Editing Winter War (section)

==Operations from December to January==
===Weather conditions===
{{See also|Climate of Finland|Cold-weather warfare}}
[[File:Camouflaged simo hayha.jpg|Swedish volunteer with a [[Swedish Mauser|Carl Gustaf M/96]] rifle wearing a face wool mask.<ref name="Second World War the Military Photo Archive 2019">{{cite web|title=Swedish volunteer in position during the Soviet-Finnish War | website=Second World War the Military Photo Archive | date=29 April 2019 | url=https://albumwar2.com/swedish-volunteer-in-position-during-the-soviet-finnish-war/ | access-date=10 February 2023 | archive-date=10 February 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230210114930/https://albumwar2.com/swedish-volunteer-in-position-during-the-soviet-finnish-war/ | url-status=live }}</ref>|thumb|left]]

The winter of 1939–40 was exceptionally cold with the Karelian Isthmus experiencing a record low temperature of {{convert|-43|°C|°F|abbr=on}} on 16 January 1940.<ref name="Paula1999_292">[[#Paula1999|Paulaharju (1999)]], p. 292</ref> At the beginning of the war, only those Finnish soldiers who were in [[Active duty|active service]] had [[uniforms]] and [[weapons]]. The rest had to make do with their own clothing, which for many soldiers was their normal winter clothing with a semblance of insignia added. Finnish soldiers were skilled in [[cross-country skiing]].<ref name="Paula1999_289-290">[[#Paula1999|Paulaharju (1999)]], pp. 289–290</ref> The cold, snow, forest, and long hours of darkness were factors that the Finns could use to their advantage. The Finns dressed in layers, and the [[Ski warfare|ski troopers]] wore a lightweight white snow cape. This snow-camouflage made the ski troopers almost invisible so that they could more easily execute [[guerrilla warfare|guerrilla attacks]] against Soviet columns. At the beginning of the war, Soviet tanks were painted in standard [[olive drab]] and men dressed in regular [[khaki]] uniforms. Not until late January 1940 did the Soviets paint their equipment white and issue [[snowsuit]]s to their infantry.<ref name="Trotter_145-146">[[#Trotter2002|Trotter (2002)]], pp. 145–146</ref>

Most Soviet soldiers had proper winter clothes, but this was not the case with every unit. In the [[Battle of Suomussalmi]], thousands of Soviet soldiers died of [[frostbite]]. The Soviet troops also lacked skill in skiing, so soldiers were restricted to movement by road and were forced to move in long columns. The Red Army lacked proper winter tents, and troops had to sleep in improvised shelters.<ref name="Paula1999_297-298">[[#Paula1999|Paulaharju (1999)]], pp. 297–298</ref> Some Soviet units incurred frostbite casualties as high as ten per cent even before crossing the Finnish border.<ref name="Trotter_145-146" /> However, the cold weather did give an advantage to Soviet tanks, as they could move over frozen terrain and bodies of water, rather than being immobilised in swamps and mud.<ref name="Paula1999_297-298" /> According to Krivosheev, at least 61,506 Soviet troops were sick or [[frostbitten]] during the war.<ref name="Krivosheyev, Table 100"/>

===Finnish guerrilla tactics===
{{see also|Sissi (Finnish light infantry)}}
[[File:Soviet tracks during chase.jpg|thumb|upright|Soviet tracks at [[Kiantajärvi|Kianta Lake]], Suomussalmi during a Finnish pursuit in December 1939. Nordic combined skier [[Timo Murama]] is pictured.|alt=A Finnish soldier on skis, with a fur hat and a tobacco pipe in his mouth, points with a ski pole at the snowy ground where Soviet soldiers have left tracks. The Finnish troops are in pursuit.]]

