Jorma "Joppe" Karhunen 1913 -2002   Early days Jorma Karhunen was born on 17 March 1913 at Pyhäjärvi, in southern Finland. In 1933 he graduated from secondary school and joined up for military service, entering the ISK (Ilmasotakoulu). In 1936 he graduated from the cadet school and posted as a junior flying officer to Lentoasema 1 (Air Station 1), which duly became Lentorykmentti 2 (Flight Regiment 2) on 1 January 1938. On the right Joppe Karhunen as a student pilot at Kauhava Air Academy in 1933. Winter War with the Dutch Fokker fighters was a war against a superior enemy. Fighter Detachment Luukkanen at Wärtsilä field. The third from right is Joppe Karhunen, who scored two victories on Christmas Day 1939 by downing two SB-2 bombers. Karhunen achieved a similar feat on New Year's Day, when the other of the bombers went down behind enemy lines. To the left from Karhunen: Lt Eino Luukkanen, Tatu Huhanantti, Pentti Tilli and Illu Juutilainen. At the outbreak of the Winter War 1Lt Karhunen was the deputy commander of 1/LLv 24, flying the Fokker D.XXIs. He was assigned FR-112, and he used this fighter to score most of his 4,5 victories up to 30 January 1940, when he took over 2/LLv 24. He spent the rest of Winter War in Sweden performing evaluation flights and pilot training on the then new Brewster Model 239. Winter War and Brewsters from Sweden The American Brewster team arrived at Stockholm on the 19th of February 1940 and traveled to Trollhättan on the same day. Before their departure to Trollhättan they visited the Finnish embassy at Stockholm to hear the latest information. USDAO at Helsinki, USAAF Capt. Robert Losey told them that a Finnish ace, Jorma Karhunen, had belly-landed one of the Brewsters recently. The Finns had gotten restless immediately after the first aircraft had been assembled and they had sent two of their aces to fly the new fighters. The pilots were good shooters but they had only some 400 flight hours. The crazy Finns liked to fly low and fast and probably the engine burnt and there was no time to take the gear down. Cold weather froze the runway at Trollhättan so the next three Brewsters could be tested on the 25th of February. When the aircraft were ready, Karhunen, Virta and Jääskeläinen took off. Both young aces flew wild. They retracted the gear immediately after the aircraft rotated and flew loops and slow rolls over Trollhättan. Jääskeläinen was more experienced and took off carefully, let the gear stay down until safe altitude and stayed within gliding distance from the field. Joppe Karhunen standing on the wing of BW-359 prior to acceptance test flight at Trollhättan. US Navy test pilot Robert Winston in front of the aircraft. The first four Brewsters were ready for the ferry flight on the 27th of February, but poor weather prevented the flight until the 1st of March. On taht day the first four Brewsters took off for the ferry flight to Finland. The pilots were Virta, Jääskeläinen, Savonen and Lehtonen. Karhunen had to stay at Trollhättan to instruct the new pilots. The aircraft were fully loaded with ammo, fuel, chocolate bars, cigarettes, oranges etc. goodies that the war-stricken Finland didn't have. The four aircraft took of and joined formation over the field and then headed for Finland. The Brewster formation took off at 11.00 hrs local time on the 21st of March from Trollhättan. The plan was that Jorma Karhunen would lead a group of five Brewsters to Västerås on the east coast of Sweden. They were to wait for Bremer and Pellinen at Västerås because the compass of the Pellinen's aircraft had to be checked. All aircraft had a full load of ammunition when they took off. They flew east over southern Sweden and found two runways at Västerås and the wind direction marked with a "T". There was a slight crosswind and it was a bit difficult to keep the direction during landing run on the hard-packed snow. A group of Swedish maintainers was waiting to fill the fuel tanks. When the first group had turned their engines off the next two were landing. Bremer had some difficulties during landing but managed to keep the aircraft on the runway. After the fuel-stop the aircraft took off towards Finland. The Swedes had warned the pilots about the fortified area north of Stockholm and mentioned that they had to go around it. The Swedish officers wished luck for the team. After takeoff Karhunen had some difficulties in