Dugout architecture

[Mangrove]

The Finnish front during the Continuation War (1941-44) was one of the few places during WWII where trench war was fought. This enabled the soldiers to build quite magnificent architectural pieces which now mostly exist only in photographs and blueprints.

The dugouts were built from centuries old Scots Pine and Norway Spruce with only an axe and details carved with a knife. Some of the designs were copies of actual functionalistic buildings, but in smaller scale. Most of the buildings were at or very near the front line, so they were also designed to withstand indirect artillery fire.

 

[Tomasso]

Lovely property; hardly looks like a military installation. My grandfather had a very similar type of place in northern Ontario. It had previously been a trading post built by the Hudson Bay Company in the 1860s. They had hundreds of them scattered around Canada but when they got out of the trapping biz they sold them away for peanuts. And then we sold it away for peanuts.....

 

[Mangrove]

This log cabin made for Commander-in-Chief C. G. E. Mannerheim is perhaps the nicest example of this era that I have seen. It was built by the men of 14th Division as a present for 75 year old Mannerheim in 1942. Fortunately the cabin was built to a sector where it could be moved to Finnish side of the border after the hostilies had ended in 1944. The interesting wave pattern on the pine is archived with a creative use of blowlamp.

The Hunting Cabin of Mannerheim

 

[Spitfire]

Great pictures. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Mangrove]

Finally some inside shots from different levels of command; first is probably from regimental or battalion level.