In battles from Ladoga Karelia to the Arctic port of [[Battle of Petsamo (1939)|Petsamo]], the Finns used [[guerrilla tactics]]. The Red Army was superior in numbers and material, but Finns used the advantages of speed, [[manoeuvre warfare]] and [[economy of force]]. Particularly on the Ladoga Karelia front and during the [[Battle of Raate road|Battle of Raate Road]], the Finns isolated smaller portions of numerically superior Soviet forces. With Soviet forces divided into smaller groups, the Finns dealt with them individually and attacked from all sides.<ref name="Trotter_131-132">[[#Trotter2002|Trotter (2002)]], pp. 131–132</ref>

For many of the encircled Soviet troops in a [[Pocket (military)|pocket]] (called a ''[[Pocket (military)#Motti|motti]]'' in Finnish, originally meaning {{Convert|1|m3|cuft|abbr=on}} of firewood), staying alive was an ordeal comparable to combat. The men were freezing and starving and endured poor sanitary conditions. Historian William R. Trotter described these conditions as follows: "The Soviet soldier had no choice. If he refused to fight, he would be shot. If he tried to sneak through the forest, he would freeze to death. And surrender was no option for him; Soviet propaganda had told him how the Finns would torture prisoners to death."<ref name="Trotter_148-149">[[#Trotter2002|Trotter (2002)]], pp. 148–149</ref> The problem however was that the Finns were mostly too weak to fully exploit their success. Some of the pockets of encircled Soviet soldiers held out for weeks and even months, binding a huge number of Finnish forces.

===Battles of the Mannerheim Line===
The terrain on the Karelian Isthmus did not allow guerrilla tactics, so the Finns were forced to resort to the more conventional Mannerheim Line, with its flanks protected by large bodies of water. Soviet propaganda claimed that it was as strong as or even stronger than the [[Maginot Line]]. Finnish historians, for their part, have belittled the line's strength, insisting that it was mostly conventional trenches and log-covered [[Dugout (military)|dugouts]].<ref name="Trotter_62-63">[[#Trotter2002|Trotter (2002)]], pp. 62–63</ref> The Finns had built 221 strong-points along the Karelian Isthmus, mostly in the early 1920s. Many were extended in the late 1930s. Despite these defensive preparations, even the most fortified section of the Mannerheim Line had only one [[reinforced concrete|reinforced-concrete]] bunker per kilometre. Overall, the line was weaker than similar lines in mainland Europe.<ref name="Vuore1999_494-495">[[#Vuore1999|Vuorenmaa (1999)]], pp. 494–495</ref> According to the Finns, the real strength of the line was the "stubborn defenders with a lot of ''[[sisu]]''" – a Finnish idiom roughly translated as "[[Courage|guts, fighting spirit]]".<ref name="Trotter_62-63" />

On the eastern side of the Isthmus, the Red Army attempted to break through the Mannerheim Line at the battle of Taipale. On the western side, Soviet units faced the Finnish line at Summa, near the city of Viipuri, on 16 December. The Finns had built 41 reinforced-concrete bunkers in the Summa area, making the defensive line in this area stronger than anywhere else on the Karelian Isthmus. Because of a mistake in planning, the nearby Munasuo swamp had a {{convert|1|km|mi|adj=on}}-wide gap in the line.<ref name="Laaks1999_407">[[#Laaksonen1999|Laaksonen (1999)]], p. 407</ref> During the [[battle of Summa|First Battle of Summa]], a number of Soviet tanks broke through the thin line on 19 December, but the Soviets could not benefit from the situation because of insufficient co-operation between branches of service. The Finns remained in their trenches, allowing the Soviet tanks to move freely behind the Finnish line, as the Finns had no proper anti-tank weapons. The Finns succeeded in repelling the main Soviet assault. The tanks, stranded behind enemy lines, attacked the strongpoints at random until they were eventually destroyed, 20 in all. By 22 December, the battle ended in a Finnish victory.<ref name="Laaks1999_411-412">[[#Laaksonen1999|Laaksonen (1999)]], pp. 411–412</ref>

The Soviet advance was stopped at the Mannerheim Line. Red Army troops suffered from poor morale and a shortage of supplies, eventually refusing to participate in more [[Human wave attack|suicidal frontal attacks]]. The Finns, led by General [[Harald Öhquist]], decided to launch a counter-attack and encircle three Soviet divisions into a ''motti'' near Viipuri on 23 December. Öhquist's plan was bold; however it failed. The Finns lost 1,300 men, and the Soviets were later estimated to have lost a similar number.<ref name="Trotter_87-89">[[#Trotter2002|Trotter (2002)]], pp. 87–89</ref>

