Winter War in real time

Day 11 of Winter War, December 10th 1939

Soviet 9th Army (Chuikov) 122nd and 88th divisions capture at least part of Salla in the waist of the country. The tiny village itself has been burned down during the fighting on 9 December, but it is a key milestone on the road to the coast. The Soviet long-range objective is the port of Tornio by way of Rovaniemi, the latter of which Soviet plans call for taking in two weeks.

There are only so many useable east-west roads in this part of Finland, and this is the best one north of Suomussalmi. Reaching Tornio would split Finland in two and effectively decide the war. Even just taking Rovaniemi, which sits astride the only major north/south road east of the coast, would seriously damage Finnish prospects. Thus, the stakes are extremely high for the Finns, though the Soviets have multiple options - and all those options may be weighing on them.

Once in possession of Salla, Chuikov has a decision to make, because there is a fork in the road there. What he decides will have a big influence on future events.

The Soviet 7th Army is being shelled by Finnish coastal batteries on the island of Saarenpää. Soviet battleship Oktjabrskaja Revolutsija (October Revolution) attempts to destroy the Finnish batteries, but cannot hit them in dense winter fog. Other Finnish batteries on islands in the Gulf of Finland prevent Soviet naval forces from invading behind the Mannerheim Line to undermine it. The Finns may not have an overwhelming amount of ordnance, but what they do have is cleverly used.

Elsewhere, operations are fairly quiet after a rough week.

Photo: Soviet battleship Oktyabr'skaya Revolyutsiya after modernization, 1934.

Day 13 of Winter War, December 12th 1939

The Finns are counterattacking. Finnish ski troops are able to move through the forests, whereas the Soviets are confined to the roads. Even Soviet Division that have ample ski equipment do not have men trained to use it. The Soviet tanks are a liability in the forests, hard to maintain in the brutally cold weather and restricted to the roads. They also are often left unprotected by sufficient infantry, as the Soviets do not believe in a combined-arms approach.

Colonel Hjalmar Siilasvuo has the Soviet 163rd Rifle Division surrounded at Suomussalmi. His troops have the only way in, the Ratte road, barricaded, but there still is no sign of any Soviet relief effort. He and his men wait.

At Taipale, the Soviets continue trying to smash through the Finnish defenses using only one division. By the end of the day, the Soviet commanders decide to bring in another division, the 10th Rifle Division, and more tanks and artillery. It will take a day or two for these to arrive.

The Finnish defenses at Kollaa also are holding. This is the linchpin of the entire Mannerheim Line and it is well-defended.

At Tolvajärvi, north of Lake Ladoga, the Finnish commander, Colonel Paavo Talvela, sees an opportunity to trap some Soviet troops by sending his troops across the the frozen lakes Hirvasjärvi and Tolvajärvi. He sends one group in the north, consisting of two battalions, to attack the Soviet 718th Rifle Regiment. While the attack fails, it draws off Soviet reserves needed in the south. There, a Finnish battalion of the Finish 16th Regiment fends off a Soviet attack in the morning and goes on the offensive as planned. The Soviet troops are pushed back, and Talvela traps the entire Soviet Regiment, capturing its documents and killing its commander. The Soviets lose over 1,000 dead and equipment (including 26 tanks) that the Finns can badly use. The Soviet 139th Rifle Division is largely destroyed.

The Soviet troops in the far north at Petsamo are being screened only lightly by the Finns, but there is really nowhere for them to go in the round-the-clock darkness of the Arctic winter.

The only Soviet bright spot is at Salla, in the waist of the country. The Soviets are consolidating their advance there, ridding the town of the remaining Finnish troops, and planning their next move west.

Day 15 of Winter War, December 14th 1939

In the far north, the Soviets embark on a new offensive in the Petsamo region, the one area where they have freedom of action.

The Soviet destroyers Gnevny and Grozyaschi shell Uto Island.

Day 17 of Winter War, December 16th 1939

Apart from its value as a chokepoint against Soviet attacks north from Leningrad, the Mannerheim Line on the Karelian Isthmu serves to shield the city of Viipuri. Loss of the city would open a communications network into the heart of Finland, and it would be a major blow to Finnish morale. The terrain is much more tank-friendly beyond the city. The Finns have heavily fortified the village of Summa to Viipuri's east which defends the city.

On 16 December 1939, frustrated at Summa, the Soviets attempt to bypass Summa and instead head through the nearby Munasuo swamp to the east. In prioritizing their defenses, the Finns have left this area relatively unprepared. With the ground hard, 20 Soviet tanks blow through this gap, sometimes passing directly over Finnish infantry who hold their ground in trenches. The tank raid, though, could undermine the entire Mannerheim Line if handled properly. This battle introduces the world to "Molotov Cocktails, which are bottles full of combustible fluids thrown at the engine compartments of tanks to set them on fire.

At Tolvajärvi, the Soviet 75th Division marches to the relief of the 139th Division which has gotten into difficulty. The Finns counterattack and send the relief force into retreat.

Day 19 of Winter War, December 18th 1939

The Soviets, stymied almost everywhere, bomb Helsinki and shell some Finnish coastal batteries. Soviet battleship Oktyabrskaya Revolutsiya and escorting warships bombard the Finnish shore battery at Saarenpaa.

In the far north, the Soviets advance from Petsamo to take Pitkaejaervi but can proceed no further. Three scratch Finnish companies are able to stop the Soviet 52nd Division at Höyhenjärvi. It is the heart of winter up there, with no sunlight and bitter conditions, terrible weather for army advances.

At Salla, the Soviets on the northern road to Pelkosenniemi are retreating from the Kemijoki River in wild flight back toward Salla. The Soviet 112th Division loses most of its tanks and other heavy equipment. The Finns are holding the Soviets on the south road toward Kemijärvi against fierce attacks. Once again, the Finns are showing their excellence at concentrating their minimal forces and defeating Soviet units in detail.

At Summa and Kollaa, the stalemate continues, but the Finns have the upper hand. At Kollaa, the Finnish IV Corps forces the Soviet 75th and 139th divisions to retreat to Ägläjärvi.

Paavo Talvela is promoted from colonel to major general for his command at the Battle of Tolvajärvi on 12 December. The campaign at Tolvajärvi is quite not over yet, but its opening rounds have been a smashing Finnish victory. Battles are drawn-out affairs because the Finns are relying on the cold and hunger as their allies against the Soviets, and while those factors take time to work their magic, they are relentless.

Photo: Finnish counter-attacks and Soviet withdrawal.



YouTube clip (Elmer Davis And The News - Russo Finnish Front)