FORMATIONS (TO&E), PART 10

World War II: Coastal Troops

 

The story of Finnish coastal troops starts from infantry units placed under command of Finnish Navy for Winter War. These units included:

All these units were similar as the infantry units of Finnish Army and in total their manpower was around 8,600 men. As Winter War was fought during very cold winter the need for coastal troops was quite limited until the sea froze in such extent, that the ice could be crossed with motor vehicles and tanks. During the last weeks of the war Finnish coastal troops took part to battles in Hanko/Hango/Gangut Peninsula and Viipurinlahti Gulf.

When Continuation War begun the situation was quite different than during Winter War. It was summer, Soviets now controlled southern coastline of Finnish Gulf and had their naval base in Hanko/Hango in Finnish south coast. Finnish coastal troops were build as larger and more effective Coastal Brigades, which included:

However, one important element had been forgotten and left off - lightly armed infantry capable for offensive operations! Once the battles begun this mistake became obvious within a week and Navy HQ started fixing it by establishing Coastal Strike Companies, which had equipment suitable for this use. The Coastal Strike Companies soon proved too little for there tasks so in after another week or so uniting them as Coastal Strike Battalions begun. Typical Finnish coastal defence of Continuation War era had combination of these units supporting and protecting each other. The combination of troops usually had been combined as Sector or Fort, which had its own HQ commanding these units. Below are tables of organisation for some of these units. However, the actual sizes and organisations of coastal units varied considerably, so some of these cannot be seen more then guidelines. Especially coastal infantry units had huge variation: Year 1944 some of them still had TO&E resembling the 1941 Coastal Strike Company, while others were similar to ordinary Infantry Companies and Battalions - and some coastal infantry units were somewhere in between. Notice that weaponry used in coastal troops varied more than in frontline infantry units.

Transport equipment used by coastal troops varied. Finnish military had no actual landing crafts. VMV-patrol boats of the navy transported them in some occasions and when larger transport was needed gunboats and other ships were used. Typically used coastal infantry transport was mix of various motor boats capable transporting 1 - 2 squads of infantry. Most typical type of these motor boats were open fishing boats. Maximum speed of these boats varied considerably, but was typically very modest by military standards of that day and since they operated in units, usually the pace was set by the slowest boat. At least in theory each of these boats were to have a water-cooled Maxim medium machinegun on its bow.

Coastal Strike Company (Coastal Infantry Company), 1941:

Company Commander

Coastal Infantry Platoon with lots of firepower

Coastal Infantry Platoon with lots of firepower

Motorboat Squad

Notice: "Lots of firepower" = more then usual amount of automatic weapons.

 

Coastal Strike Battalion (Coastal Infantry Battalion), 1941:

Battalion HQ

Coastal Strike Company

Coastal Strike Company

Mortar Platoon (light mortars, 81 - 82 mm)

 

Coastal Strike Battalion, (2nd alternative TO&E) late 1941:

(As established by HQ of Finnish Navy. This was basically just a framework.)

Battalion HQ

Battalion HQ Company

3 Coastal Strike Companies

Mortar Company (light mortars)

AA-Machinegun Company (only in some Coastal Strike Battalions)

Note: This unit was designed as attack force and to be used as reserve in archipelago Finnish Gulf and in coastal defence sectors.

 

Coastal Defence Company, 1941

Company HQ

2 Infantry Gun Platoons

2 x Infantry Gun

2 Machinegun Platoons

Supplies Platoon

OR

2 Infantry Gun Platoons

Machinegun Platoons

Coastal Infantry Platoon

Supplies Platoon

 

Coastal Defence Company, 1941:

Company Commander (pistol)

2 messengers (runners) (rifles)

Light Artillery Section (Infantry Gun Platoon)

Machinegun Platoon (light searchlight)

Supplies Squad

 

Coastal Defence Company, 1941:

Company Commander (rifle + bicycle)

2 messengers (rifles + 1 bicycle)

1st Light Artillery Section (light searchlight)

2nd Light Artillery Section (light searchlight)

1st Machinegun Platoon

2nd Machinegun Platoon

Supplies Squad

 

Coastal Defence Company, 1942 – December 1943:

Company Commander (pistol)

Company HQ Squad

1st Infantry Gun Platoon

2nd Infantry Gun Platoon

1st Machinegun Platoon

2nd Machinegun Platoon

Coastal Infantry Platoon

Supplies Platoon

Note: Infantry Guns in this case are captured 45-mm at-guns.

 

Coastal Defence Company, December 1943 - 1944:

Company Commander (pistol)

Company HQ Squad

1st Infantry Gun Platoon

2nd Infantry Gun Platoon

1st Machinegun Platoon

2nd Machinegun Platoon

Coastal Infantry Platoon

Supplies Platoon

 

Coastal (infantry) Battalion, 1941:

Battalion HQ

3 Infantry Companies

Machinegun Company

Mortar Company (light mortars 81 – 82 mm)

AA-Machinegun Company

 

Heavy Coastal AA-Artillery Battery, 1941

Battery Commander (pistol)

FO Unit

AA-Gun Battery

Supplies Squad

Additional personnel: 1 Lotta working as clerk and 2 Lotta’s working as cooks. (*)

 

Light Coastal AA-Artillery Battery, 1942:

Battery Commander (pistol)

2 AA-Gun Sections

Supplies Squad

Additional personnel: 1 Lotta working as clerk and 2 Lotta's working as cooks. (*)

(*) Members of (all female) Lotta-Svärd volunteers auxiliary organisation. During WW2 they served in non-combatant tasks supporting Finnish military. They had no military training and were unarmed. Originally Lotta-Svärd organisation had been established in year 1921 as volunteer organisation for women and its main task had been supporting and help in supplying of Suojeluskunta (Civil Guard) organisation.

Last updated 3rd of May 2009
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