river 5 km north of Salmi and managed to cut the roads leading to Salmi by afternoon. Next day the Finns were able to push into the village and only small units were able to escape the encirclement. Salmi was finally captured by early hours of July 21.

The strengthened 5th division continued its advance as fast as possible and crossed the old border July 22 at Rajakontu. Meanwhile, a battle detachment under Järvinen (Col. Järvinen) had secured the left flank of the main thrust by crossing the old border at Känsäselkä and on July 19 captured the villages of Kolatselkä and Palalahti near Tulemajärvi, where they secured north and east leading roads and continued their advance to the south. And on 23 July the 5th division from the west and detachment Järvinen from the north began their attack on the village of Vitele, which was captured the next morning. Lagus unsuccessfully tried to encircle the retreating Soviet forces and had by the evening reached Tuuloksenjoki, but Soviet tanks and artillery managed to stop the advance of his light forces there.

The 1st division (Col. Paavo Paalu) had arrived and was transferred to VI Corps on July 16, but it was not until July 20 when they reached the fast-moving front line and released attachment Järvinen to their attack towards Vitele. From there they continued to attack north towards Hyrsylä and east toward Vieljärvi which they captured a few days later. The Soviet AR2, IR24, IR28 and parts of IR9 and IR10 began a counteroffensive on July 23, and after five days of fighting the front line was established 10 km east of Vieljärvi.