===Battles in Ladoga Karelia and North Karelia===
[[File:Simo hayha honorary rifle.jpg|thumb|upright|left|[[Simo Häyhä]], the legendary Finnish sniper, known as "the White Death" in Finnish wartime propaganda.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kinnunen |first=Annika |date=5 November 2019 |title=Sotamuistoja – Simo Häyhän kuvaus talvisodasta |url=http://jultika.oulu.fi/files/nbnfioulu-201911293204.pdf |access-date=20 August 2022 |publisher=University of Oulu |page=13 |language=fi |type=Candidate thesis |archive-date=30 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220630040854/http://jultika.oulu.fi/files/nbnfioulu-201911293204.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>]]

The strength of the Red Army north of Lake Ladoga in Ladoga Karelia surprised the Finnish Headquarters. Two Finnish divisions were deployed there, the 12th Division led by [[Lauri Tiainen]] and the 13th Division led by [[Hannu Hannuksela]]. They also had a support group of three [[brigade]]s, bringing their total strength to over 30,000. The Soviets deployed a [[Division (military)|division]] for almost every road leading west to the Finnish border. The 8th Army was led by [[Ivan Khabarov]], who was replaced by [[Grigory Shtern]] on 13 December.<ref name="KR2007_113">[[#KilinRaunio2007|Kilin and Raunio (2007)]], p. 113</ref> The Soviets' mission was to destroy the Finnish troops in the area of Ladoga Karelia and advance into the area between [[Sortavala]] and [[Joensuu]] within 10 days. The Soviets had a 3:1 advantage in manpower and a 5:1 advantage in artillery, as well as [[air supremacy]].<ref name="Juuti1999a_504-505">[[#Juuti1999a|Juutilainen (1999a)]], pp. 504–505</ref>

Finnish forces panicked and retreated in front of the overwhelming Red Army. The commander of the Finnish IV Army Corps Juho Heiskanen was replaced by Woldemar Hägglund on 4 December.<ref name="Juuti1999a_506">[[#Juuti1999a|Juutilainen (1999a)]], p. 506</ref> On 7 December, in the middle of the Ladoga Karelian front, Finnish units retreated near the small stream of Kollaa. The waterway itself did not offer protection, but alongside it, there were [[ridge]]s up to {{convert|10|m|ft|abbr=on}} high. The ensuing [[Battle of Kollaa]] lasted until the end of the war. A memorable quote, "Kollaa holds" ({{langx|fi|Kollaa kestää}}) became a legendary motto among Finns.<ref name="Juuti1999a_520">[[#Juuti1999a|Juutilainen (1999a)]], p. 520</ref> Further contributing to the legend of Kollaa was the sniper [[Simo Häyhä]], dubbed "the White Death" in Finnish media.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kinnunen |first=Annika |date=5 November 2019 |title=Sotamuistoja – Simo Häyhän kuvaus talvisodasta |url=http://jultika.oulu.fi/files/nbnfioulu-201911293204.pdf |access-date=20 August 2022 |publisher=University of Oulu |page=13 |language=fi |type=Candidate thesis |archive-date=30 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220630040854/http://jultika.oulu.fi/files/nbnfioulu-201911293204.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> and credited with over 500 kills.{{sfnp|Kauppinen|2017}} Captain [[Aarne Juutilainen]], dubbed "the Terror of Morocco", also became a living legend in the Battle of Kollaa.<ref>[https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-5495067 YLE: Marokon Kauhu nousi legendaksi Kollaalla] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201103205732/https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-5495067 |date=3 November 2020 }} (in Finnish)</ref> To the north, the Finns retreated from [[Ägläjärvi]] to [[Tolvajärvi]] on 5 December and then repelled a Soviet offensive in the battle of Tolvajärvi on 11 December.<ref name="Trotter_110">[[#Trotter2002|Trotter (2002)]], p. 110</ref>

