Editing Winter War (section)

===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" />