Sarvanto ciel de gloire - histoire des as de l\'aviation de 1914 à nos jours
SARVANTO Jorma Kalevi


 


 

 




Né le 22 août 1912 à Turku
Décédé - en 1963 (41 ans)

Capitaine (Kapteeni) - Chef d'Escadrille

16 victoires aériennes individuelles
2 victoires aériennes en collaboration

251 missions de combat 






- Croix de la Liberté 2eme Classe
- Croix de la Liberté 3eme Classe
- Winter War
- Continuation War



Jorma Kalevi Sarvanto est né à Turku, le 22 février 1912, à l'époque où la Finlande était un Grand Duché autonome de l'Empire Russe. Son père, Kaarle Konstantin Sarvanto, un patriote, était tailleur. Jorma était intéressé par l'aviation et l'histoire glorieuse des As de la première guerre mondiale. Il lu tout ce qu'il pouvait trouver au sujet de Richtofen, Guynemer et les autres. Volontaire dans la garde civile, son patriotisme s'en trouve renforcé, le préparant à sa future carrière militaire. En 1933, il débute sa formation militaire dans un régiment d'infanterie. Souhaitant entrer dans l'Armée de l'Air, il passe avec succès les examens d'aptitude avant d'être admis à l'école des Officiers de Réserve de Kauhava. Il finit sa formation en 1934 et devient officier de réserve. Jorma retourne alors à la vie civile, en pleine période de dépression économique. Jorma décide alors de s'inscrire à l'école des Officiers d'Active et il débute son entraînement à l'automne 1934. Saravnto termine sa formation de pilote et de navigateur en mai 1937.

Sarvanto est tout d'abord envoyé à la Base Aérienne numéro 1 à Utti, une base où sont installés de vieux chasseurs Bristol Bulldog. En 1938, les premiers Blenheim Mk I arrivent et Sarvanto sert alors comme navigateur. Saravnto veut cependant occuper des fonctions de pilote mais celles-ci sont toutes occupées par des Officiers plus anciens. Sarvanto est promu Lieutenant le 16 mai 1939 et transferé à la LeLv 24 selon ses désirs. L'unité est équipée de Fokker D XXI depuis 1937. Les appareils sont fabriqués sous licence en Finlande. Ils sont propulsés par des moteurs construits aussi sous licence et équipés de 4 mitrailleuses de 7,7 mm. Sarvanto devient un très bon pilote de Fokker et surtout un excellent tireur avec des taux de réussite de ses tirs de 92 %. En tant que personne, Sarvanto est décrit comme un camarade serviable, songeur et calme. Sarvanto dénotait par rapport aux autres pilotes plus extrovertis. Son goût pour la musique lui valut le surnom de "Zamba". Sarvanto apprend, comme ses camarades, à faire avec les caractéristiques du D XXI, déjà obsolète avec son train fixe et son armement insuffisant. L'avion est trop lent pour intercepter les bombardiers et trop peu agile pour affronter les chasseurs. Toutefois, le D XXI présente une bonne stabilité pendant le tir et peut se lancer dans des piqués de 20 à 60° pour échapper à ses adversaires. Il peut aussi manoeuvrer en piqué, ce qui lui permet de sortir de celui-ci dans une position contraire à ce que l'adversaire est en droit de s'attendre. En revanche, le D XXI est d'une maintenance aisée, ce qui dans la perspective d'une dispersion des forces disponibles sur des lacs gelés ou dans des zones isolés reste un grand avantage.

Le chef d'Escadron, le Capitaine Magnusson est un vétéran de la Guerre d'Espagne, utilisant son expérience de la guerre aérienne moderne pour entraîner ses hommes. A cette époque, tous les officiers savent qu'ils seront submergés par le nombre en cas d'agression étrangère. Malgré cet état de fait, les pilotes sont tous prêt à défendre leur pays contre tout agresseur potentiel. Le Lt Sarvanto dispose alors d'un peu de temps pour se ménager une vie privée et c'est en Août 1939 qu'il épouse mademoiselle Eine Artemo en la cathédrale de Turku. Leur lune de miel allait cependant être rapidement interrompue par le déclenchement de la seconde guerre mondiale.

