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Campaign Series: The Forgotten Battles 2.0

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.

ARCTIC FRONT: TO THE SHORES OF ONEGA
September 30, 1941


Petrozavodsk in flames (01 Oct 1941). © SA-kuva.fi


Having reached river Svir in the south of the Olonets Isthmys, the Finnish Army of Karelia turned their attention to their left flank. The plan called for encirclement of the remaining Red Army units, estimated at a division strength, into the city of Petrozavodsk.

Despite the reduced strategic importance of Olonets Isthmus, with the Murmansk - Leningrad railway now having a newly finished branch on the eastern side of Lake Onega as well, Stavka was not going to allow the fall of capital of Republic of Soviet Karelia into enemy hands. When they learned the local command had already called for the evacuation of the city, General of Army K.A.Meretskov was ordered to fly into city, to personally command all units in the area. To emphasize the new command, Stavka ordered a creation of a new 7th Separate Army, consisting of all remaining units in the area, and reporting directly to Stavka.

However, as the rapidly advancing Finnish forces already had the shores of the great lake Onega on their sights, Meretskov realised his new command was an army only by its name.

ARCTIC FRONT: TULOKSA LANDING OPERATION
June 23, 1944


Lake Ladoga coast line at Tuulos, taken just a couple of days before the Red Army landed into the area (20 June 1944). © SA-kuva.fi

Having successfully crossed river Svir, the Soviet Union 7th Army was making good headway into the heart of the Olonets Isthmus. To ensure the encirclement of the Finnish units in the area, Stavka had come up with a bold plan for an amphibious landing into the rear of their retreating enemy.

Finns had envisioned an operation just like that in their own war games held a year earlier, and had build another road deeper in the isthmus, to bypass any enemy forces in case they would not be able to push an enemy invasion force back into Lake Ladoga. Still, with their coastal artillery assets in the area, supported by the air force if need arises, the Finns were confident in stopping any landing fleet before it would have a chance to even attempt a landing there. However, Colonel Takkula, in charge of the coastal defences of the area, had just witnessed the transfer of many of these vital guns to the defence of Bay of Viborg, as the overall situation there was considered becoming critical.

With orders to cut any and all road and railway connections to north, and prevent the Finnish forces from escaping the encirclement, Lt Col A.V. Blak of the 70th Marine Infantry Bde observed the vast bomber formations on their way to destroy any remaining coastal batteries out there. Soon, his marines would assault the shores of Tuulos in full force.

ARCTIC FRONT: ON FAMILIAR GROUND
August 18, 1941


Men of III/IR 27 are crossing river Vuoksi with boats and assault boats. Hopeasalmi, Vuoksi (18 Aug 1941). © SA-kuva.fi

Complexity: 8
Turns: 26
Modified complexity: 8 * 26 = 208
Size modifier: 5

First side: Axis

Visibility: 6
Ground: Normal

Allied Air 3; Ammo 70; Smoke 10
Axis Air 4; Ammo 75; Smoke 20
AI Allied 35; Axis 75

Major Loss 600; Minor Loss 900; Minor Win 1200; Major Win 1500



[Hopeasalmi, Karelian Isthmus, 80 km North from Leningrad] [H2H] [HIS] [GD]
10 July 1941 marked the beginning of a Finnish push for the reconquest of Karelian Isthmus, ceded to Soviet Union after Winter War. River Vuoksi marked a formidable object to these plans, and on August 16, Col. Pajari's 18th Division was given orders to secure a bridgehead south of the river. Moving forward, they soon identified a weakly defended sector some 10 km west of Vuosalmi. As it happened, the location was by the narrow Hopeasalmi straits the 18.D was intimately familiar with from their peacetime wargames in the area. Even the commander of their Engineer Bn 23, responsible for arranging the crossing, agreed: "Yes, let us hop this river as we always do!"

During the night of August 17th, Pajari send his 27th IR to silently cross the river, with orders to secure a bridgehead south of the river. Then, as the regiment artillery would join in support, they would continue towards the vital ground of Kylä-Paakkola heights, a location fiercely contested during the last days of Winter War. At the same time, the 49th IR would advance towards Vuosalmi from North. Soon, they had the beachhead secured.

In the morning of August 18th Colonel Koptevski begun to realise the grim situation of his rag tag battle group, put together from various bits of surviving Red Army units in the area. Having finally received the permission to form a new defensive line south of the river, albeit with orders to still maintain a bridgehead on the northern shores, he had planned for a determined rearguard action against a Finnish attack from the North. Instead, he faced an imminent danger of encirclement before the reinforcements he knew were already on their way would reach the area.

(Player note: please see the attached txt file for notes about blowing and repairing bridges, construction engineers, and loading and unloading crewed boats and ferries.)

[Scandinavian Terrain Mod recommended to be enabled when playing this scenario.] [ALL : N VV : N AF] [1.05]