Battle of Syrjäntaka

Overview

Battle of Syrjäntaka was a 1918 Finnish Civil War battle fought on 28–29 April in Syrjäntaka, Tuulos, between the German Baltic Sea Division and the Finnish Red Guards. Thousands of Red refugees were fleeing east, while they were blocked by a small unit of Germans at a highway crossing in the small village of Syrjäntaka. After hours of desperate fighting, the Reds managed to break through and continue their journey. The Battle of Syrjäntaka and the preceding battle in Hauho were the only battles the Germans lost during their one-month military campaign in Finland. They were also the last Red victories of the 1918 civil war. The battle itself was totally unnecessary. It had no effect on the result of the war and neither side gained anything as the fleeing Reds were captured only a couple of days later.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Battle of Syrjäntaka, fought on 28–29 April 1918 in Tuulos between the German Baltic Sea Division and Finnish Red Guards, was one of only two engagements the Germans lost during their month-long campaign in Finland, the other being the preceding action at Hauho. Thousands of Red refugees fleeing east forced a passage through a small German blocking unit at a highway crossing in the village of Syrjäntaka, breaking through after hours of fighting. The engagement and its predecessor stand as the last Red victories of the 1918 Finnish Civil War. Despite the tactical success, the battle had no effect on the outcome of the war: the Red fighters who broke through were captured within days, and neither side gained a durable advantage from the action.

Tactics

Forces & casualties

Commanders (1)