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[FINNISH AIR FORCE IN RED ARMY PAPERS] VVS Finliandii [i.e. Finnish Air Force]

Item #2768

Moscow: Shtab VVS Krasnoi Armii, 1940. 40 pp. 17x13 cm. In original printed wrappers. Good and mostly clean copy. Ink and pencil marks of the Russian Navy Archive, stamps “Declassified” on t.p. and front cover, ink note “Struck from the records”.

For inner use of the Red Army Air Force, the copy No. 1554.

The war had broken out on November 30, 1939. In a month, it had become clear for the Soviet Army that further attempts to advance would lead nowhere. Anastas Mikoyan later wrote: “Stalin — an intelligent, capable man — invented a pretext to justify the Red Army’s failures during the war with Finland: that we had “suddenly” discovered the well-fortified Mannerheim Line. A special film was even released showcasing these fortifications, to make the case that fighting against such a line made it difficult to achieve a quick victory”. A relative lull settled over the front. Throughout January and early February, both sides reinforced their troops, replenished supplies, and reorganized units and formations. This report was most likely published during that period.

The book contains data on total strength of the Finnish Air Force, aviation schools, organizational schemes of the Finnish Air Force and air regiment structure, strength of the Finnish Air Force as of September 1, 1939, number of personnel, main military airfields and civilian airfields, national air defense, civil aviation, aircraft factories, ports and major industrial centers. The edition published a table of tactical and technical data for aircraft in service with the Finnish Air Force as of September 1, 1939, a list of 27 military industrial factories and storage sites, and a table of tactical and technical data for ships of the Finnish Navy.

The book includes, among other things, a description of Vyborg (Finnish: Viipuri) — a city stormed in the spring of 1940. Along with two other towns and numerous villages, it became Soviet after the war. The USSR suffered significant losses in this war. Also, it paid a serious price in terms of international reputation: many foreign leaders concluded that the Red Army was weak.

Not found in Worldcat.

Price: $750.00