Finland
Ylikersantti Toivo Antero Uuttu
Finland
Ylikersantti Toivo Antero Uuttu
Toivo uuttu was born at Kuokkala on 1 June 1910.
He received flying training in 1929-31 at AOK 1:ssä.
He was recruited to Las 1 on 1 December 1933 and served with LeR 2.
He was transferred as ylikersantti to LLv 26 on 8 October 1939.
The first contact between Soviet aircraft and Finnish fighters happened at 11:45-11:55 on 1 December 1939 when six Polikarpov I-16s from 7 IAP jumped a Bulldog pair of LLv 26. While the other Bulldog was separated, BU-64 piloted by ylikersantti Uuttu was left alone to fight the Russians. After scoring hits on one I-16, he himself was also shot down and he crashed at Muolaanjärvi getting injured in the process. Uuttu’s victim reportedly also crashed and became the first aerial victory ever over Finland. Since the claim wasn’t witnessed it was only credited to him as a probable.
Uuttu reported:
I flew southeast of Muolaanjärvi but I did not see any movements so I descended lower. Suddenly I saw tracers flying all around me. When I looked over my shoulder, I saw three I-16s attacking me. I pulled up and left and as they overtook me, I was able to fire a short burst on passing I-16. I hit his engine and saw black smoke coming out of the engine. It started sliding downward smoking. Tracers were flying all around my plane. Suddenly my plane shuddered and when I pulled on stick, it did not move. I considered jumping, but in fear that they might shoot me on parachute I decided to fight it out to the last. I continued evading my attackers using only rudder and aerlions. We had descended to altitude of 200m and when I looked behind, I saw one still shooting. I shut off my engine and tried to make a forced landing to forest. When landing, I pulled with all of my strength on the stick and it moved back a little bit, but then the Bulldog hit the woods and I passed away.The fighters of 4./7 IAP claimed one reconnaissance aircraft shot down between 12:30-13:15 at Muolaa. The aircraft was claimed as a shared between starshiy leitenant Fedor Shinkarenko (eskadrilya leader), starshiy Politruk Gavriil Didenko and B. A. Grigoryev. Starshiy leitenant Petr Pokryshev from the same eskadrilya force-landed his I-16 at Kerrola, Muolaa, after reportedly engine-malfunction and it is thus possible that he also had been involved in the combat with ylikersantti Uuttu.
On 6 December 1939, he was promoted to vääpeli.
He died accidentally on 27 April 1942 while serving with Le SK.
Uttu claimed one probable victory during the war, this one being claimed while flying the Bristol Bulldog.
During his career, he was awarded with the Vapauden Risti of the 2nd Class
Claims:
| Kill no. | Date | Time | Number | Type | Result | Plane type | Serial no. | Locality | Unit |
| 1939 | |||||||||
| 01/12/39 | 11:45-11:55 | Probable | I-16 (a) | Destroyed | Bulldog | BU-64 | SE Muolaanjärvi | LLv 26 |
Biplane victories: 1 probably destroyed.
TOTAL: 1 probably destroyed.
(a) Possibly claimed in combat with I-16s from 4./7 IAP.
Sources:
Ilmavoimat talvisodassa- Kalevi Keskinen and Kari Stenman kindly via Tuomo Lukkari
Ilmavoitot, osa 1 - Kalevi Keskinen and Kari Stenman, ISBN 952-99432-8-8
LeR 2 - Kalevi Keskinen and Kari Stenman, 2001, ISBN 951-98751-0-7
Red Stars 7 - Talvisota Ilmassa - The Winter War In the Air - Carl-Fredrik Geust, 2011 Apali Oy, Tampere, ISBN 978-952-5877-04-5
Suomen Ilmavoimat part II – 1928-40 – Kalevi Keskinen and Kari Stenman, 2006, ISBN 952-99743-0-2
Suomen sodissa 1939-1945 menehtyneiden tiedosto
Additional information kindly provided via Tuomo Lukkari
