Kekkonen
12-11-2005, 08:51 PM
For full text, see; http://surfcity.kund.dalnet.se/sweden_f19.htm
The Swedish volunteer unit, F19 operated in northern Finland for 62 days (on the average eight aircraft were airborne per day, 600 hours were flown) during the Winter War of 1939-1940 when Soviet Union attacked Finland. Sweden didn't officially join the war, but did donate equipment and money to Finland, and also allowed organized units to be formed, and people to volunteer to fight in Finland.
With the money that was collected in Sweden Gloster Gladiator Mk.1 (J.8) and Hawker Hart (B.4) aircraft were bought. The latter ones were license-manufactured in Sweden (ASJA and CVM). The Gladiators were built in Britain during 1937-38. An old Raab-Kazenstein 26 (Sk.10) trainer was acquired as a liaison aircraft and Junkers F.13 as a transport plane. The 12 Gladiators represented 1/3 of the Swedish Air Force fighter inventory.
The new volunteer unit was formed already on the 19th of December 1939. Major Hugo Beckhammar was selected to be the commander of the unit. Capt. Björn Bjuggren was the executive officer and the commander's aide was Lt. Gregor Falk. Major Beckhammar gave his first orders on the 22nd of December.
The structure of the F19 regiment:
- Headquarters: staff department, radio, account, transport and hospital departments
- Fighter Squadron: Commander Capt. Söderberg, 11 pilots, 12 aircraft (Gloster Gladiator)
- Bomber Squadron: Commander Lt. Sterner (until Jan 12, 1940), three other pilots, five navigators, four aircraft (Hawker Harts)
- Transport squadron: two pilots, two aircraft, one liaison aircraft
- Base company: 110 men
When the ground personnel arrived, the new unit was renamed LentoR 5 (Flight Regiment 5), which was changed by the Finnish Air Force HQ on the 9th of January to F19 (Flygflottiljen 19). The Swedish pilots carried a paper where it said in Finnish: "I'm a volunteer. I'm a Swede in the Finnish Air Force. I'm a Finnish pilot, but I speak only Swedish.". During this short period the small unit was opposed by more than 500 Soviet planes of which the unit shot down 10.
Victories: Ensign Iacobi one I-15, Salwén one I-15 and SB-2, Frykholm and Steninger together one SB-2, Tehler two SB-2s, Karlsson one TB-3 and Martin one I-15. Four enemy aircraft were destroyed on ground.
Losses: six aircraft, three Harts and three Gladiators. One of each type was shot down. Personnel losses: Ensign John Magnus Sjökvist, Lt. Sten Åke Hildinger, Lt. Anders Robert Zachau. Taken prisoner: Lt. Sterner and ensign Jung (returned to Sweden after 5 months).
http://web.telia.com/~u52220224/108J8_103-0390.jpg
Gloster Gladiator (Swedish designation J 8)
http://www.canit.se/~griffon/aviation/img/fvmus96/b4_hart.jpg
A Hawker Hart (Swedish designation B 4)
http://www.sci.fi/~fta/f19-014.jpg
A Gladiator in Finland, february 1940
http://www.sci.fi/%7Efta/f19-017.jpg
Ensign Färnström and Sgt. Sundsten flew the fifth Hart "M" from Boden to Finland on the 16th of
February 1940
http://www.sci.fi/~fta/f19-006.jpghttp://www.sci.fi/~fta/f19-007.jpg
Raab-Katzenstein (Sk.10) trainer and a Junkers F.13 transport plane
http://surfcity.kund.dalnet.se/images/db3_1.jpghttp://surfcity.kund.dalnet.se/images/db3_2.jpg
The DB-3 shot down by Frykholm and Carl-Olof Steninger on 21 February 1940. The plane landed almost
undamaged and was later salvaged by the Finns.
http://surfcity.kund.dalnet.se/images/tehler_2.jpg
One of the SBs shot down by Tehler
http://www.sci.fi/%7Efta/f19-010.jpg
The TB-3 shot down by Gideon Karlsson on 10 March 1940. This was the last Swedish victory before the
cease-fire on 13 March 1940.
http://www.sci.fi/%7Efta/f19-011.jpg
Hildinger's crashed Gladiator 10 March 1940. Yellow "D" on the rudder.
