Soviet Union prepares for the evacuation of Hanko
In August 1941, the Russians evacuate the City of Tallinn. At the same time, they lose control of the western part of the Gulf of Finland. During the evacuation operation, thousands of men are lost and several ships sink. On the other hand, the Russians manage to save a large number of soldiers for the defence of Leningrad.
The headquarters of the Finnish military forces is of the opinion that the Russians will remain in Hanko over the winter months. In September 1941, German guns already hammer Leningrad.
The situation of the Russian troops in Hanko continues to deteriorate. At times, the food shortage is worse than in Leningrad. On 25 October, the Russians order the evacuation of 28 000 people from Hanko.
The Russians start one of the largest operations in the Gulf of Finland.
The evacuation has to take place before winter sets in. Convoys start to sail between Hanko and Leningrad. A typical convoy consists of a few merchant ships protected by one or two destroyers and a few minesweepers.
The large minefields in the Gulf of Finland pose the most serious danger to the convoys. The Russians have already lost half of their minesweepers before the evacuation operation. Small minesweepers are useless in the stormy seas of the autumn.
The Finns waiting in their positions are still not sure what is going on, even if traffic at sea and in Hanko accelerates. They do not know if the Russian convoys are bringing in more troops or if they are preparing for evacuation.
The Russians arrange four large and a few smaller convoys to transport the occupiers of Hanko back to Leningrad.
The first large convoy consists of two destroyers, minelayer Marti, four minesweepers and six MO patrol boats. The ships leave the island of Hogland on 1 November and arrive at Hanko on the following morning. The return voyage starts the same evening. Minesweeper T-210 and minelayer Marti strike mines, but all the ships manage to get back to Kronstadt.
Three other convoys are not as lucky as the first one.
In the evacuation of Hanko, The Red Fleet loses three destroyers, Smetlivyi, Surovyi and Gordyi, minesweepers T-203 T-20 and T-297, submarines L-2 and M-98, passenger ships Josif Stalin and Andrei Zdanov, and several smaller vessels. The Soviet Union, however, manages to evacuate more than 23 000 people to Leningrad.
A total of 5 000 people disappear in the waters of the Gulf of Finland.
