The Finnish Air Force was officially formed on May 4, 1928. Around the same time, ground air defense units appeared. In 1939, by the beginning of the Winter War, the qualitative and quantitative composition of the Finnish Air Force could not be compared with Soviet capabilities. Finnish anti-aircraft artillery was relatively modern, albeit small in number.
On the part of the Red Army Air Force, about 2,500 aircraft took part in the company, Finland in the initial period of the war could exhibit only 114 combat aircraft. Despite the overwhelming superiority of the USSR in the air, the Finns were able to offer stubborn resistance. In this they were rendered serious assistance by many countries that supplied combat aircraft. Many foreign volunteer pilots also fought in the Finnish Air Force.
The main fighter of the Finnish Air Force during the initial period of the war was the Fokker D. XXI. This aircraft, which made its first flight in 1936, was specially designed to protect the Dutch colonies in Asia. A fighter with an 830 hp Mercury VIII air-cooled engine. developed a speed of 460 km / h in horizontal flight. The armament of most of the Finnish fighters of this type consisted of four 7, 92 mm M36 FN-Browning machine guns.
According to the reference data, by the time the hostilities began, the Finns had 41 Fokkers at their disposal. These fighters, despite their relatively weak armament, performed well in battles. Thus, according to Finnish sources, on January 6, 1940, a pair of Fokkers in one air battle shot down 7 DB-3 bombers flying without fighter cover. Of course, this is very difficult to imagine, according to Western historians, there were no defensive weapons on Soviet bombers. Fokkers were mainly used in the 24th Air Group (LLv-24). Until the end of hostilities in March 1940, this air unit lost 12 fighters. There were 22 Fokkers in service, 4 more vehicles were under repair.
The Finnish command prohibited its pilots from engaging in air combat with Soviet fighters unless absolutely necessary, since the I-16s of the last series were superior in speed and armament to Dutch-made fighters. And the seemingly outdated I-15 bis and I-153 were difficult opponents. Experienced pilots, flying on biplanes designed by Polikarpov, quickly landed on the tail of the Fokkers in turns. However, the Fokker D. XXI remained in service with the Finnish Air Force until the early 1950s.
In addition to the Fokker D. XXI, by the beginning of the conflict in the country of Suomi, there were 15 British-made Bristol Bulldog Mk. IVA. The Bulldog, which went into series production in 1930, was certainly outdated by 1939.
A fighter with a maximum takeoff weight of 1590 kg and an air-cooled Bristol Jupiter 440 hp. developed 287 km / h. The armament consisted of two 7, 7 mm machine guns.
Despite the modest flight data, the pilots who flew the Bulldogs managed to shoot down much more modern machines. Again, according to Finnish data, the Bulldogs won 6 victories, losing one of their fighters. Among the planes they shot down are SB and I-16s. However, these fighters had little chance in aerial combat, and they were used mainly for training purposes.
After the armed conflict with the USSR entered an active phase, many states provided military assistance to Finland. So, the British government authorized the delivery of 30 Gloster Gladiator Mk II fighters, the French sent the same amount of Morane-Solnier MS406, Italy 10 Fiat G. 50. The largest batch of fighters was delivered by the United States - 44 Brewster 239.
As for the English Gloucester Gladiator fighter, this biplane had become obsolete by the time it was put into service in 1937. The last fighter of the RAF biplane scheme at an altitude of 4000 meters could reach a speed of 407 km / h. Armament - 4 machine guns of 7, 7 mm caliber. Despite the fact that the landing gear was non-retractable, the pilot sat in a closed cockpit. This was important when operating in subzero temperatures.
The main part of the "Gladiators" was supplied from England, but as it became known later, Swedish Air Force fighters, bearing Finnish insignia, took part in the Winter War. They were run by the Swedes, who were career soldiers who went to fight as volunteers. Swedish Gladiators shot down eight Soviet planes.
The first combat sortie on the Gladiator took place on February 2, 1940. Fighters of this type performed well in battles. Their pilots claim 45 aerial victories with the loss of 12 aircraft. The use of "Gladiators" in the Finnish Air Force for combat purposes continued until 1943. The last aerial victory on a fighter of this type was won on February 15, 1943, when Lieutenant Khakan Stromberg, during a reconnaissance along the Murmansk railway, shot down a messenger P-5.
Compared to the British Gloster Gladiator, the French Morane-Solnier MS406 felt like a different generation of aircraft. This was partly true, although these fighters appeared almost simultaneously.
It was a monoplane with a low wing, retractable landing gear and a Hispano-Suiza 12Y-31 liquid-cooled engine with an output of 860 hp. At an altitude of 5000 meters "Moran" developed 486 km / h. The fighter had very powerful armament for the end of the 30s - a 20 mm Hispano-Suiza HS.404 cannon and two 7.5 mm MAC 1934 machine guns. In capable hands, these fighters posed a great threat. According to Western data, the Morans flew 259 sorties during the Winter War, shooting down 16 Soviet aircraft.
