Editing Winter War (section)

===Soviet Air Force===
The USSR enjoyed [[air superiority]] throughout the war. The [[Soviet Air Force]], supporting the Red Army's invasion with about 2,500 aircraft (the most common type being [[Tupolev SB]]), was not as effective as the Soviets might have hoped. The material damage by the bomb raids was slight as Finland offered few valuable targets for [[strategic bombing]]. For example, the city of [[Tampere]] was one of the most important targets because it was an important railway junction, and also housed [[Valtion lentokonetehdas|State Aircraft Factory]] and the [[Tampella|Tampere Linen and Iron Industry]] premises, which manufactured [[munition]]s and weapons, including [[grenade launcher]]s.<ref>Esko Lammi: ''Talvisodan Tampere''. Vammala: Häijää Invest (Vammaspaino), 1990. {{ISBN|9529017073}}|. (in Finnish)</ref><ref>Jouko Juonala: ''Ilmahälytys!'' Talvisota: Ilta-Sanomien erikoislehti 2019, pp. 62–66. Helsinki: Sanoma Media Finland Oy. (in Finland)</ref> Often, targets were village depots with little value. The country had few modern highways in the interior, therefore making the railways the main targets for bombers. [[Rail track]]s were cut thousands of times but the Finns hastily repaired them and service resumed within a matter of hours.<ref name="Trotter 2002 p. 187"/> The Soviet Air Force learned from its early mistakes, and by late February instituted more effective tactics.<ref name="Trotter_193">[[#Trotter2002|Trotter (2002)]], p. 193</ref>

The largest bombing raid against the capital of Finland, [[Helsinki]], occurred on the first day of the war. The capital was bombed only a few times thereafter. All in all, Soviet bombings cost Finland five per cent of its total man-hour production. Nevertheless, Soviet air attacks affected thousands of civilians, killing 957.<ref name="Kur&Lent2005_1152"/> The Soviets recorded 2,075 bombing attacks in 516 localities. The city of Viipuri, a major Soviet objective close to the Karelian Isthmus front, was almost levelled by nearly 12,000 bombs.<ref>[[#Trotter2002|Trotter (2002)]], pp. 187–188</ref> No attacks on civilian targets were mentioned in Soviet radio or newspaper reports. In January 1940, the Soviet ''[[Pravda]]'' newspaper continued to lie that no civilian targets in Finland had been struck, even accidentally.<ref name="Tillo1993_157">[[#Tillotson1993|Tillotson (1993)]], p. 157</ref> It is estimated that the Soviet air force lost about 400 aircraft because of inclement weather, lack of fuel and tools, and during transport to the front. The Soviet Air Force flew approximately 44,000 sorties during the war.<ref name="Trotter_193"/>