Hovattala Rock Wall

A plaque on a sheer rock wall at Hovattala commemorates the fight of Häme Cavalry Regiment in Hattuvaara in July 1944.

From where Häme Cavalry Regiment marched to battle in July 1944.

The regiment’s two squadrons arrived at the site in the evening of July 29 after receiving reinforcements. The formation was named Task Force Sirama after its commander, Major Mauno Sirama.

A couple of days earlier, scouts of the 3rd Border Jaeger Battalion dispatched to the village of Hattuvaara had noticed an approaching enemy force that could constitute a threat. Sirama's formation was ordered to move from Hovattala to engage the enemy in the area of Sikrenvaara and Kiukoinen.

After devotionals held at the edge of a farm field near the rock on July 29, the troops departed on a cross-country march at 2200 h.

White summer night made progress at least a bit easier for the men, who struggled through extremely difficult boggy terrain for most of the way. The 1st Squadron veered toward Sikrenvaara, while the 2nd Squadron headed to Kiukoinen less than two kilometers to the east.

The first clash occurred when the 1st Squadron came into contact with the Russians at 0200 hours on July 30. The 2nd Squadron received its baptism by fire in Ilomantsi sector two hours later.