I read that Germany helped prevent any weapons and other supplies from reaching Finland during the Winter War. Where can I find more about this topic?
As an introduction Starting on page 29, the background of the German-Russian-Finnish relationship during the Winter War is listed https://scholarworks.umt.edu/cgi/vi...le.com/&httpsredir=1&article=6230&context=etd
On a quick scan I could not identify any thread here on the issue. We do have a couple of Finnish members who may be along and a few others who have posted on Finland in the past. I had hoped this thread might help: Finnish Army 1918-1945 Not sure now! If you can find out who had supplied weapons to the Finns after 1918 it might help. I know some of the aircraft were British, Blenheim bombers from memory.
Some info Finland bought 25 Fiat G.50 fighters from Italy 23 October 1939 and ordered 10 more in early January 1940. Transportation to Finland became more difficult because Germany, which respects the Molotov-Ribbentrop agreement, prevented them from being transported via Germany to Finland. In late November 1939, two aircraft were transported according to the original plan via Sassnitz to Malmö, where they were assembled. The reason of the German action was, according to some Finnish historians, that the Swedish Gothenburgs Handels- och sjöfartstidning journal had made an article about the G.50s transported via Germany to Sweden to be assembled there for Finland, which was noted in the Soviet Union and in consequence of it Molotov protested strongly. The Germans might have ignored the transit, if the matter had remained secret, but after Molotov's protest, they stopped 10 train wagons in the port of Sassnitz in Germany, in wagons were six G.50s and equipment, spare parts, etc. Italy immediately required wagon returning, but its took some time before Germany agreed to this. Germany sent the wagons to Switzerland, from there they were sent to Antwerpen where they arrived on 21 January 1940. The shipment was transported by sea to Bergen and then by rail to Sweden. The rest of the planes were transported by sea from Italy to Gothenburg, Sweden. The rest of the original order, 17 planes and equipment, spare parts, etc. for them, were loaded on Swedish ship s/s Tunisia at Livorno. It sailed for Gothenburg on 6 January arriving there on 25 January 1940. 17 of the planes were assembled at Saab's factories in Trollhättan and the remaining 16 at Torsland Airport in Gothenburg. The test flights were flown in Trollhättan, where the machines were flown through Västerås to Finland. A total of 26 machines arrived during the Winter War. The first of the first pair which had arrived Sweden from Sassnitz arrived in Finland on 18 December. While the first of those transported by sea to Gothenburg arrived in Finland on 11 February 1940. Thus, German activities delayed most of Fiats' arrival in Finland for a little over seven weeks. Some more info can be found here: FINNISH ARMY 1918 - 1945: ANTIAIRCRAFT GUNS PART 1 scroll down to 20 ItK/30 and 20 ItK/38 (BSW, Gustloff) and to 20 ItK/35, Breda FINNISH ARMY 1918 - 1945: ANTIAIRCRAFT GUNS PART 3 scroll down to 76 ItK/16-35 Br, Breda "Posetiivi" FINNISH ARMY 1918 - 1945: AT-RIFLES PART 2 20 mm pst kiv/18-S: FINNISH ARMY 1918 - 1945: ANTITANK GUNS PART 2 scroll down to 47 PstK/35 and 47 PstK/39 jeagerplatoon site has more info but I am in a hurry now; these weapons I remember from top of my head.
