Salpa Line

Infobox Military Structure
name= Salpa Line
location= Eastern Finland


caption=
built= 1940–44
materials= Concrete, steel, natural features
used= 1941-44
type= Defensive line
controlledby= Finland
garrison= reserve
commanders=
battles= Continuation War

Salpa Line ( _fi. Salpalinja, literally "Bolt-line") or its official name Suomen Salpa ("Finland's Bolt") is a bunker line on the eastern border of Finland. It was built during the Interim Peace between the Winter War and the Continuation War to defend Finland against a possible Soviet invasion. The line is 1200 km long, stretching from the Gulf of Finland to Petsamo in northern Finland (now Pechenga, Russia). It never saw military action because the Soviet offensive in 1944 was stopped at the VKT-line on the Karelian Isthmus. Fortifications on the Salpa Line were much stronger than Mannerheim Line.Reino Arimo, "Suomen linnoittamisen historia 1918—1944" ("The History of Finnish Fortification 1918—1944"), Otava, 1981, ISBN 951-1-06263-8]

Construction

The construction of the Salpa Line began in the end of the Winter War in 1940. At first, volunteers worked there - then people ineligible for the war service were mobilized. The maximum number of workers, on site was near 35 000 in the spring of 1941. After the beginning of the Continuation War on June 25, 1941 - declared after a major Soviet air attack against Finnish targets within the boundaries of the Republic of Finland - the fortification work was stopped, pillboxes and bunkers were stripped of armaments, which were sent to the front. As the tide of the conflict turned, and the front began to approach the prewar Finnish borders in early 1944, the work on the Salpa Line resumed and continued until the end of the Continuation War on September 4, 1944.

Line composition and terrain

728 various concrete installations, 315 km of wire obstacles, 225 km of anti-tank obstacles, 130 km of anti-tank ditches, more than 3000 entrenchments, 254 concrete infantry shelters, trenches, rifleman's cells and dugouts composed the power and strength of this defence line. The line even employed old 11 and 9 inch coastal mortars from the late 19th century, due to insufficiency of more modern artillery. Numerous lakes, marshes and small rocks were also incorporated in the defence line. For example, the Lake Saimaa area is a labyrinth of lakes of varying sizes, islands, straits and rivers, making the area very easy to defend. 90% of all the concrete installations of the "Salpa-Line" were on the line between the "Gulf of Finland" and the "Lake Saimaa" waterway system. This part, as the original post-Winter War defence line, was also referred with the name "Luumäki-Suomenlahti-linja" (Luumäki-Gulf of Finland line) or simply as "Luumäen linja" (Lake Saimaa is situated north of Luumäki).

Impact on the war

The fortifications were never used in combat, because the Red Army was stopped at the end of the Continuation War well before its advance units reached Salpa (see Battle of Tali-Ihantala). The line was partially manned with old reservists in the summer of 1944. However, the existence of the fortified line was an advantage for the Finns in the subsequent peace talks. [ [http://www.nortfort.ru/salpa/index_e.html Northern Fortress] : "Existence of [the] Salpa Line was a matter during the Soviet-Finnish peace negotiations [in] autumn 1944."]

Present day

The remains of the decommissioned line are currently undergoing renovation and serve as a tourist attraction.

External links

* [http://www.miehikkala.fi/index.php?&id=405&mid=6&aid=36&bid=2558 Salpa-line museum]
* [http://www.nortfort.ru/salpa/index_e.html Salpa Line on the Northern Fortress]
* [http://www.salpakeskus.fi/index.php?l=3&path=15,290,0 Salpa Center]

References