Sturmbockstellung

"Sturmbockstellung" is a series of fortified positions built by German forces in Finnish Lappland in 1944. These positions were designed to protect the supply route to and from Norway.
Construction work was carried out by Organization Todt as well as other construction units, foreign labourers and prisoners of war.

These positions were manned by Gebirgsjäger units from 7. Gebirgsdivision in October 1944 and German troops stayed in Sturmbockstellung until retreating to Norway in spring 1945.
Finnish troops never attacked Sturmbockstellung due to the fact that they were outnumbered and outgunned compared to Germans.

Our "Spiess", SS-Oberscharführer Thomas Ullrich, visited Järämä in Kaaresuvanto, Lappland, this summer and took a look at Sturmbockstellung positions there.





In front of a bunker



Interior of the same bunker; note corrugated iron roof



Fortifications have overgrown a little, but their shape and stonework construction can still be seen



Foxhole stonework



Observation post



Another picture from observation post



Scenery from the high north



Terrain is rugged, attack over the cliffs and uphill would have been costly to the attacker



Low trees do not offer much protection



1945 or 2011? Stonework has been preserved well and bunkers have been restored by local military museum staff.