The Continuation War 1941-1944: Information on Combat Forces


The Number of Men in Arms:

Jun 1941: 476000 Oct 1942:* 376000 Aug 1944: 531000

* Army was partly demobilized, because agriculture and industry needed more men after it became clear that war was going to be a long one


Combat formations: Army

Designation 1941 1942 1943 1944 Famous Battlefields Notes
1. D LA EC MI MI MI LA Petrozavodsk
2. D CI CI CI CI Tyrjä, Siiranmäki
3. D UH UH UH UH CI Uhtua, Kuuterselkä
4. D CI EC MI MI MI MI CI Viborg, Maaselkä
5. D LA EC SV SV SV SVEC LA Korpiselkä, Nietjärvi
6. D SA   MI MI CI Salla, Ihantala 1942 as 12. Pr, 1943 again division
7. D LA ECSV SV SV SVEC LA Shores of Ladoga
8. D CI EC MI SV SV SVEC LA Porlammi, Maaselkä
10. D CI CI CI CI Valkeasaari
11. D LA EC SV SV SV SV LA Petrozavodsk, Svir
12. D CI CI     Porlammi Disbanded in 1941; formed 3. Pr
14. D RU RU RU RU Repola, Rukajärvi
15. D CI CI CI CI  
17. D HA EC SV SV SV SV LA Hangö, Svir
18. D CI CI CI CI Hopeasalmi
19. D CI       Shores of Ladoga Disbanded in 1942
1. JPr LA EC SV MI MI     Aunus Part of PsD from 1943
2. JPr LA EC MI MI     Maaselkä Disbanded in 1942
RvPr LA     CI LA Vammelsuu
Pr 'K' LA       Kuutamolahti Composed of 'Tribal Battalions'* and normal infantry
Div 'J' KE       Kestenga Originally Group 'J', made from troops of 3rd and 6th Divisions, returned to original div's 1942
PsD   EC EC EC CI Kuuterselkä, Vuosalmi
3. Pr MI MI   LA CI Ihantala Formed in late 1941
12. Pr   MI       Transformed as 6. D in 1943
15. Pr     EC SV EC LA Nietjärvi Formed 24 May 1943 from indep. battalions
19. Pr     CI CI Taipale Formed 16 Oct 1943 from JR 16
20. Pr       EC CI LA Viborg Formed 16 Oct 1943 from JR 22
21. Pr       MI LA Ilomantsi Formed 16 Oct 1943
RajaJPr       LA Ilomantsi
ÄänRPr   EC EC EC  
LaaRPr   LA LA LA  
1. RD       CI  

Abbreviations: D = Division Pr =Brigade JR =Infantry Regiment PsD = Armored Division Rv = Cavalry J = Jaeger Raja = Frontier Guards ÄänRPr = Onega Coastal Brigade LaaRPr = Ladoga Coastal Brigade, RD = Coastal Division

Locations: CI Carelian Isthmus, LA Carelia North of Lake Ladoga, EC Eastern Carelia , MI Maaselkä Isthmus, SV Svir River, RU Rukajärvi, UHUhtua, SA Salla, HA Hangö, KE Kestenga

* Two Tribal Warrior Battalions (AHSP & VHSP) were formed out of volunteers and conscripts of Carelian origin, who lived in Finland before the war. Also Finns were used to put the battalions to full strenght. Other non-Finnish units in the Puolustusvoimat during the Continuation War were SFB, Swedish volunteer battalion, operational in 1941, Tribal Battalion 3, which was formed out of POWs who were Carelians or Ingrians and spoke Finnish, JR 200, an Estonian regiment, which was formed in 1944 and later returned to defend Estonia against Soviets.


Order of Battle, the End of the Continuation War

Front Corps Unit
Carelian Isthmus V AK 10. D
11. D
17. D
1. RD
3. Pr
IV AK 4. D
6. D
18. D
III AK 2. D
15. D
19. Pr
Reserve In Isthmus 3. D
PsD
Northern Carelia VI AK 5. D
8. D
15. Pr
II AK 1. D
7. D
Group R*
14. D

* Group R = RvPr, 21. Pr and border guard battalions


Information on divisions

1.D JR35 JR56 JR60 KTR5 KevOs8
2.D JR7 JR28 JR46 KTR15 KevOs7
3.D JR11 JR32 JR53 KTR16 KevOs5
4.D JR5 JR25 JR46 KTR1 KevOs9
5.D JR2 JR23 JR44 KTR3 KevOs4
6.D JR12 JR33 JR54 KTR14 KevOs3
7.D JR9 JR30 JR51 KTR2 KevOs15
8.D JR4 JR24 JR45 KTR11  
10.D JR1 JR22 JR43 KTR9 KevOs12
11.D JR8 JR29 JR50 KTR4 KevOs 10
12.D JR26 JR47 JR55 KTR7 KevOs1
14.D JR10 JR31 JR52 KTR18 KevOs2
15.D JR15 JR36 JR57 KTR12 KevOs16
17.D JR13 JR34   KTR8 KevOs19
18.D JR6 JR27 JR48 KTR19 KevOs6
19.D JR16 JR37 JR58 KTR10 KevOs18
Ps.D PsPr JPr   RynnTP

Green is infantry, red is artillery, black is light/reconnaisance infantry and purple is armor.

JPr = Jaeger Brigade PsPr = Armored Brigade JR = Infantry Regiment KTR = Field Artillery Regiment KevOs = Light Detachment RynnTP = Assault Gun Battalion


Finnish battalion in the Waffen-SS Division "Wiking"


Back to War Selection page