As a component of the
VII Corps, the 7th Division took part in the
Army of Karelia's
1941 conquest of East Karelia. At the start of the war the 7th Division was the westernmost division of the VII Corps, the westernmost division of the
Army of Karelia, intended to operate between
Lake Ladoga and
Lake Opega as part of the
Finnish invasion of East Karelia. By July 1941 the division was commanded by Colonel
Antero Svensson and had advanced to the
Matkaselkä Railway and pushed the Soviets back towards Lake Ladoga. The 7th Division captured
Sortavala, a Russian town since 1917 but which had previously been part of Finland, on 8 August 1941 after a fierce battle. The division advanced between Ladoga and Opega, uniting with the
11th Division it attacked east of
Kotkozero to capture Lumatjarvi crossroads on 13 September. Continuing to operate with the 11th Division the 7th Division helped to capture
Petrozavodsk after penetrating Soviet lines to the south of the city. The 7th Division reached the
Svir river by October. The tired division failed to cross the river on 6 October but succeeded the following day. During the 1944 Soviet advances the 7th Division participated in the defence of Loimola during the July
Battle of Nietjärvi. By 4 September 1944, the division had been subordinated to the
II Corps. During the
Soviet Svir-Petrozavodsk Offensive of 1944, the division fought a delaying action from the river
Svir first to
Petrozavodsk and eventually to the
Sortavala region. ==Organization==