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Post by lordroel on Dec 21, 2018 9:10:08 GMT
Day 22 of Winter War, December 21st 1939
The Soviet impetus has been stopped - the original plan had been to be in Helsinki by now. The Finns already have proven their mettle, but now is when they start moving toward actually eviscerating some of the over-extended and ill-prepared Soviet troops.
Finnish II Corp’s commander General Harald Öhqvist prepares a plan for his own commander, General Hugo Österman, for a counter-offensive on the Karelian Isthmus. Field Marshal Mannerheim has a good relationship with his subordinates and approves the plan.
Major General Paavo Talvela is counterattacking the Soviet 139th Rifle Division around Ägläjärvi, which is about 20 km from Tolvajärvi. The Soviets are giving ground. The Soviet 75th Rifle Division is not doing much to help its sister formation but is in contact with the Finns.
At Salla, the Soviet troops on the north fork are still under pressure and have been pushed back to Savukoski. The Soviets on the south fork are also under pressure but are less overstretched.
At Summa, the Soviet tank attacks continue to result in no lasting gains, and are winding down. The field is littered with abandoned Soviet tanks. The Soviet infantry are refusing to participate in frontal assaults on the well dug-in Finnish soldiers.
At Suomossalmi, the Soviet 163rd and 44th Rifle Divisions are both trapped, the one in the town, the other stretched out along the road. Both are now to some extend dependent upon the other remaining in action, else the Finns can concentrate all their men on on of the units.
In the far north, Soviet 14th Army once again advances to Nautsi, but then stops. The 14th Army can only become a strategic threat to Finland if it can advance south and take the key road junction of Rovaniemi and points further south, potentially hooking up with the Soviet 9th Army. The Finns are executing a form of guerilla warfare in the treeless, windy, endless dark, cutting supply lines and launching harassing attacks.
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Post by lordroel on Dec 22, 2018 9:58:16 GMT
Day 23 of Winter War, December 22nd 1939
The Kremlin is becoming increasingly agitated about the lack of Soviet successes in Finland, they remove the commander of the Ninth Army, Dukhanov and bring in one of the successful and most hard-bitten commanders from Poland, Vasily Chuikov. For what was supposed be a mere formality, the invasion of Finland is turning into a real dogfight.
Chuikov is a brutal but effective commander. Some of his troops committed war crimes in Poland while he was in command of 4th Army, but he is a keen strategist and is adept at recovering from bad situations. He and his staff immediately start trying to figure out what is going wrong at Suomussalmi and the other flashpoints that have held up the advance.
He quickly realizes that the vaunted 44th Rifle Division, strung out along the Ratte road and essentially surrounded, was incapable of breaking out on its own. He sends a message to the Stavka that the division, highly regarded, "adjusts to the local conditions very badly." His requests for troops to relieve this relief force, however, are denied.
Finland is becoming the graveyard of not only the graveyard of Soviet soldiers, but also of the careers (and ultimately lives) of their Generals. Chuikov's appointment is a sign that things are seriously off the track.
Winter War Army Operations
The Soviets give up their attacks on Summa, handing the Finns a major defensive victory.
At Ägläjärvi, Group Telvela destroys the Soviet 139th Rifle Division. It also sends the Soviet 75th Infantry Division reeling. The remaining Soviets head back for the border. The Soviets lost over 1,000 dead, 20 tanks, 60 machine guns and the guns of two artillery batteries. The Finns lose over 100 dead and 250 wounded. This effectively ends the battle in this area.
Despite Chuikov's appointment, Soviet 44th Rifle Division on the Ratte road continues to say that it is unable to break through the Finnish roadblock formed by Group Kontula. Thus, it cannot relieve 163rd Rifle Division.
Soviet 17th Railway Artillery Battalion is attached to 7th Army and bombards Viipuri.
Winter War Air Operations
The Soviets again raid Helsinki. The attacks are small, this time with only three bombers, and do not cause much damage.
