Air Enthusiast 2001-07
K.Stenman - From Britain to Finland
Preparations to release more Blenheims appear to have been made, as suggested by former 604 Squadron Mk.IF at Northolt in February or March 1940.
British volunteer aircrews took 12 Blenheim Is from Bicester to Finland on February 23, 1940. Three days later, BL-137 landed at Lentolaivue 42's base at Juva. Note the covered national markings for the crossing over Sweden.
Финляндия получила 12 Hurricane Mk I в феврале 1940 года во время "зимней войны" с СССР. Эти самолеты не успели собрать и ввести в строй до подписания перемирия между воюющими сторонами. Однако после возобновления военных действий в 1941 году 11 самолетов немного повоевали, хотя из-за отсутствия запчастей они применялись ограниченно.
One of the 12 Hurricane Is received by the Finnish Air Force in 1940 and used in both the Winter War and the Continuation War.
HU-460 of Lentolaivue 22 at Helsinki Malmi on April 6, 1940. The remains of civil registration OH-IPL are still visible on both sides of the fuselage insignia.
"Бленхейм"-IV, предоставленный англичанами
Finnish aircrews picked up 12 Blenheim IVs from Filton on January 17, 1940. BL-129 of this batch being re-fuelled at Luonetjarvi on March 7, 1940, for a mission against the Soviet attempt to cross the Gulf of Vyborg on ice.
Lysander LY-123 was the first to arrive on March 8, 1940 - seen here at Kauhava on July 10, 1940 with Lentolaivue 12.
The first four Roc Is arrived at Dyce on March 13, 1940, wearing covered Finnish insignia. The Winter War ended on the same day and the Air Ministry issued a standstill order to stop all deliveries.
SSgt Oiva Tuominen became an 'ace' flying Gladiator II GL-255 with Lentolaivue 26, at Mensunkangas in niid-February 1940.
GT-396 was one of the 24, out of the promised 28, Gauntlet IIs donated by the Federation of South Africa. Upon arrival, this machine was assigned to an advanced training squadron, Lentolaivue 29, based at Tyrvanto.
DH.86B G-AETM 'Silver Star' was acquired by fund raising and on February 15, 1940, arrived in Finland. It was registered as OH-IPA and is seen three weeks later at Luonetjarvi behind DH.89 OH-BLB. It would have been the first four-engined aircraft in the Finnish Air Force, and would have been serialled DH-1, but crashed on delivery, May 2, 1940.