Battle of Honkaniemi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Honkaniemi (Lebedevka)
Part of Winter War
Date 25–27 February 1940 Location Karelian Isthmus, Finland Result Soviet victory
Belligerents
Finland Foreign Volunteers	Soviet Union
Commanders and leaders
Col.Voldemar Oinonen Capt. I. Kunnas Lt. O. Heinonen	Col. V.Kashuba Capt. V.S.Arkhipov Capt. A.Makarov
Strength
23rd Division (Jaeger Battalion 3 4th Armoured Company 4th Infantry Battalions 2nd Artillery Battalions)	Elements of the 84th Division Elements of 35th Light Tank Brigade (112. Armored Battalion)
Casualties and losses
33 casualties 6 tanks	3 tanks

The Battle of Honkaniemi was a fight between Finnish and Soviet forces. It happened on February 26, 1940, during the Winter War. This battle was special because it was the only time tanks were used in a major way during the Winter War.

General Harald Öhquist, who led the Finnish II Corps, planned the attack. He brought together the Jaeger Battalion 3 and the 4th company of the Armoured Battalion. These units were part of the 23rd Division. At 10:15 PM, Captain I. Kunnas and Lieutenant O. Heinonen were given the order to attack.

Planning the Attack

The original plan was a big one. The Finns wanted to attack the Soviets with six infantry battalions and four artillery battalions. They also planned to use the 4th Armoured Company, which had tanks. However, not all units could join the attack. In the end, only four infantry battalions, two artillery battalions, and the 4th Tank Company took part.

The Battle Begins

On the nights of February 25 and 26, the Jaeger Battalion soldiers moved towards the battle area. Some rode in trucks, while others skied. The tank company faced problems even before the fight started. Five of their 13 Vickers 6-Ton tanks broke down because of engine trouble.

There was another big problem. When the Finns started firing their artillery guns, they accidentally hit their own soldiers. About 30 Finnish soldiers were either killed or hurt by their own artillery.

Early Setbacks for Finland

More bad news came for the Finnish tanks. Two more tanks stopped working, leaving only six tanks ready for the battle. Despite these issues, the attack continued.

The 1st Jaeger Battalion came under fire from Soviet forces. They reached a railway track but could not cross it. The 2nd and 3rd Jaeger Battalions also stopped, unable to move forward.

Tank Fights and Challenges

The 4th Armoured Company faced more trouble. One of their tanks got stuck in a ditch. The remaining five tanks were then hit by Soviet T-26 and T-28 tanks, and also by 45 mm anti-tank guns.

Corporal E. Seppälä's tank managed to hit two Soviet tanks. However, his crew had to leave their tank because it stopped working. Another Finnish tank destroyed one Soviet tank before it was also damaged.

Finnish Forces Retreat

At 10:00 PM, Captain Kunnas received orders to stop the attack and pull back. The Finns' first major tank battle was not a success. The tank crews were not very experienced. Also, they had almost no way to talk to each other using radios. This made it hard to coordinate their actions.

After the Battle

After the battle, one non-commissioned officer (NCO), a military leader who is not an officer, was killed. Two officers and two NCOs were injured. Three private soldiers were reported missing. Even after this difficult battle, the Finnish soldiers kept trying to attack the Soviets.