The destroyed convoy of broken and abandoned vehicles of the Soviet 44th Infantry Division of the Red Army on the Raate-Suomussalmi road, which is considered by the Finnish military.
In the destroyed convoy foreground are two T-26 light tanks – the commander of the 312nd separate tank battalion, Captain Tumachk and assistant battalion chief of staff, Lieutenant Pechurov. Behind them are three T-37 tanks. In the background, in the T-26 ditch, the light tank of the Chief of Staff of the battalion Kvashin. The tanks fought a defensive battle for six hours and completely consumed the ammunition, after which the tankers left the tanks and fled through the forest.
On December 20, 1939, the advanced units of the 44th division, reinforced by the 312nd separate tank battalion, entered the Raata road and began to move in the direction of Suomussalmi to the rescue of the surrounded 163rd rifle division. On a 3.5-meter-wide road, the column was stretched for 20 km, on January 7, 1940 the division’s advance was stopped, its main forces were surrounded. For the defeat of the division, its commander Vinogradov and the chief of staff Volkov were brought to the tribunal and shot in front of their soldiers.
Source of the Destroyed convoy photo information:
- Journal of hostilities 312-th rep. 44 sd (RGVA. F. 34980. Op. 5. D. 604. L. 18)
Location: Finland
Date: January 17, 1940