Arctic Front: Metal Gods

[Crossroads]

EDIT: I am seriously considering renaming the scenario into Metal Gods...

At Honkaniemi, the 4th Tank Company of the Armored Battalion with their sixteen British 6 ton Vickers tanks, the only modern tanks Finns had, engaged the enemy in the only larger Winter War battle that had both sides deploying tanks to front line.

I took the artistic liberty to deploy the full 4th Tank Coy to this scenario, while in reality only a handful of them made it to battle under the harsh winter conditions.

Metal Gods, Forward!

Machines are taking all over
With mankind in their command
In time they'd like to discover
How they can make their demand
© Judas Priest - Metal Gods

Metal Gods

Feb 26, 1940


Picture: A Finnish Vickers 6 ton tank, armed with a Bofors 37mm ATG, laying destroyed after the battle for Honkaniemi. Photo: Wikipedia Commons.

In 1936, Finns bought 33 Vickers 6 ton tanks without armament or radios, opting to equip them by themselves. While the Bofors 37mm was a good choice and a formidable gun at this stage, the optics and periscope system put into tanks was of inferior quality, and there were no radios. These issues caused tank crews all sorts of problems, as the inquest after Honkaniemi battle, where six tanks were lost, revealed. After Winter War, all remaining Vickers tanks were converted to use equipment similar to that of their Soviet T-26 counterparts, including radios, 45mm guns, and optics. Vickers tanks were then renamed as T-26E, E standing for English.

Coming up in MCS 2.01; new bitmaps for these little things! Computer art by Mike Amos:




Complexity: 5 Turns: 16 Modified complexity: 5 * 16 = 80

Size modifier: 2
First side: Allied
Turns: 1-16[d]
Visibility: 1-3[3] 4-6[4] 7-16[5]
Ground: Snow

Allied Air 0; Ammo 65; Smoke 4
Axis Air 0; Ammo 75; Smoke 6
AI Allied 70; Axis 30

Major Loss 0; Minor Loss 100; Minor Win 200; Major Win 300

[Honkaniemi, Karelian Isthmus, 14 km Southeast from Viborg] [H2H] [HIS] [CSL]

By the end of February, only within a fortnight after the Finnish retreat from their Main Line of defence, the faith of their so called Interim Line was already at great risk, no more so than in the sector leading towards city of Viborg.

As the situation around the Honkaniemi region became more threatening, the Finnish II Corps ordered the 23rd division, reinforced with elements of 3rd Jaeger Battalion and the newly arrived 4th tank company, to destroy the small enemy salient east of lake Naykkijärvi.

The original plan was to conduct a counterattack with six battalions and three artillery battalions, commencing at 0500 hrs of 26 Feb 1940. After the hurried preparations were completed, the units eligible for attack decreased to four battalions and two artillery battalions.

The final plan called for a two phased attack. First (portrayed in this scenario), the 3rd Jaeger Bn with the 4th Tank Coy, together with I/67th, were to penetrate the enemy lines. Then, the two remaining battalions (II and III/67th) would join in and proceed to remove the remaints of the enemy elements in the salient.

As the lead elements of the Soviet 84th division were still hastily digging into defensive positions, their main elements begun to deploy into area, also with orders to attack on that same day, but at noon. The Soviet attack was to start on schedule, regardless of the Finnish attack they were now facing. Reinforcing the 84th Infantry Division were the tanks of the 112th tank battalion of the 35th Light Tank Brigade.

As the Finnish counter attack withered to a halt, the order to leave the Interim Line was given on February 27th, 1940. The city of Viborg, with its road network to inland Finland, stood now in great peril (See: ** Grim Days of Winter).

(Scenario picture: Finnish Vickers 6 ton tank, destroyed at Honkaniemi. © Wikipedia Commons)

[Scandinavian Terrain Mod recommended to be enabled when playing this scenario.]

[ALL : N AF] [2.00]

The scenario is available HERE.

