As we were suffering the hottest Heat Wave of the year in Washington DC…. We decided, of course, to play a scenario pitting Finns vs Soviets in the snows of the Winter War!
Background:
“The Mannerheim Line was an array of Finnish defense structures located on the Karelian Isthmus about 30 to 75 km (19 to 47 mi) from the Soviet border north of Lenningrad (again today, known as St. Petersburg). The Red Army soldiers on the Isthmus numbered approximately 250,000 soldiers and faced about 130,000 Finns. The Finnish command deployed a covering force of about 21,000 men in the area in front of the Mannerheim Line in order to delay and damage the Red Army before it reached the line. Located on the far eastern portion of the Mannerheim line, along Lake Ladoga was the town of Taipale. The Soviets struck the line in the sector after hitting the Finns with a forty-hour artillery bombardment. After the barrage, the Soviet infantry attacked across open ground but was repulsed with heavy casualties. From 6 December to 12 December, the Red Army continued trying to engage using only one division. The Red Army next strengthened its artillery and brought tanks and the 10th Rifle Division to the Taipale front. On 14 December, the bolstered Soviet forces launched a new attack but were pushed back again. A third Soviet division entered the fight but performed poorly and panicked under shell fire. The assaults continued without success, and the Red Army suffered heavy losses. One typical Soviet attack during the battle lasted just an hour but left 1,000 dead and 27 tanks strewn on the ice…” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter_War
Tactical Situation:
Soviet Infantry attempt to break the Finnish Front Lines to allow follow on tank forces to exploit. Soviet Objective: Seize and hold sections of the Finnish trenches.
The Terrain consisted of snow covered fields with slight rises, large cratered areas and some ruins. Multiple wooded areas were located in the Soviet rear area, along with a line of antitank obstacles (large rocks placed by the Finns that had already been overrun by the Soviets. The Finnish defense consisted of a trench line (including reserve trenches), weapons pits (with various guns, MG bunkers and MG nests.
Neither side was allowed Air Support due to the poor weather.
The Game:
Scenario Special Rules:
- Play was edge to edge, with impassable marshes on each flank.
- All Soviet units are considered to have infiltrated up during the bombardment and began 12″ from the Finnish trenches (1 inch behind the Barbed Wire).
- Half of the Finns Infantry and all mobile were delayed reserves, with the rest of the infantry and guns deployed on the board.
- All the Finnish units on the board were considered Pinned Down as a result of a Soviet Artillery preliminary bombardment.
- The Soviets were allowed automatic Wave Attack reconstitution for all their Strelkovy infantry units.
- the Anti-Tank obstacles and all terrain behind the bared wire were cratered. Any unit stationary in said terrain would receive bullet proof cover versus all direct fire.
- All Finnish reserves have random entry at the communication trenches for their respective companies.
- All forces were 1,200 points built from the Rising Sun Book.
Victory Conditions:
Soviet forces win if they control any of the forward trench terminus points on their turn. Soviet forces loose if they have no units in a Finnish trench (starting on turn six).
Forces:
The Finns consisted of three Mannerheim Front Fortified Companies. The left company had MG bunker and medium mortar support. The center company had medium AA support. The right most company had light AT and MG bunder support. The reserves consisted of Pioneer and AT Infantry Platoons and a single T-26 Panssari 4 tank platoon.
The Soviets consisted of three Strelkovy Infantry battalions with Pioneer, Flamethrower and medium artillery support. All Soviet forces were deployed on the table.
Narrative:
During the first few turns, the Soviet infantry surged forward while their artillery picked off Finnish infantry holding the forward trenches. The Soviets suffer heavily from machine gun, AA and mortar fire. The left and right flank attacks flounder on the barbed wire, but the center battalion quickly cuts and lifts the wire from the entire center by turn two.
Over the next two turns, as the flank Soviet units are still attempting to lift the wire, but redirect their flank companies to the center opening to overwhelm the Finnish trenches in that sector. The Soviets begin their assaults against the center trenches, but are driven back by the supporting fire of the AA guns and HMG nests, which still have not been silenced. The Finnish continue to cut into the Soviets units with heavy fire, with the first Soviet companies being pulled out and their replacement waves coming in on the Soviet right flank. The Finnish reserves begin to arrive along the left and right flank communication trenches.
On turn five, The Soviets target and pin the supporting gun pits and nests. This allows them to overrun the trenches connecting the Finnish center and right wing companies. The first Finnish reserves (T-26 tanks and AT Infantry section!) arrive in the center and cordon off the Soviets, so they cannot extend their advance.
On turn six, the Soviets hunker down in the center and reconstitute more waves on both flanks. Finnish Pioneers arrive in the center and immediately counter attack and retake the lost trench sections. The Soviets tried one more assault, but with the supporting T-26 MG fire, they were thrown back. As they were now unable to take the trench, it was all over. Result: a very historic Total Finnish Victory.
– Manteuffel