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Post by lordroel on Dec 23, 2018 9:07:40 GMT
Day 24 of Winter War, December 23rd 1939The Finnish Army's first attempt at a strategic offensive. It was pitched to Marshall Mannerheim only two days ago by General Öhqvist, who is in charge on the Karelian Isthmus. It is the first planned, set-piece offensive by the Finns. Winter War Army Operations
At 06:30, four Finnish Divisions launch a major counterattack on the western side of the Karelian Isthmus in front of Viipuri. It is the most sensitive spot on the entire front, and both sides have their top firepower there. The Soviets may not be very good on the offensive recently, but they show that tanks are excellent defensive weapons. After gaining no ground, General Öhqvist abruptly calls off the operation at 14:40. There are roughly 1300 deaths on both sides, which, for the Finns, is a disaster. At Suomussalmi, 9th Division launches an attack on the struggling 44th Division which is strung out on the Ratte road. The column had been moving ahead slowly, but with only two machine companies, Captain Mäkinen of 9th Army forces the entire column, led by the 25th Rifle Regiment, to halt and dig in. It is like a gigantic traffic jam with all lanes blocked. The counterattack of the Finnish II Corps (December 23rd 1939)
Winter War Air Operations
The Soviets bomb Helsinki again, but this time with leaflets which contained a message from the Soviet's puppet Finnish government.
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Post by lordroel on Dec 24, 2018 8:11:53 GMT
Day 25 of Winter War, December 24th 1939
International aid to the Finns continues. Volunteers from virtually other European nations have been pouring in. 50 Finnish-American volunteers arrive at the port of Oulu to serve in the military.
The campaign now has been in progress for 24 days, twice the amount of time expected in the Soviets' overly optimistic plans.
The remnants of Soviet 75th and 139th Divisions have been on the run in the Tolmojaervi and Aglajaervi (Ägläjärvi) districts. Group Talvela is pursuing them and enter into Soviet territory, though only briefly.
At Suomussalmi, the trapped Soviet 163rd Division tries to break out east down the Ratte road but makes no progress against the Finnish 9th Division. Soviet 44th Division, trapped further down the road, does not have enough strength to help them. The winter is working its magic on the Soviet troops and their vehicles, robbing them of strength and initiative. Part of the problem is that the Soviet 44th Division has plenty of skis, but no ski troops. The Finns can maneuver through the woods on skis and attack the Soviets all along the road.
Soviet troops further north are being pushed back to Salla from the Kemijoki River by the Finnish troops under the command of Major General Kurt Martti Wallenius.
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Post by lordroel on Dec 25, 2018 9:57:13 GMT
Day 26 of Winter War, December 25th 1939
The Taipale sector heats up again. After days of bombing and shelling, the Soviet 4th Rifle Division crosses Lake Suvanto before dawn. The Soviets quickly take "beachheads" (everything is frozen anyway) of battalion strength at Patoniemi, Volossula, and Kelja.
The day turns into a wild melee at each of the three beachheads. At Patoniemi, the Finns send a reserve battalion that spends the rest of the day ejecting and eliminating the attackers. At Volossula, the Finns send a battalion to reinforce the local company and eject the Soviets while sustaining heavy casualties. At Kelja, Finnish artillery catches some of the attackers on the ice, but even desperate counter-attacks can't dislodge the Soviets. There is savage fighting all day long at all three flashpoints.
At Suomussalmi, the 163rd Division tries to break out again, but fails. With their backs to Lake Vuonanlahti and no way out to the east, the Soviets are starting to try to escape to safety that way, but with little success. The Soviets on the Ratte road 25th Regiment) remain quiet.
Soviet 13th Army forms up in the Karelian Isthmus.
Winter War Air Operations
The Soviets launch merciless bombing and strafing attacks on all major (and minor minor) Finnish cities, including Helsinki, Viipuri, Borga, Tampere, Kovisto and Turku. The Soviets focus on railway lines. The Finnish fighter force goes up and, along with anti-aircraft forces, downs or damages 20 Soviet bombers.
