Parachuting into Estonia

by Ted Koppel

With the launching of the German Operation BARBAROSSA against Russia on 22 June 1941, Estonians in Finland (either volunteers who had fought in the Russo-Finnish ‘Winter War’ or later escapees when Russian forces had taken over Estonia in June 1940) immediately planned a return to their occupied homeland to help in its liberation.

On 23 June a special group, code-named “Erna,” was authorized and immediately began the training and orientation of Estonian volunteers. About sixty-five men were selected, including some specially trained radio operators.

At the start of July, the initial group was sworn in (in Helsinki) and departed for their launching point on an island in the Gulf of Finland. After about a week’s delay due to bad weather and enemy naval movement, the main component landed their boats on the Estonian coast and moved inland with no enemy contact.

Two attempts to land four more boatloads of men, escorted by Finnish torpedo boats, were intercepted by Soviet naval patrols and turned back by gunfire.

A new Estonian officer was put in charge of the remaining “Erna” men, as their original leader was now in action with the main group. A brief parachute familiarization course was conducted, jump gear was assigned, and the sixteen men left Helsinki in an aircraft on the night of 28 July. The drop into Estonia, behind Russian lines, was successful, although two of the four supply containers were lost in the dark. Joining the main “Erna” group, these parachutists saw action within days, ambushing a Red Army convoy.

Meanwhile, for more than a week, the main group had received airdrops of Finnish arms, ammo and supplies for the increasing number of partisans who joined “Erna” or established contact with it. Soon these numbered over 2,000 men. The groups called themselves Forest-brothers (or ‘buabrangers’) and consisted of individuals who had taken to the forests at the initial Soviet occupation or, mostly, with the mobilization and mass deportations ordered by the Russians when Germany invaded. These latter included components from military units, which in time formed irregular forces fighting independently or alongside (or ahead) of the rapidly advancing Germans. These initially isolated groups, deep within enemy controlled territory, had conducted ambushes and harassment which helped disorganize the Russians even further. At the front lines, they became armed recon and regular combat units.

Further “Erna” teams, usually two men with communications equipment, were parachuted from light aircraft into widely scattered areas still under Russian control. They formed links with the various resistance groups and, through Helsinki, arranged for further drops of equipment and arms. For example, a typical parachute load would be ten rifles with ammo.

On 31 July the Germans ordered the Finnish supplies stopped—apparently to prevent the Estonians from freeing too much of their own land and thereby undermining the political power of the Germans as the new occupying force.

These volunteers, later reorganized and expanded as the “Erna II” Battalion, took part with other Estonian units in the battles at the end of August to liberate the capital, Tallinn, and the Estonian islands in September 1941. By then the Germans were totally in control and for the next three years would remain so.