Soviet Amphibious Assault to Tuulos

The Tuulos amphibious assault on April 23 cut off the most important supply and retreat route for the Aunus forces and created a threat to the rear of the PSS line. The amphibious assault threatened to trap the Finnish forces in Aunus and open a path for Soviet troops to the rear of the Karelian Isthmus.

The Red Army's 70th Naval Infantry Brigade began its attack in the early hours of June 23. The Hatsina coastal battery, which protected the Tuulos area, was on standby, but it ultimately did not even get to open fire before a Red Army bombing raid destroyed it. Thus, the coastal defense of Tuulos was paralyzed. 

The Red Army amphibious assault force consisted of approximately 3,600 men with cannons and mortars. They immediately began fortifying their bridgehead. The amphibious assault had brought them deep into the Finnish rear. Attempts were made to retake the Tuulos beach, but the counterattacks failed. The Finns were forced to retreat hastily northward before Soviet forces cut off the last remaining roads.

The railway and road running along the Lake Ladoga shore had been lost. Only the Säntämä-Vitele route, completed just a month earlier, remained under Finnish control. Along this road, the troops of the VI Army Corps retreated under difficult conditions and continuous attacks. The successful retreat to the U-line in Ladoga Karelia secured the rear of the Isthmus and allowed the defensive battles to continue.