Jump to content

The Vuosalmi series is complete


Sesam

Recommended Posts

I have submitted the last three scenarios to The Scenario Depot . There are 14 scenarios on the campaign:

VC-1-Cemetery

VC-2-Counter Attack

VC-3-Wave after Wave

VC-4-Islands

VC-5-Church Hill

VC-6-Too Late

VC-7-URRAHH!

VC-8-A Cold Night

VC-9-Red Snow

VC-10-A Line in Snow I

VC-11-A Line in Snow II

VC-12-Vuosalmi

VC-13-The Night of Chaos

VC-14-The Final Assault

During the 13 day battle the Infantry Regiment 23 (JR 23) lost 672 men. The total losses of the Finnish III Corps were about 4000 men. The Russian casualtes were far higher.

General Headquarters, March 14, 1940

Order of the Day Nr. 34

Soldiers of the glorious Finnish army!

Peace has been concluded between Finland and Soviet Russia, a harsh peace in which Soviet Russia has been ceded nearly every battlefield on which you have shed your blood on behalf of everything we hold sacred and dear.

You did not want war; you loved peace, work and progress; but you were forced into a struggle in which you have achieved great deeds, deeds that will shine for centuries in the annals of history.

Soldiers!

I have fought on many a battlefield, but never have I seen such warriors as you. I am as proud of you as if you were my own children; I am as proud of the man from the northern fells as of the son of Ostrobothnia's plains, of the Karelian forests, the hills of Savo, the fertile fields of Häme and Satakunta, the leafy glades of Uusimaa and Varsinais-Suomi. I am equally proud of the sacrifice of the factory worker and the poor crofter as of that of the wealthy.

With joy and pride my thoughts dwell on the women of the Lotta Svärd - on their spirit of self-sacrifice and untiring work in myriad fields, work which has freed thousands of men to fight at the front. Their noble spirit has given inspiration and support to the army, and they have thoroughly earned our gratitude and respect.

A place of honour has also been earned by the thousands of workers who, often as volunteers and during air raids, have worked on their machines to provide the army with vital supplies, and those, too, who have laboured unflinchingly under fire to strengthen our defensive positions. On behalf of our native land, I thank you all.

Mannerheim

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've played and reviewed two in the series, and I give a lot of props to Sesam for doing this series.

These are definitely worth playing, and have interesting wrinkles and the peculiarities of the Northern campaigns.

Thanks to Sesam for his dedication in delivering this series to the CM community.

I intend to play and review as many of these as I can over time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Are you planning a new series of Vuosalmi battles?

The Continuation War 1944, June - July the Soviet assault against Finnish bridgehead in Ayrapaa and the Finnish struggle against Soviet attack over the Vuoksi river.

Your scenario maps are great... and they can be used also in these battles.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Originally posted by Xerxes_fi:

Are you planning a new series of Vuosalmi battles?

The Continuation War 1944, June - July the Soviet assault against Finnish bridgehead in Ayrapaa and the Finnish struggle against Soviet attack over the Vuoksi river.

Your scenario maps are great... and they can be used also in these battles.

I'm considering it. I have done some research, the battle wouldn't be so one sided: Finns had more heavy weapons, artillery, Stukas and even some StuGs.

But first I'd like to have more feedback about the winter war series. I have got some opinions about the individual battles, but almost nothing about how the scenarios work as a series.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

The battle was fought 63 years ago. Now you have chance to follow the historical timeline and play all 14 battles in two weeks. Experience endless Soviet hordes and bitter fighting in a harsh winter climate.

Here is a timeline taken from the official Winter War telegrams( The Winter War ):

Day 90 of the Winter War, February 27, 1940

The Finnish troops have held the intermediary defensive positions on the Isthmus for 12 days. Lieutenant-General Erik Heinrichs, commander of the Army of the Isthmus, orders withdrawal from these positions to begin at 7 o'clock in the evening. The Finns begin delaying action to cover withdrawal to the backline defences. Despite the critical situation in the intermediary positions as a result of the enemy breakthrough, the Finnish troops manage to pace their withdrawal successfully. The Soviet force follows behind relatively slowly.

