Lentolaivue 46 - Blenheim Squadron

Lentolaivue 46 oli Suomen ilmavoimien Lentorykmentti 4:ään kuuluva kaukotoimintalentolaivue, joka perustettiin ilmavoimien organisaatiouudistuksen yhteydessä 1933. Ensimmäisiksi koneikseen laivue sai Bristol Blenheimit 1937.

No. 46 Squadron (Finnish: Lentolaivue 46 or LLv.46, from 3 May 1942 Le.Lv.46), renamed No. 46 Bomber Squadron (Finnish: Pommituslentolaivue 46 or PLe.Lv.46 on 14 February 1944) was a bomber squadron of the Finnish Air Force during World War II. The squadron was part of Flying Regiment 4.

Squadron 46 was the Finnish Air Force Flight Regiment 4 with part of the remote-operation Squadron, which was founded Air Force organization in connection with the reform of 1933. The first airplanes squadron receives Bristol Blenheims in 1937.

Winter War
1st Flight (1. Lentue)
2nd Flight (2. Lentue)
3rd Flight (3. Lentue)
The Squadron was equipped with 9 Bristol Blenheim Mk.Is and 11 Bristol Blenheim Mk.IVs.

Continuation War
1st Flight (1. Lentue)
2nd Flight (2. Lentue)
3rd Flight (3. Lentue)
1st Flight of No. 48 Bomber Squadron (1./PLe.Lv.48)
Separate Photography Flight (Erillinen valokuvauslentue)

The equipment consisted of 
- 15 x Dornier Do 17Zs
- 3 x Bristol Blenheim Mk.IVs
- 4 x Ilyushin DB-3Ms
- 3 x Ilyushin Il-4s, 
- 1 x Douglas DC-2, and 
- 1 x Junkers aircraft

In 1936, the Finnish Air Force became the first export customer for the Blenheim, ordering 18 Blenheim Mk Is, which were delivered from Britain between June 1937 and July 1938. Two years later, Finland obtained a manufacturing license for the Blenheim. Before any aircraft could be manufactured at the Valtion lentokonetehdas (State Aeroplane Factory) in Finland, the Winter War broke out, forcing the Finns to order more aircraft from the UK. A further 24 British-manufactured Blenheims were ordered during the Winter War and were delivered from the RAF's own stocks.

In the aftermath of the Winter War, 55 Blenheims were constructed in Finland, the final aircraft being completed in September 1944; this brought the total number of Blenheims in Finnish service to 97 (75 Mk Is and 22 Mk IVs). The Finns also received 20 half-completed ex-Yugoslavian Mk IV Blenheims captured by Germany, together with manufacturing tools, production equipment, and a huge variety of spare parts, although some of these had been damaged or otherwise destroyed through sabotage by Yugoslav patriots. Yugoslavia had ceased production of the Mk I and commenced a production run of Mk IVs just prior to the April 1941 invasion.

The Finnish Blenheims flew 423 missions during the Winter War, and close to 3,000 missions during the Continuation War and Lapland War. Blenheim machine-gunners also shot down eight Soviet aircraft. Thirty-seven Blenheims were lost in combat during the wars.

After the war, Finland was prohibited from flying bomber aircraft by the Paris Peace Treaty, with Finland's Blenheims being placed into storage in 1948. However, in 1951, five Blenheims were re-activated for use as target tugs, with the last flight of a Finnish Blenheim taking place on 20 May 1958.

Lentolaivue 46 Komentajat: majuri Olavi Sarko ja majuri Reino Artola
Talvisodan aika
Sotatoimet
Talvisodan alkaessa laivueella oli käytettävissään yhdeksän lentokelpoista Bristol Blenheim -lentokonetta.

Tappiot
1. joulukuuta 1939 BL-110 törmäsi kallioon Rautalammilla eksyttyään. 
Koko miehistö menehtyi.
6. tammikuuta 1940 vihollisen hävittäjät ampuivat BL-112:n alas Riihilammella. Miehistö haavoittui.
28. tammikuuta 1940 BL-108 syöksyi maahan matalan lentosään vuoksi. 
Miehistö menehtyi.
14. helmikuuta 1940 BL-123:n moottori pysähtyi startissa Luonetjärvellä.
miehistö loukkaantui.
29. helmikuuta 1940 BL-126:n moottori sammui startissa Utissa. Ei henkilövahinkoja.
7. maaliskuuta 1940 vihollishävittäjät ampuivat alas BL-122:n Viipurinlahdella. Ohjaaja haavoittui, ampuja sekä tähystäjä menehtyivät.
10. maaliskuuta 1940 vihollishävittäjät ampuivat BL-133:n alas Viipurinlahdella. 
Koko miehistö menehtyi.
Ilmavoitot
20. joulukuuta 1939 Ampuja Kersantti V.Mörsky ampui Mantsin alueella alas I-16-hävittäjän.
1. maaliskuuta 1940 sama ampuja Koiviston alueella samanlaisen hävittäjän.
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Losses
December 1, 1939 BL-110 crashed into the rock Rautalampi (go lost / straying).
The entire crew perished.
6. january 1940 enemy fighters shot BL-112's down Riihilampi 
The crew were wounded.
28. january 1940 BL-108 crashed, because of a low flying weather.
The crew lost their lives.
14 February 1940 BL-123's engine stopped at the start Luonetjärvi.
the crew was injured.
29 February 1940 BL-126's engine stops, the start time, Utti. 
There were no injuries.
7 March 1940 enemy fighters shot down the BL-122 in the Gulf of Vyborg. 
The pilot was wounded, the shooter and the watchman were killed.
10 March 1940 enemy fighters shot at the BL-133's down in the Gulf of Vyborg.
The entire crew perished.

air gains
December 20, 1939 back shooter, shot down the Mantsi area one I-16 fighter.

On 1 March 1940 the same shooter Primorsk region, the one I-16 fighter.
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Jatkosodan aika
Marraskuussa 1941 valtakunnanmarsalkka Hermann Göring lahjoitti Suomen ilmavoimille 15 Dornier Do 17 Z -vaakapommituslentokonetta, jotka osoitettiin Lentolaivue 46:een. Koneita menetettiin ja laivueesta tuli kahden lentueen vahvuinen.


Kolmas lentue perustettiin uudelleen vuoden 1943 lopulla, kun saksalaisilta hankittiin Iljušin Il-4-lentokoneita. 14. helmikuuta 1944 laivueen nimeen liitettiin toimintaa kuvaava etuliite, Lentolaivue 46:sta tuli Pommituslentolaivue 46.

Continuation War Time
In November 1941 the Reich Marshal Hermann Goering personal gift the Finnish Air Force, to 15 Dornier Do 17 Z horizontal bomber aircraft, which were assigned to Squadron to 46. 
Many machines were lost and the squadron became two of the squadron strength.

The third squadron was re-established at the end of the year 1943, when the germans were purchased Ilyushin Il-4 aircraft. 

February 14, 1944 in the name of the squadron attached to the prefix describing the operation, 46 Squadron became Bombardment Flight 46 squadron.