Once the first serious peace-feelers between Finland and the USSR were initiated in early 1944, Finns started making contingency plans in the event Germany tried a coup d'etat to force Finland to continue fighting. On 28 March 1944 Marshal Mannerheim ordered kenraaliluutnantti Woldemar Hägglund to found Osasto Helsinki (Detachment Helsinki), aka Osasto H. Its mission was to repel all sea- and airborne attacks against the Finnish capital Helsinki. 

The main infantry force of Osasto H was to be three infantry regiments: Jalkaväkirykmentti 77, Jalkaväkirykmentti 88 and Jalkaväkirykmentti 99. Jalkaväkirykmentti 77 and 88 were to be formed in the first phase, to be ready within six to seven hours after the alarm was given. Jalkaväkirykmentti 77 was to be formed of Helsinki garrison battalion Erillinen Pataljoona 30 (Detached Battalion 30), Täydennyspataljoona 2 (Supplementary Battalion 2) and Maasotakoulu (Land Warfare School, the wartime Army military academy), and would be the most efficient of the three regiments. Jalkaväkirykmentti 88's component units would be formed by Jalkaväen koulutuskeskus 1, 11 and 24 (Infantry Training Center 1, 11 and 24). The second phase, to be operational within 60 hours of the alarm, was Jalkaväkirykmentti 99 and its supporting units. In all Osasto H was to have a total strength of 16,193 men.

In the event Germany didn't have the means in 1944 to take over Finland. When the cease-fire between Finland and the Soviet Union began on 4 September 1944, Germans withdrew without incident from southern Finland, with the exception of the attempted invasion of the island of Suursaari (Gogland) in the eastern Gulf of Finland. Osasto H was deactivated on 1 October 1944.

Commanders

kenraaliluutnantti Woldemar Hägglund

Sources used

Ari Suontlahti - Pääkaupunki suojataan vallankaappaukselta" in Leskinen & Juutilainen: Jatkosodan pikkujättiläinen

Reference material on this unit

- None known at this time -