Finland marks 80 years since end of Continuation War amid renewed focus on anti-tank defenses

The significance of anti-tank defense was crucial when Finland halted the Soviet Union’s major offensive in the summer of 1944. It has been 80 years since the end of the Continuation War, with an armistice reached on September 4–5, 1944, and a peace treaty signed in Moscow on September 19. The role of anti-tank defenses in national defense remains vital today, according to Simo Liikanen, a Järvenpää-based author who has written two books on the subject.

“The Red Army aimed to break through Finland’s defenses with its powerful armored forces, targeting locations far behind the front lines. If we hadn’t been able to halt that armored power during the attack, the consequences for our defense would have been dire,” Liikanen noted.

Before the Winter War, Finland’s anti-tank capabilities were underdeveloped. Into Armas Lehtinen established an anti-tank artillery training center in Hämeenlinna in October 1939. Despite an effort to build effective anti-tank defenses beginning that autumn, by the end of the Winter War, only about 100 two-gun teams had been trained. Most of the army was forced to rely on improvised weapons, such as Molotov cocktails and makeshift mines.

Liikanen highlighted that lessons learned from the Winter War greatly improved anti-tank training and armament before the Continuation War, where Finland’s anti-tank capabilities became robust. He emphasizes the need for effective and user-friendly weapons, stating, “Effective weapons are essential so that the operator knows they can destroy enemy tanks.”

The ongoing arms race between tanks and anti-tank weapons shows that collaboration among various military branches is critical for success. The recent conflict in Ukraine has demonstrated the continued importance of prepared anti-tank strategies. Liikanen believes Finland’s military training and planning are well-prepared for potential large-scale armored assaults, a stark contrast to situations faced by other countries.