The Winter War (Russia vs. Finland)

[RaidingParty]

This is my first scenario. Hope you like it!

Title: Winter War (aka Russo-Finnish War), 1939-1940

Preface: At the time the Axis invaded Poland, Russia was busy building its own defense. Finland was important to Russia’s strategy because it held several strategic ports on the Baltic Sea and a border that was very close to Leningrad. When Finland refused to negotiate, the Russians staged a fake border incident and in November 30, 1939, Russia attacked Finland and instigated the Winter War.

The Finnish army was underarmed and outnumbered 2-to-1, while the Russians were confident they would march all the way to Helsinki. However, the Finns had the homefield advantage, national pride, and Commander-In-Chief Carl Mannerheim, a veteran of several wars and one of the greatest tacticians of his time. Even if they lost, the Finns would teach the Russians a lesson they would not soon forget.

Objective: The Russians win if at least 3 Russian units cross the Mannerheim Line and exit the North side of Charlie-1 by the end of turn 8. Any other outcome is a Finnish victory.

Map
North
Charlie-1
Baker-2
South

Special Rules: Ignore all road hexes. Treat all city hexes in Baker-2 as forest hexes.

Army Builds:
Russians (50 points)
T-26 Series 1933 x2 (22)
Commissar x2 (10)
Mosin-Nagant 1891/30 x6 (18)

Deploy in any clear hex within 3 hexes of the South edge of Baker-2.

Finnish (40 points)
PPSh-41 SMG x5 (15)
Antitank Grenadier x4 (20)
KMT Officer x1 (5)

Deploy in any hex in Charlie-1.


Optional Rules: This scenario has not been fully playtested for balance. You may balance by doing any of the following:
Add 1 Mosin Nagant to Russia.
Add 1 BAR Gunner to Finland.
Before deployment, the Finns may add one forest hex anywhere on Charlie-1.

Alternate build:
Russia produces a 50-point army from the following:
T-26, Commissar, Mosin Nagant, KMT Riflemen, KMT Machinegun (limit 1)
Finland produces a 40-point army from the following:
SMG, AT grenadier, KMT Officer, BAR Gunner

Notes: Due to lack of Finns, this scenario ignores nationality and time restrictions.

[RaidingParty]

Epilogue:
"All of us—and Stalin first and foremost—sensed in our victory a defeat by the Finns. It was a dangerous defeat because it encouraged our enemies' conviction that the Soviet Union was a colossus with feet of clay... We had to draw some lessons for the immediate future from what had happened." - Nikita Khrushchev

The Soviets were able to break the Finnish defense and force an armistice, but at a tremendous cost. The Russians in their haste did not bring their winter uniforms, and many died in the infamous "Russian winter". The Finnish army under Mannerheim would target the Russians’ soup kitchens, which were poorly defended yet essential in surviving the winter. They outflanked the Soviets with alpine troops, hurled Molotov cocktails at combustible Soviet tanks, and cut them down in the forest with SMGs. In the end, there were 400,000 casualties on the Russian side, and 80,000 on the Finnish side.

Though not officially a part of World War II, the Winter War would affect its outcome. The humiliating losses of the Soviet Army contributed to Hitler's decision to launch Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of Russia. Finland also aligned itself with Germany and fought Russia again in the Continuation War (1941-1944) as part of the Eastern Front.

The Winter War drove the Soviet military to make radical changes which would contribute to their later success. Stalin built his power structure by removing the old regime from the military and adding political appointees called Commissars, which was devastating to the military’s strategy and experience. After the Winter War, he reinstated many veteran officers and reduced the status of political Commissars. In 1941, the Russians would remember to prepare for the "Russian Winter" that would help turn the tide against the Germans. The Finns made effective use of SMGs against Soviets in close quarters, and these quickly became popular with the Soviet army. They would produce 5 million PPSh-41s by 1945. Molotov cocktails would also see use on all sides of the war.

Resources:
http://www.kaiku.com/winterwar.html
http://www.ppsh41.com/
and Wikipedia, of course

This scenario basically pits the 2-range PPSh-41 SMGs against 4-range rifles in tight quarters. This creates very different strategies, especially with the Commissar on the attacker's side. Tell me what you think!

[PatrickWR]

I love the Winter War! A very overlooked engagement, in my opinion. The Finns invented the Molotov during the conflict in order to deal with Soviet armor; very resourceful.

Interestingly, the Soviets actually won the Winter War, only because Finland couldn't continue to fight at their current manpower. The defeat they received is part of why Finland chose to align itself with the Axis powers during WWII proper. I've heard many a Finn (deep in his drinks) announce that for every one Finnish soldier who died in the Winter War, ten Russians lost their lives. Invariably, these Finns would state ruefully, "But we didn't think about number eleven!"

[cossackwarrior]

Originally Posted by PatrickWR

I love the Winter War! A very overlooked engagement, in my opinion. The Finns invented the Molotov during the conflict in order to deal with Soviet armor; very resourceful.

Interestingly, the Soviets actually won the Winter War, only because Finland couldn't continue to fight at their current manpower. The defeat they received is part of why Finland chose to align itself with the Axis powers during WWII proper. I've heard many a Finn (deep in his drinks) announce that for every one Finnish soldier who died in the Winter War, ten Russians lost their lives. Invariably, these Finns would state ruefully, "But we didn't think about number eleven!"

You just have to love a war where huge tanks (T-35's) are destroyed by infantry hiding in pits in the snow who hurl Molotov's as the tanks pass them by; or lure the overwhelming force of infantry and tanks into attacking across frozen lakes and rivers then defeat the attack with a few mortars breaking up the ice!
Infantry columns that have to tamp the snow to move while the other side is SKIING past, machinegunning them with SMG's!!!
A war where a general gets his troops trapped and encircled by inferior forces of ski troops then commits suicide with most of his senior officers leaving his ill-trained and miserably led forces to the tender mercies of the enemy!
A war where the ruler of one country sends Siberian conscripts to their death from freezing with no winter gear because the troops are from a province where it is cold anyway!!!
And that same nation has only rifles and machineguns because SMG's would cause troops to promiscuously waste ammo!!!
And lastly, a war where a general only agrees to take over command after he has a signed decree from his commander-in-chief that even if he fails ot deliver victory, he will not be shot!!! (Timoshenko & Zhukov)

GOTTA LOVE THIS LITTLE WAR!!!!

[RaidingParty]

Winter War, Avalon Hill style!

Huzzah! They took an idea I took and made it their own!

P.S.: Make Finnish army units!

[PatrickWR]

Hey, congrats. I can only hope for similar treatment of my Eastern Front stuff, if WOTC gets into it.

[RaidingParty]

What, a whole 3-part Kursk campaign not good enough for ya?

[PatrickWR]

I was displeased with their Kursk scenario...it was really just a huge advertisement for miniatures. Who has 12 Panzer IIIs? I know one guy who has 4 KV-1s, so he could play Allies...but damn! The sheer minis requirement for that campaign leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

[TheCheeseManCan]

Actually the Kursk Campaign doesn't need many tank duplicates. However, it does need at least 9 Moisin-Nagants.

[MicroPilot]

Originally Posted by TheCheeseManCan

Actually the Kursk Campaign doesn't need many tank duplicates. However, it does need at least 9 Moisin-Nagants.

Kuomintang Rifles, M1 Garand, or MAS work well as proxies for these units.