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[Crossroads]

Finns (Allied)

- I/67th Infantry Regiment
- 3rd Jaeger Battalion
- 4th Tank Coy in full
- Elements of I/KTR 5 of 5.D (4 76K/02, 3 122H/09)
- Elements of I/KTR 21 of 21.D (4 76K/36)

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Soviets (Axis)

84th Motorized Infantry Div. (p / n 103).
• unit: 41, 201, 344 str.polki, 74 artillery regiment, 355 fin. tank. Baht.
• com. Brigade Commander VF Konkov, poss. in February-March Regiment. IM Kuznetsov, chief of staff of the regiment. Tereshchenko.
Formed in Tula Moscow VO. 01.30.40 arrived in the area Kuokkala-Ollila at the forefront with 2.2.40. Was in the army reserve 7 (3.2.40). Was part of the 50 SC 11.2.-13.3.40. In the north-western tip of the advancing Leypyasuo 18/02/40 to 02/19/40 Kamari came to Pien-Perot 28/02/40. Loaded onto trains 21.-04.29.40. Apparently sent from Leningrad Belarusian special VO popped up in the Baltics 15.06.1940. Transformed in 1940 into a motorized division and joined the 3 Mech. Case Baltic IN.

35 Light Tank Brigade

(105, 108, 112 Tank, 230 Recon Battalions, 37 Maintenance and 61 Engineer Companies). 111 Tank Battalion was detached from the brigade and sent to Karelia (8th Army).
On 30.11.39 the brigade had 136 T-26, 10 KhT-26 (chemical T-26), 3 ST-26 (engineer modification of T-26), 10 BA-10, 10 BA-20, total 149 tanks and 20 armored cars. 137 T-26 were received from plants. Losses: 51 T-26 and 2 KhT-26 of artillery, 53 T-26 and 3 KhT-26 of mines, 33 T-26 and 5 KhT-26 burned down, 8 T-26 drowned. Of them 70 T-26 and 2 KhT-26 were repaired. Personnel losses – 122 KIA, 249 WIA

Units in scenario:

Elements of 84th Division's Recon Bn
Elements of 344th Infantry Regiment (3 Bn)
Elements of 112th Tank Battalion (T-26) + Hvy tank coy (T-28)
Elements of 74th Field Artillery Regiment

Sources:
4th Tank Coy War Diary (in Finnish): LINK
http://www.winterwar.com/Battles/Naykkijaervi.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Honkaniemi
http://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honkaniemen_taistelu (in Finnish)
Vickers 6 ton together with details of 4th Tank Coy at Winter War, at JAEGERPLATOON.NET.

http://kannas.nm.ru/rkka.htm (in Russian, Google Tranlate: LINK )

RKKA tanks at Winter War: http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.p...r#p1239909

[Crossroads]

Map of Winter War, from Wiki (Inside Spoiler tags):

Spoiler Expand

The breakthrough made by the 84th Division of the 50th AC proved to be decisive. As the Finnish counter attack at Honkaniemi - lake Naykkijarvi region withered to a halt, it became obvious the so called Interim Line can't be hold any longer, and the retreat to Back Line just front of city of Viipuri was ordered.


Picture: © Raunio, Kilin et al: Sodan taisteluja 1, p. 255

The battle for Honkaniemi took place at lake Naykkijarvi, right at the tip of the arrow portraying the advance of the 50th Army Corps (50 AK).

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On another note, scenario name tributes the Judas Priest album of the same name. From the album: Metal Gods at Honkaniemi ? Or, simply: Metal Gods ? Hmm...

[Crossroads]

Found a couple of more pictures of disabled Vickers 6 ton light tanks after Honkaniemi battle, apparently taken by the RKKA staff (inside the Spoiler tags):

Spoiler Expand

[Crossroads]

Updated the scenario to Scenario DB with proper Vickers 6 ton units. Renamed the scenario to Metal Gods.