La guerre d'hivers débute le 30 novembre 1939. Selon les instructions de Staline, un faux accrochage entre forces Russes et Finlandaises est fabriqué de toute pièce pour justicier l'attaque de la Finlande par les forces Russes. A cette époque la Force Aérienne Finlandaise ne compte que 115 appareils en service dont seulement 36 chasseurs D XXI de la LeLv 24. La supériorité numérique des Soviétique est énorme avec un rapport de 1 pour 20. La tâche de la LeLv 24 est d'intercepter les bombardiers ennemis et de prévenir les attaquent contre les sites stratégiques. La première victoire est officiellement remportée le 1 décembre 1939. Ce jour Sarvanto ne vole pas mais les pilotes Finlandais revendiquent 11 victoires pour la perte d'un appareil et de son pilote. Le mauvais temps empêche toute activité aérienne pour les 3 semaines à venir. Sarvanto reçoit son baptême du feu le 19 décembre. Après deux missions infructueuses, il intercepte 2 bombardiers SB 2 et parvient à en abattre 1. Tirant d'une bonne distance, il voit ses traçeuses pénétrer dans l'avion ennemi qui prend rapidement feu avant de s'écraser. Désormais, il sait parfaitement en quoi consiste la guerre aérienne.

Sarvanto remporte son premier doublé le 23 décembre. Au cours de la matinée, arrivé au terme d'une mission infructueuse, il apprend la présence de 9 SB2 dans son secteur, au Sud d'Antrea. Il est alors seul et n'a plus beaucoup de carburant mais il se lance à la recherche des bombardiers qu'il trouve rapidement. Il s'attaque à l'appareil de gauche qui lâche ses bombes pour tenter d'échapper à son assaillant. Se faisant tirer dessus par un mitrailleur défensif, Sarvanto effectue un looping qui l'ammène au-dessus du bombardier. Il place alors le bombardier dans son viseur et touche les deux moteurs, provoquant la chute de l'appareil Soviétique. Déjà Sarvanto se lance à la poursuite des 8 autres bombardiers et malgré sa vitesse insuffisante il parvient à rattraper l'un d'entre-eux sur lequel il tire, perforant le réservoir d'huile, obligeant ainsi le bombardier à effectuer un atterrissage forcé peu après. N'ayant quasiment plus de carburant, Sarvanto rentre à sa base... avec deux victoires à son actif.

 

 

 

 

 

In the morning of the 25th the pilot saw several contrails at 6000m approaching from the south. The flight scrambled. Sarvanto climbed towards the enemy, but as he was just 500 m behind, the engine of his Fokker failed! He turned to glide to the base, seeing how his brothers-in-arms shot down three SB-2s. Suddenly he saw 6 SB-2s below: having enough altitude, he turned his gliding fighter towards the enemy for a feint attack. The enemy bombers released their loads and fled. At landing Sarvanto tried to restart the engine but the cockpit was filled with black smoke. Despite that, he brought the plane home in one piece. It turned out that one piston of the Mercury engine had been split due to overstress.

The Fokker squadron had been very successful in their actions. The 100th victory was celebrated on the 31st of December 1939 (Remark: actually the score was lower, the squadron had scored 96 confirmed kills during the whole of the Winter War. But due to the pilots' desperate task to fight tremendous superiority, this was a good chance to boost morale.) Usually the squadron leader, now promoted to Major, had ordered silence and lights off in his pilots' "dormitory" at 20:15, but now he summoned the men of the flight he personally led at 23:00 and made a speech, then offered the men some brandy before sending them to bed at midnight.

Next week Lt. Sarvanto had his greatest glory day - for details please check in the story: Jorma Sarvanto and six kills in five minutes.

Having suffered considerable bomber losses (at least 50 by 7 January 1940) to Fokkers the Soviet Air Force no more sent out unescorted bombers. Now the Fokker pilots had to attack from a higher altitude, dive past the escort fighters, take a quick shot at the bombers and disengage by diving on if only possible. By February new fighters ( 30 Gladiators, 30 Morane-Saulniers, some 30 Fiat G50) started becoming operational, but to no relief for the Fokker pilots, who were logging up to 6 flying hours a day. At the same time virtually half of the Soviet air force was concentrated on the Finnish front, providing a 30 to one superiority ratio.

Lt. Sarvanto fought on. On the 17th of January he was playing "lone wolf" as René Fonck had done in WW1. He received a message about the bombing of Lappeenranta, so he took altitude and waited for the returning bombers. Soon he saw 9 SB-2s (of 54. SBAP) 2500 m below flying south. He dived at them and easily caught a straggler, shooting it in flames. As he attacked the wing SB, again the other bombers slowed down to allow their gunners to fire at the fighter. He had to leave one smoking SB as they crossed the front line and I-16 fighters appeared at horizon.

