Haukila Farm - Winter War

02 JANUARY 1940, HAUKILA FARM, RAATE-SUOMUSSALMI ROAD The 163rd Rifle Division entrapped at Suomussalmi was destroyed and Finnish attention had turned to the 44th Rifle Division which was bogged down at Raate Road. Colonel Siilasvuo's 27th Regiment (JR27) deployed to launch coordinated attacks on the 44th Division which resembled a huge snake along the frozen road in the woods. Finnish plan was to chop down this snake into mottis and destroy them separately. On the night of January 1st, two companies from the JR27 silently deployed around the road and attacked the Russian column with Molotov cocktails and grenades. After a short but bloody firefight many vehicles were burning on the road. Russian troops retreated to a neighboring farm and were waiting for relief. It was time for the Finns to setup roadblock to stop the Russian counterattack and destroy the pinned forces in the farm. Both sides collided in the subarctic daylight of the next morning.