Nonfiction book
Mikko Porvali: Behind Syvär. Long-range patrol department of headquarters Vehniäinen 1941–43. Athena. 634 pp.
“Anyone has not yet flown within four hundred kilometers of the enemy rear. I guess all will end well. A great life or death adventure begins. How it ends, we don’t know.”
This is how a Finnish long-distance scout novel could begin, which were printed by the hundreds of thousands in the decades after the wars.
However, the quote is a genuine diary entry written by an Estonian long-distance scout Hugo Tarto in the fall of 1942.
Tartu’s entry has been quoted in the latest Mikko Porvalin in the book Behind Syvär. The author of the text, Tarto, had just been flown far from the enemy’s rear, behind Ääninen, as part of the Rägastik, a long-range patrol made up entirely of Estonians.
Patrol Rägastik carried out by far the longest long-distance patrol trip of the Continuation War, lasting more than two months. The patrol’s mission is still shrouded in mystery, as none of the soldiers who took part in it survived.
Behind Syvär is the second part of Porval, who studied the history of Finnish intelligence, in a chronologically advancing book series, which tells about the phases of Vehniäinen, the long-range patrol department of Päämaja. First part Towards the east was also published by Atena in 2021.
The first book covered the period ending at the end of September 1941. Now published Behind Syvär continuing from there until the spring of 1943.
Section Vehniäinen was one of the four long-range patrol sections of the Headquarters during the war. Its domain was initially Karjalankannas and later also the area beyond the Syväri river that descends from Äänise to Laatokka.
The department in Vehnäinen has preserved more archival material than other remote patrol departments.
The department’s reputation has been increased by the fact that two well-known authors of post-war semi-fictional long-range scout literature served there, i.e. Urpo Lempiäinen and Mauri Kärpänen. The former is known under the author name Esa Anttala and the latter after the name change Mauri Ahtosalona.
Mikko Porval’s interest in the subject must have been increased by the fact that his grandfather Antti Porvali and grandfather’s brother Eino were both regular guerrillas of the department Vehniäinen.
Patrol at Jubinitsijärvi in the middle of summer 1942. In the front row, Eino Porvali (left), Aleksander Sederholm, Reino Sappinen and Kauko Pusa. In the back row, Eino Lempinen, Unto Perkko, Paavo Auvinen and Arvo Ruuth. – Book illustration.
Porvali has been able to use the unique archival material to its full potential.
Behind Syvär is a rökäle, which, in addition to the actual bread text, consists of accompanying war and intelligence diary extracts.
The routes of remote patrols have been put on maps and there is a lot of image material. In addition, the appendices contain reports from the patrols about their observations.
In the book, two overlapping narratives run side by side. They make reading demanding.
In the actual bread text, an overview of the Second World War, the Continuation War and a section on the events of Vehniäinen are created. The bread text is easy to read and is appropriately peppered with anecdotes.
Next to the main text in the margin are the texts of the original intelligence and war diaries.
The solution is logical, but jumping between texts is not always pleasant. Adding to the work is that the main text is accompanied by appendices placed at the end of the book.
However, for an avid military history enthusiast, the numerous details and the originality of the texts make up for the effort.
In July 1942, the Vehniäinen patrol shot a moose in the enemy’s rear. Arvo Pikkanen and Onni Huuhka carry meat to the camp. – Book illustration.
Porvalin the point of view chosen is not the adventures of individual patrols, but the point of view of department Vehniänen, although remote patrolling goes along with everything.
Porvali takes a distance and examines remote patrolling through the intelligence questions given by Headquarters. The task of remote patrols was to act as the eyes and ears of the Headquarters’ strategic planning. The point of view is welcome and works well.
Intelligence is a whole made up of many pieces. Porvali highlights the role of office officers, who are important in remote patrol operations.
He reminds that the part of planning, management, task management and reporting was just as important as the actual patrol performance.
Porvali also tells about another task that has received less attention in remote patrol literature, i.e. interrogation of prisoners. The information obtained from prisoners of war and suspected spies was a key part of the intelligence’s information acquisition.
Remote patrolman Arvo Pikkanen listened to the enemy’s telephone line in the summer of 1942. The listening revealed that one of the enemy’s divisions had been without its bread rations for two days. – Book illustration.
Book is an interesting peek into the everyday life of the remote patrol department, its sorrows and joys. The department was a tight-knit community that employed a lot of people in addition to patrolmen and office officers.
The long-distance scouts weren’t any boy scouts. The heavy pressures found their way out. After the alcohol-fueled celebrations, punishments were then handed out and talks were held.
The book explains how, for example of the legendary distance scout Eugen Wist “the behavior became uncontrollable”.
In the end, after the Midsummer party, one of the unit’s Lotta was subjected to “gross harassment” by Wist, and Wist had to be transferred out of the unit. Later, however, he was allowed to return to the ward.
The war the long-range scouting literature after Only later did less flattering information become public.
Perhaps the least publicized issue has been the fate of Russian prisoners taken by Finnish remote patrols.
In the semi-fictional remote scout literature, the matter is kept silent. Imprisoned Russians often just mysteriously disappear from the story somewhere.
Porvali tells about a case where a remote patrol takes two prisoners near a Russian supply road in January 1942. The men were interrogated, after which they were ordered to leave the place.
In reality, the captives were hunted down and most likely killed with an axe. What was exceptional about the case was that two photographs of the situation have been preserved.
Porvali also quotes the supervisor of remote patrol individuals Jussi Sovion from a memory from the 1970s:
“Prisoners of war kidnapped by guerillas naturally often had a hard fate. There was neither time nor opportunity to escort them back with a patrol, and no money to tell about their captors. Of course there were exceptions. Needless killing was not practiced. If the circumstances allowed it, the prisoner could also save his life.”
The picture published in the book shows two imprisoned Russians in a snowstorm. – Book illustration.
Another of the Russians captured by the Finns was killed. Porvali estimates that the Russian was killed with an ax visible on the patrolman’s belt. In previous remote scouting literature, the Russian in this picture has allegedly fallen in a combat situation. – Book illustration.
Department of Vehniäinen there are still mysteries associated with the stages. The Estonian remote patrol mentioned at the beginning and the real motive for sending it is perhaps the most tragic.
Porvali presents his own views on a few enigmatic events. The reader can then wonder if he is on the right track or if the author’s imagination has run wild.
Mikko Porvali knows his subject. His Vehniäis series is becoming a milestone in Finnish intelligence history.
A patrol returning to its lines in the spring and winter of 1942. Uuno Suokas (left), Viljo Suikkanen, Arvo Ranki and Antti Porvali. – Book illustration.
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