After the fall of France, the Nazis handed over the captured Morans and spare parts for them to the Finns. Since French aircraft could no longer compete on equal terms with Soviet fighters of new types, they tried to modernize them in Finland. At the beginning of 1943, a captured M-105 1100 hp engine, a new hood and an adjustable propeller were installed on the Moran. At the same time, the speed increased to 525 km / h. The composition of the armament has changed: now the German 15/20 mm bicaliber MG 151/20 air cannon and 12, 7 mm Soviet BS machine guns were mounted in the collapse of the engine cylinders. This variant is known in Finland as "Lagg Moran". However, due to the lack of engines, it was not possible to carry out the remotorization of all Morans. The fighters took an active part in the battles, the Finnish pilots who flew the Morans claim 118 downed Soviet aircraft with the loss of 15 of their aircraft. At the time of the end of hostilities, 41 aircraft were in service, which were operated for training purposes until 1952.
At the end of 1939, even before the outbreak of hostilities, Finland ordered 35 Italian Fiat G.50 fighters. The first 10 aircraft were to be delivered by February 1940, and a group of Finnish pilots completed a 10-hour training course at the Fiat Aviazione factory airfield in Turin.
The Fiat G. 50, which entered service in 1938, was the first production Italian monoplane fighter with retractable landing gear. Fiat A.74 RC38 radial 14-cylinder air-cooled engine with 870 hp. at an altitude of 3000 meters, the Fiat accelerated to 472 km / h. The armament consisted of two 12.7 mm Breda-Safat machine guns.
Despite the accelerated training of flight and technical personnel and forced delivery, Italian-made fighters did not have time to really take part in the Winter War. Observers noted the combat sorties of Fiats in the Vyborg area in February-March 1940. At the very beginning of operation, at least two fighters were defeated due to insufficient qualifications of the pilots. The Utti airfield was repeatedly bombed, and it became too dangerous to be there. Therefore, the fighters were relocated to the ice of Lake Vesijärvi.
Fiats, delivered in 1940, had an open cockpit, which did not add to their popularity when flying in winter. Nevertheless, the pilots reported 18 shot down Soviet aircraft. These were mainly SB and DB-3 bombers and I-153 biplanes. The data on its own losses differ, most often it is said that the Finnish Air Force lost five Fiats. How many of them died in air battles is not known.
Fiat's finest hour came in the summer of 1941, when the pilots of these fighters demonstrated the highest percentage of victories in the Finnish Air Force, announcing 52 victories by the end of the year with the loss of only one of their aircraft. In total, from February 1940 to September 1944, according to official Finnish data, the pilots of the G. 50 shot down 99 enemy aircraft. As you can see, the main part of the air victories of the Finns fell on the most difficult period for the USSR. As Soviet pilots gained combat experience and new types of combat aircraft entered the combat regiments, the successes of the Finnish Air Force sharply declined. Already in 1942, the Fiat G. 50 could not compete on equal terms with the Soviet Yak and Lugg, and by 1944 this gap had widened even more. But due to the lack of combat aircraft, despite heavy wear and tear, 10-12 Fiats took off until the conclusion of an armistice with the Soviet Union. Unlike the French Morane-Solnier MS406, no attempt was made to modernize the Fiat G. 50. The last fighter of this type was officially decommissioned in the first half of 1946.
The American-made Brewster 239 fighters were the most numerous type ordered by the Finns during the Winter War. A contract worth $ 3.4 million was signed with the United States on December 16, 1939. In addition to 44 fighters, the Americans pledged to supply spare engines, a set of spare parts and weapons. Since in the United States these machines were originally intended to be based on aircraft carriers, special take-off and landing devices and life rafts were removed from the fighters, which somewhat reduced the take-off weight.
The aircraft, known to the US Navy as the Brewster F2A Buffalo, entered service in 1939. It was one of the first American monoplane fighters with retractable landing gear. A modification with a nine-cylinder air-cooled Wright R-1820-G5 Cyclone 950 hp engine was supplied to Finland. The aircraft with a takeoff weight of 2,640 kg, at an altitude of 4,700 meters, developed a speed of 478 km / h. The armament was quite powerful - 4 large-caliber 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine guns. At that time, the Buffalo was one of the most powerful fighters.
The first Brewsters arrived in Finland in February 1940. The assembly of the aircraft, delivered by sea to Norway, and then by rail to Sweden, was carried out at the SAAB plant in Gothenburg. The first five fighters reached combat readiness before the end of the war, but did not take part in hostilities. Finnish-made armored backs and sights were additionally installed on the fighters.
The first baptism of fire of the Brewsters took place on June 25, 1941. According to Finnish sources, on that day, a pair of fighters engaged 27 SB bombers over Turku and allegedly shot down 5 Soviet planes without incurring losses. In general, in the Finnish Air Force, this type of fighter is considered almost the most successful. It was appreciated not only for its good flight data, but also for its reliability. Initially, there were problems with the reliability of the engines, but the Finnish mechanics managed to fix all the problems. The disadvantage of the fighter was considered to be unprotected fuel tanks, in addition, in some cases, the Brewster was confused with the Soviet I-16. During the war in Finland, an attempt was made to copy the Brewster 239, but the work was delayed, and as a result, after the start of deliveries in 1943, the German Messerschmitt Bf 109G, this topic was closed.