Winter War Naval Operations
The Soviet cruiser Marat shells Kovisto coastal batteries.
Four Soviet submarines leave port.
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Post by lordroel on Dec 26, 2018 9:27:20 GMT
Day 27 of Winter War, December 26th 1939
The Finnish 9th Division brings up some artillery and begins shelling the Soviets trapped in the town of Suomussalmi. The Soviet 163rd Rifle Division has no escape route, and the 44th Rifle Division remains trapped on the Ratte road.
In the Taipale area, the Soviets send reinforcements across the ice to the men at Kelja who crossed on the 25th. The Finns attempt several counterattacks starting early in the morning, but they fail. The Soviets continue sending over more men in the teeth of Finnish artillery and shore batteries at the Kekinniemi fort which has a clear field of fire over the ice. It is a brutal battle, with nowhere to hide and shells raining down everywhere. The lake "is littered with piles of bodies” according to one onlooker. The day ends with the situation relatively unchanged, which is a defeat for the Finns because the Soviets have consolidated their position.
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Post by lordroel on Dec 27, 2018 4:07:30 GMT
Day 28 of Winter War, December 27th 1939
Soviet casualties to date are estimated to be 30,000. International aid continues to pour into Finland, and Britain and France ask the Swedes for permission to ship it in through their territory. The port of Narvik is a handy entry point due to the rail line that runs from it, through Sweden, directly to Helsinki.
Viipuri civilians are evacuated as Soviet shells from long-range artillery rain down and Soviet bombing missions continue.
Winter War Army Operations
Finnish troops in Group Talvela are pursuing the Soviet 75th Rifle Division and 139th Rifle Division to Lake Ruua in Soviet territory.
The Finnish troops around Suomussalmi receive two new regiments and go on the attack. The Ninth Division advances to within about 15 miles of the border and also advance on the village of Suomussalmi itself. The Soviet commander of the 163rd Rifle Division in the village, Kombrig Zelentsov, finally receives permission to evacuate the town. He prepares to sneak out the next morning.
General Siilasvuo decides to attack the Soviet 81st Mountain Rifle Regiment in Hulkoniemi. Four Finnish battalions break through the regiment's line. There is a wild scramble as the Soviets flee to their command post, and every man in the unit is defending his own square yard of ground. They and the 759th Rifle Regiment also receive permission to withdraw. Basically, all of the Soviet advance units in the area are bugging out, leaving the stranded "relief" force on the Ratte road, the 44th Rifle Division, in the lurch.
At Kelja, the Finns are counterattacking the Soviet beachhead relentlessly after receiving reinforcements from the Western Isthmus. Late in the day, with artillery support, they manage to infiltrate the sketchy Soviet positions along the shore of the frozen lake. After dark, the Finns clear out the entire beachhead. The Finns capture 12 anti-tank guns, 140 machine guns, 200 light machine guns and 1500 rifles, but their own losses in manpower are not insignificant. Troop transfers from elsewhere weaken the front because there is no manpower to spare anywhere. By expanding the board, even with horrendous losses, the Soviets are slowly draining the Finns of their scarce manpower. The Finns cannot win a battle of attrition.
The Soviets are still giving ground at Salla.
Soviet 13th Army swings into action at Taipale, launching attacks.
Winter War Air Operations
Soviet bombers drop more leaflets over Helsinki and bombs on other cities.
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Post by lordroel on Dec 28, 2018 3:11:00 GMT
Day 29 of Winter War, December 28th 1939
Winter War Army Operations
This day is a bug-out day for the Soviets. While the Finns control the few roads and the woods, there is always one route of escape: the frozen lakes. They are extremely dangerous to use because of how exposed to enemy fire the troops are, but they can't be blocked and are always open for business to get home. Today, the Soviets use them.
