FMP - 4.6.1942

Marshal C. G. E. Mannerheim's 75th Birthday
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Marshal of Finland (title since 4.6.1942), Baron [Carl] Gustaf Emil Mannerheim was already an old tired man while leading Finnish Army in WW II. Mannerheim was highly appreciated Finnish officer already in Imperial Russian Army and by 1917 he commanded Cavalry Corps as Lieutenant General. During the Communist Revolution in Russia in November 1917 he travelled to Finland through St Petersburg by train and arrived in Helsinki at the beginning of 1918.

Mannerheim was soon called to lead victorous White Army against the revolutionary communists (the Reds) in Finnish Civil War in the winter and spring 1918 and was promoted to Cavalry General. By surprise Mannerheim although left Finnish Army in 1918 because he was considered to be too Russian! At the beginning of 1930's Mannerheim became the Chairman of the unofficial Military Council and he received the honour rank of Field Marshal becaming at the same time also the forthcoming C-in-C of Finnish Army during the possible war.

During the WW II Mannerheim was without doubt one of the most experienced and honoured military leaders in the world partly because of his aristocratic and sophisticated manners and high educational level. As can be seen on a photo above he was a rather tall man and looked younger than he actually was. His native language was Swedish but he spoke many foreign languages fluently. By 1930's Mannerheim spoke clear Finnish and wrote his orders of the day in infallible Finnish (the basic work was usually written by Lt.Gen. W. Tuompo or Gen. E. Heinrichs). Finnish was also the official language spoken in Finnish Supreme Headquarters during the war.
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Surprise Guest

To strengthen mutual relationships between Germany and Finland German dictator Adolf Hitler decided to visit in Finland. Mannerheim didn't want to meet Hitler neither in his Headquarters in Mikkeli (the airfield was also small) nor in capital city Helsinki because it would have seemed more official state visit. One of the handful large enough airfields was Immola near Imatra in South-Eastern Finland and it was decided. Hitler's flight to Finland was arranged in a secrecy within just one day!
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Hitler's route (marked in dark brown on a map) was rather dangerous just about 200 kms away from Leningrad and well within the range of Soviet fighters.

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Chief Warrant Officer I. Juutilainen (Flying Squadron 24) tells in his book "Double Fighter Knight" (name in Finnish literally: As Nuisance of the Red Pilots) that the Brewster flight he belonged to was ordered to fly from Nurmoila to Immola air base early in the morning on 4.6.1942 and report themselves to local commander Lt.Col. Nuotio. FIAT squadron (26) was in full alert pilots parachutes on, there were more anti-aircraft weapons than usually and some kind of "feeling of suspense in the air".

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Thrilling Flight

Hitler's plane - Focke Wulf FW 200 Condor - arrived from Rastenburg and met eight Finnish Brewster fighters of Flying Squadron 24 over the Gulf of Finland. Weather was worsening and six escorts lost contact to FW while only two followed maintaining reasonable range to a large plane. Finnish anti-aircraft gunners with heavy 76 mm Bofors AA battery protecting industry and an important railway/road bridge over River Vuoksi looked suspiciously when a big unknown plane flew towards Immola at very low along the southern coast of Lake Saimaa. They were ordered not to shoot any plane seen today!

A few eye-witnesses have stated that Hitler's plane was about to crash a high smokestack of Kaukopää plant. This legend is not true but it may have seemed like that.
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Hitler's Arrival

Hitler's personal pilot SS-Oberführer Hans Baur flew very close to a ground until he saw the tall smokestack and curved to land to a rather short runway of Immola airfield. During braking left wheel pairs took fire and a couple of Finnish mechanics hurried to fetch fire extinguishers while plane still rolled along the field. The reason for the fire was a mechanical one: brake shoes overheated because they got stuck. This serious fault of Focke-Wulf FW 200 Condor probably destroyed many planes during the war.