On the evening of the 3rd of February 1940 the air surveillance reported 30 unescorted bombers. The Fokkers at Ruokolahti base scrambled. The pilots saw three 9-plane squadrons of DB-3 bombers, which all turned South having detected the Fokkers. Sarvanto shot down one and damaged another. The Fokkers' machine guns malfunctioned due to extremely cold weather, although the armourers had removed all oil and grease from the Brownings and lubricated their gliding surfaces with graphite. Only two enemy bombers were shot down.

On the 15th of February Lieutenant Sarvanto had to climb to 7000 m to find unescorted bombers. He intercepted three DB-3s of 1.MTAP, shooting down one, the other two escaped, being faster than the Fokker at high altitude. He intercepted and damaged 3 bombers on the 16th and two more on the 17th. By now the squadron was desperately short of tracer, armour piercing and incendiary ammunition. The pilots had to use mostly plain solid bullets, nearly inefficient against well-armoured Soviet aircraft.

On 18th of February 1940 five Fokkers intercepted 12 unescorted bombers. Sarvanto attacked 3 DB-3s that were flying behind 9 SB-2s, which the other fighters engaged. First he eliminated the rear gunners of two bombers - the third bomber dived and escaped. Sarvanto worked methodically, having nothing to fear. He fired at the left engine of the nearest DB, making it stop, then he aimed at the right engine, the Fokker riding on the slipstream of the victim. One brief salvo transformed the DB into glider. The remaining DB was more active, it "squirmed" to avoid being hit. Sarvanto hung after the bomber and fired every time he had the target in his sights. But his machine guns were jamming, he could make only one or two shots at a time. The DB escaped. At the base Sarvanto scolded the armourer who had loaded his ammo belts.

On the next day Sarvanto was flying in a section (4 fighters) that intercepted 6 slow ski-equipped SB-2s that did not have fighter escort. Sarvanto attacked the wing bomber and made its engines smoke, but two other "Katiushka's" slowed down to enable the gunners to shoot at his FR, one from each side. He managed to get the other SB rear gunner in his sights and kill him, but now he was flying wing to wing with the other SB whose gunner kept getting hits in his FR. Sarvanto throttled back his engine and desperately tried to turn his guns at the enemy. The Fokker nearly stalled, but he saw the SB turret in his sighting scope and pushed the trigger just as oil splashed on his windscreen. The last thing he saw before the scope went black was how the SB gunner collapsed behind his weapon. The fighter pilot disengaged, fearing engine damage. His wingman, Sgt. Kinnunen finished off the damaged SB. The score to Sarvanto was one shared SB, two damaged.

On the 21st of February 1940 he shared one DB-3 with two other pilots, an incident he did not consider worth describing. That was to be his final, totaling 12 5/6 confirmed victories in Winter War. Once in February he bounced I-16 fighters strafing his base but his bullets did not have any effect on them. Twice he escaped an I-16 attack. He did not describe these incidents in his book published in 1941 in order not to disclose any secrets of tactics, and later when interviewed he did not return to the matter.

On the 29th of February 1940 he witnessed on the ground the black day of the FAF: 6 I-153s and 18 I-16s bounced the Ruokolahti base and shot down 5 Gladiators of Squadron 26. One FR piloted by Lt. Harmaja rammed with one "Ishak", the only destroyed enemy. The fighter pilots were told that bombers were approaching. Only they were not bombers, but fighters with auxiliary tanks. Some fool for an observer had believed that the fuel tanks under fighter bellies made them bombers!

During the final days of the war from the 4th to the 11th of March 1940 Sqn 24 was assigned to ground strafing attacks at the columns of the Red Army advancing on the ice of the Gulf of Finland at Viipuri. Among the other pilots Lt. Sarvanto fired more than ten thousand MG rounds in two weeks at the enemy infantry on open ice. The enemy positioned AA weapons on the ice and set up fighter bases in immediate vicinity. Once Sarvanto was bounced by three I-153s, but was saved by the poor enemy tactics. The enemy fighter wingmen were not allowed individual flying, they were trained to follow the leader and to fire their guns when the leader did, whether or not having any target in their sights.