Winter War Army Operations
Comrade Zelentsov in Suomussalmi gathers his men of the 163rd Rifle Division together at dawn. The troops form a 4 kilometer-long column on the ice of Kiantajärvi lake and head away from the doomed village they have been defending for weeks. The two regiments, the 81st Mountain Rifles and the 759th Rifle Regiment, receive elaborate Red Air Force protection, and tanks assist on the ground. By evening, they have made good progress toward safety that lies 20 km to the northeast, taking with them 2000 men, 48 trucks, 20 field guns and 6 tanks. The going is slow on the ice, but the Soviets are motivated.
However, not everyone gets away. Zelentsov's division actually has three regiments, the third being the 662nd Rifle Regiment. It remains back forming a defensive perimeter by the road, oblivious to the departure of the men it had been guarding. Regiment commander Sharov and commissar Podhomutov - both having equal authority - sneak out on their men and leave them to their fate, making their way together through the forest to safety. Virtually everyone they leave behind is annihilated. Both Sharov and Podhomutov are immediately arrested and executed in front of the few of their troops that also survived.
The Soviets are not out of danger yet. They still must cross a very long lake and get ashore before the Finns catch up with them.
Aside from recapturing the village and eliminating a substantial Soviet formation, for the Finns it also is a huge strategic victory because now they can turn all of their attention to the stranded and immobile Soviet 44th Rifle Division on the Ratte road. The beleaguered division is stretched over 20 kilometers on what essentially is a rough logging road through deep forests. The division is oriented to proceed west to Suomussalmi, but now there is no need to go there. The division's only rational destination is where it came from, but the best troops are at the wrong end of the 20 kilometers. The division headquarters (kombrig Vinogradov and commissar Parkhomenko) is all the way back on the Soviet side of the border. Orders to the division: no retreat. Form a defensible perimeter and hold on for ... something.
The Soviets are bringing in reinforcements to the Karelian Isthmus, including picked Ogpu troops. However, they are not intended to help the Soviet troops that are in trouble.
Comrade Stalin is showing his ruthlessness. He essentially writes off the Soviet formations in the most difficulty in Finland and prepares a completely new plan. The new mission for Soviet 8th, 9th and 14th Armies essentially is to stand their ground for as long as they can, with no permission to retreat and no plans to resupply or reinforce them. Soviet liquidation squads are ready for any conmanders that return from the front without orders or success.
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Post by lordroel on Dec 29, 2018 9:16:14 GMT
Day 30 of Winter War, December 29th 1939
About 250 Finnish ski troops act like partisans and ski across the border to the Leningrad-Murmansk railway line. There is no alternative route for the line, which is the Soviet Union's main warm-water port. The Finns blow it up at three separate points and penetrate as far as Kandalasksha, much like a Civil War cavalry raid.
Winter War Army Operations
The Finns overpower the remaining Soviets at Suomussalmi. They capture 11 tanks, 25 guns and 150 trucks. The Soviets manage to take with them 48 trucks, 20 field guns and 6 tanks. The Finns kill the stragglers in the town and send some men to pursue the ones who left on the ice. Now, it is time for the majority of the troops to turn complete attention to the doomed 44th Rifle Division on the Ratte road leading into the town.
The 44th Rifle Division could probably get away; at least large portions of it. However, its orders are to stay put. This is despite the fact that it no longer has a mission, as the troops it was sent to relieve have now left by another route. Stalin is exercising his command style, which is to condemn unsuccessful formations to their doom regardless of less-destructive alternatives. There are many more where they came from in the vast Soviet Union.
Soviet Military
Chief of Staff Shaposhnikov plans a mass attack on the Karelian Isthmus toward Viipuri. If successful, it would decide the war - which, according to all estimates, should have been decided already. Commander of the Kiev Military District Semyon Timoshenko "volunteers" to lead the new operation, while Kirill Meretskov, whose original plan has failed, is demoted to command of 7th Army.
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Post by lordroel on Dec 30, 2018 6:42:06 GMT
Day 31 of Winter War, December 30th 1939
General Stern has been brought West from the Soviet Far Eastern Army to direct operations north of Lake Ladoga.
