"Finns of the Wiking"

**Battles**
Trench Warfare at River Mius FinnishVolunteer Battalion became the fourth additional battalion of the SS-Regiment "Nordland" of the SS-Division "Wiking". The official name of the battalion was now IV(finn.)/Nordland, but it was at first subordinated to SS-Regiment "Westland". Within the "Wiking" Division Finnish Battalion was called as a "Finnish Jäger-Battalion". At the end of January Finns were put on the front at Mius and battalion stayed there until the summer of 1942, when Germans' summer offensive to Caucasus began. In the spring of 1942 "Wiking" Division was largely reorganized and equipped with new vehicles and effective weapons. Finnish Battalion was renamed as III(finn.)/Nordland and it became the organic battalion of the SS-Regiment "Nordland".

	Men from the 3rd Company at river Mius. SS-Schütze in the foreground is handling the Finnish-made 9 mm m/31 "Suomi" SMG. Officer in the middle of the background is SS-Obersturmführer (Lieutenant) Kai Hortling. Goggles indicate that these men belong to a motorized unit.

	Guard post.

	*SS-Untersturmführer (2nd Lieutenant) Tauno Pajunen* (middle) and his mates posing with a Panzer II tank in the spring of 1942.**

	Men from the 2rd/10th Company at Krynka.

	*Finnish Major General Paavo Talvela* visited the battalion in May 1942.** Five men beside the half-track are: Finnish liaison officer SS-Sturmbannführer (Major) Kalervo Kurkiala, commander of the SS-Regiment "Nordland", SS-Standartenführer (Colonel) Fritz von Scholz, Maj.Gen. Talvela, battalion commander, SS-Sturmbannführer Collani and Finnish Major Duncker.

Training and Waiting for the Campaigns Finnish Battalion was re-equipped and it got more heavy weapons. Battalion rested and trained until August of 1942, because it had to wait its new motor vehicles. After that Finns followed their division towards Caucasus. Klöckner-Humboldt-Deutz lorries proved to be much better than the original French ones last year. Battalion had now less vehicles because one lorry carried two infantry squads instead of one.

	Leo Kivelä (assistant) and Sakari Mikkola (gunner) firing anti-aircraft fire with their heavy MG 34 machine gun, summer 1942.

	Wine and Finns are a bad combination. A column of the battalion has stopped to a village and men have some free time.

Battles at Caucasus Battalion was soon involved in heavy fighting at Maykop area as well as in Malgobek. The fame of the Finnish Volunteer Battalion grew during the autumn of 1942 when battalion attacked succesfully and later annihilated heavy Russians' attacks. Eventually Finnish Battalion became the "fire brigade" of the "Wiking" and it was sent to counter-attacks everywhere. Casualties were enormous and before the end of the year the strength of the battalion was less than 100 men.

	Three volunteers in the Caucasian oil fields with "Geballte Ladung", a satchel charge, made of hand grenades.

	Brothers-in-arms.

	Having some rest after fighting.

	SS-Obersturmführer (Lieutenant) Kai Hortling is reading Finnish military magazine "Hakkapeliitta". The photo was taken on the 21st of October, 1942, when he received the Finnish Cross of Liberty 4th Class. He was killed in action in Chikola on 4.12.1942.

	A 5 cm PaK 38 anti-tank gun of the 4th/12th (heavy) Company.

Retreat from Caucasus The situation in Stalingrad forced the battalion to withdraw from the line at Caucasus during the early hours of 1943. Fighting hard and retreating for a while Finnish Volunteer Battalion managed to survive and it was put again to the front at river Mius, where it had started its way to east last summer.

	Heating one's bottom? An unknown Finn poses on the bonnet of the Mercedes lorry.

	Retreating from Caucasus. Winter suits were now better than during last winter, like the new Klöckner-Humboldt-Deutz lorries.

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