Fighting in the first days of the Winter War
Fighting commenced at Kilpelänkangas as early as in the first days of the Winter War. Second Lieutenant Veikko Karhu’s platoon made contact with the attacker’s spearhead at Kilpelänkangas during the night of 30 November – 1 December.
The Finns broke away, but Karhu was wounded and captured. Veikko Karhu returned to Finland from captivity in the spring of 1940.
New battle for Kilpelänkangas
The Finns made several attacks to take Kilpelänkangas starting on 6 February 1940, and the area was finally seized on 9 February. After this, the responsibility for the defence of the area was given to Detachment Hyvärinen, which was formed on the morning of 13 February. This unit included the reinforced 2nd and 3rd Battalions of Infantry Regiment 65, among other troops. The detachment managed to repel all counterattacks despite heavy artillery fire.
The Soviet 9th Army moved the 163rd Division, which had fought at Suomussalmi, towards Repola at the end of February. After this, the pressure from the enemy increased significantly at Kilpelänkangas. The situation varied between the enemy’s attacks supported by artillery and the Finnish counterattacks. On 1 March, the enemy’s artillery fire intensified, and heavy pressure on the weakest part of the defensive lines led to a breakthrough by the enemy on 3 March. There were no reserves immediately available, so the Finnish troops had to retreat to Löytövaara
Kilpelänkangas memorial
The Kilpelänkangas memorial was designed by architect Birger Stenbäck, who fought in the battle as a platoon leader. The memorial committee consisted of the company commanders of Infantry Regiment 65, which fought in the Kuhmo sector. The memorial was unveiled on 10 August 1958, with around 10,000 people attending the ceremony.
The memorial was built from local natural stones and reflects the strong will of the men to whom it was erected for by their brothers-in-arms. The helmet on top of the memorial symbolises the destination faced by the hundreds of defenders of the surrounding terrain during the battles of Kuhmo.
The monument bears the text:
”Talvisodassa Kuhmossa 1939-1940 kaatuneiden sankarivainajien muistolle. Näillä kunnailla Suomen mies puolusti järkkymättömästi isänmaataan. Olkoon heidän tekonsa tulevia sukupolvia velvoittava.”
Paikalla on vuoden 1958 jälkeen epäsäännöllisin vuosivälein pidetty Kuhmon suunnan taistelijoiden kokoontuminen elokuun ensimmäisenä viikonloppuna. Nyt juhlat ovat muuttuneet perinnejuhliksi, joita pidetään epäsäännöllisin vuosivälein, esimerkiksi tasavuosikymmenin tai muutoin aiheen ilmaantuessa.
The site is very easily accessible. A car park is located about 100 metres (109 yards) from the site. There is also plenty of space for a bus.
Address: Saunajärventie 2561, 88900 Kuhmo, Finland.
