Armoured Cars of Finnish Army in World War 2

Soviet development of armoured cars from 1917 to 1939:

When it comes to armoured cars used by Finnish Army in World War 2, almost all of them were captured Soviet vehicles. Hence I will start their story by telling little about their origin. As already mentioned in this website, armoured cars that the Bolsheviks took over and captured during Russian Civil War (1917 – 1923) served Soviet Red Army until early 1930's. Since armoured cars had played important role in Russian Civil War, it was only natural that the Red Army wished them to be replaced with new and more modern designs. Imperial Russia had possessed only limited manufacturing capacity for manufacturing of armoured cars during World War 1 and while Soviet Union was rapidly industrialised in 1920's, acquiring the know-how for mass-producing motor vehicles and building the industrial base required for this took its time. Maybe the most important single factor in this was the contract, in which the Soviets entered with Ford Motor Company in May of 1929. As a result of that contract Soviet industry received blueprints for Ford-A, Ford-AA and Ford-Timken trucks. These became the truck models, with which the Soviet automobile industry was basically started. Production of these trucks was started already year 1930 in two factories - Gudok Oktyabrya (in Nizhny Novgorod) and KIM factory (Moscow Auto Zavod in Moscow). Ford Corporation build also the Soviets a new factory named NAZ (Nizhny Novgorod Auto Zavod) in Nizhny Novgorod (soon to be renamed Gorkiy), which also started manufacturing Ford trucks in year 1932. Godok Oktyabrya and NAZ were merged as a single factory, which was renamed as GAZ (Gorkiy Auto Zavod) in mid 1930's. While these factories provided chassis and engine, also armoured hulls were needed for manufacturing armoured cars. These armoured hulls were provided by Vyksinskiy and Izhorskiy plants, which had designed and manufactured such hulls already during World War 1. These two plants also took care in assembling of the armoured cars.

It must be noted that after the 1929 treaty Soviet armoured development went into two distinctly separate lines - light armoured cars designed mainly for reconnaissance work and heavy armoured cars, which suited well also for combat use. The first Soviet light armoured cars used modified GAZ-A (Ford-A) chassis. These included non-turreted D-8 and D-12, which were followed by the first turreted Soviet light armoured car - FAI. All the armoured cars introduced after FAI - FAI-M, BA-20, BA-20M and BA-64 all used new Soviet-designed stronger chassis designs. With the heavy armoured cars BA-I, BA-3, BA-6 and BA-10 they were the main armoured car types used by Soviet Red Army during World War 2. In addition some of them were used in Spanish Civil War and Soviet - Japanese battles around Khalkhin Gol in 1939. Captured vehicles of these types saw some use with German military during World War 2 and with Finnish Army both during and after World War 2.

PICTURE: This BA-20M (BAB B) armoured car was among the first armoured vehicles captured by Finnish Army during World War 2. It was captured in Battle of Tolvajärvi, which was the first battle won by Finnish Army during Winter War. This individual vehicle is equipped with wrap-around radio antenna. Behind the BA-20M is captured Komsomolets A20 armoured towing tractor. Photographed by Anttila in 18^th of December 1939. (SA-kuva.fi photo archive, photo number 2549). CLICK THUMBNAIL TO SEE LARGER PIC (127 KB).

When World War 2 started Finnish Army had only one armoured car - Landsverk 182. This was also the only armoured car used in combat by Finnish military during Winter War and even it saw very little fighting. During Winter War (Nov 1939 - March 1940) Finnish Army captured 21 Soviet armoured cars, this seems to have included all models of Soviet armoured cars, which are listed in these pages. Some of the captured vehicles also apparently saw use with Finnish troops already during Winter War, but it seems that they did not see much combat use with Finnish military yet at that time. Apparently at least one captured armoured car may have been used in battle in Suomussalmi area. Most of the captured armoured vehicles taken to Finnish use required repairs before being issued to Finnish units. So the number of vehicles that could be immediately issued was not anywhere as large as after the repairs. During Winter War the area of Hyökkäysvaunukeskuskorjaamo (Tank Centre Repair Shop soon to be renamed as Panssarikeskuskorjaamo / Armour Centre Repair Shop) was filled with captured Soviet armoured vehicles, that had suffered varying level of damage. Even with the repairs generally starting from the least damaged vehicles, getting the captured vehicles back to operational condition took time - too much time for them to get issued for Finnish units in any real numbers until Winter War had already ended.