According to the Finns, in the three years from June 25, 1941 to June 17, 1944, the pilots of the 24th fighter air group flying in the Brewsters shot down 477 Soviet aircraft, losing 19 of their aircraft in battle. After Finland signed a truce with the Soviet Union in September 1944, Finnish fighters rose to intercept German aircraft. So, on October 3, 1944, a Ju 87 that invaded Finnish airspace was shot down, but such cases were isolated. Brewster 239's active service with the Finnish Air Force continued until September 1948. The last aircraft were scrapped in 1953.
In early 1940, Finland purchased 12 British Hawker Hurricane Mk I fighters. However, they failed to take part in the Winter War. Moreover, only ten aircraft reached Finland: two aircraft were lost during the ferry.
The fact that the government of Great Britain, which is at war with Germany, despite the urgent need for modern fighters, authorized the sale of combat aircraft, speaks of the intention to involve the USSR in a protracted military conflict.
For its time, "Hurricane" was a fairly high flight performance, its serial production began at the end of 1937. The Hawker Hurricane Mk I was powered by a Rolls-Royce Merlin II 1030 hp engine. with. The maximum speed is 540 km / h. Armament - eight 7, 7 mm Browning.303 Mk II machine guns.
Finnish "Hurricanes" entered the battle at the end of June 1941, but during the hostilities they were used rather limitedly, due to the lack of spare parts. In the spring of 1942, a replenishment was received in the form of a captured Soviet Hurricane Mk II. This plane made an emergency landing on the Topozero ice in February 1942 and was restored. Two other Soviet Hurricanes were used as donors, which flopped on their belly in the Finnish rear.
In 1943, the flights of the Hurricanes practically ceased, although they were on the list of the Finnish Air Force. According to Finnish data, these fighters have 5 aerial victories. Five Finnish "Hurricanes" were lost in aerial battles, two more became victims of Soviet anti-aircraft artillery. The last time "Hurricane" of the Finnish Air Force took off on May 31, 1944.
According to Western historians, during the Winter War, 25 Soviet planes made an emergency landing in the territory controlled by Finnish troops. It was possible to return 5 I-15 bis, 8 I-153 and 1 I-16 to the flying state. There is no evidence that these aircraft made combat missions. Most likely, they were used for training purposes and for organizing training air battles. Repair of captured aircraft was carried out at the State Aviation Enterprise Valtion lentokonetehdas. Engines and other parts were taken from aircraft, the restoration of which was deemed impractical.
As can be seen from all of the above, during the armed confrontation with the USSR in the winter of 1939-1940. The Finnish Air Force retained its combat capability only due to foreign supplies. Pilots from England, Poland, USA, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Italy fought on the Finnish side during the Winter War. From abroad, 225 combat aircraft were delivered to Finland during the Winter War, according to Western data. At the same time, fighters and bombers of the Air Force of "neutral" Sweden, flying during the conflict with Finnish identification marks, were not included in this number, since after the end of the war they returned with their crews to their homeland. Thanks to foreign military assistance, the Finnish Air Force on April 1, 1940, despite losses, totaled 196 combat aircraft, that is, more than before the start of the conflict. The same applies to the supply of aviation gasoline and oil, fuel and lubricants for combat aircraft were delivered mainly from Sweden.
According to Finnish data, 293 Soviet aircraft were shot down in 493 air battles, while Finnish anti-aircraft gunners claim another 330 downed aircraft. The Finns admit that they lost 67 of their vehicles during the fighting. 69 aircraft were seriously damaged. During the fighting, 304 Finnish aviators were killed, 90 were missing, 105 were wounded. But it is not known whether the losses of numerous foreign volunteers were taken into account. In turn, domestic sources provide data that are fundamentally different from the Finnish ones. So, in the book of V. S. Shumikhin "Soviet military aviation 1917 - 1941" says that combat losses amounted to 261 aircraft and 321 aviators. Soviet aviators and anti-aircraft gunners announced the destruction of 362 enemy aircraft. Based on this, we can unequivocally say that the sides overestimated the enemy's losses by more than two times.
Most of the foreign military observers who were present in Finland in the winter of 1939-1940 noted the fierce nature of the air battles. The Finnish pilots, who were sitting in the cockpits of fighters that were few in comparison with the Red Army Air Force, did everything possible to prevent Soviet bombers from reaching their own facilities. There have been cases when the Finns, in a desperate situation, went to ram. The Soviet pilots considered the Finnish pilots to be a strong and very dangerous enemy. At the same time, the Finnish command did its best to avoid losses. Fighter pilots were forbidden to engage in combat with Soviet fighters unless absolutely necessary. A significant number of victories on the accounts of a number of Finnish aces is explained not only by high personal skill, but also by the "hit and run" tactics. As well as careful planning of air battles and distribution of roles. In a number of cases, Soviet fighters, flattered by the carelessly flying and seemingly unnoticed single Finnish decoy planes, were shot down by a sudden attack from the sun. The weak point of the Finnish military aviation was its great diversity, which greatly impeded the training of personnel, repairs, and the supply of spare parts and ammunition.
