Turku Coastal Regiment

The only battle of Turku Sector during Winter War was the Battle of Utö on 14.12.1939 when two Baltic Fleet destroyers approached Utö fort on an apparent reconnaissance and possibly mining sortie. Utö fort fired 31 shots against the destroyers, identified as Gnevny class, hitting one of them. An explosion was seen on the damaged destroyer covering the ships in smoke, after which only one ship was seen and the damaged destroyer was claimed sunk,[5][6][7] but actually both destroyers survived the engagement. The destroyers fired 8-10 broadsides without causing casualties or even hitting the island. As the sea froze the later part of Winter War in Turku Sector was limited to air activity and assisting in clearing mines dropped from aircraft to sea lanes. Battalion Hällfors was formed from the personnel of Turku Sector and Turku naval base as an infantry unit to reinforce the defence on the Gulf of Vyborg in the last stages of the Winter War.[6]

120/45 C coastal gun

During the Interim Peace after Winter War Åland Islands was again demilitarized and fortifications constructed during war were demolished. Some of the guns sent to Åland were retained in Turku Sector and construction of new fortifications for them began:[8]

• Alskär 2/152/45 C
• Jungfruskär 3/152/45 C
• Berghamn 3/120/45 C
• Isokari 3/152/45 C

Turku Sector was disbanded on 1.9.1940 and Coastal Artillery Regiment 5 (Rannikkotykistörykmentti 5) was formed from Turku Sector as well as Kuuskajaskari and Reposaari forts from Satakunta Sector. The shortcomings of Winter War were somewhat alleviated with training and improving the fortifications. Some of the equipment shortages were also eased, for example new signalling equipment was received. On 17.3.1941 the regiment was renamed Turku Coastal Artillery Regiment (Turun Rannikkotykistörykmentti). On the mobilization before Continuation War the regiment formed the 5th Coastal Brigade (5. Rannikkoprikaati) along with the 7th Coastal Brigade for the defence of Åland Islands.[8]

At the very beginning of the Continuation War the 7th Coastal Brigade took up positions in the Åland Islands. The only significant event at the beginning of the Continuation War was the Battle of Bengtskär (26.-27.7.1941), where a force from the Soviet Union naval base in Hanko attempted to invade the island of Bengtskär. The coastal batteries of Örö supported the Finnish defenders, and a counter-attack force from the men from Örö and Hiittinen repelled the invaders. Otherwise the action in the area was limited to Soviet air activity. The 5th Coastal Brigade was transferred to East Karelia and reformed as the Lake Onega Coastal Brigade. 7th Coastal Brigade was thus the only unit remaining in the Archipelago Sea area, and it became the Archipelago Sea Coastal Brigade (Saaristomeren Rannikkoprikaati) on 1.3.1942. Hiittinen Sector, formerly part of the Hanko Group, became also part of the brigade. The brigade was reorganized on 29.4 as two coastal artillery regiments, the 7th on Archipelage Sea and the 17th on Åland Islands, plus Bothnian Sea coastal guard and units directly subordinated to brigade headquarters. With the Soviet Baltic Fleet trapped at the eastern end of the Gulf of Finland the threat for the brigade was low and the regiment headquarters were not established and only the most important forts were manned.[9]

During the Soviet Vyborg–Petrozavodsk Offensive in 1944 units from Åland Islands and Archipelago Sea were transferred east to reinforce the defences there. To fulfill the ranks older men already released from service were recalled. After the Soviet offensive was halted on late summer of 1944 the defence of Åland Islands was reinforced to guard against a possible German invasion. While there were no clashes between Finnish and German forces in Åland Islands or Archipelago Sea area, a force of three German ships that had left Finland late were allowed to pass by the Utö fort on 19.9.1944, the same day that Moscow Armistice was signed. The German heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen along with escorts was patrolling of Utö, coming to a range of 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) at closest, when the three ships sailed by. Utö fort was at battle stations during the event, and guns on the three German ships were similarly manned.[10]

Turku Coastal Artillery Regiment was renamed Coastal Artillery Regiment 2 (Rannikkotykistörykmentti 2) 1.12.1952 and II fortification battalion was detached from the regiment as an independent unit. Örö and Sommarö forts were also detached, while a new motorised coastal artillery battery was formed in the regiment in Janhua in Uusikaupunki. Utö and Kuuskajaskari forts were the primary training centers of the regiment while training was also given in Turku and Janhua. The name of regiment was changed, for the third time, to Turku Coastal Artillery Regiment on 1.1.1957. The weaponry of the regiment remained largely the same as before, with dispersed heavy static coastal guns forming the core of the coastal defence. The most significant improvement was modernization of 152/45 C guns to 152/50 T model. By 1970 Utö, Örö (re-attached to regiment in 1969) and Gyltö forts had been equipped with 152/50 T guns. Old heavy anti-aircraft guns, primarily 76 Itk/31 were used as light coastal guns and the Örö 2/305/52 O battery was still kept in use. Anti-aircraft and close defence weapons were mainly from Second World War era or older. Tactical improvements were made for fire control methods however, and radars began to be used. To supply the different island forts the regiment had a supply ship Pansio along with smaller vessels.[13]

New coastal guns were developed with 100 TK turret gun replacing older light coastal guns and 130 TK medium turret gun complementing the older 152/50 T. Anti-ship missile battery was formed in the regiment in 1995[5] and anti-aircraft weaponry was also improved. A major change for signalling equipment was the adoption of digital messaging system. Training organization was changed when Gyltö became a conscript training center in 1967 and Utö and Örö were delegated to NCO and specialist training. The name of the regiment was changed to Turku Coastal Regiment (Turun Rannikkorykmentti) in 1990, and this name was used until the regiment was disbanded in 1998. Conscript training in Kuuskajaskari fort ended in 1997.[14] Regiment received new ships to replace the old ones with the addition of supply ship Parainen in 1980 and minelayer Pyhäranta in 1992.[15]

• Veriö, Toivo; Simola, Olavi (1995). Turun Rannikkorykmentti 1939-1994. Rannikkotykistön joukko-osastojen historiasarja (in Finnish). Rannikkotykistön Upseeriyhdistys r.y. ISBN 952-90-5238-3.