Arctic Front: Grim Days of Winter (IN PROGRESS)

[Crossroads]

This one needs to start with "G"...

Grim Days of Winter

A placeholder for a new March 1940 scenario, of the last furious days of Winter War. Viborg Bay in the middle of it. Will reuse the western half of my Viborg Bay 1944 map for this. Or, whilte at it, should I just create a full 3x3 team game of this one too, similar to **Fury at Vyborg Bay ... ???

From the WinterWar.com forum (look inside spoiler):

Spoiler Expand

On the last day of the war [13 MAR 1940], the Finnish position looked grim. Ammo shortage (especially the artillery) was catastrophic, the thick ice that covered the Bay of Viipuri and Vuoksi-river gave the Red Army good attack routes, since the Finnish AT-capability was still very limited, despite of the recently arrived 25mm French antitank guns and some captured 45mm guns.

Almost all planes of the Finnish Air Forces were committed to the fight in Bay of Viipuri. Despite of the Soviet dominance in the air, the Soviet troops on the ice were attacked by strafing fighters and bombers, who made several sorties every day. The Finnish coastal batteries fired every day hundreds of shells into the advancing Soviet columns, but the shortage of sensitive fuses reduced their effect.


On the Vuoksi (Äyräpää area) the situation was also critical (most of the battalions helding the high ground on the " Soviet " side of Vuoksi near Äyräpää and containing the Soviet bridgehead were down to 100 - 250 effectives, including all men from supply & other non-combat units)


By March 12th, the Soviet forces had advanced to the outskirts of Viipuri (Vyborg) . On the following night the Finnish forces were ordered to withdraw to a second defense line running through the town. JR7, the defending regiment, wasn't attacked on the last day.

On the coastline of Bay of Viipuri, the Red Army had made strong daily attacks on a broad front. The resulting Soviet bridgeheads in Vilaniemi and Häränpääniemi were contained by heroic efforts from a mixed variety of small sub-units (Groups Berg and Varko) and badly mauled regiments.

The situation on the Viipuri coast area was so alarming, that the Finnish high command had already drawn a plan, and was seriously considering, a general withdrawal to a shorter line. The Finnish units, brought to the area (even troops from the Lapland Group) were immediately sent to the frontline. Communications proved to be severely inadequate everywhere except in and around Viipuri.

(The total losses in the battles on the Bay of Viipuri were some 1 200 dead, 3 500 injured and 450 missing, being app. 8 % of the total Finnish losses in Winter War, a good indication of the bloody fighting.)


Map and quotes from WinterWar.com

Winter War at Wiki.

Misc pictures:

I won't have time to start with this for a month or so, but nothing like some friendly pressure on my shoulders to get this done, one day!


While talking about pressure, the text in blue font would indicate that the action around Vuosalmi (**Across River Vuoksi of 1944 ) should be replicated for Winter War as well!

It would need to start with letter "H", of course... **Higher Ground ?

EDIT: And here it is!

https://www.theblitz.club/message_boards...#pid374466

[Crossroads]

I just created the empty scenario files, with the existing Vuosalmi and Vyborg maps.

Then, changed the settings to March 1940, Snow, Frozen water, and Snow-laden trees, and the result is just marvellous. Exactly the same areas, but so different to their Summer'44 look!

I'll try to post a pic or two of the new scenarios over the weekend.

Looking forward to working with these!

[Crossroads]

description initially available, with OoB research progressing... As a 3x3 team game, this will be a big one! This scenario will also receive the Arctic Front prefix into its name.

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ARCTIC FRONT: GRIM DAYS OF WINTER
March 9, 1940


Anti-tank gun being towed into the new demarcation line in Viborg (13 March 1940). © SA-kuva.fi

Having been finally pushed out from the Mannerheim Line, the Finnish Army of Isthmus had fallen back to their Interim Line in good order. Worryingly for them, under the ever relentless Red Army pressure, they soon had no option but to again shorten their front with a retreat to the northern shores of Viborg Bay, with a road network to mainland Finland right behind their back.

Adding a new danger to the Finnish plans was the record cold winter, which has resulted in Bay of Viborg being covered in thick ice, now strong enough to withstand even the weight of tanks and other heavy equipment. The Soviet 7th Army ordered soon took an advantage out of the situation, sending no less than full two Army Corps to cross the ice of Viborg Bay on a wide front, with another two Army Corps with an attempt of advancing into city of Viborg from Northeast of City.

Lt Gen Heinrichs, commander of the Finnish Army of Isthmus, was counting the odds. Estimating he’d have men and ammunition for only two more weeks, he could only hope the few grim days of winter ahead of him would be enough to enable a political solution to end the war.

As it was, the Winter War was to end in four days time, in March 13, with city of Viborg still in Finnish hands. However, it was estimated the very next Red Army offensive would have likely resulted in a decisive collapse of city defences.

[Crossroads]

ARMY OF ISTHMUS – Lt Gen E. Heinrichs



Rannikkoryhmä Lt Gen L. Oesch
– 4.D Col J. Arajuuri:
--- JR 11 Lt Col K.Inkala (I Capt Luukko, II , III ));
--- JR12 Lt Col A. Rautiainen (I, II, III);
--- JR10 Major R Wiberg (I Capt J Kronlöf, II Capt Järvi, III Capt A Lassenius) ;
--- Er.P 20 Capt. E.von Essen
--- Er.P 19 Capt Moberg , PPP5 Major L. Sotisaari Vilaniemi;
--- JR 68 (I Pasonen; II Väinölä; III/61 Grönroos )
--- ErP 21 Capt J Kärnä
--- 1. Pr Major L Ruotsalo (1./1.Pr Capt E.Paloheimp; 3./1.Pr Jore)

