Warbird Photographs

WWII German Aircraft Photographs - Fighters

Finnish Air Force Personnel - Page 3

Continuation War Started June 25, 1941

Continuation Cease-Fire September 5, 1944 & Armistice Signed September 19, 1944

Lapland War Started September 15, 1944 & Ended April 27, 1945

FAF Pilots In # of Victories Order Warrant Officer [Sotilasmestari] Oiva Emil Kalervo 'Oippa' Tuominen 1st Knight ot Mannerheim Cross of Liberty, 2nd Class Awarded In FAF, August 18, 1941
44 Total Victories In About 400 Sorties 5th Most Victories In FAF
1.5 in Fokker D.XXI, 6.5 in Gloster Gladiator, 23 in Fiat G.50, 13 in Me109G

Fiat G.50 LeR 2 1./LeLv 26
------------------------------------

FA-26 Red 6 Flown By
Warrant Officer [Sotilasmestari]
Oiva Emil Kalervo 'Oippa' Tuominen
(Far Right) Looking At New Victory Marks On Tail of FA-26 Red 6
In Finland Late August 1941
NOTE: Victory Marks Have a Code:
White Marks = Bombers
White Marks with Black
Center = Fighter
White Marks with Blue
Center = Flying Boats
So, There Are 9.5 Bomber Marks, & 3 Black Center Fighter Marks, & One Blue Center Flying Boat Mark.
The Horzontal Fighter Mark
(Waist High) Is For Warrant Officer Lautamäki’s Victory In This Aircraft On August 13, 1941
[1200x856] (508K)

Captain [Kapteeni] Risto Olli Petter Puhakka Knight ot Mannerheim Cross of Liberty, 2nd Class
42 Total Victories In 401 Sorties 6th Most Victories In FAF
4 in D.XXI, 13 in Fiat G.50, 25 in Me109G

Fiat G.50 LeR 2 /LeLv 26
------------------------------------

/LeLv 26 Pilots
(Left)
1st Lieutenant [Luutantti]
Risto Olli Petter Puhakka &
(Right)
1st Lieutenant [Luutantti]
Ilmari Poysti
Discuss Mission Results
At Värtsilä Karelo Finnish SSR
July 13, 1941
[1280x861] (374K)

Brewster-239 F2A-1 LeR 2 /LeLv 26
------------------------------------

/LeLv 26 Pilots In Front of
Brewster-239 F2A-1
[L-R]:
Master Sergeant [Vääpeli]
Onni Kullervo Paronen
(12.5 Total Victories), &
2nd Lieutenant [Vänrikki]
Nils Trontti
(7 Total Victories), &
1st Lieutenant [Luutnantti]
Risto Olli Petter Puhakka
(42 Total Victories), &
Staff Sergeant [Ylikersantti]
A. Poysti
At Rautu, Finland
Half-Way Between Pori & Tampere
August 14, 1942
NOTE:
Later, Pilots Are In 3./HLeLv 34
SA-Kuva #105103
[1200x846] (706K)

Me109G-2 LeR 3 3./LeLv 34
------------------------------------

LeR 3 3./LeLv 34 Pilot
Captain [Kapteeni]
Risto Olli Petter Puhakka
At Utti Airfield, Kouvola, Finland April 24, 1943
SA-Kuva #126618
[1200x841] (635K)

Me109G-2 LeR 3 3./LeLv 34
------------------------------------

(Left)
LeR 3 3./LeLv 34 Pilot
Captain [Kapteeni]
Risto Olli Petter Puhakka &
(Right)
1st Lieutenant [Luutnantti] Strom
Are Sitting On the Alert Bench Talking & Lieutenant Strom Is Taking Notes During the Conversation
At Utti Airfield, Kouvola, Finland April 24, 1943
SA-Kuva #126613
[1200x850] (675K)

Me109G-6 LeR 3 3./HLeLv 34
------------------------------------

LeR 3 3./HLeLv 34 Pilot
Captain [Kapteeni]
Risto Olli Petter Puhakka
At Lappeenranta Airfield, Finland June 19, 1944
SA-Kuva #155488
[1200x847] (659K)

Lieutenant [Luutnantti] Olavi 'Olli' Kauko Puro Although Lieutenant Puro Had Qualified For Award of the Mannerheim Cross,
The Government Allocation Had Already Been Filled (170 Awards)
36 Total Victories In 207 Sorties 7th Most Victories In FAF
5.5 in Brewster-239 F2A-1, 2 in Polikarpov I-153, 28.5 in Me109G

Me109G-2 LeR 3 2./HLeLv 24 MT-201 White 1
------------------------------------

LeR3 2./HLeLv 24 Five Aces Relaxing with Four Flight Ready &
Waiting For Next Mission
[L→R]:
1st Lieutenant [Luutnantti]
Lasse Kilpinen
(Not In Flight Gear)
Staff Sergeant [Ylikersantti]
Tapio 'Tappi Järvi
1st Lieutenant [Luutnantti]
Olavi 'Olli' Kauko Puro
1st Lieutenant [Luutnantti]
Jorma 'Jotte' Kalevi Saarinen
1st Lieutenant [Luutnantti]
Eero Juhani Riihikallio
At Suulajärvi Airfield, Finland
May 12, 1944
SA-Kuva #150299
[1200x1210] (910K)

Master Sergeant [Vääpeli] Nils Edvard 'Nipa' Katajainen Knight ot Mannerheim Cross of Liberty, 2nd Class #170 Only Reservist Fighter Pilot to Receive This Award, December 22, 1944
35.5 Total Victories In 196 Sorties 8th Most Victories In FAF
17.5 in Brewster-239 F2A-1, 18 in Me109G

Brewster-239 F2A-1 LeR 2 3./LeLv 24 BW-368 Orange 1
------------------------------------

BW-368 Flown By
Sergeant [Kersantti] Nils Edvard 'Nipa' Katajainen
Sits On Tail Showing 6th Victory
(I-153) Biplane At Bottom of SB-2, I-153, I-16, & Two Other I-153s Victory Marks
Photo At Mansi Airfield, On North-East Shore Of Lake Ladoga, Finland September 26, 1941
[887x1200] (514K)

Me109G-2 LeR 3 1./LeLv 34 MT-239
------------------------------------

MT-239 Flown By
LeLv 24 Master Sergeant [Vääpeli]
Nils Edvard 'Nipa' Katajainen
Lost Control On 1st Me109G-2 Takeoff & Shortly After Got Airborne Dropped Left Wing & Crashed
with Minor Injuries At Suulajärvi Airfield, Finland March 21, 1944
MT-239 Was Written Off
March 22, 1944
[1024x595] (234K)

Me109G-8 LeR 3 3./HLeLv 24 MT-462
(PR+QX) WNr.200041
------------------------------------

MT-462 Flown By
Master Sergeant [Vääpeli] Nils Edvard 'Nipa' Katajainen
with Parachute On & Ready to Go
At Lappeenranta Airfield, Finland June 30, 1944
SA-Kuva #155360
[1159x1200] (804K)