Taking the Reuhkavaara motti
Red Army troops were caught in a motti in the Reuhkavaara area as a result of a counterattack started by the Finnish 9th Division on 29 January 1940. The motti was destroyed by Finnish troops on 25 February.
Development of the situation
Infantry Regiment 27 (Inf Regt 27) was attacking in the focus sector of the Finnish 9th Division. The regiment was commanded by Jaeger Lieutenant Colonel August Mäkiniemi. Before the Winter War, he had been the chief of the Pohjola Civil Guard District.
Starting on 26 January, Infantry Regiment 27 moved gradually to the Kälkänen area, about 5 kilometres (3.1 miles) north of Reuhkavaara. On the same day, the first skirmish with a Red Army patrol broke out, in which one Finn was captured. The following day, enemy air activity increased and several engagements took place in the Kälkänen area.
Infantry Regiment 27 was fully ready to attack on the dawn of 28 January, 24 hours before the start of the attack. Enemy air activity was intense during the last 24 hours. The last briefing before the attack was on the evening of 28 January, and the troops started moving at dawn. The next day, the road was cut off south of Reuhkavaara as planned and one enemy supply transport was immediately ambushed.
Destruction of the motti
A motti was formed in the Reuhkavaara area when the enemy supply road to the east was cut off at Löytövaara on 31 January. The Finns already tried to capture the Reuhkavaara area from the west on 30 and 31 January, but the Soviet troops repulsed the Finnish attacks.
Infantry Regiment 27 received an order to destroy the mottis formed in Reuhkavaara and Loso on 16 February. Fighting over a wide area tied up the regiment’s troops, and taking the mottis was not accomplished. The operation against the Reuhkavaara motti did not start until 22 February, when one artillery piece was brought in to shoot direct fire there.
The attack was carried out by the 3rd Battalion of Infantry Regiment 27 (3rd/JR 27). The troops were assembled for the attack and given orders on the evening of 24 February. The troops set off under the cover of artillery fire after 3 a.m. on 25 February. The attack was also protected by a machine gun company in the direction of Loso on the east side. The attack was supported by one artillery battery, a mortar platoon and one anti-tank gun. The actual assault group consisted of about one and a half companies of infantry and two engineer sections. These were formed into three strike teams, and one team remained in reserve.
Contact was made with the enemy at 6 a.m., and three hours later, the Finns had advanced to the enemy positions. The remaining enemies then tried to cover their escape with smoke, but only about 30 were able to reach the Loso motti. The largest dugout in the motti, apparently the command dugout, held out until it was destroyed with a direct-fire shot from an anti-tank gun.
Around 200 fallen Soviet soldiers were counted in the battlefield and only three surrendered. The assault group’s own losses were three killed and five wounded. Two tanks and more than 200 small arms were captured as war booty.
The site is fairly easily accessible. There are no actual stopping or parking areas at Reuhkavaara, but there are some forest road junctions along Road 9111 (Saunajärventie) where you can stop.
Address: Saunajärventie 1701, 88900 Kuhmo, Finland.