PICTURE: Two BAF C (BA-10) armoured cars in use of Finnish Army during Continuation War. Original photograph of Jaeger Platoon Website photo collection. CLICK THUMBNAIL TO SEE LARGER PIC (54 KB).

After Winter War captured armoured cars were concentrated to Tank Battalion (Panssaripataljoona), which also used some of them during Continuation War, but it was not their main user during first year of Continuation War. When Continuation War started in June of 1941 Finnish Army issued to many of its army corps and divisions reinforcements in form of separate tank and armoured car platoons. Three of these platoon-size armoured units were armoured car platoons (Panssariautojoukkue) created by Tank Battalion. Two of these three platoons (2^nd and 7^th Armoured Car Platoons) were equipped with heavy BAF armoured cars (Soviet BA-series heavy armoured cars), took part in combat in year 1941 and lost three of their vehicles. The third one (5^th Armoured Car Platoon) was equipped with BAB armoured cars (light Soviet armoured cars), but suffered repeated technical problems first with them and later with amphibious tanks, which were issued to this unit as their replacements. 2^nd Armoured Car Platoon served early on II Army Corps and later its 2^nd Division. 5^th Armoured Car Platoon was first with Group O and 7^th Armoured Car Platoon was given to VII Army Corps. All three platoons were disbanded in January - February 1942. Once this had happened, their armoured cars were transferred to Armour Division (Panssaridivisioona), which was created from expanded Tank Battalion, 1^st Jaeger Brigade and other units. Armour Division used them mainly as liaison/dispatch vehicles used by headquarters of tank battalions, tank companies and jaeger battalions. Some were also used as command and radio vehicles. Being fast on the roads and having enough armour to provide adequate protection against shrapnel, they proved highly successful in this role. Occasionally they were also used for transporting of wounded soldiers and supplies (like ammunition). Two other armoured car platoons created for Continuation War and used as reinforcements of Army Corps were short-lived 1^st Armoured Car Platoon and probably notably more long-lasting 4^th Armoured Car Platoon. 1^st Armoured Car Platoon belonging to 4^th Division (part of IV Army Corps), had three armoured cars and was disbanded already in mid June of 1941. 4^th Armoured Car Platoon serving VI Army Corps likely was not disbanded until year 1942. Also armoured cars of these two platoons were likely transferred to Tank Battalion / Armour Division after the platoons had been disbanded.

PICTURE: Armoured cars of 7^th Armoured Car Platoon in city of Äänislinna / Petroskoi / Petrozavodsk in October of 1941. The vehicles in the photo are BAF C (BA-10M) R-22 and BAF A (BA-3) R-21. The third armoured car of this platoon had been lost in battle about two weeks earlier. Photograph taken by Military Official K. Kivi (SA-kuva.fi photo archive, photo number 56226). CLICK THUMBNAIL TO SEE LARGER PIC (117 KB).