The war ended on the 13th of March 1940. Finland had retained her freedom at the cost of 23.000 men killed in action and loss of 13% of the territory. 25 of the D.XXI's were airworthy on that day. FAF pilots had shot down 207 enemy planes and lost 68 of their own aircraft to enemy fighters and anti-aircraft fire. 54 pilots and airmen were killed in action, 75 wounded. The Finnish pilots had succeeded sometimes in preventing enemy air raids, and often disturbing and limiting enemy operations.

The most painful experience of the war to Lt. Sarvanto was the loss of a friend, Lt. Vuorela on the 30th of January 1940. In the afternoon of that day heavy air activity was interrupted due to rising fog. Pilot Vuorela was to transfer FR-78 from Ruokolahti base to Lappeenranta for overhaul and he took off without permission, believing to be able to arrive before the weather would get too bad. When Sarvanto called the base to warn about fog in Lappeenranta, it was too late. Vuorela did not respond to radio calls, either. At night a crashed Fokker with dead pilot in it was found in a forest. A fighter pilot had to fight not only the enemy but the elements, too.

Squadron 24 was re-equipped in April with American Brewster fighters, purchased in January but failing to arrive in time.

At the request of a publisher Lt. Sarvanto wrote a book about his war experiences, titled "Hävittäjälentäjanä Karjalan taivaalla" (in English "A Fighter Pilot above Karelia"), which was reprinted a few years ago on the 50th anniversary of the Winter War. The book is very interesting although processed by censorship cutting details and containing some patriotic tendency.

Finland was again drawn in the war as the German Army invaded Soviet Union in June 1941. Lt. Sarvanto was a Flight Commander in Squadron 24. He shot down one SB-2 on the 25th June and one Pe-2 on the 29th June 1941. Lieutenant Sarvanto was promoted to the rank of Captain on the 4th of August 1941, and transferred to the Air Force Headquarters on the 19th of October 1941. Then he served as test pilot in from 8 May to 17 July 1942. He was ordered that day to Germany for special tasks, and he returned to his old squadron on the 16th of January 1943. He had not lost his touch and scored two more victories, 21 April 1943 one Yak-1 and 9 May 1943 one Yak-7. His total score is 16 5/6 confirmed victories.

On the 9th of July 1943 he started his studies at the Military Academy, making it possible to advance to higher grades. Having completed the academy he served as the commander of Replacement Squadron 35 from the 22nd of June to the end of the war.

Jorma Sarvanto retired from the FAF service as Lieutenant Colonel on 8th of June 1960.

Sarvanto was a modest man and he did not allow his Ace reputation influence his private life, which ended on the 16th of October 1963. He had one son and three daughters. His hobbies were shooting with rifle and pistol, swimming, music and the English language.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

FR-97:


Lt Jorma Sarvanto's FR-97: First aircraft of the series III. Test flight on the 16th of March 1939. Transferred to Squadron 24 on the 24th of July 1939. Propeller damaged when reserve ensign E. Savonen hit the target plate during air-to-air gunnery practice over Käkisalmi. On the 30th of November 1939 was in the 4th flight of Squadron 24, pilot Lt. Jorma Sarvanto. On the 6th of January 1940 received hits during air combat, Lt. Sarvanto landed the aircraft at Utti and he wasn't wounded. Plane was sent for repairs, back in the squadron on the 20th of June 1940. Was in the inventory of Squadron 32 since the 19th of April 1940. On the 7th of November 1940 ran over FR-91 that was landing in front of FR-97 at Siikakangas, E. Parviainen wasn't hurt.

Transferred to the Valmet aircraft factory on the 14th of February 194. Transferred to the 2nd flight of Squadron 32 on the 29th of June 1941 and to the first flight of Squadron 14 on the 14th of July 1941. On a recce flight on the 25th of July 1941 to the Nuijamaa area was hit while strafing road traffic, ensign O. Häkli was lost when the aircraft crashed into woods. Written off on the 10th of August 1941 after 250 flight hours. Lt. Jorma Sarvanto achieved eight victories with the aircraft.

 

The Winter War was being fought and it was the 6th of January 1940 at Utti air base. At dawn (about 8:30) the weather was fairly favourable for enemy bombers. The cloud cover at 300 to 400 m was ragged, providing enough visibility for orientation, and then haze up to 4000 m.

Four Squadron 24 Fokker D.XXI fighters with ski undercarriage were located at the base. At 9:30 the air surveillance reported enemy planes. The Fokkers were sent to intercept, but due to poor visibility the enemies could be encountered by chance only.

