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Sunday, February 23, 2025

How The Finns Beat The Russians 1939-1940

Profile photo for Catalin Olteanu Catalin Olteanu Former Small Entrepreneur 4y Why did the USSR, with superior military size and strength, suffer such losses in the Winter War against Finland? Can anybody imagine how it is possible to conduct a military assault on average temperature of -21 to -24 degrees Celsius? Can anybody imagine how enthusiastic can be a soldier sleeping in a tent at -30 or even -39 degrees Celsius, especially when on the next day he is supposed to attack one of the most fortified defensive lines in the history of warfare? What if the attack is to be led under such circumstances that snow can reach 1.5 meters ? Or what if beneath the snow there are mines, swamps and marshes ? The ‘’Winter War’’ was a political action designed to impress the world-Germany too- about the major technological advance of the Red Army. The attack would have been an incredibly difficult task even in the summer time. This is the great general who saved Finland -Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim - Wikipedia and this is his main opponent : Kirill Meretskov - Wikipedia Geographically speaking, Finland is arranged such that any aggression could come only from the Soviet Union, and only through the Karelian Isthmus.The Finnish army, began an extensive buildup of defenses on the Karelian Isthmus since 1918. Beginning 1929, the scope of the buildup expanded significantly. On the Karelian Isthmus emerged a solid strip of fortifications and obstructions, which became known as the Mannerheim Line. Finland spent practically all of her military budget for ten years on the fortifications. The main strike was carried out on the Karelian Isthmus; secondary strikes were carried out along the entire Finnish-Soviet border, from the Baltic Sea to the Barents Sea. The Mannerheim Line was not located on the immediate border, but deeper in the territory. The line was in fact a brilliantly camouflaged defense structure, well integrated into the surroundings, and stretching 135 km in width and up to 30 km in depth. Its right flank met the shore of the Baltic Sea; its left flank bordered Lake Ladoga. All in all, the Mannerheim Line counted 2,311 concrete, ironclad, and wooden defense structures. All existing bridges on this strip were wired with explosives and ready to be blown up or burned. The Finns used a brilliant tactic. A couple of snipers could block a whole Red Army division. The Finnish snipers and light mobile squads were fully active and operating to the best of their capacity. Here is a standard situation: a column of Soviet tanks, motorized infantry, and artillery is moving along a forest road. To their left and to their right there is nowhere to go—impassable woods, packed with land mines. Ahead of them was a bridge. The Soviet demolition experts checked for mines and came back reporting that the way was clear. The first tanks begin to crawl onto the bridge—and together with the bridge they fly up into the air: packs of dynamite had been inserted into the supporting beams of the bridge during its construction; they are undetectable, and even if they had been discovered, any attempt to defuse them would have triggered an explosion. The Soviet column, many kilometers in length, like a snake is stopped in its path. Now, the Finnish snipers spring into action. The snipers strike from somewhere far away. They hit only Red Army officers and tow-truck drivers. A diversion through the forest is not an option-on both sides of the road lie impenetrable minefields. Below probably the best sniper in history : Simo Häyhä - Wikipedia Not a single army in the world had conducted an offensive operation, under a temperature of minus 20 degrees Celsius. In such temperatures, no one had even attempted to conduct massive attacks, because it is impossible. The Red Army’s attack was an exception. Finnish soldiers are born, raised, and trained to act in these conditions. The snipers who spent days waiting for their victims, and the soldiers of the light ski squads which raided the rear of the Red Army, were warmly clad and well equipped. They had clear orders and retreat path to shelters and bunkers. The theater of operations consisted of 50 percent woodlands, 25 percent water, some swampland, and only about 10 percent of the total surface could be crossed by tanks. During the 105 days of the war, there were twenty-five days of flying weather. The rest of the time, blizzards or snowfall impeded flight. In December, there are very few daylight hours. Complete darkness falls at four o’clock. In the north there was no daytime at all. The mighty Soviet artillery was pretty useless due to thick snow; the tanks were useless; the air force also could not help, for it could not see anything. The Finns were most of the time under the snow, well camouflaged. The finish pillboxes were made by professionals: Against the pillbox #0011, the Soviets unleashed 1,322 shells from 203-mm howitzers and 280-mm mortars—almost two hundred tons. The pillbox was partially damaged, but even after this it continued to resist. Despite the incredible resilience of the Finns, the Mannerheim Line was penetrated and the Finland was forced to sue for peace. On March 13, 1940, the war between Finland and the Soviet Union was ended. The war lasted 105 days The Soviet Union received the Karelian Isthmus, but Finland kept her independence. On April 12, 1942, Hitler said the following: “The entire war with Finland in 1940, just as the Russian advance into Poland with obsolete tanks and weapons and poorly clothed soldiers, was nothing other than a grandiose disinformation campaign, because Russia at that time controlled arms which made it, in comparison with Germany and Japan, a world power.” He also said, on June 22, 1942: “Back home in Russia, they created an extremely powerful military industry . . . and the more we find out what goes on in Russia, the more we rejoice that we delivered the decisive blow in time. The Red Army’s weaponry is the best proof that they succeeded in reaching extremely high achievements.” 42.4K views457 upvotes32 shares28 comments 7.5K views View 25 upvotes