Tunnevakaus

Tunnevakaus refers to a construction method used in Finland, particularly during the Winter War (1939-1940) and the Continuation War (1941-1944). It involved creating secret tunnels and protected corridors in rock faces to allow soldiers and equipment to move between rear areas and front lines without being exposed to enemy fire.

The Finnish Army employed tunnevakaus, which translates to "tunnel defense," mainly along the demarcation line between Finland and the Soviet Union. Skilled laborers, usually from eastern Finland, were tasked with digging and constructing these tunnels, often using manual labor and simple tools. The tunnels typically ran under hills and mountains, where their entrances were camouflaged, and usually led to carefully positioned defense lines.

Tunnevakaus played a significant role in the Winter War, allowing Finnish forces to rapidly redeploy troops and maintain a relatively small army against the numerically superior Soviet forces. The high regards Finnish people have for the public works involved in tunnevakaus, are notable. Men in an ages from 14 to at least 67 worked enthusiastically and labored on these projects.

As the Continuation War began, tunnevakaus continued to be employed, albeit with more attention given to camouflage and concealment to prevent Soviet observation. After the war, the Finnish Army was criticized for inadequate tunnel construction. In the following years, Finnish engineers assessed the existing tunnel network

and suggested practical changes, allowing for essential enlargement, deepening, and renovation tasks for extending operational efficiency