Winter War Army Operations
The Finnish 9th Division has been pursuing the fleeing Soviets from Suomussalmi. A platoon under Captain Kuistio embarks in two trucks and manages to catch the tail end of the 4 kilometer-long Soviet column at the northern end of Lake Kiantajärvi. There is nowhere to hide on the ice, and Kuistio and his men kill another 500 Soviet men using 4 machine guns, 1 twin antiaircraft- machine gun and various sub-machine guns. In addition, the Finnish air force (Bristol Blenheim Mk 1 bombers) and Finnish artillery blast away at the fleeing Soviets, killing some outright and sending others through holes in the ice. Total losses for the Soviet 163rd Rifle Division are estimated at 15,000, versus 420 Finnish dead or missing along with 600 wounded.
The total war booty from Suomussalmi brought back to headquarters is staggering for the poorly armed Finns:
- 625 Rifles,
- 33 LMG's,
- 19 MG's,
- 2 AntiAircraft-MG's (four barrels),
- 12 AntiTank-guns,
- 27 Field and AntiAircraft-guns,
- 26 Tanks,
- 2 Armored cars,
- 350 Horses,
- 181 Trucks,
- 11 Tractors,
- 26 Field kitchens,
- 800,000 rounds of 7.62 mm rifle ammo,
- 9,000 artillery shells,
- a field hospital, and
- a bakery.
In addition, the local Finnish troops get their fill of rifles ammunition and machine guns which they can put to immediate use without headquarters ever knowing about it.
The Soviet 44th Rifle Division on the Raate road is still intact, but their standard Red Army 1902 model Moisin-Nagant 7.62 mm rifles are are freezing in the extreme cold (gun-oil can freeze). In addition, most of their vehicle engines have seized because there is not enough fuel to keep them running through the frigid days and nights. This means the men and their animals are stuck - and with few ways to warm up. Thus, the Soviets are immobile and freezing. If they can be defeated, there will plenty of more booty to be had.
Winter War Air Operations
Soviet bombers attack Hango and drop about 60 bombs.
Winter War Naval Operations
Soviet battleship Oktyabrskaya Revolutsiya and destroyers bombard Finnish shore batteries at Saarenpaa.
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Post by stevep on Dec 30, 2018 10:59:20 GMT
Day 31 of Winter War, December 30th 1939General Stern has been brought west from the Soviet Far Eastern Army on 30 December 1939 to direct operations north of Lake Ladoga. Winter War Army Operations: The Finnish 9th Division has been pursuing the fleeing Soviets from Suomussalmi. A platoon under Captain Kuistio embarks in two trucks and manages to catch the tail end of the 4 kilometer-long Soviet column at the northern end of Lake Kiantajärvi. There is nowhere to hide on the ice, and Kuistio and his men kill another 500 Soviet men using 4 machine guns, 1 twin antiaircraft- machine gun and various sub-machine guns. In addition, the Finnish air force (Bristol Blenheim Mk 1 bombers) and Finnish artillery blast away at the fleeing Soviets, killing some outright and sending others through holes in the ice. Total losses for the Soviet 163rd Rifle Division are estimated at 15,000, versus 420 Finnish dead or missing along with 600 wounded.The total war booty from Suomussalmi brought back to headquarters is staggering for the poorly armed Finns: - 625 Rifles, - 33 LMG's, - 19 MG's, - 2 AntiAircraft-MG's (four barrels), - 12 AntiTank-guns, - 27 Field and AntiAircraft-guns, - 26 Tanks, - 2 Armored cars, - 350 Horses, - 181 Trucks, - 11 Tractors, - 26 Field kitchens, - 800,000 rounds of 7.62 mm rifle ammo, - 9,000 artillery shells, - a field hospital, and - a bakery. In addition, the local Finnish troops get their fill of rifles ammunition and machine guns which they can put to immediate use without headquarters ever knowing about it. The Soviet 44th Rifle Division on the Raate road is still intact, but their standard Red Army 1902 model Moisin-Nagant 7.62 mm rifles are are freezing in the extreme cold (gun-oil can freeze). In addition, most of their vehicle engines have seized because there is not enough fuel to keep them running through the frigid days and nights. This means the men and their animals are stuck - and with few ways to warm up. Thus, the Soviets are immobile and freezing. If they can be defeated, there will plenty of more booty to be had. Winter War Air Operations
Soviet bombers attack Hango and drop about 60 bombs. Winter War Naval Operations
Soviet battleship Oktyabrskaya Revolutsiya and destroyers bombard Finnish shore batteries at Saarenpaa.
