Editing Winter War (section)

===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>