Operation "HÄÄmatka"

The operation "Häämatka" was transfer of gunboats Hämeenmaa, Uusimaa, Turunmaa and Karjala from the Saaristomeri area in the west around Soviet held Hanko and further to eastern Gulf of Finland to support advancing Finnish troops.

During the negotiations between German Marineverbindunstab and Finnish Naval Forces headquarters 23.8. it was agreed that German Räumboots would sweep ahead the gunboats from Örö to point 59o27'N, 23o12'E in Gulf of Finland. The Finnish minelayers Ruotsinsalmi ja Riilahti would arrive from east and pick up the gunboats from that point at 24.00 and sweep ahead of them to Porkkala. The lights of Bengtskär and Jussarö would be lit till early morning. 24.8. at 13.45 the Separate Naval Deatchment was infromed that the operation will be postponed but the minelayers should move to west, The Jussarö, Gråharu and Farö lanes would be lit. Execution order was given by Naval Forces HQ to Navy HQ 25.8. at 12.45. The Submarine Flotilla was informed that minelayers will go out at 20.00 using the Gråharu lane and return the same way at 03.00. The returning submarines will also use Gråharu lane about the same time. 26.8. at 04.10 the Naval Forces HQ got information that the gunboats and minelayers had not found each other. [SPK 18708]

The first attempt can be followed in the War Diary of gunboat Hämeenmaa [SPK 25813]:
25.8.1941 19.44 Departure from Örö with all four gunboats and German sweepers.
20.03 Battle alarm.
20.25 When we were south from Örö white smoke was seen rising in bearing 60o.
21.10 The sweepers moved to sweeping formation and lowered their gear.
21.27 Passed Bengtskär. Bearing 260o. Own compass course 169o. Lowered the logline.
21.35 Bengtskär in compass bearing 301o. The log shows 1.5 miles.
21.54 Bengtskär in compass bearing 5o. The log shows 5 miles. Changed to chart No 7.
22.20 Searchlights in compass bearing 110o.
22.20 Searchlights in compass bearing 50o.
23.00 Ship position was determined. 59o29'20''N, 22o44'30''E. The log showed 17.5 miles.
23.30 Searchlights in compass bearing 100o.
23.43 Uusimaa gave signal "M" (Matti) by blink. Stopped
23.46 Ship position was determined. 59o23'00''N, 22o54'10''E. The log showed 25.75 miles. Turned around.
23.47 Artillery muzzle flashes in compass bearing 350o.
23.50 The logline was raised.
26.8.1941 00.40 Started return voyage. Logline was lowered.
01.00 Ship position was determined. 59o26'30''N, 22o48'45''E. The log showed 30 miles.
02.00 Ship position was determined. 59o35'00''N, 22o36'00''E. The log showed 41 miles. Changed to secret chart No. 22/sal.
02.12 A mine detonated ahead near the sweepers.
02.14 The logline fouled with propellers and broke.
02.22 We saw 9 mines on our right side.
02.53 Bengtskär in bearing 344o. Turned into the arrival lane.
03.14 Passed Bengtskär.
04.44 Anchored in Örö inner roadstead.

The minelayers had departed at 14.00 from Helsinki to Gråharu and anchored there at 18.35. The ships sailed at 21.05 to point C in chart No. 7 (position is not given). Sweeping gear MRK/Y/41 was lowered at 21.29. Strong searchlights were seen in bearing 110-120o when moving to point C. In the meeting point C nothing was seen or heard. Four strong searchlights were seen at 01.40 in bearing 220o. The minelayers used blink lights for one hour but got no reply. They returned and anchored to Gråharu at 03.55 [SPK 18730].

The reasons to abandon the first attempt are not clear. Maybe the Räumboots could not cope with the number of mines they had cut loose. The commander of the 1st Division of the Securing Flotilla may have considered continuation of the voyage too risky and decided to turn back.

