Finnish Equipment and Miniatures We have a number of Finnish rmodels available. FI010 BT-42 FI160 Landsverk Anti-II AA-tank FI570 76K/02 (76mm gun x2) FI702 Jalkaväki Platoon FI703 Jääkari Platoon FI704 Machine-gun Platoon FI705 Mortar Platoon FI706 Pioneer Platoon You may notice a few key pieces of equipment missing, in this article I shall endeavour to explain how to field these platoons and guns.

Tanks and Vehicles As well as the BT-42 and Landsverk Anti-II above the Finns also fielded a number of captured Soviet tanks. During the Winter War, and later during the Continuation War, they captured a large quantity of Soviet armour, from the BT-7 (destined to become the BT-42) to the massive KV-1 and T-28.  During the Continuation War ex-Soviet T-26, T-34, T-28 and KV-1 tanks were pressed into action with the Panssari Komppania.

Most Panssari Komppania operate with captured Soviet T-26 tanks or Finnish up-gunned Vickers 6-ton tanks. The Vickers is visually very similar to the T-26 obr 1933, and was rearmed with the Soviet 45mm gun to the same standard as the captured T-26s. Currently we have available SU002 T-26 obr 1939 which were used by the Finns, and when we look at early war in 2008 we will most likely also introduce a T-26 obr 1933 model (some old models may be available still in some stores) suitable to represent the Vickers 6-ton.

The Finnish 3rd Panssari Komppania was made up of T-34s and T-28s. The T-28 model will be available in our Special Order catalogue. The T-34 received from the Germans were T-34 obr 1942 (SU053), but those captured by the Finns were mainly T-34 obr 1941 (SU052). The Finnish 6th Panssari Komppania was armed with two KV-1 and four T-28 tanks.

The KV-1 tanks were up armoured so you can use the KV-1E (SU082) model, as the armour was welded rather than bolted on as a minor modelling project you may like to file the bolts on the turret off. Captured armoured cars were also pressed into service with the Armoured Car Platoons being quipped with Soviet BA-10s (SU301).

Trucks were a variety of captured Soviet GAZ and ZIS trucks (SU422) as well a commercial trucks like Fords and Opels that can be best represented by the Opel Blitz 3-ton Truck (GE431). Drivers As the Finns wore the German M35 helmet (among others) any German Driver will work well.

Tank Crew Finnish tank crew even used captured Soviet tank helmets and like their enemy they often wore overalls.  Use SSO16 and SSO17 from the Special Order catalogue to represent them mounted and dismounted.

Guns As well as the 76 K/02 the Finns used a number of captured and foreign supplied guns.

Anti-tank Guns The 37 PstK/37 is the German 3.7cm PaK 36 (GE501) The 45 PstK/37 is the Soviet 45mm obr 1937 gun (SU500) The 50 PstK/38 is the German 5cm PaK 38 (GE510) The 75 PstK/97-38 is the German 7.5cm PaK 97/38 (GE515) The 75 PstK/40 is the German 7.5cm PaK 40 (GE520)

Artillery Guns The Finns also received some German 10.cm leFH18 howitzers to add a little more punch to their field artillery. The 105 H/33 is the German 10.cm leFH18 howitzer. Anti-aircraft Guns The Finns purchased German 2cm Flak 38 guns (GE542) and pressed them into service as the 20 ltk/38 gun. They also were supplied 40mm Bofors guns from Sweden as the 40 ltk/38. You can either use the US541 M1 Bofors gun or the BR540 Bofors gun, as either crew are easy to convert. Converting the Bofors…

Gun Crew As part of our Special Order catalogue (and available through mail-order) we have a number of command, observer and staff teams and extras available for the Finns. Most importantly it will include a set of five gun crew that can be used with all the above guns. It will also contain helmeted heads (that usually come with the FI160 Landsverk Anti-II) for easily converting the Bofors crew.