However Armour Division was not the only unit of Finnish Army to use armoured cars after early 1942. In large forests north of Lake Laatokka/Ladoga, where Finnish 3^rd Army Corps and 14^th Division were located, Finnish supply routes were long, frontlines contained large poorly guarded areas and huge forests provided plenty of places for military units to move and hide without getting easily spotted. The Soviets did not fail to use this opportunity frequently for sending units behind Finnish lines to attack these supply routes. For securing their transports these two Finnish Army formations created four separate armoured car platoons (Erillinen Panssariautojoukkue). First of these separate armoured car platoons was 21^st Separate Armoured Car Platoon established by 3^rd Army Corps in June of 1942 and equipped with four BAF armoured cars. January of 1943 this platoon was replaced with two new platoons - 7^th and 9th Separate Armoured Car Platoons, which each had 3 armoured cars and were not disbanded until year 1944. 14^th Division created 5^th Separate Armoured Car Platoon in May of 1943, this platoon escorted transports, guarded important bridges and assisted antitank training until disbanded in October of 1944 after ending of the war. Also General Headquarters of Finnish Armed Forces created 1^st Separate Armoured Car Platoon equipped with BAF armoured cars in January of 1943, this unit was first given to 7^th Division, but was soon transferred to Lapland, where it patrolled important roads until disbanded in November of 1944. The last of Finnish official World War 2 era separate armoured car platoons was 3^rd Armoured Car Platoon created by General Headquarters of Finnish Armed Forces in January of 1943. This platoon equipped with two BAF armoured cars had really existed until August of 1942, but now it was made official and took part in several battles until disbanded in October of 1944. In addition to these "official" armoured car platoons, some units of Finnish Army created some more or less semi-official small units equipped with tanks and armoured cars. The best known of these was Armoured Unit (Panssariosasto) of 1^st Division, which was created in summer of 1941. This Armoured Unit had two platoons - Tank Platoon and Armoured Car Platoon. Its Armoured Car Platoon had two BAF C (BA-10) heavy armoured cars and one of a kind Landsverk 182 heavy armoured car. Lacking proper maintenance and repairs personnel and equipment Armoured Unit of 1st Division was disbanded in end of year 1941. Due to not having armoured car force before World War 2 the training level of Finnish armoured car crews varied and was not too good especially early on. Armoured car platoons of Continuation War typically contained men, who either had previous tank training (with Renault FT-17) or had no training or experience of armoured vehicles at all.

PICTURE: BAF C (BA-10) Armoured cars belonging to Armoured Unit of 1^st (Infantry) Division photographed in road between Prääsä and Matroosa in September of 1941. The "P" painted into mudguard was identitification marking used by 1^st (Infantry) Division (1. Divisioona), which was commonly known with nickname "Paalun pojat" ("Boys of Paalu") after division's commander Colonel (later: Major General) Paavo Paalu. Another marking from which to identify armoured vehicles of this unit is non-standard swastika nationality markings (used by Finnish military since 1918) painted with blue and white instead of standard black and white. Photographed by Lieutenant T.I. Eronen (SA-kuva.fi photo archive, photo number 51084). CLICK THUMBNAIL TO SEE LARGER PIC (87 KB).

More Soviet armoured cars were captured during Continuation War. During it Finnish Army apparently also took into its own use 29 of the captured Soviet armoured cars. Most likely all of these were captured in year 1941, when Finnish offensive provided oppurtunities for capturing Soviet heavy weaponry. The high-water mark in Finnish use of captured armoured cars was around late 1943 - early 1944. Inventory of that time indicates that Finnish Army had 45 captured armoured cars in its use, 21 of these were light armoured cars and 24 were heavy armoured cars. With the long trench war in Finnish - Soviet front from December of 1941 to June of 1944, there were no losses or little chances of capturing additional armoured cars. During the heavy fighting started by Soviet offensive in June of 1944 Finnish Army retreated in most parts of the front until it succeeded halting Soviet advance. Five of the captured armoured cars were lost in those battles.

Finnish Army armoured cars seriously damaged or lost due to battle damage during World War 2:

Once Continuation War ended in September of 1944, with it ended also the immediate need for armoured car platoons. After Armour Division had been disbanded Finnish Army found little use for light armoured cars. Hence 27^th of December 1944 the remaining 18 light armoured cars were transferred to various police departments of Finnish Police. Law enforcement did not find much of use for them either, so those 18 light armoured cars were returned back to Finnish Defence Forces in May of 1946. Finnish military kept the last 16 remaining captured light armoured cars warehoused until they were declared obsolete 30^th of November 1951. The captured heavy armoured cars remained bit longer in Finnish use, with last of them being removed from military use not until year 1959. Sadly, at that time historical value of these vehicles was not understood, so besides one BA-20M and one BA-10M now residing in Finnish Armour Museum in Parola, all other captured armoured cars were scrapped.