Unfortunately, as we know from the future the Soviets can actually afford 15-1 losses in a war against Finland. Especially since with Stalin in control their not going to stop short of being able to claim at least a limited victory.  |
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Post by lordroel on Dec 31, 2018 8:47:39 GMT
Day 32 of Winter War, December 31st 1939Winter War Army Operations
With Suomussalmi cleared, General Siilsavuo has his men scout out the Raate road from the parallel ice road he has had them build on Lake Voukki. They find that Soviet 44th Rifle Division is stationary and now stretches over 39 km back to the Soviet border. Captain Mäkinen of Group Kontula is blocking the road at the western end with just two machine companies, which the Soviets must believe is a far greater force because they have more than enough firepower to level the Finns there, including artillery. The Soviet armor is bunched up in front of this blockade but is immobile. The commander of the Soviet 44th Rifle Divison, Kombrig Vinogradov, and his commissar Parhomenko both advance to the regimental headquarters (still on Soviet territory) from their position far behind the lines. Winter War Air Operations
The Soviets once again bomb Viipuri, Helsinki and about ten other Finnish cities. Photo: Twenty eight Russian planes flew over Jyväskylä and several residential buildings, the railway station and the plywood factory got hit. Air raid shelters were bombed causing 20 civilian deaths along with 25 civilians injured. Altogether 149 buildings were damaged. It was the second raid in two days. 31 December 1939. 
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Post by lordroel on Jan 1, 2019 11:38:00 GMT
Day 33 of Winter War, January 1st 1940
Winter War Army Operations
Having destroyed the Soviets in the village of Suomussalmi, the Finns decide that now is a good time to start finishing off the trapped Soviet relief column on the Ratte road. The Soviets could easily walk out through the woods - the Finns don't have nearly enough men to surround them - but they remain passive. While this may seem unwise, they are forbidden to retreat by orders. Those disobeying such orders invariably are shot upon their return to the USSR. The men also largely are from the Ukraine and know nothing about the frozen lakes and forests of Finland.
The Finns for a change have numerical superiority. They deploy the 64th, 65th, and 27th Infantry Regiments, and the 22nd Light Unit, 1st Ranger Battalion and 15th Detached Battalion. The Soviets on the Ratte road only have 7 battalions, but they have extensive armor and artillery - which is virtually useless in the forest except as immobile shelter.
The Finns start attacking at 14:00. The 1st Ranger Battalion and the 1st Battlion 27th Infantry Regiment attack the Soviet 2nd Battalion, 146th Rifle Regiment (Captain Pastukhov). The Soviets hold their position (they have nowhere to go) and inflict heavy casualties on the Finns. Late in the day, the attack resumes, and this time the Finns do better. The Soviets sustain heavy casualties (211 killed or wounded) and Pastukhov has to withdraw down the road. The nearby 146th Rifle Regiment sends its 1st Battalion, which manages to restore the situation, but after they Pastukhov and his men are completely isolated and on their own, without supplies or reinforcement.
General Siilasvuo sends 1000 skiers of the 1st Battalion of the 27th Infantry Regiment under Captain Eino Lassila 5 km down the ice road parallel to the Ratte road. They then traverse three miles of forest and deep snow until, at 23:00, they finally are in position on a hill overlooking the stranded 3rd Battalion of the 122nd Artillery Regiment (Captain Revchuk) of the Soviet 44th Rifle Division on the road. The Soviets have insufficient sentries and their security arrangements are lacking, assuming the deep forests protect them.
