An excellent article in Key Aero that describes the role played by the Hawker Hurricane detachment that was attached to Llv32 in June to August 1941:
In readiness for war, LLv 30’s 1st Flight deployed to Hollola on June 23. On the 25th, Hurricane HC-453 was lost in a take-off accident. Five days later, the 1st Flight was on the move again, this time to Utti, where it was assigned to LLv 32 as Detachment Kalaja. With five Hurricanes, its task was to defend southeast Finland. On the next day, ‘friendly’ flak shot down HC-459.
Piloting HC-452 on July 3, 2nd Lt Esko Ruotsila and his No.2 were patrolling the Karelian Isthmus. Near Enso, they engaged three Polikarpov ‘Chaikas’ (I-15s or I-153s) and in the ensuing combat shot two of them down. The following day Captain Kalaja, in HC-458, destroyed an Ilyushin DB-3 bomber that had been flying in a three-ship formation near Kotka.
On the 15th, Esko Ruotsila was back in the thick of it with HC-452: “Air surveillance reported five fighters at Simola. We met a three-plane patrol coming from the east, at 1,000m altitude. We attacked with the sun behind our backs. After the pass we separated a little from each other and engaged enemy planes on every side of us.
“Finally I saw one evading in the direction of Merijoki. I chased it until my engine started to act up. I turned back towards home. Then I saw Sgt Aikala chasing one enemy aircraft in Vilajoki direction. I turned towards them, and then the enemy took an evasive action. Sgt Aikala’s engine was also acting up. Both engines had the supercharger loose. The oil was leaking to almost dry. Simola observation post confirmed two aircraft had crashed.” Aikala’s Hurricane in that combat was HC-454. Lack of spares kept it grounded for weeks.
... definitely a couple of scenarios with some potential!
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