Olavi "Olli" Puro Small Olavi "Olli" Puro entered 4./LeLv 24 on 22 June 1942. He had been a keen sportsman when he was young. He turned out to be one of the best and most intense fighter aces in Finland during the Gulf of Finland in summer 1944. Puro was born on 18 November in Helsinki and was promoted to the rank of 2nd lieutenant on 11 February 1941 and as a reserve lieutenant on 19 October 1943. After 1st lt Lauri Nissinen had graduated from the Finnish Military Academy Magnusson asked him to check the air combat skills of Puro in a dogfight between two Brewsters. Nissinen evaluated Puro to be fully ready for the most challenging air combat missions. Nissinen was right; Puro became an ace very rapidly and was in top condition, when all fighter pilots were needed to counter the Soviet summer attack of 1944. After a three month service in LeLv 26 Puro was posted to 3./LeLv 6, which flew captured Soviet fighters. Puro scored his first two victories flying a captured Soviet I-153 fighter. Puro returned to 2./LeLv 24 on 4 April 1943 this time flying the Brewsters.  In May 1944 Puro's flight converted to Messershcmitt Bf 109G fighters. Puro's score list is impressive:           Date                 Place                    A/C       Score       Type 4 Oct 1942      Gulf of Finland      IT-18        1            I-153 12 Nov 1942   Gulf of Finland      IT-18        1            PE-2 21 Apr 1943    Gulf of Finland      BW-387   1            Lagg-5 21 Apr 1943    Gulf of Finland      BW-387   1            Lagg-3 2 May 1943     Gulf of Finland      BW-387   2            Lagg-3 20 May 1943   Gulf of Finland      BW-365  1/2          Lagg-3 5 June 1943     Gulf of Finland      BW-365   1            Jak-1 14 June 1944   Karelian Isthmus   MT-246    1           Il-2 14 June 1944   Karelian Isthmus   MT-246    2           La-5 17 June 1944   Karelian Isthmus   MT-246    1/2         Il-2 17 June 1944   Karelian Isthmus   MT-246    1           La-5 19 June 1944   Karelian Isthmus   MT-201    2           La-5 20 June 1944   Karelian Isthmus   MT-201    1           Lagg-3 20 June 1944   Karelian Isthmus   MT-201    1           La-5 20 June 1944   Karelian Isthmus   MT-201    1           Airacobra 20 June 1944   Karelian Isthmus   MT-201    1           Pe-2 20 June 1944   Karelian Isthmus   MT-201    1           Il-2 23 June 1944   Karelian Isthmus   MT-449    1           Il-2 23 June 1944   Karelian Isthmus   MT-449    3           La-5 26 June 1944   Karelian Isthmus   MT-454    1           La-5 28 June 1944   Karelian Isthmus   MT-449    1           Jak-2 10 July 1944    Karelian Isthmus   MT-479    2           La-5 10 July 1944    Karelian Isthmus   MT-479    2           Jak-9 15 July 1944    Karelian Isthmus   MT-452    2           Jak-9 19 July 1944    Karelian Isthmus   MT-465    1           Jak-9 22 July 1944    Gulf of Finland      MT-461    2           Il-2 22 July 1944    Gulf of Finland      MT-461    1           La-5 23 July 1944    Karelian Isthmus   MT-461    2           La-5 Puro had flown a total of 207 missions and had scored 36 victories on 28 missions. Puro wounded in the same battle as Hasse Wind on 28 June 1944. Puro in the cockpit of a Messerschmitt Bf 109G on 1 July 1944 "Olli" Puro, one of the top aces. He was a Mannerheim Cross nominee who clearly deserved the award. But, in this case the administration of award was too slow. After WWII Puro studied economics and became the   Home Latest Topic | Air Warfare | Conferences/Air Shows | Fighter Tactics | Fighter Aircraft | Missiles | Fighter Aviation Topic | Fighter History | Warbirds | Magazines | Current News | Links | Physiology | Photo Gallery | Bibliography | SIIVET - Wings | What's New J Lindberg. Copyright © 1997-2006 Fighter Tactics Academy. All rights reserved. Revised: tammikuu 01, 2006.