In the south, two Soviet divisions were united on the northern side of the Lake Ladoga coastal road. As before, these divisions were trapped as the more mobile Finnish units counterattacked from the north to flank the Soviet columns. On 19 December, the Finns temporarily ceased their assaults due to exhaustion.<ref name="Juuti1999a_510-511">[[#Juuti1999a|Juutilainen (1999a)]], pp. 510–511</ref> It was not until the period of 6–16 January 1940 that the Finns resumed their offensive, dividing Soviet divisions into smaller ''mottis.''<ref name="Juuti1999a_514">[[#Juuti1999a|Juutilainen (1999a)]], p. 514</ref> Contrary to Finnish expectations, the encircled Soviet divisions did not try to break through to the east but instead entrenched. They were expecting reinforcements and supplies to [[airlift|arrive by air]]. As the Finns lacked the necessary heavy artillery equipment and were short of men, they often did not directly attack the ''mottis'' they had created; instead, they worked to eliminate only the most dangerous threats. Often the ''motti'' tactic was not applied as a strategy, but as a Finnish adaptation to the behaviour of Soviet troops under fire.<ref name="JS2006_44">[[#Jow&Snod2006|Jowett & Snodgrass (2006)]], p. 44</ref> In spite of the cold and hunger, the Soviet troops did not surrender easily but fought bravely, often entrenching their tanks to be used as [[Pillbox (military)|pillboxes]] and building timber dugouts. Some specialist Finnish soldiers were called in to attack the ''mottis''; the most famous of them was Major [[Matti Aarnio]], or "Motti-Matti" as he became known.<ref name="Juuti1999a_516-517">[[#Juuti1999a|Juutilainen (1999a)]], pp. 516–517</ref>

In [[North Karelia]], Soviet forces were outmanoeuvred [[Battle of Ilomantsi (1939)|at Ilomantsi]] and Lieksa. The Finns used effective guerrilla tactics, taking special advantage of their superior skiing skills and snow-white [[layered clothing]] and executing surprise ambushes and raids. By the end of December, the Soviets decided to retreat and transfer resources to more critical fronts.<ref name="Vuore1999_559-561">[[#Vuore1999|Vuorenmaa (1999)]], pp. 559–561</ref>

===Battles in Kainuu===
[[File:Raate road.jpg|thumb|Dead Soviet soldiers and their equipment at Raate Road, Suomussalmi, after being ambushed and encircled at the [[Battle of Raate Road]]|alt=Fallen Soviet soldiers and their equipment litter the road and the ditch next to it after being encircled at the [[Battle of Raate Road]]]]

The Suomussalmi–Raate engagement was a double operation<ref name="Vuore1999_550">[[#Vuore1999|Vuorenmaa (1999)]], p. 550</ref> which would later be used by [[Military academy|military academics]] as a classic example of what well-led troops and innovative tactics can do against a much larger adversary. In 1939, Suomussalmi was a municipality of 4,000 inhabitants, with long lakes, wild forests and few roads. The Finnish command believed that the Soviets would not attack there, but the Red Army committed two divisions to the Kainuu area with orders to cross the wilderness, capture the city of [[Oulu]] and effectively cut Finland in two. There were two roads leading to Suomussalmi from the frontier: the northern Juntusranta road and the southern Raate road.<ref name="Trotter_150">[[#Trotter2002|Trotter (2002)]], p. 150</ref>