The second attempt was planned for 26.8. The minelayers got order from Naval Forces HQ at 18.00 to be in position 59o24'N, 23o00'E at 03.30, but already 20.00 the HQ signalled that because of Germans there will be no activity in the coming night [SPK 18708]. The Naval Forces HQ gave order for the operation 27.8. at 14.40. German JU-88 planes will be ready at Malmi airport to attack Soviet Naval Forces in the morning, if asked. The gunboats and German sweepers sailed for the second attempt from Örö 27.8. just before midnight but turned back an hour and half later near Bengtskär because the waves were too high to conduct thorough sweeping [SPK 25813]. Uusimaa signalled at 01.45 to Naval Forces HQ that they will turn back [SPK 18708]. The Finnish minelayers had sailed from Gråharu at 23.50. The weather was bad, rainy and windy. The minelayers rolled 23-38o to both sides. They were close to the meeting point when at 03.00 they got radio message to cancel the operation. However, the minelayers decided to continue and find the gunboats. Turning around in heavy waves with the sweeping gear had not been possible. Ruotsinsalmi lost its gear in explosions after 3 o'clock and the barrage was found to be exceptionally dense. Riilahti moved in front and the ship continued to west arriving in Örö 28.8 at 07.02 [SPK 18730].

As the Finnish minelayers were now with the gunboats the German Räumboots were no longer needed. The minelayers, gunboats and patrol boat VMV 13 will sail 28.8. at 23.30. The convoy will have in front minelayers staggered Ruotsinsalmi front and left, Riilahti behind and to right, VMV 13 looking for loose mines and gunboats Uusimaa, Karjala, Turunmaa and Hämeenmaa in a single line. The progress can be followed in the War Diary of gunboat Hämeenmaa [SPK 25813]:
29.8.1941 00.15 Departure from Örö. Battle alarm.
00.36 Logline to sea. Showing 8.75 miles.
00.46 Örö southern line behind. Log showing 9.75 miles.
01.05 Bengtskär in compass bearing 91o. Log showing 13.25 miles. Turning from line to true course 118o. Chnaged to chart No. 7.
01.23 Bengtskär in compass bearing 45o. Log showing 16.25 miles.
01.40 Bengtskär in compass bearing 28o. The log shows 19.5 miles.
01.47 Ship position 59o39'31''N, 22o30'00''E. The log showed 20.75 miles. Bengtskär in compass bearing 368o.
02.03 Bengtskär in compass bearing 342o. The log showed 23.5 miles. Ship position 59o37'15''N, 22o33'30''E. Turning to compass course 180o.
02.11 Ship position was determined 59o35'25''N, 22o33'00''E. The log showed 25 miles. Turning to compass course 143o.
03.00 Ship position was determined 59o27'00''N, 22o43'40''E. The log showed 35.25 miles.
03.35 Turned at point 59o29'41''N, 22o51'00''E. Sailing compass course 68o. The log showed 42.75 miles.
04.06 Passed 3 horned mines. 2 left, 1 right.
04.22 Passed a mine from left.
04.28 Passed two mines by sailing between them.
04.30 Smoke in compass bearing 105o and 360o.
04.35 Ship position was determined 59o28'25''N, 23o18'00''E. The log showed 54.25 miles.
04.53 Osmussaari in compass bearing 165o. The log showed 57.5 miles. Ship position 59o29'30''N, 23o23'30''E.
05.04 Turned at point 59o30'00''N, 23o27'00''E. The log showed 59.75 miles.
05.10 Mine on the left.
05.11 Turned at point 59o31'00''N, 23o27'35''E. The log showed 61.25 miles.
05.23 Turned at point N, E (position is not written in the diary). The log showed 64 miles.
05.32 Own reconnaissance plane came in sight in compass bearing 120o. Circled around us.
05.52 Took cross bearing, Segelskär in compass bearing 334o, Jussarö in 358o. The log shows 70.25 miles. Ship position 59o34'20''N, 23o36'00''E.
Based on deviation estimates the previous position determination was 59o34'00''N, 23o33'00''E.
06.00 German bomber plane came in sight in compass bearing 300o. Circled around us.
06.44 Turned at point 59o44'20''N, 23o44'50''E. The log showed 81.5 miles.
06.58 Changed to secret chart No 21a/sal.
07.20 End of battle alarm.
07.30 To Gråharu. Turned into the lane.
08.05 Changed to chart No 21a.
08.57 Axlgrund. Changed to chart No 20a.
10.52 Kytö. Changed to chart No 19a.
11.53 Anchored in Katajanokka harbour.



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Last modified 15.7.2011.