Finnish Forces

Commander of the Finnish Armoured Division

Jäger Major General Ernst Ruben Lagus(1896–1959) The 1st Knight of the Mannerheim Cross. Lagus was one of the first Finnish jägers, who was trained and fought in the Royal Prussian 27th Jäger Battalion(1915-1918) during WWI. He then fought in the Finnish Civil War of 1918 and remained in Finnish army after the war. During the Winter War Lagus was in charge of the supply of the Finnish troops fighting on the Karelian Isthmus. In the offense phase of the Continuation War he commanded the 1st (Armoured)Jäger Brigade, which played major role in the battles at Svir river(Syväri), Petrozavodsk(Petroskoi/Äänislinna), Medvezhyegorsk(Karhumäki) and Povenets(Poventsa). Lagus was awarded with the Mannerheim Cross already on July 22, 1941, making him the first one to receive the award. On June 30, 1942 he was made the commander of the newly formed Finnish Armoured Division. During the summer of 1944 he led the division with great success in the decisive battles of Karelian Isthmus 1944 (e.g.Tali-Ihantala) where the armoured troops played major role in achieving the major defense victory. After armstice and peace treaty with Soviets in september, the Armoured Division was sent to Lapland to help carry out one of the peace terms which was to drive out all German troops from Finland. Lagus led his troops all the way to Inari, where the division was disbanded and and sent home on December 4, 1944, as part of general demobilization of Finnish troops which was also one of the peace terms even though the country was still at war.(untill April 27, 1945.) Major General Lagus remained in the Finnish army untill 1947, when he retired from active military service. He died on July 15, 1959. Promotions: Germany #Hilfsgruppenführer - January 10, 1916 #Gruppenführer - September 19, 1917 Finland #Lieutenant - February 11, 1918 #Captain - May 16, 1919 #Major - May 16, 1924 #Lieutenant Colonel - December 6, 1933 #Colonel - April 4, 1940 #Major General - October 3, 1941 Decorations: #Mannerheim Cross 2nd class #Cross of Liberty 1st class with swords and star, 2nd class with swords and 4th class with swords #Knight's Cross of the Order of the White Rose of Finland #German Iron Cross 1st and 2nd class