The [[Battle of Raate Road]], which occurred during the month-long [[Battle of Suomussalmi]], resulted in one of the largest Soviet losses in the Winter War. The Soviet 44th and parts of the 163rd Rifle Division, comprising about 14,000 troops,<ref name="Kulju2007_230">[[#Kulju2007|Kulju (2007)]], p. 230</ref> were almost completely destroyed by a Finnish ambush as they marched along the forest road. A small unit blocked the Soviet advance while Finnish Colonel [[Hjalmar Siilasvuo]] and his 9th Division cut off the retreat route, split the enemy force into smaller ''mottis'', and then proceeded to destroy the remnants [[Defeat in detail|in detail]] as they retreated. The Soviets suffered 7,000–9,000 casualties;<ref name="Kulju2007_229">[[#Kulju2007|Kulju (2007)]], p. 229</ref> the Finnish units, 400.<ref name="Kanta1998_283">[[#Kanta1998|Kantakoski (1998)]], p. 283</ref> The Finnish troops captured dozens of tanks, artillery pieces, anti-tank guns, hundreds of trucks, almost 2,000 horses, thousands of rifles, and much-needed ammunition and medical supplies.<ref name="Kulju2007_217-218">[[#Kulju2007|Kulju (2007)]], pp. 217–218</ref> So sure of their victory had the Soviets been that a military band, complete with instruments, banners and notes, was traveling with the 44th Division to perform in a victory parade. The Finns found their instruments among the captured materiel.<ref>Pöntinen, P.: [https://suomenkuvalehti.fi/jutut/kotimaa/raatteen-tie-suomalaiset-ja-ukrainalaiset-joukot-taistelivat-jaatyneessa-helvetissa/ Jäätynyt helvetti: Tällainen on Raatteen tie tänään] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190903142748/https://suomenkuvalehti.fi/jutut/kotimaa/raatteen-tie-suomalaiset-ja-ukrainalaiset-joukot-taistelivat-jaatyneessa-helvetissa/ |date=3 September 2019 }}. ''Suomen Kuvalehti'', 2015.</ref>

===Battles in Finnish Lapland===
[[File:A Finnish guard during the Battle of Salla.jpg|thumb|upright|A Finnish soldier on guard near [[Kemijärvi]] in February 1940.]]

The Finnish area of [[Lapland (Finland)|Lapland]], bestriding the [[Arctic Circle]], is sparsely developed, with little daylight and persistent snow-cover during winter; the Finns expected nothing more than raiding parties and reconnaissance patrols. Instead, the Soviets sent full divisions.<ref name="Trotter_171-174">[[#Trotter2002|Trotter (2002)]], pp. 171–174</ref> On 11 December, the Finns rearranged the defence of Lapland and detached the [[Lapland Group]] from the North Finland Group. The group was placed under the command of [[Kurt Martti Wallenius|Kurt Wallenius]].<ref>[[#Lesk&Juuti1999|Leskinen and Juutilainen (1999)]], p. 164</ref>

In southern Lapland, near the village of Salla, the Soviet 88th and 122nd Divisions, totaling 35,000 men, advanced. In the [[Battle of Salla (1939)|Battle of Salla]], the Soviets proceeded easily to Salla, where the road split. Further ahead was [[Kemijärvi]], while the fork to [[Pelkosenniemi]] led northwest. On 17 December, the Soviet northern group, comprising an infantry regiment, a [[battalion]], and a company of tanks, was outflanked by a Finnish battalion. The 122nd retreated, abandoning much of its heavy equipment and vehicles. Following this success, the Finns shuttled reinforcements to the defensive line in front of Kemijärvi. The Soviets hammered the defensive line without success. The Finns counter-attacked, and the Soviets retreated to a new defensive line where they stayed for the rest of the war.<ref name="Trotter_178-180">[[#Trotter2002|Trotter (2002)]], pp. 178–180</ref><ref name="Vuore1999_545-549">[[#Vuore1999|Vuorenmaa (1999)]], pp. 545–549</ref>

To the north was Finland's only ice-free port in the Arctic, Petsamo. The Finns lacked the manpower to defend it fully, as the main front was distant at the Karelian Isthmus. In the [[Battle of Petsamo (1939)|Battle of Petsamo]], the Soviet 104th Division attacked the Finnish 104th Independent Cover Company. The Finns abandoned Petsamo and concentrated on delaying actions. The area was treeless, windy, and relatively low, offering little defensible terrain. The [[polar night|almost constant darkness]] and extreme temperatures of the Lapland winter benefited the Finns, who executed guerrilla attacks against Soviet supply lines and patrols. As a result, the Soviet movements were halted by the efforts of one-fifth as many Finns.<ref name="Trotter_171-174" />