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F i n l a n d s
FIGHTER
K N I G H TS
Of all the countries that engaged
in aerial combat during World
War Two, Finland was, according
to some measures, the most
successful. During both the Winter
War and the Continuation War,
the Finnish Air Force more than
showed its mettle
WORDS: GEN (RET D) HEIKKI NIKUNEN with ARI SAARINEN
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ABOVE: Lt Jorma Karhunen pores over a map with three colleagues on the third ight of Lentolaivue (Squadron) 24,
or 3./LLv.24. This shot was taken at Rantasalmi in July 1941, not long after re-equipment with the Brewster B-239.
Karhunen became a 31-kill ace, 26.5 of those in the Brewster. SA-KUVA
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ABOVE: Some 30
Gladiator IIs were
supplied new to the
Ilmavoimat early
in 1940, serving
with LLv.26 they
scored 46 victories
in total, and two
pilots made ace on
the type.
SA-KUVA
SA-KUVA
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The
ACE OF ACES
In Illu Juutilainen,
Finland produced one of
the greatest ghter aces
of all time
RIGHT: Illu in
the cockpit of his
Brewster B-239,
ready to go. K-SIM
he Mannerheim Cross,
named after former
military commander and
President Carl Gustaf Emil
Mannerheim, is the highest Finnish
military award. Introduced into the Order
of the Cross of Liberty following the
Winter War, its bearers receive the title
Knight of the Mannerheim Cross. Only
four individuals were so decorated twice,
and Ilmari Illu Juutilainen (21 February
1914-21 February 1999) was one of them.
The book Double Fighter Knight was
originally published in 1956 and was based
on Juutilainens diaries. His lively style of
writing put a new slant on the genre of
war memoirs. In many ways his volume
was the Finnish counterpart of Pierre
Clostermanns The Big Show.
In the winter of 1939, Air Master
Sgt Ilmari Juutilainen deployed with
his squadron, Lentolaivue (LLv) 24, to
Immola, a snow-covered forward base
which had neither hangars nor any
other buildings. The flight to which
Illu belonged was headed by Lt Eino
Luukkanen, who himself scored 56
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Aircraft
Quantity
12 (Swedish volunteers)/30
97
44
35
87
42
12/1
162
ABOVE: 2./LLv.24
Brewsters on patrol.
The nearest,
BW-352, is own by
Air Master Sgt Eero
Kinnunen. K-SIM
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ABOVE: Members
of 3./Le.Lv.24
with a Brewster at
Rmptti in October
1942. Among
them are ight
commander Capt
Jorma Karhunen
with his dog
Peggy Brown, and,
third from right,
Juutilainen. SA-KUVA
ABOVE RIGHT:
Bf 109G-2
MT-201 taking
off from Utti on
1 June 1943, in
the hands of Maj
Eino Luukkanen,
commander of
Le.Lv.34. It was
in that year that
Juutilainen joined
the unit.
K-SIM
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11 SEPTEMBER 1943
LEFT: A group of 2.
and 3./Le.Lv.34
Messerschmitt
pilots at readiness.
K-SIM
BELOW: A superb
1942 image of
Juutilainen (right)
discussing air
combat with a
colleague. SA-KUVA
26 JUNE 1944
BOMBER ESCORT
The book can still be sourced via the publisher: Apali Oy,
Sammonkatu 64, 33540 Tampere, Finland; www.apali..
Copies may be found from other sources abroad.
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