skukko
Posts: 1928
Joined: 10/24/2000 From: Finland Status: offline
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I am late, but I told you I had wrong map to come in here :D But here is what I want to do:
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Battle Of Bengtskar
___Design: mosh
In November 1939, Soviet attacked Finland. By 1941 the promontory of Hanko was in Russian hands.
The strategic importance of Bengtskär quickly became apparent as Finnish troops on the island could easily monitor Soviet activities. A small force was able to provide valuable reconnaissance and target sighting in the continuing Finnish struggle against the Soviet Force.
At one hour after midnight on July 26, 1941, under the cover of fog two Russian patrol boats secretly landed
an armed force at the southern part of Bengtskär. The invasion party of one hundred marines led by Lieutenant Kurilov
had orders for the complete destruction of the lighthouse, so that it could no longer play a role in hampering Russian war activities.
The small Finnish garrison of fourty-one men, including four lighthouse keepers, repelled the first Russian attack. Overwhelmed by a vastly superior enemy force, the brave defenders took refuge in the upper floors of the lighthouse. From there the struggle continued under the command of Lieutenant Fred Luther who was twice wounded during the fight.
From a distance of ten kilometers, batteries emplaced on the neighbouring island of Örö and Granholmen shelled the Soviet patrol boats and the enemy soldiers hiding in the rock crevasses on the island. The early hours of July 26, greeted the arrival of Finnish gunboats and coast guard vessels. Fighter bombers of the Finnish airforce owerflew the island and attacked the invaders. At dawn a force of finnish Commandos from the nearby island of Hitis landed and joined the struggle to repel the Soviet force and relieve Lieutenant Luther and his brave defenders.
After a hard and bloody battle, the small Finnish garrison emerged victorious. But victory was to come at a price. By the following day the battle had claimed thirtyone dead and forty-five wounded from the Finnish ranks. For the Soviets, the abortive invasion was a more costly venture. Sixty troops lost their lives at the hands of the Finnish defence force. Twenty-eight, mostly severely wounded Russians were taken prisoner.
But for the Finns it was a bittersweet victory. During the day of July 27, a Russian warplane overflew the island, and dropped a bomb. It struck the living quarters, demolishing the upper and middle roofs, and killing seven of the Finnish defence force.
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Could be better played as a russian...but, any comments, interested?
mosh :D
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salute mosh If its not rotten, shoot again
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