Winter war with Finland: battles for Suomussalmi

Frankly, few people know about the Soviet-Finnish war or the Winter War of the 1939-1940's in Russia. It is believed that the Soviet Union was the instigator of this war, having shown aggression against Finland. The leadership of our country, headed by Stalin, was interested in acquiring territories located in the region of the Karelian Isthmus. In fact, the victory in the Soviet-Finnish war allowed the USSR to get a certain backlog on its northwestern borders before the start of World War II.

The need to push the border and geopolitical differences were the causes of this military conflict.

Western countries such as England, France, the United States at that time adhered to a policy of non-interference in the Winter War, thereby depriving Finland of its support.

One of the key events of this war was the battle for the village of Suomussalmi. The Soviet command was confident that with the capture of this settlement, it would be possible to organize a convenient intermediate supply center for our troops, which would advance into the depths of Finland. However, these plans did not succeed.

Military historian Oleg Nikolayevich Kiselev, guest of the Archival Revolution, will talk about what happened north of Lake Ladoga and why the Red Army suffered heavy losses in the battles for Suomussalmi.

Comments

[svp67]

Why did they lose, because of the mess, since at that moment the Red Army was more of a "partisan detachment" than a regular army. Otherwise, the commander or commissar of the regiment openly ignores the orders of the divisional commander, directly addressing his "friend", the corps commander and gives orders as "the soul is down", without proper reconnaissance, without organizing support ... on the ENTHUSIASM OF MASS. So they beat us, taught us. It's a pity that by the 41st, not all the lessons were learned, it took another two years. But without such a "bitter study" the Germans would have beaten us longer ...

[Deck]

That beat us, taught.

Not only taught. In the year 41, on August 24-31 near Vyborg, near the town of Porlampi (Beetroot), the 43rd Infantry Division with the division commander Kirpichnikov (shot in 1950) got into the boiler. This ended the defeat of the Vyborg group of the 23rd Army. All the results of the Winter War were crossed out by the Finns in two months. In October, the Finnish army reached the old border.

[svp67]

Quote: Deck

In October, the Finnish army reached the old border.

So they in the 44th very strongly "nailed" our units, but this does not mean that they won. Finland went to negotiations and fulfilled all the requirements of the USSR. knowing perfectly well that if the Red Army transfers there a couple of armies from the center, then no matter how Finland flutters, it will still end, and then: "Long live the Finnish SSR"

Quote: Deck

divisional commander Kirpichnikov (shot in 1950)

He paid for his betrayal. A person in such ranks should understand what can be said and what is not to his enemies

[Deck]

He paid for his betrayal.

And correctly shot, it was necessary twice!
Talk about the position of the "border pushers". If until 1939 Finland was, despite the events of 18-20, a relatively neutral country, then later it became sharply hostile. It cost us hundreds of thousands of dead soldiers. Both in Winter and Patriotic.

So they in the 44th very much "nailed" our units, but this does not mean that they won. Finland went to negotiations and fulfilled all the requirements of the USSR. perfectly understanding

They simply defended their homeland as they could. Another example. And did not trade her.

[svp67]

Quote: Deck

If until 1939 Finlmndia was, despite the events of 18-20, a relatively neutral country, then it became sharply hostile.

Who told you that? She was as "neutral" as Sweden. "Wolf" he was still

Quote: Deck

They simply defended their homeland as they could.

Our soldiers too

[Deck]

Who told you that?

Yes Yes. Here recently in our area United Russia celebrated 75 years of "liberation of the Finnish Raivola and Uusikirko from the Finns."

[svp67]

Quote: Deck

Yes Yes. Here recently in our area United Russia celebrated 75 years of "liberation of the Finnish Raivola and Uusikirko from the Finns."

Finnish? Actually, these lands were PURCHASED by Peter 1 from Sweden ... What are you talking about?

[Deck]

Before these events, there was the Notberg Peace, the Stolbovsky Peace. After Tartus. To date, these lands have been selected (not purchased) from Finland under the Moscow and Paris Peace Treaties.
By the way, a curious touch. Russia, the winner of the Northern War, in return for the territories received, completely returns to Sweden the Finland that they had taken away, abolishing it as the Grand Duchy of Finland. Moreover, His Royal Majesty wants to provide a service of his own free will - to pay a sum of 2 million yefimki. The secret article stipulated that only silver coins minted in Leipzig, Berlin and Braunschweig were accepted for payment and the banks and payment terms acceptable for payment were listed

[strannik1985]

If before 1939

That is, two wars in which Finland acted as an aggressor, the VK-1 plan, according to which Finland, in a favorable situation, planned to occupy part of the USSR, a secret military alliance with Estonia and Sweden aimed at blocking the Baltic Fleet in the Gulf of Finland does not speak about a possible hostility of Finland?

[Deck]

There was also VK 2. Talking about him is uninteresting?

[strannik1985]

There was also VK 2

June 22, 1941 conditions suitable for VK-2?

[knn54]

Reminds (by the mediocrity of the leadership) 1st Chechen.

[Finn]

Svr lost it which way to look. Until the 60-70s, Finland paid indemnity for the USSR losses. The base in Porkkala, from where it is 4 km from ESStoni, is covered with blunt discs by D-30, they say tanks are still rusting in the fields. The “Iron Curtain”, by the way, as the concept went then - the Russian squads defended against the Finns throwing stones at them. Pushing their territories away from the Sestra River, pushing them away from St. Petersburg. Won, a loss at what cost, a lot of deaths due to the competent use of lakes, swamps and Mannerheim lines. On narrow isthmuses it was impossible to deploy a wide front.

[Bear040]

Nevertheless, this did not prevent England, France and the United States from sending their modern fighters to Finland (England - Hurricane), (France MS-406), (USA - Brewster-239)

[Deck]

One word "sent" instead of "sold" illiquid assets, but how does the meaning change.
By the way, I. Juutilainen fought on Brewster, the same age as I-16 (94 victories in 437 air battles)

[Bear040]

But there were only I-16s there ... The main plane there was I-15, and he was losing the MS-406 in clean speed and armament (on the MS-406 there was a 20 mm gun, or a 12,7 mm machine gun, against rattles 7,62 on I-15, and not even ShKAS, but PA)

[Paul Siebert]

Did we lose this war?
We won!
In the small Ural city where I was born, in a church that never closed, they took frostbitten, wounded heroes!
What happened next?
Victory!

[nivander]

And after all, they captured this Suomussaalmi and consolidated themselves and hadn’t been late for the 44th division, they would have trodden another 20 km and would have been intercepted by the railway linking south and north of Suomiya

[Timofey Astakhov]

"It is believed that the Soviet Union was the instigator of this war, showing aggression against Finland."

Author, stop bustling. It's time to admit the obvious - the USSR was an aggressor. The story of Suomusalmi is connected with the plan to cut Finland in two and go to Oulu. What is it if not aggression?

[Uncle Izya]

What aggression are you talking about and what Peter Minerheim wanted to join Finland

[Finn]

Yes, the Finns wanted to take everything to the Urals, they didn’t grow by Wishlist. Who cares?

[Finn]

That is, that is - the USSR was an aggressor, but it took away its land data previously for use as a state friendly to Russia. Stopped being friendly, so I had to pick it up.

[Dedok]

Scary photos

[Strashila]

I don’t know, I don’t know, according to the stories of my grandfather, who served in the ski battalion, they drove the Finns in the tail and mane, both on the front line and raiding their rear.
This is a garbage bin, it resembles the situation with Rzhev.
Speaking the Finns, they forget about the help directed by the entire "world" community of that time; the Germans with the British and the "neutral" Swedes and many others sat in the same trench.