The
Finnish Maxims
The
M09/21 & M32/33
Finnish Maxim team
with the M09/21.
A good example of
the Finnish improvising a mount for the M09/21.
The Finns await "Ivan". Notice
the snow camo added to the water jacket.
A destroyed Finnish
Maxim pillbox used in the Winter War.
This was a part
of the Mannerheim Line and the photo was taken on
a trip to the area
in September of 2000. We saw many of these positions
on the trip and
most had been blown
up post WW2 by the Soviets.
A Finnish Maxim
gunner cleaning his weapon.
A Finnish position
making use of the Sokolov mount with shield removed.
These mounts were
quite heavy so it was more common to see them used
in a defensive nature.
Finnish Maxim position
during the heavy 1944 fighting.
Notice the trees
in the Maxim's firing range are cut down to create "killing
zones".
M09/21 in foreground
with the later M32/33's in the rear.
Notice the "snow
caps" on the later models.
M32/33's in their
AA role. Notice the extended tripods and
larger muzzle when
compared to the M09/21 Maxim.
A Maxim M09/21 in
the Winter War.
The Finns with an
early Russian M1910 Maxim.
The Finns also used
the Maxim in an offensive role, as there were many
Maxim
Machine Gun units
in front line "attack" duty. It
is a strong team that can move the
Maxim in such a
manner, but the added firepower these team could
provide was worth the effort.
Front line duty:
1941-44 Soviet-Finnish War. These Maxim teams
were part of the
Finnish designated KKK units which simply is a machine
gun unit.
If the the machine
gun troops were Jaegers the designation was KKK/JR.
Jaegers were infantry
troops that had a high level of training.
A destroyed Finnish Maxim pillbox
used in the Winter War.
This was a part of the Mannerheim
Line and the photo was taken on
a trip to the area in September
of 2000. We saw many of these positions on the trip
and
most had been blown up post
WW2 by the Soviets.
M1910 Maxim on boat duty.
A Maxim from the author's
collection. This Maxim does have the later M32/33
tripod but it lacks the AA extension. It seems
these alterations to the tripods were done during the
1939-40 fighting to Maxims used in a ground fire only
role. These alterations were also done post war
as the Maxim was no longer a viable AA weapon. The
official Finnish designation of the Maxim above was
the M09/33 as it was a combination of the earlier M/21
design with the later tripod. My Finnish friend
Arto Pulkki states that he assumes all M09/33 type
Maxims were altered to take the metal ammo belts. The
M09/33 is a rather technical term and is not widely
used or known. Most collectors refer to these
simply as the M09/21 Maxim. To make things easier
on the reader that is how I refer to it in the article
and in most photos.
The firing mechanism
on the M09/21 seen above.
The muzzle of
the M09/21. The later M32/33
has a larger muzzle extention that turns to
handle the two rates of fire it is capable of.
Upper view of
the M09/21 Maxim on its tripod.
M09/21 rear sights
in extended position.
Old style hammer
of the Russian Tula Armaments Factory.
Finnish KorJ rework
stamping. One date is 1943 and above that
1958.
Finnish marked
water can and ammo box with metal links. In
front the two versions of the extra barrel carrier. On the left front
is a rare wooden version made at AV3 while on the
right a leather carrier.The wooden carriers,
like the wooden ammo boxes, are Continuation War
era.
A Russian M1910 in
front and the Finnish M09/21 in rear. The Finns
designated
captured M1910's as
M09/09's. This is a later 1910 with snow cap.
A front veiw of the
M1910.
Another view of the
M1910 Maxim.
Rare cloth ammo link
belt
Maxim ammo cans and
leather extra barrel carrier.
Date stamp on an Imperial
Russian Maxim can used by the Finns.
Content list of a
Finnish M32/33 tool kit
Maxim tool kit
Another view of the
M32/33 tool kit. The kits have two loops on
the rear so they can
be attached to a belt for carry.
Maxim kit closed
Rare wooden Maxim
ammo boxes. These were used in the 41-44 fighting.
As they are wood they
did not store well so it is hard to locate them today.
Another view of the
wooden boxes.
These boxes are German
in origin then supplied to Finland.
1946 inspection papers
on a wooden Maxim box.
Photo from a Finnish
Maxim training booklet from the early 1930's.
Sorry about the quality
as the manual is old.
From the same booklet
showing the proper way to transport the Maxim.
Notice the soldier
in front as I am not sure what type of can he is carrying.
This oval shaped can
might be an early water can as I am not sure what else
it would be.
Sections of a Finnish
M09 Maxim manual dated 1940. |
Overview & Section Summaries
gunboards