Salpa Line
| Salpa Line | |
|---|---|
| Eastern Finland | |
| Site information | |
| Type | Defensive line |
| Controlled by | Finland |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1940–44 |
| In use | 1941–44 |
| Materials | Concrete, steel, natural features |
| Battles/wars | Continuation War |
| Garrison information | |
| Garrison | Reserve |
The Salpa Line (Finnish: Salpalinja, literally Latch line; Swedish: Salpalinjen), or its official name, Suomen Salpa (Finland's Latch), is a bunker line on the eastern border of Finland. It was built in 1940–1941 during the Interim Peace between the Winter War and the Continuation War and further in 1944 to defend Finland against a possible Soviet invasion.
The line is 1,200 kilometres long, stretching from the Gulf of Finland to Petsamo (now Pechenga, Russia). It never saw military action because the Soviet offensive in 1944 was stopped at the VKT-line on the Karelian Isthmus. The fortifications of the Salpa Line were significantly more complete and stronger than those of the Mannerheim Line.