Together with Hitler came his personal staff including Press Chief SS-Obergruppenführer Dr. Otto Dietrich, Envoy Walter Hewel and Hitler's adjutants in addition to many high military leaders. Following persons and planes arrived in Immola during 4.6.1942:

- at 9.30 onwards several Junkers Ju 52/3m planes
- at 10.00 LW Chief Quartermaster, Generalleutnant Hans-Georg von Seidel, Heinkel He 111H-6 (KJ+XT)
- at 11.15 Commander of Luftflotte 5, Generaloberst Hans-Jürgen Stumpff, Heinkel He 111H-6 (N9+KA)
- at 11.30 Commander of AOK Lappland, Generaloberst Eduard Dietl, Heinkel He 111H-3 (VB+BU)
- at 12.30 Adolf Hitler and Feldmarschall Wilhelm Keitel, Focke-Wulf FW 200C-3/U9 Condor (KE+IX, WNr. 099)
- at 12.30 Hitler's personal staff, Heinkel He 111P-2 (CA+NA)

Hitler seemed not to bother wheel fire at all. He shook hands with a few Finnish political and military leaders including State President of Finland Risto Ryti but Mannerheim was not among them. Then Hitler inspected a rather ridiculous Finnish Air Force guard of honour gathered from FAF field depot personnel: reservists equipped with donated worn-out British uniforms and Italian Mannlicher-Carcano m/38 rifles.

CWO Juutilainen was among the eye witnesses and tells in his book that the crowd around stirred when they noticed that it was Hitler who had stepped out from the large aircraft. Although many high German officers had already arrived no-one could have ever believed that German Reich Chancellor really came with them.
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Meeting with Mannerheim

After a short ceremony Reich Chanchellor Hitler and President Ryti drove by car to a side railway a few kilometres away from the airfield where Mannerheim met Hitler. At first Hitler congratulated Mannerheim upon his birthday and then Mannerheim introduced a row of Finnish generals and officers of Finnish Chief HQ. Hitler also shook hands with German officers serving in Finland and after that presented thoroughly his personal gift: three brand new Steyr 1500 A Kommandeurwagen cross-country passenger cars.

Then the party walked into a special train where Hitler made a speech speaking slowly and quietly like to himself about 20 minutes. The speech was very calm compared to his normal style. Mannerheim replied briefly in German and unofficial discussions continued during and after a long meal. Finnish Military Intelligence recorded the whole meeting through an open window.

Hitler was highly impressed on Mannerheim's person but he didn't have such effect on Mannerheim like he later admitted to his adjutant. It was probably one of the reasons Hitler didn't give any political or military demands which Finns had feared beforehand.
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Hitler's Departure

After five hours Hitler and his party left Mannerheim's special train by cars now together with both Mannerheim and Ryti. Hitler's plane took off from Immola at 18.10 and directed back to Germany with four Finnish Brewster fighters escorting.
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One of Hitler's personal Focke-Wulf FW 200 C-3/U9 Condor passenger planes KE+IX was used when Hitler visited in Finland and also when Marshal of Finland G. Mannerheim (in a white rectangle) visited in Germany in summer 1942.

Here Mannerheim is at Malmi airfield in Helsinki with lots of Finnish and German officers. (Photo: Harri Anttonen)
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Steyr 1500 A Passenger Cars

The three Steyr 1500 A Kommandeurwagen cross-country passenger cars were probably produced exclusively for SS and they were better equipped than ordinary cars of the same model.

Cars were registered in Finland as:
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SA Koe 1 (later SA 1) [SA = Finnish Army, Koe = Test]
SA28300
SA28302

Marshal Mannerheim's personal car was usually SA28300 but SA 1 was used during his visit to East Karelia in autumn 1942. It is obvious that register numbers were cycled from cars to cars for security reasons.

SA28300 was sold on 22.12.1952 and became fire engine after reconstruction. Car was abandoned in 1971 and given to War Museum of Finland. Today it is not on display but hopefully it will be restored to its original form. The other cars have been scrapped.
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Sources: personal interviews, VALHA6, JUUIL, LIENI1, TUOWI2
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