August 8th, 2016, 07:24 AM
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Sergeant
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Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Espoo, Finland
Posts: 359
Thanks: 56
Thanked 136 Times in 104 Posts
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Re: Finland OOB 10.1
Quote:
Originally Posted by MarkSheppard
NEW UNIT(S) -- Immobilized Tanks as Pillboxes
While looking at information on the web on Finnish StuG 40s, while trying to find photos of them on parade in the 1950s and 1960s, I found some info (mostly the same thing repeated over on multiple sites) that after the StuGs were withdrawn for scrapping/disposal in December 1966 a few StuGs found themselves dug in as motionless pillboxes at a few strategic airfields in Finland to protect against surprise attacks.
At first, I thought it was  because my BS alarms were going off; but I found a page on Finnish StuGs that specifically listed an exact hull # and the location where it was dug in.
LINK
Quote:
Sturmgeschütz 40 G # Ps. 531-27
Chassis number: 95476, MIAG ~ July 1943
After it's regular service ended in 1966 this StuG was dug in as a pillbox around Hamina and served on until the 1980's. After that the StuG has been on the Hätilä shooting range in Hämeenlinna. The hull is still quite intact.
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http://yhdistykset-akaa.fi/reservila...sa_sodassa.pdf
Quote:
Samaan PsPr:n kalustosta taistelukelpoiseksi arvioitiin vain Sturm-rynnäkkötykit, joita käytettiin
1960-luvulle saakka. Sen jälkeen osa kalustosta sijoitettiin kiinteiksi asepesäkkeiksi
kriittisiin kohteisiin mm. Upinniemeen. Näiden vaunujen aseilla ammuttiin koeammuntoja
viimeisen kerran tiettävästi vuonna 1979.
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(Text seems to have a typo or missing word, translating as I understood it should read. Samaan = "to the (very) same" which makes no sense at all, maybe "samaan aikaan" ~ "at that time")
Quote:
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At that time the only equipment in Armoured Brigade (PsPr) thought to be usable in combat was Stug III assault guns (Sturm-rynnäkkötykit), which were used until 1960's. After that part of the equipment was placed as pill boxes to protect critical locations, such as in Upinniemi. The weapons of these vehicles were known to be fired last in year 1979.
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