Red Churchills

After the siege of Leningrad was lifted in January 1944, STAVKA began planning a summer offensive to knock Finland out of the war. The Soviet attack on the Karelian Isthmus started on 9 June, timed to coincide with the Normandy landings. Fifteen divisions, including experienced Guards formations, were …

1944-06-20

J170

After the siege of Leningrad was lifted in January 1944, STAVKA began planning a summer offensive to knock Finland out of the war. The Soviet attack on the Karelian Isthmus started on 9 June, timed to coincide with the Normandy landings. Fifteen divisions, including experienced Guards formations, were thrown at the Finns and breached the front line. After a failed counterattack by Finnish armor, the defenders retreated to the Viipuri-Kuparsaari-Taipale line. The Germans rushed reinforcements and arms, including Sturmgeschutze and hand-held anti-tank weapons, across the Baltic to prevent the collapse of their Finnish allies. On 20 June, Soviet forces approached the ancient Finnish port of Viipuri (Vyborg). Leading the assault was the 64th Guards Rifle Division, reinforced by a heavy tank regiment equipped with Lend-Lease Churchill tanks.

Vyborg, Finland

The Continuation War, also known as Second Soviet-Finnish war, was a conflict fought by Finland and Nazi Germany, against the Soviet Union (USSR) from 1941 to 1944, as a part of World War II. In Soviet historiography, the war was called the Finnish Front of the Great Patriotic War. Germany regarded its operations in the region as part of its overall war efforts on the Eastern Front and provided Finland with critical material support and military assistance, including economic aid. The Continuation War began 15 months after the end of the Winter War, also fought between Finland and the USSR. There have been numerous reasons proposed for the Finnish decision to invade, with regaining territory lost during the Winter War being regarded as the most common. Other justifications for the conflict included President Ryti's vision of a Greater Finland and Commander-in-Chief Mannerheim's desire to annex East Karelia. Plans for the attack were developed jointly between the Wehrmacht and a faction of Finnish political and military leaders with the rest of the government remaining ignorant. Despite the co-operation in this conflict, Finland never formally signed the Tripartite Pact, though they did sign the Anti-Comintern Pact. Finland's leadership justified their alliance with Germany as self-defence.

Russian

Finnish

Scenario Type = Standard