Scenarios by Larry Reese Offered for Play and Testing

[Crossroads]

Larry, kudos to you for filling the void of scenarios for the Arctic theater of WW II.

I was glad to find a couple of scenarios for Invasion of Norway in 1940, but after that, there's none.

Petsamo-Kirkenes operation was a huge effort from the Russians, how they manage to pull a campaign of that size is extraordinary and must have been a huge effort.

Similarly, Operation Birke, the evacuation of German 20th Mountain Army from Petsamo and Finnish Lapland was a piece of logistical genious as well. To pull out a 200 000 man foot army, despite of the Petsamo-Kirkenes operation and the Finnish efforts from the south, coud not be but admired as well. Unfortunately, such an organised withdrawal does not make for good gaming, as there was but a couple bigger battles apart Petsamo-Kirkenes.

The Lapland Mod I creted is mainly about an Allied Finland OOB, so they could be put vs Germans. As such, the mod is not required for your scenario as Finns and Soviets did not perform any combined operations together. The difficult conditions ensured that, although once the Petsamo-Kirkenes operation was underway Finns suggested on pincer would drive southwest, cutting the German elements retreating from Southern Lapland.

However, the landing at harbour of Tornio took the 20th Mountain Army by a surprise, and meant they had to compromise in sending one their precious few motorised units, the SS Ski MG Bde (what a name!) to Tornio area, where they got mauled pretty bad, before returning to assist the situation at Petsamo.

For the interested:


Ziemke, Earl F.: The German Northern Theater of Operations 1940-1945. (1959)
Available online for free, - note that there are two parts. A must have!
http://cgsc.cdmhost.com/cdm/compoundobje...729/rec/88
http://cgsc.cdmhost.com/cdm/compoundobje...729/rec/88

Gebhardt, James F.: The Petsamo-Kirkenes Operation: Soviet Breakthrough and Pursuit in the Arctic, October 1944. (1989)
Also available online for free
http://cgsc.cdmhost.com/cdm/singleitem/c.../331/rec/1.