Emblematic of the whole Winter War, the Battle of Suomussalmi pitched about 11,000 Finnish troops (starting as a small, understrength contingent) against several Soviet divisions totaling from 40,000 to 55,000 troopers. Against these outrageous odds the Finns managed to not only beat back the invader, but deal tremendous casualties in one of the most famous encirclements of the Winter War – the Raate Road motti.
The Soviet plan was simple, and on the surface rather ingenious. A strike on Suomussalmi, sitting in the middle of the eastern Finnish border, could, if successful, allow for a westward push all the way to Oulu, where the much-needed weapon shipments from abroad were coming by rail. A swift armored advance could cleave Finland in half, leave it without Western aid, and split apart the already tiny and worse-equipped Finnish Army.
There was only one problem with that plan: the swift armored advance would take place over miles of sheer forest and swamp. This forced the Soviets to stick to the area's main road – the Raate Road – and prioritize rushing Suomussalmi in order to regroup and establish a staging area.
During the first week of the invasion, the Finnish forces in the area were insufficient to stop the enemy, and still managed to inflict heavy casualties as they retreated westward. At first, the fighting was so chaotic, many locals couldn't evacuate on time and were stuck in their homes. Once the Finnish forces took control of the situation, however, no half-measures would be taken.
The High Command decided to abandon Suomussalmi to the enemy… but not before the village was set on fire. The blaze lasted for hours, and was seen throughout the night. When the Soviet forces took the village on the next morning, they found it stripped of supplies and proper shelter – all this in the record-setting freeze of December 1939.
Around this time, the legendary Colonel Siilasvuo, the master tactician and the hero of many battles to come, assumed the command. The Finns cut all supply lines leading to the city, and prevented the enemy from establishing new ones. Siilasvuo tried to overwhelm the frozen and starving enemy, but the Soviet forces mounted a desperate defense, beating the Finns back. Around the same time, massive Soviet reinforcements were rolling towards Suomussalmi along the Raate Road, constantly harassed and making little progress.
Finally, in the closing weeks of December, the reinforcements' supply lines had collapsed as well: the main motti at Suomussalmi was joined by dozens of smaller ones along the Raate Road.
After a cold Christmas among the pines, Siilasvuo ordered another assault on Suomussalmi on December 27. And this time, when the Finns began their advance, the Soviets panicked, launching a desperate breakout across the ice. Some of them were successful, and reached the Russian border. Most did not, and the Finns made sure of it. Suomussalmi was finally liberated.
After that, the Raate Road was less of a battle and more of a mopping-up. Starved and dizzy from hypothermia, the Soviet forces could barely mount an effective resistance, while the Finns were ruthless.
This was the biggest Finnish victory by that point, making it to the front pages of numerous newspapers around the world. From the beaten enemy, the Finns captured 85 tanks, 437 trucks, including Red Army's anti-air technical trucks, 92 artillery pieces, dozens of anti-tank cannons and rifles, thousands of small arms, and over a hundred machine guns. In fact, in another display of delusional self-confidence, the reinforcements were carrying a fully-stocked military band with instruments and banners, ready for a victory parade – those were captured too.
The USSR sought to cut Finland in half, but through a massive morale boost united it even more. It sought to sow panic and discord among the Finns, but in the end, the Soviet forces were the ones panicking. Finally, it sought to deprive Finland of Western weapon shipments, but instead became Finland's greatest weapons provider.
In the game
You will have to encircle and destroy the Red Army reinforcements and then attack the bulk of the encircled enemy army, causing it to retreat in panic. Then you have to pursue to cause maximum losses and capture some of the abandoned Russian tanks for your troops.
One of the key landmarks of this scenario is the “ice roads”.
See previous scenario overviews:
The Battle of Taipale
The Battle of Tolvajarvi
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With Best Regards from Kyiv
Starni Games team