The Winter War in Air: Finnish & Soviet experience 1939-1940

[GuerraCivil]

One of the interesting sideshows of WW2 was the Finnish-Soviet Winter War in 1939 - 1940. Most of the publications have been in Finnish (although containing often English text) and the focus has in been in Finnish side.

Fokker D XXI Aces of World War 2

For starters I would recommend the Osprey title Fokker D XXI Aces of World War 2 by Kari Stenman and Peter de Jong. It follows the straightforward Ospery aircraf ot the aces format which is not of liking of all, but in my opinion good intro. The Winter War section is the most important in the book and you will also learn something about the Fokker D XXI fighter in general. Fokker D XXI was the icon of Finnish side in Winter War.


If interested more in the developmet of Finnish Air Force before the war and wanting a good day-to-day chronicle of Winter War in air you can take a look on Suomen ilmavoimat 2 - Finnish Air Force 1928 - 1940 by Keskinen et al. It covers not only fighter units but also bomber and recce units of Finnish Air Force during Winter War. Book is bilingual - all text is both in Finnish and English.

With the two book above you are pretty well informed when it comes to Finnish Air Force during the Winter War and how it was built before the war.

Then it is time to watch the other side to get more complete picture:

The Winter War in the Air. Red Stars, vol. 7.

This book of C.F.Geust would have been better with some more editing, but it is very good also as it is. This bilingual (Finnish and English) book is the best specialised work on the Red Army Air Force during the Winter War. It has good general introduction and combat records of all VVS RKKA units that participated in the Winter War. With this volume you get a good picture of Soviet flying units and their experiences in the Winter War.

[Richard T. Eger]

Excellent write-up on the subject.

Regards,
Richard

[Mirek Wawrzynski]

Not excatly, there are some big gap in this short list!

you should add: Red Stars 5. Baltic Fleet Air Force in WW (Geust, Tirkeltaub, Petrov), which is about VVS KBF - naval aviation over Finland. The book is based on Russian book printed a few years earlier done by Tirkeltaub, Petrov.

And:
Tupolev SB by Maslov in English (Icarus, 2004), long chapter about SBs over Finland too.

There are 2 books in English written by FAF's top aces (Lukannen/Fighter over Finalnd, Juutilainen/Double Fighter Knight) - very useful source.

The plenty books of Kari Stenman about FAF's each typ plane are very usefull too, or his book about all FAF's aces too - two edition, bilingual Finnish/English.

So the short list is much more longer.

Regards,
mw

"It has good general introduction (Red Stars 7) and combat records of all VVS RKKA units that participated in the Winter War. With this volume you get a good picture of Soviet flying units and their experiences in the Winter War."

This book is not any general intriduction but this is fundamental book about land Soviet aviation (VVS RKKA) during WW.

And very, very general is information about air war in WW or FAF, and VVS RKKA and VVS VMF in 1939-1940.

[Mirek Wawrzynski]

Small correction - Eino "Eikka" Luukkanen/ Fighter over Finland

[Mirek Wawrzynski]

And at last but not least is: Hakan Gustavsson and his English website - very usefull.

mw

[Richard T. Eger]

Dear Mirek,

You could have added your very useful information in a far less hostile manner. Please be more diplomatic in your future comments. If this is the reception GuerraCivil is to receive, it may dissuade him and others from taking the time to give background to the book they wish to tell us about.

Many advisories on new books lead us to websites where we hopefully will see a synopsis, although likely no opinion regarding the quality of the work. Others simply lead us to a seller with only the very basics of information, with no synopsis at all, forcing us to look elsewhere to know what the book is all about.

I appreciate anyone who will go to the trouble of giving us a read into the book, as GuerraCivil has done here.

Regards,
Richard

[edwest]

Dear Mirek,


Do you have a link to Hakan Gustavsson's website?




Best,
Ed West

[Mirek Wawrzynski]

To Richard
Could you be so kind and just now to stop make false, fully no true comments, which are very, very far away from being obejctive and professional!

as text below:

"Excellent write-up on the subject".

When I see, what I see, I do not know what I should say seeing your post. This is not credible information.

This is very unfair comments or direct PR or false propaganda's text. For me it is evident, that you have written not fair and not true comments - out of mind like text of "lovers".

Next, I do not belive, that reading my post GuerraCivil would ever stop to write next treads. No way, he or she loves them. But I think he or she next time would deeper think and do it much more objective and more professional way then he or she has done.

Reagards,
mw

Frankly, but from above text is eveident for me, that GuerraCivil knows very, very little about the subjects "Winter War" and the main texts to it!
Sorry, that is true.

To: Edwest

Håkans aviation page
Biplane Fighter Aces from the Second World War
More than a decade on the Internet!

http://surfcity.kund.dalnet.se/

[GuerraCivil]

I do not claim to be the top military aviation historian, but rather a military aviation history aficionado.

As I´m a Finn myself, Winter War is of natural interest of mine and I tried to offer a short and easy introduction to with some easy book recommendations. And hopefully to raise interest in the airwar of Winter War - I think that it was incredible when thinking of odds.

It was not in my intention to write a comprehensive list of all the good literature what there is on offer. I have gone through SIH series - they are good - and I have read memoirs of Juutilainen and Sarvanto as well as the biographies of some other Finnish aviators. I have some books at home and Finnish libraries are quite well equipped with books regarding Finnish military aviation.

When it comes to Soviet experience - the Red Stars Vol. 5 and Vol. 7 are the best and the only in English to give good intro and overview of Soviet airwar experience of Winter War. I decided to recommend simply the Vol. 7 because of the two books it is the more important. The Red Army Air Force (VVS RKKA) had more important role in Winter War than the Baltic Fleet Air Force (VVS KBF). If I would have to make buying decision with limited amount of money I would go for Vol. 7 - not to say that Vol. 5 is not important.

My favourite book of the airwar in Winter War is the Talvisota ilmassa (Winter War in Air) by Risto Pajari, who served in Finnish Air Force as communication officer during Winter War. Excellent insight, complete and detailed list of Finnish aircraft losses, maps, including both Finnish and Soviet combat accounts. All in handy pocket size book. But unfortunately the book is out of print and available just in Finnish.

[edwest]

Thank you, Mirek.



Ed