retracting the gear, but finally managed to get it in. The formation crossed the coast at 14.00 hrs and headed to the sea. They flew below the broken clouds and could see the frozen sea beneath them. The area was desolate. The cloud base was so low that they had to stay at 20 m (60 ft) over the ice. They entered the Åland islands, halfway between Sweden and Finland. The cloud base rose and they could climb to a more convenient altitude. Finally they were over Finland and headed to Tampere. They landed at Tampere, Bremer first. The second Brewster skidded on the runway and nosed over. The pilot, Pellinen was unharmed and the fighter slightly damaged. Robert Winston returned to Sweden on the 26th of March 1940. Brewster assembly had proceeded well at Trollhättan - there were 12 new fighters waiting for the test flights. Winston started the test flights, but the weather was so poor that Bremer kept the Finnish pilots grounded. Once the weather go better Bremer ordered Karhunen to lead the next batch of five Brewsters to Finland via Bromma airfield close to Stockholm. When the group lands at Bromma on the 4th of March two Brewsters are damaged during the landing run because of the difficulties handling the aircraft on the asphalt runway after operations from snow-covered runways. Bremer and Winston flew to Bromma with a mechanic and spare parts in the baggage compartment of  Winston's Brewster. During landing Bremer's Brewster skidded off the runway and was damaged. Bremer and Winston now had three damaged Brewsters at Bromma. The local representative of the Republic Aircraft Factory, Eddie Israel told that ten aircraft had been damaged there during the last three days; also four Glosters and three Republics had been damaged during landing. The Swedish Air Force had bought some Republic aircraft and now the local rep wanted Robert Winston to try the handling qualities. Winston found the taxiing to be easier because of the steerable tail gear even though it was a bit more sensitive at higher speeds. Winston told his experiences to the half a dozen Swedish officers that had gathered to watch his taxi tests. Joppe Karhunen arrived the same day on the afternoon train with seven other Finnish pilots. This time they weren't inexperienced young pilots - they were the seven most experienced Finnish aces. In the group was also Lt. Jorma Sarvanto, who had shot down six Soviet bombers in less than five minutes. Now the Finns were obviously ready to shoot their way open back to Finland, if needed. In the morning of the 17th Winston test-flew six more aircraft. Bremer ordered all aircraft to be armed and fully fueled for the ferry flight to Finland. Count Sparré wanted to keep the aircraft for the defence of the Saab Aircraft Factory.  Bremer called the Finnish Embassy at Stockholm and they replied that Finland wouldn't return the Bofors AAA guns that Sweden had loaned to Finland, if the Brewsters were not allowed to take off from Trollhättan. Sparré made a selection - and let the Brewsters go. The Finns called the local Shell station and refueled the aircraft during lunch hour. The Brewsters took off immediately after count Sparré's decision. The eight aces joined formation over the Trollhättan airfield, flew low over the AAA guns and Swedish aircraft and then headed to Finland. Eino Luukkanen was leading the first four-ship and Jorma Karhunen the second in BW-385. The weather got worse after take-off and Karhunen lost contact with Luukkanen's group because they had climbed between the high Cb clouds. Both groups received some AAA fire south of Stockholm. Ilmari Juutilainen radioed that his aircraft had fuel problems so Karhunen ordered him to divert to Turku and to continue to Helsinki on the next day. In the evening Bremer told Winston that Swedish AAA guns had shot at the Brewsters close to Stockholm and one Brewster had been damaged during landing at Helsinki. There were now only the two damaged Brewsters at Trollhättan. On the 18th Bremer and Winston flew the last two Brewsters to Bromma in only two hours. Winston's deal ended on the 19th so the project to deliver the 44 Brewsters to the Finnish Air Force was done. (During 1941 - 43 the Finnish Air Force achieved 477 victories with the Brewsters with an exchange ratio of 32:1) Go to Jorma "Joppe" Karhunen, Page 2 Back to Finnish Fighter Aces   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.