The Swedish volunteer unit, F19 operated in northern Finland for 62 days (on the average eight aircraft were airborne per day, 600 hours were flown) during the Winter War of 1939-1940 when Soviet Union attacked Finland. Sweden didn't officially join the war, but did donate equipment and money to Finland, and also allowed organized units to be formed, and people to volunteer to fight in Finland.
With the money that was collected in Sweden Gloster Gladiator Mk.1 (J.8) and Hawker Hart (B.4) aircraft were bought. The latter ones were license-manufactured in Sweden (ASJA and CVM). The Gladiators were built in Britain during 1937-38. An old Raab-Kazenstein 26 (Sk.10) trainer was acquired as a liaison aircraft and Junkers F.13 as a transport plane. The 12 Gladiators represented 1/3 of the Swedish Air Force fighter inventory.
The new volunteer unit was formed already on the 19th of December 1939. Major Hugo Beckhammar was selected to be the commander of the unit. Capt. Björn Bjuggren was the executive officer and the commander's aide was Lt. Gregor Falk. Major Beckhammar gave his first orders on the 22nd of December.
The structure of the F19 regiment:
- Headquarters: staff department, radio, account, transport and hospital departments
- Fighter Squadron: Commander Capt. Söderberg, 11 pilots, 12 aircraft (Gloster Gladiator)
- Bomber Squadron: Commander Lt. Sterner (until Jan 12, 1940), three other pilots, five navigators, four aircraft (Hawker Harts)
- Transport squadron: two pilots, two aircraft, one liaison aircraft
- Base company: 110 men
When the ground personnel arrived, the new unit was renamed LentoR 5 (Flight Regiment 5), which was changed by the Finnish Air Force HQ on the 9th of January to F19 (Flygflottiljen 19). The Swedish pilots carried a paper where it said in Finnish: "I'm a volunteer. I'm a Swede in the Finnish Air Force. I'm a Finnish pilot, but I speak only Swedish.". During this short period the small unit was opposed by more than 500 Soviet planes of which the unit shot down 10.
Victories: Ensign Iacobi one I-15, Salwén one I-15 and SB-2, Frykholm and Steninger together one SB-2, Tehler two SB-2s, Karlsson one TB-3 and Martin one I-15. Four enemy aircraft were destroyed on ground.
Losses: six aircraft, three Harts and three Gladiators. One of each type was shot down. Personnel losses: Ensign John Magnus Sjökvist, Lt. Sten Åke Hildinger, Lt. Anders Robert Zachau. Taken prisoner: Lt. Sterner and ensign Jung (returned to Sweden after 5 months).
http://web.telia.com/~u52220224/108J8_103-0390.jpg
Gloster Gladiator (Swedish designation J 8)
http://www.canit.se/~griffon/aviation/img/fvmus96/b4_hart.jpg
A Hawker Hart (Swedish designation B 4)
http://www.sci.fi/~fta/f19-014.jpg
A Gladiator in Finland, february 1940
http://www.sci.fi/%7Efta/f19-017.jpg
Ensign Färnström and Sgt. Sundsten flew the fifth Hart "M" from Boden to Finland on the 16th of
February 1940
http://www.sci.fi/~fta/f19-006.jpghttp://www.sci.fi/~fta/f19-007.jpg
Raab-Katzenstein (Sk.10) trainer and a Junkers F.13 transport plane
http://surfcity.kund.dalnet.se/images/db3_1.jpghttp://surfcity.kund.dalnet.se/images/db3_2.jpg
The DB-3 shot down by Frykholm and Carl-Olof Steninger on 21 February 1940. The plane landed almost
undamaged and was later salvaged by the Finns.
http://surfcity.kund.dalnet.se/images/tehler_2.jpg
One of the SBs shot down by Tehler
http://www.sci.fi/%7Efta/f19-010.jpg
The TB-3 shot down by Gideon Karlsson on 10 March 1940. This was the last Swedish victory before the
cease-fire on 13 March 1940.
http://www.sci.fi/%7Efta/f19-011.jpg
Hildinger's crashed Gladiator 10 March 1940. Yellow "D" on the rudder.