PICTURE: Two armoured cars of Finnish Army in outskirts of city of Sortavala in August of 1941. According original photo caption crews of the armoured cars are waiting order for attack. The cars appear to be BA-10 and BA-20M. BA-10 seems to have remains of Winter War era Finnish white-blue-white horizontal stripes nationality markings overpainted with swastika nationality marking in its turret. The markings in BA-20M suggest that its (individual) vehicle identification number was R-10. Almost all of the crew members seem to be wearing leather caps M/22, which had originally been issued to Motor Corps of Finnish Army in 1920's. Photographed by M.J. Vuorela. (SA-kuva.fi photo archive, photo number 34158). CLICK THUMBNAIL TO SEE LARGER PIC (184 KB).

Unfortunately the number of all captured Soviet armoured car models repaired and re-issued by Finnish Army can not be determined for certain. This is due to wartime Finnish Army naming and inventory systems. These knew most of captured light Soviet armoured cars (FAI, FAI-M, BA-20 and BA-20M) simply as BAB armoured cars and heavy captured Soviet armoured cars (BA-3, BA-6, BA-10 and BA-10M) simply as BAF armoured cars. Shortly said Finnish Army inventories of armoured cars made before year 1944 did not specify number of other armoured cars more accurately and nowadays it is impossible to determine for sure, how many of each light armoured car model saw Finnish use. However, when it comes to the heavy armoured cars the inventory lists of 1944 provide a rough number of about how many were in Finnish use and this information has been used in following pages.

Soviet and Finnish naming system for armoured cars:

It must be noted that while Soviet heavy armoured cars of 1930's had excellent weaponry by standards of that time. The Soviet 45-mm tank gun used in captured heavy armoured cars was one of the best tank guns of 1930's, but was soon outclassed as an antitank-weapon by the ever heavier armour introduced during World War 2. Yet due to its effective high explosive shell, these guns remained useful against soft targets.

When it comes to their armour protection, these vehicles were not quite as spectacular. Soviet heavy armoured cars quite lightly armoured and the light armoured cars had even thinner armour. Finnish wartime antitank-manuals suggest that both could be destroyed with standard Finnish 7.62 mm x 54R ammunition loaded with armour-piercing bullets (7.62 kiv. D-ps pv i. sid) loaded with armour-piercing bullets from maximum shooting distances of:

• BAB (light) armoured cars: 300 meters
• BAF (heavy) armoured cars: 200 meters

Also practically any weapon above rifle caliber could destroy these vehicles. There is reason to suspect that Finnish Army may have equipped the armoured cars used as radio vehicles with new radios. Finnish experiences of the original Soviet 71-TK-1 and 71-TK-3 radios were far from positive. Typical fault was that their receivers failed keeping the correct frequency, which made their use unreliable. The problems with captured 71-TK-1 and 71-TK-3 radios were at least partly solved by adding a new Finnish-made receiver to many of these radios. There may have been also another radio model used in the captured armoured cars. Finnish radio manufacturer Helvar had designed its own small short-range VHF-radio, which Finnish Army knew as P-12-12u, while it did not work properly in T-26 tanks due to too primitive electrical system of the tank, it may have been used in some of the captured armoured cars. Finnish military routine replaced old Soviet frame radio antennas with new whip antennas.

PICTURE: VRKH P-12-12u radio also known with nickaname "Kukkopilli" (rooster whistle). Finnish Army installed this radio to some armoured vehicles during Continuation War. Photo taken in Viestimuseo (Signal Museum, Riihimäki). CLICK THUMBNAIL TO SEE LARGER PIC (135 KB).

The naming system of each vehicle used in the following pages is combination of the Finnish and Soviet one. The name used first is what the Finnish Army used for them and the more accurate Soviet name marked after it put in brackets.

Sources used for making this page are listed in Armoured Cars part 4.