Winter War
Location: Finland Eastern Front
Date: November 30, 1939-March 13, 1940

Commanders and Forces

Finnish: Isthmus Army (Lieutenant General H. Osterman), IV Corps (Major General J. Hagglund), Reserve (Major General V. Tuompo), Total: 337,000;

Soviet: Seventh Army (General V.F. Jakolev), Eighth Army (General I.N Habarov), Ninth Army (General M.P. Duhanov), Fourteenth Army (General V.A Frolov). Total: 600,000

Casualties

Finnish: 25,000 killed and 45,500 wounded
Soviet: 126,875 killed and 391,783 wounded

Key Actions

On February 1, 1940, the Red Army began its offensive in Karelia. Some 600,000 men were committed to the attack. The Finns had six divisions in the front line and three in reserve. Finnish positions were pounded by 300,000 artillery shells on the first day, with Soviet artillery mustering 440 guns in the Summa sector alone. The Soviets also deployed close air support all along the front. The Red Army attacked for three days non-stop, paused for a day, then resumed the offensive for a further three days. Finnish forces were gradually worn down by the onslaught.

Key Effects

The Red Army learned some valuable lessons from the Winter War. Infantry tactics needed to be flexible; there needed to be greater coordination between different units; battle training should be realistic; and winter clothing was imperative for winter warfare. Absorbing these lessons, the Red Army would become a more effective force in the run-up to Operation Barbarossa in June 1941.

______________________________________________________________

Join our Newsletter Here

Find this interesting or useful then -

SHARE THIS: