11.02.1940. Visual recce and bombing

It was Feb 11 1940 0730hrs as BL-115 took off from Joroinen to the area N of Lake Ladoga. The crew comprised: pilot Sgt. Oksala, observer res.Lt. Platan, gunner Res.1st Lt. Hyttinen. The mission was visual recce and bombing a target of opportunity, route Joroinen - Tuulos - Salmi - Pitkaranta - Joroinen.

The mission went as planned. The observer counted the road traffic and the enemy troops, the enemy AA was not a problem. Finally Platan aimed the bombs at a column of vehicles massed on a road. Some trucks were flung in the air, landing upside down.

The aircrew continued the return journey. At Pitkaranta they were fired upon by friendly AAA. Before Oksala had time to take evasive manouver a splinter swished between the pilot and the observer, slicing a piece off Platan's furs. At the same time Oksala reported calmly: - The wheel is slack, stand by to bail out !

Splinters had cut both the control cables of the rudder and the ailerons. The BL began to slide to the left, the left wing began to go down and finally the a/c was turning to left, toward Ladoga. They were in the verge of a lethal dive should the pilot not be able to regain the control.

Utsi worked hard to control his vehicle. He adjusted the power, the tilt of the wings was balanced. They had been saved for a while.

Oksala kept adjusting the engine power and thus was able to control the BL in a satisfactory way. Because they could not know what other damage the BL had suffered, the pilot decided to make an emergency landing. There was space enough on the ice of the Ladoga even though the BL had to be taken down with too much speed. The pilot belly-landed safely, controlling the a/c to the end. Later the a/c was flown from the ice to Tampere for repairs. The airmen had some trouble with the local Civil Guard who believed they had encountered Red airmen. The BL crew was considered as enemies until Antti Platan managed to make a telephone call to Joroinen.

© Written by: Ossi Juntunen

Sources:

Joppe Karhunen (in several books)