Jorma Karhunen was a Finnish Air Forceace and an author. He scored 31.5 kills in World War II; 25.5 of his air victories were achieved while flying the Brewster F2A Buffalo, American fighter. 's Brewster B-239formation during the Continuation War. Cptn Karhunen scored 25.5 - out of 35.5 - of his kills flying this type of aircraft Soon after the outbreak of Operation Barbarossa, on 25 June 1941, when he was 1st Lt, Karhunen led the 3rd Flight of Lentolaivue 24, based at Vesivehmaa. On 9 July, he was one of the dozen Brewster pilots led by Major Gustaf Magnusson on a patrol over Lahdenpohja, that in a ten-minute air combat shot down eight out of 15 Soviet bombers and fighters At the end of July, his 3/LLv24 was ordered to support the offensive against the Karelian Ishtmus, scheduled for 31 July. Karhunen unit's opponents were 5th SAD, 7th and 153rd IAP and 65th and 235th ShaPs. On 1 August Karhunen's unit of seven Brewsters shot down six I-16s near Rautjarvi, WO Ilmari Juutilainen, claiming two of them. Eleven days later, on 12 August, Capt Karhunen was involved in the heaviest air combat over the Karelian Isthmus, while leading six Brewsters from 3/LLv 24 on a patrol. On Antrea area they attackeda formation of about 20 aircraft from 65th ShAP. During the ensuing 30 minutes air combat, Karhunen and his pilots shot down nine Polikarpov I-153s "Chaikas". On 26 September, Soviets suffered further losses. That day, Capt Karhunen's formation of seven Buffalos shot down six I-15s north of Petajaselka. The Finnish came back in the area a short while later and encountered eight I-15 bis from 65th ShAP. The Brewster pilots shot down three of the enemy aircraft. Capt. Karhunen later recalled: After the end of hostilities, Karhunen, the captain and commander of the 3rd flight of LeLv 24, recalled: He retired from active duty on 13 December 1955. During his retirement years Jorma Karhunen wrote 36 books in Finnish, mainly about aerial combat in the wars between Finland and the USSR. The books were published between 1958 and 2000. As an author, Jorma Karhunen used an alias Joppe Karhunen.
