30 NOVEMBER 1939, TERIJOKI, FINLAND KARELIAN ISTHMUS
As the Russo-Finnish War launched the Kremlin pompously anticipated a steamroller campaign that would consume tiny Finland within a week. With an air of overconfidence, the RKKA crossed the Finnish border on the morning of 30 November woefully unprepared for the hell on earth that would become known as the Winter War.
Knowing that the Russian prediction may not be too far off of the mark due to the fact that Finnish Forces were hopelessly outnumbered and possessed virtually no armor, Finnish High Command organized four "Covering Groups" that would fight a series of stubborn delaying actions back to the Mannerheim Line. If successful it would allow for an extended period to muster more troops as well as improve the condition of that infamous defensive position.
Of these ad-hoc units, Group U (Uusikirkko) made immediate contact with the Russian 123. Rifle Division shortly after their crossing into Soumi, but despite their determination the 1st Jager Battalion had been pushed back to the eastern edge of the village of Terijoki by the evening of the war's first day.
As the Russians neared the village on the heels of the Finns they very quickly became aware of the fact that their enemy was not about to leave another inch of ground without a fight. Instantly, a vicious battle erupted that would stop the Russian pursuit in it's tracks and give the RKKA 123rd Division a harsh lesson in exactly what Finnish "sisu" entitled.