Monday, January 8th 1940. It is strange to think that the communists invaded our lands barely five weeks ago; it feels like we have been fighting in Suomussalmi for a lifetime. The struggle for this sleepy village has raged back and forth, the seemingly endless number of enemies matched only by our fighting spirit and quick wits. I still cannot believe we emerged triumphant against such odds. The unusually bitter winter has helped; the Russians did not come prepared for our weather, and many times we have found their soldiers frozen to death from cold. Their green uniforms make them easy targets against the snow, too. The Russian vehicles fare little better, unable to stray far from the few roads that snake through the woods. With our skis, we found it easy to maneuver around their forces, cutting them into several packets which we attacked from all sides.
Our tactics proved successful, and we annihilated two whole Russian divisions with barely any casualties of our own. Not since David slew Goliath has such a mighty foe been toppled.
Throughout the battle, it was the relentless fighting spirit of my men which made the difference. I credit General Oesch with teaching me how to find resilience under even the most adverse situations.
However you look at it, there is no doubt that today marked a great victory for Finland and its people. The Russians have fled the area, leaving piles of equipment and supplies behind. I am sure we will make good use of them in the weeks ahead. Battles rage on elsewhere, but one thing is for sure: we will defend our ancestral lands until our dying breath!
– A diary excerpt rom Sudden Strike 4
Wargamer Jake here. I just played the Battle of Suomussalmi in Sudden Strike 4, which on the Finnish side, focuses on defense and asymmetric warfare. In this game, the Finns are tasked with surviving initial Soviet assaults, reclaiming the village of Suomussalmi, and defeating Soviet reinforcements. It is ideal, if not suggested, to utilize the infantry (riflemen, submachine gunners, mortars, and anti-tank units), because vehicles struggle in the deep snow and thin ice, relying heavily on infantry and snipers is highly effective for both defending and ambushing.
What was behind the Battle of Suomussalmi?
The Battle of Suomussalmi was one of the first battles of the Winter War (1939 to 1940), and one of the battles that resulted in Finnish victory. Outnumbered and facing two Soviet divisions, Finnish forces used guerilla tactics, freezing weather, and road-blocking strategies to annihilate the Red Army, preventing the Soviets from splitting Finland in half. Approximately 11,000 Finnish troops (commanded by Col. Hjalmar Siilasvuo) faced over 55,000 Soviet troops spread across the 163rd and 44th Rifle Division.
In early December, the 163rd Soviet Division crossed the border, advanced along forest roads, and captured the village of Suomussalmi. However, the Soviets were heavily dependent on mechanized equipment and supply lines, and thus they were forced into tight columns on narrow forest roads. Finnish ski troops, highly mobile and adapted to the sub-zero environment, used motti tactics (encirclement). They sliced the massive Soviet columns into smaller, isolated pockets (mottis) and systematically destroyed them. The 44th Ukrainian Rifle Division was sent to relieve the 163rd, but they were ambushed and entirely annihilated along the infamous Raate Road by early January.
Did the Finns captured anything in the Battle of Suomussalmi? Yes. They captured 43 tanks (mostly T-26 light tanks), hundreds of other vehicles, field guns, anti-tank guns, and thousands of rifles. Most of these equipment are captured from the Soviet 44th Rifle Division along the Raate Road, which became trapped and cut into smaller pieces (mottis) by Finnish ski troops. Because Finland lacked heavy manufacturing capabilities, these captured tanks were refurbished and subsequently formed the backbone of the first Finnish armoured units, which were officially established in the early 1940s.
It is celebrated as one of the most remarkable examples in military history of an outgunned, lightly armed defender defeating a massive, mechanized invading force by using terrain and climate as weapons.
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