Signals during the Lapland War

The signal activity during the Lapland War was affected by the long distances involved, sparse roads, winter conditions and, in particular, the scorched earth policy exercised by the Germans. In addition to other disposal works, the Germans also destroyed the telephone pole lines. Due to the demanding conditions, the Finnish 3rd Army Corps deployed in the Lapland War was attached by signal elements and were twice the number of the assigned strength. At its maximum, there were approximately 10 signal battalions deployed in the Lapland War in autumn 1944. In the spring of 1945, during the final months of the war, just one signal battalion remained available for the purposes of communication. Its personnel comprised mainly of young conscripts.

Repairing of the long roadside lines which had been destroyed required a lot of manpower and material. As the trees in Lapland were inappropriate material for telephone poles, new poles were brought in from as far as Central Finland. Leadership activities of the war were focused throughout on the region of the town of Oulu on the western coast of northern Finland, and this is the reason that the connection distances often stretched for hundreds of kilometers. Field cable lines could only be used for short temporary connections. When the troops advanced north near the Swedish border, to some extent, they were able to take advantage of the fixed signal network on the Swedish side of the border. 

The role of the radio was invaluable in the northern conditions. Due to the long distances of connection, the C-radios of the infantry battalions were normally replaced by B-radios, through which long enough radio connections could be made. However, climatic disturbances from time to time complicated HF-radio connections. Heavy signal material had to be carried in terrain following the attacking infantry. In addition to men, horses and reindeers were used for carrying the material. The speed of advancement of the troops on the flanking movement through the wildernesses, differed from those stipulated in the text books and field manuals. The signal troops of the different echelons of leadership usually ensured that they maintained their signal networks so tightly that, according to customary principles, they were unable to support the activities of lower echelons of leadership.