Jorma Karhunen

Who was Jorma Karhunen?

Jorma Karhunen was a Finnish Air Force ace.

He scored 31.5 kills in World War II; 25.5 of his air victories were achieved while flying the Brewster F2A Buffalo, American fighter.

Soon after the outbreak of Operation Barbarossa, on 25 June 1941, when he was 1st Lt, Karhunen led the 3rd Flight of Lentolaivue 24, based at Vesivehmaa.

On 9 July, he was one of the dozen Brewster pilots led by Major Gustaf Magnusson on a patrol over Lahdenpohja, that in a ten-minute air combat shot down eight out of 15 Soviet bombers and fighters

At the end of July, his 3/LLv24 was ordered to support the offensive against the Karelian Ishtmus, scheduled for 31 July. Karhunen unit's opponents were 5th SAD, 7th and 153rd IAP and 65th and 235th ShaPs. On 1 August Karhunen's unit of seven Brewsters shot down six I-16s near Rautjarvi, WO Ilmari Juutilainen, claiming two of them. Eleven days later, on 12 August, Capt Karhunen was involved in the heaviest air combat over the Karelian Isthmus, while leading six Brewsters from 3/LLv 24 on a patrol. On Antrea area they attacked a formation of about 20 aircraft from 65th ShAP.