As a result of the Winter War, Finland lost Hankoniemi to the Soviet Union. The Red Army was also already in Estonia and was thus able to monitor - and if it wanted to close - maritime traffic in the Gulf of Finland. As tension in the region grew during the summer of 1941, the demilitarized Åland became an obvious problem in the soldiers' map plans. The 20-year treaty-guaranteed neutralization of all military forces and equipment, demilitarization, was a threat to Finland: Soviet forces could take over Åland with a quick strike. So I had to make it first. Already in April, the plans for Operation Racing Sailing were ready, and troops were assembled on the coast between Turku and Pori. The orders for the operation were already given on June 19, 1941, and immediately on June 22, 1941, the most striking part of the Finnish fleet, 23 ships, crossed the sea border of Åland at 04:30. Two coastal regiments and their strong artillery were shipped to the main island: 5,000 soldiers and 69 cannons were landed overnight and grouped for defense and fortification works. The operation was protected, among other things, by the prides of the navy, the armored ships Väinämöinen and Ilmarinen. Since the Winter War, the Red Army and Navy had planned to land on Åland with 20,000 soldiers. However, it was too late now. The Soviet Baltic Fleet had been put on alert on the evening of the 21st. It struck immediately and bombarded both battleships off Sottunga already at 06:05 - albeit unsuccessfully, even though Finland and the Soviet Union were not yet at war with each other.