Fighter over Finland (Wings of war) [Unknown Binding]

Eino Astere Luukkanen (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English, Finnish (translation) --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Unknown Binding: 254 pages
• Publisher: Time-Life Books (1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0809496216
• ISBN-13: 978-0809496211
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,426,605 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A first class narrative of the Finnish-Soviet air wars, June 10, 1998

By 

Chris ([e-mail]) (Oxford, England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fighter over Finland (Flight, its first seventy-five years) (Hardcover)

I first read this book 15 years ago, intrigued by the cover. It tells the experiences of a fighter pilot and his unit during the two wars between Finland and the Soviet Union 1939-1945. It describes the incredible bravery and skill of the Finns, as they fought to preserve their independence from Stalin's empire - an endeavour in which they were largely successful. Despite being vastly outnumbered and equipped with obsolete aircraft, the Finns managed to destroy an incredible amount of Soviet aircraft, while protecting their vulnerable cities from bombing. This book stands as another testament to the rugged spirit of the Finns during WWII.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Any aviation enthusiast will find this book hard to set down, September 17, 2003

By 

D. M. Kneller "the-real-super-dave" (Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fighter over Finland (Flight, its first seventy-five years) (Hardcover)

One of the most interesting things about this book is the sheer variety of aircraft involved. One cannot help but feel admiration for the author and his compatriots for the courage and bravery they showed in spite of the odds they faced. What they lacked in numbers they more than accounted for in skill. Although often equipped with aircraft that were considered obsolete by the "great powers", they still managed to outfly their opponents who were usually equipped with technically superior aircraft.

Another admirable trait is the authors modesty. Unlike many combat pilots, Luukanen gives a great deal of credit to the humble mechanics and ground crew who kept his aircraft flying in spite of often poor conditions. All in all, an excellent story.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Really well written book by one of Finlands top WW2 Fighter Pilots, February 19, 2009

By 

Kiwi (Mississauga, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Fighter over Finland (Flight, its first seventy-five years) (Hardcover)

Finnish Title -"Hävittäjälentäjänä kahdessa sodassa" ("Fighter pilot in two wars")

This book is really well written and worth reading if you want to know more about Finland's fighter aircraft and pilots. Luukkanen concentrates largely on the Winter War, far less so on the Continuation War (a focus he explains in his book and which, when you read his explanation, is entirely understandable).

Here's some additional information for those interested - summarised from an article from the Finnish newspaper 'Keskisuomalainen' on December 6th, 2001 - author Juhana Lepoluoto, original article translated into English by Lt(jg) Markku Herd, Finnish Navy.

INDEPENDENCE DAY, 2001

The lonely grave of the Knight of the Mannerheim Cross awaits caretakers.

One day, back in the distant 50's, the restaurant table of a Jyväskylä merchant was approached by a penniless man. An ex-soldier who had suffered his punishment, stripped of honor after a closed-doors trial. Said person asked the occupant of the table, if he could join him. - The Commander is always welcome to my table, the recently passed-on Ture Mattila is said to have responded.

Until his premature death almost three decades ago in 1964, the Knight of the Mannerheim Cross, a fighter ace with 56 victories, Lieutenant Colonel Eino Luukkanen worked in his ex-subject's family business and lived in a city apartment owned by Mattila. Mattila had also been a fighter pilot in the war, fighting successfully under the command of Luukkanen, the latest in the famed 34th Fighter Squadron.
- Ture Mattila had very warm relationship with his former superior, Nyyssönen said.
- Mattila regretted the last stages of his commander's life and he sought for the redemption of his superior. The Knight's honour must be returned

The difficult time of Luukkanen's life rose to headlines again last year (200), when Juha Pohjonen's book of Finnish cases of treason was published. Luukkanen and one of his subjects was accused of handing Finnish air photo maps to the Swedes during the so-called great espionage case of Jyväskylä. Nyyssönen has perused the book thoroughly and agrees with the late Mattila. Luukkanen never admitted revealing any material to Sweden's Säpo (Secret police), but he said he had taken an Air Force plane over the western border to bring fruits and drinks to his pilots. At that time, Finland was still poor and everything was rationed.

Nyyssönen says also that many of Air Force officers currently on duty agree, that the brilliant pilot knight who had done great services to the Fatherland must be rehabilitated. Getting stripped of honour must have been so hard a blow to Luukkanen, that it probably quickened his death. His heart failed in October 1964, but still before his death he worked in Mattila's company.
- After his commander's death, Ture Mattila contacted his fellow pilots and arranged a collection. This stone was erected with those funds, Nyyssönen told.

A ten year contract was made with the parish of the caretaking of the grave, but after that the resting site of the pilot knight fell on ill repair. A couple of years ago the guild of flight technics repaired the degraded stone. While we were at the grave, Nyyssönen cleaned the lower portion of the stone, where the number of Luukkanen's victories is said to be 51. According to current records, the real number is 56. Luukkanen, who flew the greatest number of combat flights (441), was third in the victory list of Finnish aces right after Ilmari Juutilainen and Hans Wind. On Independence Days there are often candles on the lonely grave, but the place is not in proper care.
- As far as I know, there's no designated caretaker, Nyyssönen said.
- I have visited this grave with high-ranking officers. One thought aloud, whether the Air Force would take the grave as a traditional site. At least then someone would take care of this.

Ilkka Nyyssönen wiped clean the pilot knight's tombstone in the Seppälä cemetery in Jyväskylä, two days before the Independence Day. The knight of the Mannerheim Cross, Lieutenant Colonel Eino Luukkanen, fighter pilot with 56 victories, died of heart attack at the age of 55 in 1964. Now his memorial stone in the Seppälä cemetary looks lonely and weathered, but he is not forgotten.
- When I have brought the Independence day candle to the grave these years, there has already been light, tells executive manager Ilkka Nyyssönen. Nyyssönen is a civilian pilot. Luukkanen's fate was told to him by the late subject and comrade-in-arms Ture Mattila.

Luukkanen was accused of revealing aviation maps to the Swedes and stripped of his honour. Luukkanen himself admitted bringing fruits and drinks from Sweden to poor, rationed Finland. Mattila thought that Luukkanen had to be redeemed, and Nyyssönen agrees. Luukkanen worked his final years in the trade business of his pilot friend. After his death Mattila arranged a collection, and the funds were used to erecting the gravestone. Now no one seems to be regularly taking care of the site. In Finland and around the world Luukkanen's reputation still lives. In the United States, there are still new prints coming out of his memoirs published in 1956.

Lt. Col. Luukkanen's military career was ended in Court-Martial, 1951. He was sentenced to lose his rank and office due to espionage. Luukkanen had in good faith handed over some aerial photographs to a man who turned out to be the agent of a foreign (NATO-affiliated) country. Later his right to pension was returned to him, however. He wrote his memoirs which were published in 1956 and were a minor success: three printings were taken. His book was translated in English and published in Britain in 1961 and reprinted in the US in 1992 (Alexandria, VA. Time) titled "Fighter over Finland".

Luukkanen died in 1961- his career and health had been ruined, although he was never jailed. Luukkanen was survived by his widow and his son Risto, who also entered military career.