Lieutenant Per-Erik "Pelle" ("Clown") Sovelius was returning from an unsuccessful search at Lappeenranta to the base as he heard in his headphones: - 'Enemy planes north of Hamina at 3000m!'. He intercepted eight DB-3 bombers, which were flying in a line abreast formation, and shot down one, spending all his ammunition on it. The remaining bombers continued northwards, and bombed Kuopio (situated deep inland). The Fokker pilots at Utti kept their flying gear on and waited for the returning bombers. Lt. Sarvanto ordered his ground crew to warm up his Fokker D.XXI, coded "FR-97", "white 2", which was painted forest green on top surfaces and sky blue below.

Message was received at 11:50 - '7 bombers flying south following the northern railway!'. The pilots from 4./Sqn 24 (Lentolaivue - Fighter Squadron) climbed in their fighters, warmed up the engines and turned their radios on. Lieutenant Jorma Sarvanto listened to the radio traffic, soon he and his wingman (constituting one patrol) were ordered to take off. After take off the wingman found that he had an engine problem (snow had clogged the engine air intake during take off) and he had to return. Lt. Sarvanto continued alone at the optimum rate of climb, direction North to meet the enemy.

The second patrol took off after noticing that Lieutenant Sarvanto had to go alone, but Sarvanto had a good head start. Now the clouds had disappeared from the sky at Utti, and Sarvanto discovered the handsome formation of DB bomber bellies lit by dim sun shining through the haze. He counted seven silver coloured DB-3 bombers. To the left - a wedge of three, to the right - four abreast, all no farther than one plane length from each other. There was no fighter escort.

Sarvanto continued climbing, turning right to south. For a moment he was within the range and sector of the bomber nose gunners, but remained unnoticed due to sun glare. When he was at the same altitude of 3000 m with the bombers, he was about 500m behind them. Sarvanto pursued the enemy at full power. He decided to attack the leftmost wing bomber, although the third from left was closest to him, to avoid getting into cross-fire from the rear gunners. At a distance of 300 m his plane vibrated unpleasantly - he had flown in a bomber gunner MG salvo.

The fighter pilot kept on approaching the bombers. At a distance of 20 (twenty) meters he aimed at the fuselage of his victim, the left wing bomber, and pressed the trigger briefly. The tracers hit the target. Next, he shifted his aim at the rear gunner of the tail bomber, and shot him. Lt. Sarvanto then carefully aimed at the right engine of the first bomber and fired a brief burst. The bomber's engine caught fire. He repeated the same maneuver at the tail bomber with similar result. Two burning DB-3 bombers were leaving the formation.

Jorma Sarvanto cheered aloud and attacked the right wing of the formation while the bomber rear gunners blazed at his Fokker. He fired at each engine of the nearest bomber, making them smoke and forcing the bomber to leave the formation. Then he engaged the other bombers at a very close range. Each victim caught fire after two to three brief bursts of MG fire. Sarvanto glanced back - the smoking bomber was now in flames and diving to the ground.

Now Sarvanto decided to destroy every aircraft of the DB-3 formation. Some burning bombers made a slow half-roll before diving down, another pulled up before diving down. All the time they were flying south, the sun shone red through the haze low in southern horizon unless dimmed by smoke from a burning enemy plane.

Bomber no.6 was much more resistant to his bullets. The Fokker wing guns were out of ammo by now, but finally the DB-3 caught fire, and Finnish pilot could engage the last bomber. He had already eliminated the rear gunner, so he could fly close to the target. He aimed at one engine and pressed the trigger. Not a single shot. Sarvanto pulled the loading lever and retried shooting, but again in vain. He had spent his ammunition. There was nothing to do but leave the bomber alone and return to the base.

Columns of black smoke hung in the air and burning bomber wrecks could be seen on the ground. Sarvanto checked his instruments, there was no damage to vital parts, but his radio was dead and the Fokker's wings resembled Swiss cheese. When preparing for landing he found that the hydraulic pump for the landing flaps did not work, but he landed successfully despite that.

