Olli Puhakka
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Olli Puhakka | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 11 April 1916 Sortavala |
| Died | 28 January 1989 |
| Allegiance |  Finland |
| Service/ | Finnish Air Force |
| Years of service | 1935–1946 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Unit | LeLv 24, LeLv 26, LeLv 28, LeLv 30, LeLv 32 |
| Other work | Commercial airline pilot |
Risto Olli Pekka Puhakka was born on 11 April 1916 in Sortavala and died on January 28, 1989. He was one of the top scoring aces in the Finnish Air Force with 42 confirmed victories.[1]
Biography
Puhakka served in Fighter Squadrons (LLv's): 26, 30, 28, 24, 32 during the second World War. He became an ace during the Winter War, having downed 5½ Soviet aircraft. Puhakka was actively flying at the front almost during the whole war.
During his 401 combat missions, Olli Puhakka scored 42 confirmed victories in Fokker D.XXIs, Fiat G.50s and Bf 109 Gs. On 21 December 1944 he was awarded the Mannerheim Cross. Puhakka resigned from the air force in 1946 and flew commercial airliners until his retirement in 1971.
Victories
| Aircraft | Victories |
|---|---|
| Fokker D.XXI | 4 |
| Fiat G.50 | 13 |
| Messerschmitt Bf 109G | 25 |
| Total | 42 |
References
Notes
- ^ Keskinen 1978, p. 24-27.
Bibliography
- Keskinen, Kalevi; Stenman, Kari and Niska, Klaus. Hävittäjä-ässät (Finnish Fighter Aces) (in Finnish). Espoo, Finland: Tietoteas, 1978. ISBN 951-9035-37-0.
- Stenman, Kari and Keskinen, Kalevi. Finnish Aces of World War 2 (Aircraft of the Aces 23). Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing, 1998. ISBN 1-85532-783-X.
