Tupolev SB in Finnish service. Part two.

 

The Finnish Ilmavoimat (Finnish Air Force) assigned the 16 SB purchased from Germany (see our previous post for details) to the three flights of Lentolaivue 6 (Flying Squadron - LeLv.6) based at Nummela. Those SBs were employed in bomber, reconnaissance and anti-submarine patrols all over the Gulf of Finland. 

The Soviet coastal submarine M-95 was sunk by SB-1 flown by Lt. Virtanen east of Suursaari on 28th May 1942. On the next 14th July, many Finnish SBs attacked with depth charges a surfaced Soviet submarine off the Finnish town of Pellinki (east of Helsinki). Lelv.6 claimed it was a Shchuka-class submarine, Shch-317, to be more precise. On 14th October 1942, SB-1 destroyed Shch-302. 

The Ilmavoimat did not lose any of their SBs to Soviet fighters or anti-air fire, however six SB 2M-103s were destroyed in accidents or technical failures. During Continuation War, three Soviet submarines were sunk by SBs and many other were damaged. Additionally, one merchant ship and four other small vessels were also sunk by Finnish SBs.

Eventually when the Red Army launched an offensive against Karelia in June 1944, Finland was prompted to sign an armistice on 4th September 1944, giving way to the Lapland War (1944-1945) to drive out Germans from Finland. The Finnish overpainted the yellow identification bars on wing and fuselage. During this war a total of 84 anti-submarine sorties were flown by Lelv.6's SBs over the Gulf of Finland but they did not damage nor sink any German U-boat. No Finnish SB was lost during the Lapland War and, on 1st April 1945 the roundels were changed from the Finnish swastika to the white-blue-white roundel of the Ilmavoimat. Those markings were applied to any surviving SB. After the war they served either as trainers or were kept in storage depots until late 1940s when they were phased out.

Going back to the Winter War, among the eight SB 2M-103 captured by the Finns, there was a late production machine which, after being refurbished, received the code of SB-8. This bomber was selected to be converted into trainer, similar to the Tupolev USB. 

This SB-8 machine was different from other SBs in having the landing light in the right wing's leading edge. Its conversion was completed on 25th January 1943 and was assigned to Täydennyslentolaivue 17 (TLelv.17 - Advanced Training Squadron) at the town of Luonetjärvi, in Central Finland on 19th February. This trainer was later re-assigned to Pommituslentolaivue 46 (PLelv.46 - Bomber Squadron) based at Luonetjärvi too. It was later assigned to Lelv.45. On 24th February 1945 it was put in storage after having flown 268 hours with Ilmavoimat.

Sources:

1st Signal Squadron - Aircraft In action 194 - Tupolev SB in Action

2nd https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tupolev_SB

3rd https://massimotessitori.altervista.org/sovietwarplanes/pages/sb/tapani/finnish/finnish-number.htm

4th https://massimotessitori.altervista.org/sovietwarplanes/pages/sb/tapani/usb/usb.htm