Lt. Sarvanto felt very satisfied as he parked his Fokker, but he did not quite get out of the cockpit before his cheering ground crew grabbed him and threw him in the air. The flight lasted 25 minutes and the actual battle around four minutes, during which he shot down 6 DB-3 bombers belonging to the 6th DBAP of the Soviet Air Force. Two Soviet airmen bailed out and were taken prisoners, but the sources do not mention their names. The mechanics counted 23 hits from the bomber rear gunners in FR-97, some of them near the cockpit, necessitating several weeks' repairs at the State Aircraft Factory. The patrol that took off afterwards pursued the surviving bomber and finally Lt. Sovelius shot it down in the Gulf of Finland East of Suursaari. The same day the commander of 3./Sqn 24, Lieutenant Eino Antero Luukkanen, scored another single SB-2 bomber.

This feat received tremendous publicity in the word press, who considered it a world record at the time. Most major Western newspapers published a photo of Lt. Sarvanto holding a large greased sheet of aluminium with a big "5" on it, a trophy from one of the victims.

The reasons for this unusual success were: accurate shooting at a close range; the bombers were passive and lacked fighter escort; and the armourers had disregarded the regulations and had loaded the Fokker's MG belts with a larger proportion of scarce and expensive incendiary and armour piercing ammunition (Lt. Sovelius had spent all his ammo on just one bomber of the same formation in the morning).

Lt. Jorma Sarvanto holding a piece from one of the six DB-3 bombers he shot down in less than five minutes on the 6th of January 1940.

Jorma Kalevi Sarvanto was the top Finnish ace of the Winter War, credited with 12 5/6 victories. During the Continuation War he downed four Soviet planes more, flew the Brewster B-239 ("2" on BW-357 and "2" on BW-373 callsign), then his total rose to 16 5/6 kills in 251 war missions.

v



 

Grade
Date
Décorations
Date
Unités
Années Fonction Secteur
Lieutenant 16/05/39
VR 2  
4./LeLv 24
2./LeLv 24
29/04/39   Winter War
Capitaine 04/08/41
VR 3  
Ilmav Esik (HQ) 19/10/41   Continuation War
     
VR 4  
KoeL 08/05/42   Continuation War
           
Allemagne 17/07/42   Continuation War
         
1./LeLv 24 16/01/43 Chef d'Escad Continuation War
              MaaSK 09/07/43 Chef d'Escad Continuation War
              T-LLv 35 22/06/44 Chef d'Escad Continuation War

 

VICTOIRES
Date Heure Type Unité Statut Pilote Type Numéro Unité Lieu
19/12/39 . SB 2 . Détruit* . D XXI FR 97 4./LeLv 24 Kannas
23/12/39 . SB 2 . Détruit . D XXI FR 97 4./LeLv 24 Kannas
23/12/39 . SB 2 . Détruit . D XXI FR 97 4./LeLv 24 Kannas
06/01/40 . DB 3 . Détruit . D XXI FR 97 4./LeLv 24 Kannas
06/01/40 . DB 3 . Détruit . D XXI FR 97 4./LeLv 24 Kannas
06/01/40 . DB 3 . Détruit . D XXI FR 97 4./LeLv 24 Kannas
06/01/40 . DB 3 . Détruit . D XXI FR 97 4./LeLv 24 Kannas
06/01/40 . DB 3 . Détruit . D XXI FR 97 4./LeLv 24 Kannas
06/01/40 . DB 3 . Détruit . D XXI FR 97 4./LeLv 24 Kannas
17/01/40 . SB 2 . Détruit . D XXI FR 99 4./LeLv 24 Kannas
03/02/40 . DB 3 . Détruit . D XXI FR 80 4./LeLv 24 Kannas
15/02/40 . DB 3 . Détruit . D XXI FR 80 4./LeLv 24 Kannas
18/02/40 . DB 3 . Détruit . D XXI FR 100 4./LeLv 24 Kannas
19/02/40 . SB 2 . Détruit . D XXI FR 100 4./LeLv 24 Kannas
21/02/40 . DB 3 . Détruit . D XXI FR 100 4./LeLv 24 Kannas
25/06/41 . SB 2Bis . Détruit . Buffalo BW 357 2./LeLv 24 Etelä-Suomi
29/06/41 . Pe 2 . Détruit . Buffalo BW 357 2./LeLv 24 Etelä-Suomi
21/04/43 . Yak 1 . Détruit . Buffalo BW 373 1./LeLv 24 Suomenlahti
09/05/43 . Yak 7 . Détruit . Buffalo BW 373 1./LeLv 24 Suomenlahti
!                  
* : Ne figure pas dans la liste des vitoires officielles !
!                  



 


Suomen ilmavoimien historia 11: Hävittäjä-ässät (Finnish fighter aces); Keskinen, Stenman, Niska