The Finns attack a 500 m section with 6 Maxim machine guns and wipe out the 9th Battery to the last man. Many of the remaining Soviets flee into the woods. Captain Revchuk tries to fire the artillery himself with a few remaining men, then runs down the road toward the nearby 146th Rifle Regiment. He brings back two T-20 Komsomolets gun tractors, but is refused infantry support (the 146th is between two separate outfits being attacked). The Finns quickly destroy the two T-20s, and Revchuk and his remaining men flee back to the 146th Rifle Regiment.
In summary, the Finns have begun separating the different sections of the 20-km long Soviet convoy and destroying it in detail.
Winter War Air Operations
The Soviets attack Turku and burn down the historic castle.
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Post by lordroel on Jan 2, 2019 4:07:09 GMT
Day 34 of Winter War, January 2nd 1940
Fierce winter snowstorms blanket the Karelian Isthmus, halting most operations. However, the Finns continue carving up the 30 km Soviet column stretched out on the Ratte road.
Captain Lassila, who began attacking one section of the stalled column shortly before midnight on the first, creates blockades on the Ratte road by felling trees and placing land mines. The Soviets counterattack at 07:00, but he manages to bring up 2 Bofors antitank guns. The guns destroy 7 Soviet tanks, which further block the road. The Finns are prepared and have brought tents and ways to heat their food, whereas the Soviets are sitting in steel tanks without fuel to keep warm - or out in the open.
Winter War Army Operations
The Finns attempt to encircle the Soviet 122nd Division of 9th Army at Sallaa, where they have been pushing back the Soviets for weeks. Success here and nearby has greatly relieved pressure on the vital railway line from the port of Oulu to Nurmes/Joensuu.
Winter War Naval Operations
Soviet submarine S-2 hits a hits a Swedish naval mine and sinks.
The Soviets conduct minelaying operations in the far north off Petsamo.
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Post by lordroel on Jan 3, 2019 4:09:13 GMT
Day 35 of Winter War, January 3rd 1940
The Finns reinforce the effect of the elements on the trapped Soviet 44th Rifle Division by targeting Soviet field kitchens. Finnish snipers target Soviet officers. Soviet troops have received permission to butcher horses for food. The most advanced Soviet units are running short of just about everything.
Colonel Volkov, commander within the column, requests air resupply from Ninth Army. He states that the trapped column requires:
9 tons of rifle ammunition;
8 tons of 76 mm rounds;
1.2 tons of 122 mm rounds;
2 tons of hand grenades;
1 ton of rifle grenades;
12 tons of straw for horses;
10 tons of oats;
8 tons of bread;
2 tons of meat;
800 kg of fat;
270 kg of sugar;
240 kg of salt;
500 kg of butter;
8,000 tins of preserves.
The Ninth Army has neither the items requested, nor the available planes to fly them in. General Chuikov has four TB-3 and R-5 planes, but they are grounded due to the weather. He looks for alternative sources of supply, such as by truck via the taiga north of the road, but promises nothing. The issue essentially decided, there ensue various phony representations from Volkov that everything is fine, the trapped men actually have everything they need and there's nothing to worry about.
General Vinagradov, commander of the trapped Soviet division, who is behind the Soviet border, orders the doomed Soviet division to break out and re-establish communications to the USSR. He also sends armored vehicles from the Scout Battalion in the USSR to break through. Both attempts fail, as the Finns have been working hard on blocking the road by felling trees and planting mines.
General Siilasvuo sends two regiment-sized forces (Task Force Kari and TF Fagernas) all the way down the ice road to the Soviet border, south of Ratte. He wishes to bolt the door closed.
Winter War Air Operations
The Finns turn the tables on the Soviets and drop 3 million leaflets on Leningrad. They claim to have destroyed 400 Soviet tanks and 150 Soviet planes.
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