Finnish troops examining a destroyed Soviet T-34 (turret number 450) photographed during the battle of Tali-Ihantala 30 June 1944. This tank was destroyed by a German Sturmgeschutz from 2./303 Stug.Bde. Notice a Sturmgeschutz partly seen on the left.

Destroyed T-34 at Ihantala 1944

A destroyed Soviet T-34 (turret number 450) photographed during battle of Tali-Ihantala 30 June 1944. This tank was destroyed by a German Sturmgeshcutz from 2/303 Stug.Bde. Finnish soldier in center is sgt Heino Nikulassi (3 tank kills) who was killed in action at Ihantala next day. Next to him is sgt Kaarlo Niemelä (5 tanks kills). Both are from 2./JR12 "Jänkäjääkärit" (2./Infantry Regiment 12). 

Tali-Ihantala 1944

Pauli Tanttu (1921-1952), photographed as Lance Corporal possibly after receiving the Mannerheim Cross No.180.

He fought as submachine gunner at Karelian Isthmus in 1st Infantry Regiment, 10th Division. Tanttu became soon known as one of the battalion's bravest soldiers, and was promoted to Korpraali (Lance Corporal) on 24.9.1941. He volunteered to all patrols of his platoon. In 1944 he expirienced the heavy bombardments and start of Soviet major offensive at Valkeasaari, where his regiment took the hardest blow of the attack. As the enemy broke through there and retreating began, he voluntarily stayed behind to delay the attacking enemies, shooting many. Later in the summer, during single counter-attack, he destroyed three machine gun nests, four nests of light machine guns, and then went on alone to capture a mortar after eliminating it's crew and killing six enemies on the way. He had big positive impact to the morale of his tired comrades. Lance Corporal Tanttu was demobilized from the army in November 1944 and returned to his job as a logger in his hometown. He was awarded the Mannerheim Cross just before Christmas of the same year. The war never left him and he sometimes even saw hallucinations. By the years his alcohol consumption also grew, but he never slacked off nor quit his work. After Pauli was barely past middle-aged, he ended his own life by hanging himself on the Christmas day of 1952.