The Military History of Kuhmo
Winter War
In Kuhmo, the battles of the Winter War lasted throughout the war, and the events were like a miniature version of the entire Winter War: fierce defence battles, guerrilla strikes, violent counterattacks, and devastating encirclement battles. The battle against the ski troops of the Red Army was a distinctive feature in Kuhmo, as the Finns beat the 54th Mountain Division (54th Mount Div) and destroyed the Dolin Ski Brigade (Dolin Ski Bde). Thus, the battles of Kuhmo have been overshadowed without reason by the battles of Suomussalmi.
War events
Finnish people anticipated that the situation would lead to war when, on the evening of 29 November, they heard the Soviet Union had severed diplomatic relations with Finland. Preparations for war began that very evening. The next morning it was decided that the civilians were to be evacuated and the troops to be concentrated to the border.
The Finns had planned an offensive strike across the border, but it turned into a delaying battle during the first phase. During a battle phase lasting just over a week, the Detached Battalion 14 (Det Bn 14) mobilized in Kuhmo repelled the first attacks at Saunajärvi from 2 to 5 December. The Soviet regiment’s outflanking from the north of Alasenjärvi lake forced the Finns to retreat on the evening of 5 December, and the Finnish troops regrouped in the Rasti area the following day.
In the next phase, the Finns succeeded in stabilising the battles. A counterattack was initiated on 8 December in the direction of Rasti, as reinforcement was received from Brigade Vuokko (Bde Vuokko). It did not achieve the set objectives, but it caused losses to the enemy. Although the Finns had to give up the defence positions of Rasti on 11 December, the Red Army’s 54th Mountain Division was halted at the Jyrkänkoski defence positions during the battles fought from 12 to 20 December.
On the northern flank, in the direction of Kiekinkoski, Detachment Kekkonen (Det Kekkonen) was formed on 5 December, which managed to stop the enemy task force advancing in this direction at Tyrävaara. Jussi Kekkonen, who served as the commander of the detachment, was the brother of President Urho Kekkonen. He launched a counterattack on Christmas Eve, which led to the destruction of the enemy task force four days later. The enemy had now been pushed back across the border on the northern flank, and in the direction of Saunajärvi, the northern flank of the 54th Mountain Division was open.
After this, the battles subsided and there was a phase of trench warfare lasting to the end of January. The simultaneous battles of Suomussalmi and Raate Road likely influenced the calming of the front as well.
In the next phase of the battles, the Finns launched a counterattack. Siilasvuo’s 9th Division (9th Div) was transferred from Suomussalmi to Kuhmo at the end of January 1940. The intention was to destroy the 54th Mountain Division that had advanced towards Kuhmo. The enemy was successfully divided into smaller groups in the counterattack, but the encirclements that were created could not be completely destroyed.
The last one and a half months of war consisted of harsh encirclement battles, while the enemy troops, who attempted to assist the encircled were repelled in fierce defensive battles at Kilpelänkangas and Löytövaara. The Finns also fought against the Dolin Ski Brigade, which was destroyed in battles lasting about a week at the Vetko – Kesseli area.
The peace agreement on 13 March 1940 saved the 54th Mountain Division’s troops from the encirclements, and the Finns failed to achieve a great war booty. On the other hand, peace also saved the Finnish troops from the firestorm of Löytövaara. There they were met by the 163rd Division (163rd Div), which had been transferred from Suomussalmi in February.
Salpa line
After the Winter War, during the so-called Interim peace, the Salpa line was built on Finland’s eastern border (the official name was the Salpa of Finland). Permanently fortified (reinforced concrete) defence positions were not build in Kuhmo, but stone barriers were constructed at several different locations. Different areas were fortified with various field fortifications in Kuhmo during the additional reserve exercises and the Winter War. They formed the basis for the Salpa line built during the Interim peace.
Defence positions were built in the most likely directions of enemy attack, which were the roads coming from Saunajärvi, Kiekinkoski, and Lentiira towards Kuhmo. The defensive line from Tervasalmi to Nurmesjärvi, leading west from Kuhmo, was reinforced at the level of Ontojärvi lake.
The remains of the structures and restored defence positions are visible among defence positions from the Winter War, for example in Jyrkänkoski and Saunajärvi, which are also nationally significant sites of the Salpa line. The remains of defence positions can also be seen in numerous other areas.
Continuation War
After the Continuation War began, the 14th Division (14th Div) led by Colonel Erkki Raappana, attacked from the directions of Lieksa and Kuhmo across the eastern border towards Repola and Rukajärvi. The actual battles were fought on the ground of the Soviet Union, Repola was captured on 8 July and Rukajärvi on 12 September 1941. Mannerheim halted the advance of the Finns to Ontajoki river on 16 September, where the Finns held their positions until the end of the war.
Five partisan strikes were carried out in Kuhmo during the Continuation War, where 18 civilians and three soldiers died.