A Surprise Encounter

By the end of the first week of the Winter War, the Soviet 139th Rifle Division had driven the outnumbered Finnish defenders back almost 40 miles along the Tolvajarvi Road, threatening to create the first Russian breakthrough. Into the situation Field Marshal Mannerheim, without reserves to spare, sent Colonel …

1939-12-12

A088

By the end of the first week of the Winter War, the Soviet 139th Rifle Division had driven the outnumbered Finnish defenders back almost 40 miles along the Tolvajarvi Road, threatening to create the first Russian breakthrough. Into the situation Field Marshal Mannerheim, without reserves to spare, sent Colonel Talvela, who managed to stabilize the front within a matter of days with aggressive patrolling in the trackless forests to stymie Russian flanking actions. Talvela then ordered a series of counterattacks. The plan for 12 December centered on retaking a large tourist hotel on the shores of Lake Tolvajarvi. But Major Malkamaaki's 2nd and 3rd Companies ran head-on into two battalions of the Russian 718th Rifle Regiment which was itself moving to outflank the Finnish positions.

Tolvajärvi, Finland

The Winter War was a war between the Soviet Union (USSR) and Finland. It began with a Soviet invasion of Finland on 30 November 1939, three months after the outbreak of World War II, and ended three and a half months later with the Moscow Peace Treaty on 13 March 1940. Despite superior military strength, especially in tanks and aircraft, the Soviet Union suffered severe losses and initially made little headway. The League of Nations deemed the attack illegal and expelled the Soviet Union from the organisation.

Finnish

Russian

Scenario Type = Standard