Wartime Aircraft
of the Finnish Air Force

Gloster Gauntlet and Gladiator

by Jason Long


Gloster Gauntlet

25 Gauntlets were shipped to Gothenburg between 25 January and 14 February 1940. After assembly 9 were flown to Finland between 10 March and 12 April. The rest were shipped to Finland and assembled after arrival on 16 May. As the Winter War was over they were assigned to LeR 3 for advanced training purposes. They stayed in that role until 1945 when they were finally retired. Nine were lost in accidents.

Gloster Gladiator

Twenty Gladiator IIs were purchased by Finland in late 1939 and arrived in Gothenburg between December 39 and January 40 where they had to be assembled. The UK donated 10 more that arrived simultaneously. Thirteen arrived in Finland in January and the rest by 17 Feb where they were assigned to LeLv 26.

By March 1 all surviving Gladiators had been handed over to LeLv 12 and Le Lv 14 for army cooperation duties. LeLv 14 claimed 3 kills for one loss. Gladiators claimed 37 kills for 14 losses, 12 of them in combat during the Winter War. Most were lost on 29 February when 3 were shot down while taking off and another pair in the ensuing combat. Only one of the offending Il6s was shot down while another crashed.

The Swedes supplied a "volunteer" unit, Flygflottilij 19, that included a dozen Gladiator Ils. They arrived at Kemi on 10 January 1940 for the defense of Lapland. They flew 464 sorties and shot down 8 aircraft for the loss of 2 Gladiators and 3 Hawker Harts.

LeLv 14 had 4 on strength and LeLv 12 retained three when the Continuation War began. All were transferred to LeLv 16 by 7 July 1941 as Curtiss Hawk 75As were delivered. Despite two losses strength was up to nine by the end of 1942 as aircraft were repaired. Only one kill was recorded in the Continuation War when an R-5 was bounced on 15 February 1943. Only two survived when they were finally retired on 31 July 1944.

More WWII Aircraft of the Finnish Air Force

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