Calm Down and Kill Russians - Winter War

03 DECEMBER 1939, LINNASALMI STRAIT, SOUMUSSALMI SECTOR Best played as Russians against the AI. As the Soviets entered central Finland, all that stood between the Red Army and absolute victory in the Soumussalmi sector were a handful of border guard detachments and a few token independent infantry companies. Under orders to achieve the impossible, these lightly armed troops somehow managed to stall one of the world's largest armies long enough to allow outnumbered Finnish forces to reinforce this area and achieve a major victory in one of the war's most renown campaigns. From the Russian perspective the initial tasks seemed militarily trivial. The 163rd Rifle Division (General Selendsov) of the 47th Corps was to advance into the sector destroying all Finnish border resistance and then proceed to the village of Soumussalmi itself. From the Finnish perspective it was an entirely different situation. A small platoon of border guards led by a Finnish 2nd Lt. by the name of M.Elo were the first to spot Soviet troops crossing the border on 30 November 1939. Grievously outnumbered, Elo's platoon withdrew to the west side of Lake Kokkajarvi and then again to Kattera on the proceeding evening. His reports unbelieved by his superiors, Elo was heavily distraught when told by his command something to the nature of "stop being so nervous and fight the bastards". Under the cover of darkness, Elo's men once again withdrew after repulsing a company sized attack by the forward elements of the 163rd Rifle Division. Eventually arriving at Linnasalmi Strait, the exhausted border guards took advantage of the geographical location and began to prepare their position. On the morning of the 3rd, an entire battalion of the 81st Rifle Regiment assaulted the Linnasalmi position with the support of heavy mortars. Although the detachment miraculously repulsed this attack, a flanking force soon threatened to cut them off from the north. Following 4 days of delaying an entire regiment while sustaining over 50% casualties and now threatening to be flanked, the stress consumed 2nd Lt. Elo whom committed suicide rather than face capture. In keeping with the ironic nature of warfare, the II RO was reinforced by ErK. Kontula and managed to escape their impending doom by withdrawing to Palovaara under command of Lt. M. Airanne.