The Magical Night of Tornio

[Sodanjumala 589]

The Finnish Lapland War in 1944-1945 is quite unknown for most people, even in Finland. However, there was one episode that happened in the day the war has seen to start and was a probably a sign of things to come.

 

Whole incident started in 1.10.1944 by Tornio landings. Finlands largest naval operation that started in 30.9.1944 as a big show of force for the Germans and the Soviet observer as a sign that Finns were quite serious about driving Germans off finnish soil. The landings came as complete suprise and Germans wouldn't take serious action until week later.

 

Naturally, most soldier that took part were veterans as no recruit would used in such difficult operation. Harsh grizzly veterans that had not seen home in last 3 years of war or had a good drink for that matter.

 

Before I continue, I have to explain something. Tornio was called by most as "Little Berlin" as it was one of the main supply and transportation hubs for the German 20th Mountain Army that had 200.000 soldiers under it's command. And for German soldiers, they had basic needs allowed besides bread, meat and sugar. Steady supply of schnapps and other strong drinks in some quantity. And they happened to have the main storage in Tornio for whole Lapland army. Germans had already started to empty it up for retreat but they hadn't rushed it up.

 

So when the first FInnish soldiers managed get to the storage area where was all of the before mentioned drinks there was going to be only one way this was going to end. The soldiers naturally tasted it, and some even went as far as tell about it which of course brought more of the thirsty soldiers. Couple hours later, 2 battalions were out of combat action. The regiment in which battalions were was moved to other area and other regiment was moved there only to have the same thing happen again.

 

Whole operation for securing Tornio stopped dead as soldiers and civilians had only focus in looting the seemingly abandoned storage and dringking all the contents. Some German soldiers were actually invited to take part in drinking despite the fact they were just shooting each other or more likely just joined in and nobody noticed. The chaos continued going bigger as news reached the other site of the river in Sweden which invited whole village of people to take part in looting. Whole wagons full of barrels would make runs over the river during the night. Because the night was beyond weird it is often dubbed as "Magical Night of Tornio" as war stopped for all night drinking.

 

It was not until the next day that situation was taken under control but as a result of the heavy drinking most men had such a hangover that no combat action could be done during the whole day. By some miracle Germans did not laucnh any attacks which would have moe then likely broken Finnish positions. Instead battle for Tornio would last until 8.10.1944 when Germans withdrew.

 

And so, that is how you empty up alcohol storage for 200.000 soldiers in just a single night. The official account on how much alcohol was taken is 25.000 litres which is far from the original account which was more then 10 times more at minimum! Bizarre enough, about 1/3 of the alchoholic drinks that were in Tornio ended up in other site of the river in Sweden which some would be sold back to the Germans.

Edited June 23, 2016 by Sodanjumala