Eino Luukkanen was a Finnish fighter ace in World War II.
15 Facts About Eino Luukkanen
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Eino Luukkanen scored 56 confirmed victories, becoming Finland's third highest ranking ace.
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Eino Luukkanen flew the Fokker D-21, Brewster B-239 Buffalo, and Bf 109G.
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Eino Luukkanen was posted as an ensign to the 1st Maritime Squadron in Viipuri.
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Eino Luukkanen flew both as a pilot and as an observer.
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In 1935 Eino Luukkanen was transferred to fighter squadron LeLv 26, equipped with the Bristol Bulldog Mk.
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The next day Eino Luukkanen scored his first victory, a SB-2 bomber.
8.
Four BWs under Eino Luukkanen's command had taken off from Rantasalmi and were at 1500 meters over Parikkala when they attacked six I-153s flying at low altitude over the front line.
9.
On 27 March 1943 Eino Luukkanen was posted as the commander of the recently created Fighter Squadron 34 and equipped with Messerschmitt Bf 109G-2 fighters.
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Eino Luukkanen scored his last victory on 5 August 1944 as he and his wingman each shot down a Yak-9.
11.
Altogether Major Eino Luukkanen's unit claimed 345 victories from 29 March 1943 to 4 September 1944 against 30 Messerschmitts lost, 18 of which were in combat.
12.
Eino Luukkanen's book was translated to English and published in Britain in 1961 and reprinted in the US in 1992 entitled "Fighter over Finland".
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Eino Luukkanen retired in November 1951 after he was found guilty of espionage for having handed over some aerial photographs to a man who worked for the Swedish intelligence service.
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Eino Luukkanen was one of Finnish leader Carl Gustav Emil Mannerheim's pallbearers when the Marshal died in 1951.
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Eino Luukkanen died on 4 September 1964, survived by his widow and his son Risto Heikki, who had a military career.