The Continuation War 1941-1944
Jun 1941: 476000, Oct 1942: ca. 376000*, Aug
1944: 531000
* Army was partly demobilized, because agriculture and industry needed
more men after it became clear that war was going to be a long one
Designation | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | Famous Battlefields | Notes |
1. D | CL,EC | MI | MI | MI,CL | ||
2. D | CI | CI | CI | CI | Tyrjä, Siiranmäki | |
3. D | UH | UH | UH | UH,CI | Uhtua, Kuuterselkä | |
4. D | CI,EC,MI | MI | CI | Viborg, Maaselkä | ||
5. D | CL,EC,SV | SV | SV | SV,EC,CL | Korpiselkä, Nietjärvi | |
6. D | SA | MI | MI,CI | Salla, Ihantala | 1942 as 12. Pr, 1943 again division | |
7. D | CL,EC,SV | SV | SV | SV,EC,CL | ||
8. D | CI,EC,MI | SV | SV | SV,EC,CL | Porlammi, Maaselkä | |
10. D | CI | CI | CI | CI | Valkeasaari | |
11. D | LC,EC,SV | SV | SV | SV,CL | ||
12. D | CI | CI | Porlammi | Disbanded in 1941; formed 3. Pr | ||
14. D | RU | RU | RU | RU | Repola, Rukajärvi | |
15. D | CI | CI | CI | CI | ||
17. D | HA,EC,SV | SV | SV | SV,CL | Hanko, Svir | |
18. D | CI | CI | CI | CI | Hopeasalmi | |
19. D | CI | Shores of Ladoga | Disbanded in 1942 | |||
1. JPr | CL,EC,SV,MI | Aunus | ||||
2. JPr | CL,EC,MI | Maaselkä | Part of PsD in 1942 | |||
RvPr | CL | CI,CL | Vammelsuu | |||
Pr 'K' | CL | Kuutamolahti | Composed of 'Tribal Battalions'* | |||
PsD | EC | EC | EC,CI | Kuuterselkä, Vuosalmi | ||
3. Pr | MI | MI | CL | Ihantala | Formed in late 1941 | |
12. Pr | MI | Transformed as 6. D in 1943 | ||||
15. Pr | EC | SV,EC,CL | Nietjärvi | Formed 24 May 1943 | ||
19. Pr | CI | CI | Taipale | Formed 16 Oct 1943 from JR 16 | ||
20. Pr | EC,CI,CL | Viborg | Formed 16 Oct 1943 from JR 22 | |||
21. Pr | MI,CL | Ilomantsi | Formed 16 Oct 1943 | |||
RajaJPr | CL | Ilomantsi | ||||
ÄänRPr | EC | EC | EC | |||
LaaRPr | CL | CL | CL | |||
1. RD | CI |
Abbreviations: D = Division Pr =Brigade JR =Infantry Regiment PsD = Armored Division Rv = Cavalry J = Jaeger Raja = Frontier Guards ÄänRPr = Onega Coastal Brigade LaaRPr = Ladoga Coastal Brigade, RD = Coastal Division
Locations: CI Carelian Isthmus, CL Carelia North of
Lake Ladoga, EC Eastern Carelia, MI Maaselkä Isthmus,
SV Svir River, RU
Rukajärvi, UH Uhtua, SA Salla
* Two Tribal Warrior Battalions (AHSP & VHSP) were formed out of volunteers and conscripts of Carelian origin, who lived in Finland before the war. Also Finns were used to put the battalions to full strenght. Other non-Finnish units in the Puolustusvoimat during the Continuation War were SFB, Swedish volunteer battalion, operational in 1941, Tribal Battalion 3, which was formed out of POWs who were Carelians or Ingrians and spoke Finnish, JR 200, an Estonian regiment, which was formed in 1944 and later returned to defend Estonia against Soviets.
Order of Battle in the End of the Continuation War
Front | Corps | |
Carelian Isthmus | V AK | 10. D |
11. D | ||
17. D | ||
1. RD | ||
3. Pr | ||
IV AK | 4. D | |
6. D | ||
18. D | ||
III AK | 2. D | |
15. D | ||
19. Pr | ||
Reserve In Isthmus | 3. D | |
PsD | ||
Northern Carelia | VI AK | 5. D |
8. D | ||
15. Pr | ||
II AK | 1. D | |
7. D | ||
Ryhmä E | ||
14. D |