Eino Luukkanen

Eino Luukkanen
The Youngest Squadron Leader
Nickname	Eikka
Born	4 June 1909 Jaakkima
Died	10 April 1961 Jyväskylä
Allegiance	Finland
Service/branch	Finnish Air Force
Years of service	1931-1951
Rank	Lieutenant Colonel
Unit	LeLv 24, LeLv 26, LeLv 30, LeLv 34
Commands held	LeLv 30, LeLv 34, LeR 2
Battles/wars	World War II Winter War Continuation War
Awards	Mannerheim Cross

Eino Luukkanen (4 June 1909 - 10 April 1961) was a Finnish fighter ace in World War II. Luukkanen scored 56 confirmed victories, becoming Finland's third highest ranking ace. He flew the Fokker D-21, Brewster B-239 Buffalo, and Bf 109G.

Victories

Aircraft	Victories
Fokker D.XXI	2.5
Brewster Buffalo	14.5
Messerschmitt Bf 109G	39
Total	56

After the war

The President of Finland, Field Marshal Carl Gustav Emil Mannerheim died on 28 January 1951. Eino Luukkanen was among his pall bearers. Luukkanen entered retirement in November 1951 after being convicted of espionage after having handed over some aerial photographs to a man who worked for the Swedish intelligence service.

References

Bibliography

• Keskinen, Kalevi; Stenman, Kari and Niska, Klaus. Hävittäjä-ässät (Finnish Fighter Aces) (in Finnish). Espoo, Finland: Tietoteas, 1978. ISBN 951-9035-37-0.
• Luukkanen, Eino. Fighter Over Finland: the Memoirs of a Fighter Pilot. London: Macdonald & Company Ltd.., 1963. (Reprinted 1980 by Arno Press, NY as ISBN 0-405-12191-1. and in 1989 by Time-Life, NY as ISBN 0-80949-620-8.)
• Stenman, Kari and Keskinen, Kalevi. Finnish Aces of World War 2 (Aircraft of the Aces 23). Botley, Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing, 1998. ISBN 1-85532-783-X.

External links

• Detailed Biography