Destruction of the 44th Division

After the success at Tolvajarvi, Finnish forces began attacking the Russian invaders with renewed strength. A successful tactic they used quickly became known as Motti tactics. Russian movements were bound to roads. As soon as they got into the woods, …

1940-01-05

20101

After the success at Tolvajarvi, Finnish forces began attacking the Russian invaders with renewed strength. A successful tactic they used quickly became known as Motti tactics. Russian movements were bound to roads. As soon as they got into the woods, Finnish ski patrols got them. This way whole companies vanished. Finnish forces knew that a head-on attack would be suicide because they were outnumbered. Instead they began fierce attacks in the middle of the Russian convoys. As soon as they breached through they barricaded both ends. This way small pockets of Russian troops were left and Finnish command hoped they would try to flee or just surrender. But the Russian forces inside these motti’s dug in and kept fighting until they died in battle of from starvation. This tactic of breaking through a colon of Russian troops was also applied at the 44th division, on their way to assist the troops at Suomussalmi who were under attack by Finnish forces. A reinforced roadblock held the Russian troops in their place. The kilometers long convoy then came under attack by the Finns. Bloody fighting resulted in many Finnish deaths, but even more Russian lives. Again Russian forces got a choice: Flee, Fight or dig in……

Raate, Finland

The Battle of Suomussalmi was a battle fought between Finnish and Soviet forces in the Winter War. The action took place from around December 7, 1939, to January 8, 1940. The outcome was a Finnish victory against superior forces. Suomussalmi is considered the clearest, most important, and most significant Finnish victory in the northern half of Finland. In Finland, the battle is still seen today as a symbol of the entirety of Winter War itself.

Wikipedia: Battle of Suomussalmi

Finnish

Russian

Game Type: Standard

Board Type: Winter

Website Access: Available