--- Artillery?
--- Organic to 4.D: KTR4; I (10 76K/02)), II (6 76K/02, 4 122H/09), III (7 76K/02, 4 122H/09)

II Army Corps Lt Gen H. Öhquist
- 3.D Col A.Kaila :
--- JR8 Major S.Laaksonen (I Capt E.Oksanen; II Capt L.Kumlin; III Capt L.Könönen);
--- JR7 Col K.Heiskanen (I Sqd Mst K.Alfthan; II Capt K.Söderholm; III Capt J.Hakanen ),
--- JR9 Lt Col E. Hagelberg (I Capt Sourander; II Ltn M.Ericsson; III );
--- KevOs 3 Capt K.Viisterä; I/KTR3 of JRr7 (4 76K/02, 3 122H/09) ) ,
--- II/KTR3 of JR8 (4 76K/02, 3 122H/09);
--- JR14(5.D) Major H. Sauren (I ; II ; III ),

- 5.D Isaksson:
--- JR15 Lt Col I. Karhu (I ; II ; III ),
--- JR 67 Lt Col G. Snellman (I ; II ; III );
--- I/KTR23 of 23.D (11 114H/18), II/KTR5 (7 76K/02, 3 122H/09), III/KTR5 (9 76K/02), RaskPsto6 (12 150H/06)

I Army Corps Maj Gen T. Laatikainen
- 23.D Col V.Oinonen:
--- JR13 Lt Col K. Vaala (I ; II ; III );
--- JR68 Major N. Roos (I ; II ; III )
--- JR 62 Lt Col B.Ikonen (I ; II ; III );
--- I/KTR5 of 5.D (8 76K/02, 1 122H/09), II/KTR23 (12 114H/18), I/KTR21 of 21.D (8 76K/36)

- 1.D Col A-E. Martola;
--- 3.Pr Kääriäinen
--- Artillery? Organic to 3.Bde: III/KTR1 (4 75K/97, 6 76K/02)

[Crossroads]

RED ARMY – 7th Army Bde Cdr S.V.Vertzin



Vilaniemi Sector;
28th AC Brigadier General P.A. Kurotskin; comissar Liapin

-- 86. MotD. Bde Cdr Novoselski
169th, 284th MotIR ; 330 MotIR in second wave
one tank bn of 28 Tank Rgt. (T-26) -or- 62th Tank Regt (82 T-26, 7 Kht-26)

-- 173.MotD Col Martsinkevits
378th MotIR; 567 MotIR in second wave;
352nd AR

-- 70.D Div Cdr M.P. Kirponos, Comissar Dranishinikov
252nd, 329th, 68th IR, + 109th Ski Bn
361st Tank Bn (10 T-26, 20 T-38),
221st AR, 227 HR

(Map: Raunio et al pp. 283, 285, 287)

Uuras Sector
10th AC Bde Cdr I.F. Nikolaev:

-- 43.D Bde Cdr V.V. Kirpichnikov, comissar Ivanov
147th, 65th IR; 181st IR
200th HR, 162nd AR
369th Tank Bn

-- 42.MotD Col I.S. Lazarenko
455th, 459th IR [44th IR]
17th HR

-- 113.D Bde Cdr H.N. Alaverdov
679th, 725th, 513rd IR
420th HR, 451st AR

(Map: Raunio et al. pp. 283, 285, 287)

Viborg Sector;
34th AC : Bde Cdr Piadyshev; Comissar Slepyshev

-- 100.D BdeCdr AN Ermakov. Comissar GM Axelrod; at Tammisuo;
85th ,331st, 355th IR;
46th HR, 34th AR,
317th Tank Bn 12 T-26 (6 single turret, 6 twin turret) 3 St-26, 8 T-37)

-- 91.MotD RegCdr NF Lebedenko at Kärstilänjärvi;
503rd, 561st, 613rd MotIR
321st AR

-- 95.D BdeCdr DG Egorov, comissar Kucherenko, at Karjalan esikaupunki;
90th ,161st ,241st IR
134th HR, 57th AR,
372nd Tank Bn (13 T-26)

-- 7.D BdeCdr SV Verzin, at Viipuri;
27th ,257th ,300th IR,
23rd AR,
405th Tank Bn (39 T-26, 6 Kht-26)

-- 29.TankBde
165th, 168th, 170th, 172nd Tank Bns (136 T-26, 10 Kht-26, 10 BA-10, 10 BA-20)

(Map: Raunio et al page 294)

Tali Sector; 50th AC (heavy casualties by this stage):
-- 24.D BdeCdr KN Galitzin, Comissar AJ Helezob ; at Tali ;
7th, 168th, 274th IR,
160th AR 246th HR,
315th Tank Bn (8 T-26, 28 T-37)

-- 123D RegCdr FF Alaybushev, at Portinhoikka
245th, 255th, 272nd IR
323rd AR

+ 20. Hvy Tank Bde
90th,91st, 95th Tank Bn (t-28), 302nd Chem Tank Bn (OT-130s?)

+ 84.MotD in second wave BdeCdr VF Konkov,
41st, 201st, 344th IR,
74th AR,
355th Tank Bn (37 Bt-7, 12 kht-130)

(Map: Raunio et al. page 294)

gaubpolk - how regt - HR
razved - art regt - AR

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Sources:
- Sodan taisteluja I - Talvisota (Battles of Our Wars 1 - Winter War) by Ari Raunio and Yuri Kilin.
http://kannas.nm.ru/rkka.htm
http://www.winterwar.com/forces/SuArmy/S...tm#isthmus
RKKA tanks at Winter War: http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.p...r#p1239909

[Crossroads]

Work with OoB Editor now begun.

Allied side completed. For now... Next weekend: Axis forces.