Finnish 7th Division (Continuation War)

7th Division (Finnish: 7. Divisioona, also known as Sword division) was a Finnish Army division in the Continuation War. The division was formed Savo-Karjala military province from the men in Pohjois-Savo (Northern Savonia) and Pohjois-Karjala (North Karelia) civil guard districts.[1]

7th Division
7. Divisioona
Active1941–1944
Country Finland
BranchArmy
TypeDivision
Nickname(s)Sword division
Commanders
Notable
commanders		Antero Svensson

History

As a component of the VII Corps,[2] the 7th Division took part in the Army of Karelia's 1941 conquest of East Karelia.[3]

By the 4th of September 1944, the division had been subordinated to the II Corps.[4] During the Soviet Svir-Petrozavodsk Offensive of 1944, the division fought a delaying action from the river Svir first to Petrozavodsk[5] and eventually to the Sortavala region.[6]

Organization

After forming the division consisted of the following sub-units:[7]

  • Infantry Regiment 9
  • Infantry Regiment 30
  • Infantry Regiment 51
  • Light Detachment 15
  • Field Artillery Regiment 2
  • Heavy Artillery Battalion 28
  • Engineer Battalion 35
  • Signals Battalion 26

7th Division was mostly equipped according to division generic organization, only some material quantities were lacking.

Commanders[8]

Losses

Based on the periodic reports made by units to Finnish General Headquarters the total losses suffered by the 7th Division in killed, wounded and missing during the Continuation War were 12,384 men, the second-highest losses suffered by the Finnish divisions during the war.[9]

See also

References
  1. Sotatieteen laitos: "Jatkosodan historia" osa 1 pp. 62; 100
  2. Leskinen, Antti; Juutilainen, Jari: "Jatkosodan pikkujättiläinen p. 125.
  3. Leskinen, Antti; Juutilainen, Jari: "Jatkosodan pikkujättiläinen p. 125.
  4. Leskinen, Antti; Juutilainen, Jari: "Jatkosodan pikkujättiläinen p. 789.
  5. Leskinen, Antti; Juutilainen, Jari: "Jatkosodan pikkujättiläinen pp. 803–804.
  6. Leskinen, Antti; Juutilainen, Jari: "Jatkosodan pikkujättiläinen p. 814.
  7. Sotatieteen laitos: "Jatkosodan historia" osa 1 p. 100
  8. Kohvakka, Mikko; Palokangas, Marko (2004). Jatkosodan tiellä. Helsinki: Maanpuolustuskorkeakoulu, Sotahistorian laitos. pp. 241–259. ISBN 951-25-1522-9.
  9. Sotatieteen laitos:"Jatkosodan historia" osa 6 p. 494

Sources
  • Sotatieteen laitos (1988). Jatkosodan historia. Porvoo: Werner Söderström Osakeyhtiö. ISBN 951-0-15326-5.
  • Leskinen, Antti; Juutilainen, Jari, eds. (2005). Jatkosodan pikkujättiläinen. Porvoo: Werner Söderström Osakeyhtiö. ISBN 951-0-28690-7.


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