15.04.1942. Care from AAA and fighters

15 Apr 1942 3 BLs of LeLv 44 took off 04.00 hrs, one crews comprised pilot W/O Unto Oksala, observer 2nd Lt. Siponen, and Air Master Sgt. Veikko Laukas, gunner/radio operator. The mission was a bombing raid beyond the Svir against a depot area in Varbinitsi. This attack was a combined operation of three sqns. The plan was that the 19 bombers would rally over Svir at 0500 and then bomb in one queue.

The sqns were stepped as follows:

9 Dorniers from Mensuvaara (LeLv46) at 1200m

7 Blenheims from Vartsila (LeLv42) at 1000m

3 Blenheims from Onttola (LeLv44) at 800m

The last a/c were to be flown by the most experienced pilots and gunners because they would be under the greatest risk. So it was Oksala who was "the tail end Charlie" and in the lowest altitude, too. The weather was clear and visibility good. Everything seemed to be going fine as LeLv44 headed for the rallying point.

But the DNs had miscalculated their flying time and they were over the Svir 5min ahead of the rest of the others. There they circled handsomely over the rallying point. It was obvious that the enemy was alerted, and the course of the events took a nasty turn.

As soon as the Finnish bombers crossed the Svir, furious AAA fire was opened. The sqns flew in queue each in their own altitude.

Suddenly ahead of Oksala's BL and in a higher altitude there was a great flash, which turned into a grey puff of smoke erupting small and large fiery streaks nearly in every direction. And immediately another. Then as the Finnish airmen were wondering what it had been, a third one.

Three Blenheims had met their destiny south of the Svir and exploded with full bomb load. For the survivors it was a grand sight to see the engines of the a/c flying like burning meteors in various directions.

Oksala's observer, on his first mission, thought aloud in the intercom, not of fear but rather to analyze the situation: "can we go there, it seems to be pretty dense". Oksala cleared his throat and said: "If others dare to die there, we, too, dare to fly there, right, Veka?" The gunner agreed immediately and totally with Utsi's words.

Oksala went on with the bombing run and at the very moment of bomb release the gunner spotted a fighter approaching from the right ahead. At that moment it was not the right time to mention that because the bombs were just being aimed. Laukas heard snaps in his headphones: the bombs were being released. He counted 12 snaps and only then reported to the pilot that there was a fighter approaching. At the same moment the bottom of the BL began to vibrate like a drum: their bombs had hit an ammo dump and the pressure waves were felt up to 800m. Utsi banked left and dived.

The entire AAA of Varbinitsi concentrated their fire on the single BL. Actually the AAA fire helped the bomber crew because the enemy pilot could not get close enough to shoot. Then during the dive the gunner fired at the enemy as much as he could and managed to make him evade, which gave the bomber pilot some breathing space. When the BL "hit the deck" Oksala once again proved his skill in low level flying: The fighter could not get below the bomber in the blind spot. Soon the enemy turned away.

Having crossed the Svir Oksala and his crew thought they were safe, but flying over a swamp they began to get tracers from left ahead. The pilot had to pull a fast evasive maneuver to escape Finnish AAA fire.

© Written by: Ossi Juntunen

Sources:

Joppe Karhunen (in several books)