Finnish pilot Lauri Pekuri-POW adventure

[Juha]

Hello Kari

Yes, it would be interesting to see Trontti’s interrogation papers. According to the Report on Activities 1.6.1944 – 31.8.44 of HLe.Lv. 34 Trontti went missing during an interception sortie to Juustila, which is some 85 km NW from Vammelsuu. Geust et al Red Stars in the Sky 3 gives the place of Serov’s taran as Terijoki (Zelenogorsk) and the crash location of Serov as Vammelsuu (Serovo), which is some km W of Terijoki. The fist claims of HLe.Lv. 34 on 26.6.44 were during 12.55 – 14.10/14.15 mission, which according to Juutilainen’s combat report was an escort mission.



Juha

[Juha]

Hello

I checked the war diary of 3./HLe.Lv. 34

according to it Trontti took off to an interception mission to Tali-Lyykylä with 3 other Bf 109s at 10.50 on 26.6.44. Vääpeli (third highest NCO rank in Finnish Armed Forces) Paronen claimed a Yak-9 during the sortie and Trontti didn’t return. The others returned at 12.00. That’s all what is written in the war diary.

It is of course possible that for example Trontti had chased alone some Soviet a/c as far as to Terijoki and met Serov and co there. That would have been a foolhardy thing to do but some Finnish fighter pilots were rather foolhardy. I don’t know if Trontti was one of those risk takers or not.
I checked the victory list in Keskinen et al LeR 3 book against a list in Finnish War Archives (Luettelo Lentojoukkojen alasampumista viholliskoneista) which only gave info on victories at the level of squadrons and it seems that the Paronen’s forenoon victory wasn’t allocated to him but was put to regiment’s account. This happened in 1944 usually when there wasn't a witness to a claim.



Juha

[Juha]

Hello

This is from Jaakko Hyvönen’s Kohtalokkat lennot (Fatal flights) 1939-1944 Apali 2001.

On Pekuri. Shot down on 16.6.44. Pekuri parachuted from his flaming Bf 109 G-6 MT-420 which crashed c. 1 km North of Jäppilä a/f (near Uusikirkko). Pekuri began his trek to northward towards own lines. On 25.6. he had got near Viipuri (Vyborg) and went to a side building of an empty house for some sleep hiding himself under hay. While asleep he was found by Soviet soldiers.

He was returned to Finland 22.11.44

On Trontti. Trontti got into air combat over enemy area (place given is only Carelia Isthmus, which very vague but according to 3./HLe.Lv. 34 war diary weather was rather poor 10/10 cloud and raining) . His a/c Bf 109G-6 MT-434 got hits and Trontti jumped. He was caught very soon afterwards and was transported to a field hospital near Terijoki. There he met among others WO Kleemola, whose Do 17Z DN-63 was shot down 30.6. near Lake Kärstilä (near Tali )

During interrogations Trontti accepted the offer to spy for Soviet Union for the return to Finland and so he reported to his superiors on July 10 and was transferred to rear and to an another branch of military service because of his situation.



Juha