Following the realignment of the front on the western part of the Isthmus, the Finnish 2nd Division is ordered to withdraw to the eastern side of the Vuoksi and defend the Sintolanniemi-Vuosalmi line. The 2nd Division fighting in Vuosalmi ends its assessment of its present situation: "Today we're okay, tomorrow we'll be really struggling, and the day after tomorrow the 2nd Division will no longer exist unless we get full assistance from III Army Corps." The 2nd Division is placed under III Army Corps and begins a delaying action in the Vuosalmi sector.

Day 93 of the Winter War, March 1, 1940

In Vuosalmi, a Soviet detachment of approximately battalion strength attacking the church hill at Äyräpää is beaten back by the defending Finnish troops.

Day 95 of the Winter War, March 3, 1940

The Soviet troops on the Vuoksi throw almost three divisions into an offensive across a broad front in the Vuosalmi and Kaskiselkä sectors. The defending Finnish troops successfully halt the offensive with the support of artillery fire.

Day 96 of the Winter War, March 4, 1940

On the Isthmus, a Soviet assault launched at 6 o'clock in the morning leads by nightfall to the capture of a bridgehead near Äyräpää church.

Day 97 of the Winter War, March 5, 1940

The counterattack to retake the church hill at Äyräpää is delayed by the late arrival of the Finnish detachment at the starting position. The launch of the operation is put back until daylight. The Finnish attack founders with heavy losses in the face of intense enemy fire. During the half-hour attack up the church hill, the attacking Finnish soldiers from the Ostrobothnia municipality of Nurmo lose 40 dead and 30 wounded, some fatally. The hill remains in enemy hands. During the course of the morning the Russians occupy Vasikkasaari.

Day 100 of the Winter War, March 8, 1940

In Vuosalmi the enemy is digging in on the northern bank of the Vuoksi. The Finnish 2nd and 21st divisions are estimated to be facing six Russian divisions. They are thus outnumbered three to one. Two Soviet divisions attack across the Vuoksi from Vasikkasaari to Vuosalmi.

Day 101 of the Winter War, March 9, 1940

The Soviet Union is continuing its massive offensive against the Finnish backline positions.

Day 102 of the Winter War, March 10, 1940

In Vuosalmi the enemy is concentrating its efforts on the Liete meadows to the northeast of Vasikkasaari.

Day 103 of the Winter War, March 11, 1940

The Soviet troops in the centre of the Karelian Isthmus launch an offensive across the Vuoksi with supporting artillery and other fire. At 2.45 p.m. the enemy achieve a 500 metre breakthrough to the northwest of Vasikkasaari, but the defending Finnish troops manage to contain it. During the night, the Finnish troops in Vuosalmi withdraw from Vitsaari after heavy fighting.

Day 104 of the Winter War, March 12, 1940

Around 50 Soviet tanks drive across the Vuoksi to the mainland, suffering losses under the Finnish artillery fire. Colonel Hersalo's 21st Division launches a counterattack in Vuosalmi.

The commander of III Army Corps, Major-General Talvela decides to pull back his troops in Vuosalmi on account of the ceasefire negotiations. However, in the evening his troops occupy the support line in the rear.

Day 105 of the Winter War, March 13, 1940

The Treaty of Moscow ending the Winter War is signed in the Kremlin at 1 o'clock in the morning Finnish time. The peace treaty takes effect on all fronts at 11 o'clock in the morning. In the Taipale and Vuosalmi sectors of the front the Finnish artillery, which has played a major role in the successful defence of these sectors, finally falls silent as the fierce fighting is broken off at 11 o'clock.

Finland's total losses in the war are 21,396 dead, 1,434 missing and 43,557 wounded. Enemy losses total around 200,000 dead and 600,000 wounded.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Great work Sesam!

I'm very interested in the "winter war", and I would like to thank you for the "vousalmi" campaign!

I've just downloaded all vousalmi scenarios and had just a "first look" on the first mission, very impressive!

gp12.jpg

The Winter War 1939-1940

http://www.mil.fi/tiedotus/talvisota_eng/timer.html

THE WHITE DEATH-THE BATTLE FOR SUOMUSSALMI

http://home.interserv.com/~tazio/7dSuomu.htm

The Finnish Winter War 1939-1940

http://www.feldgrau.com/wwar.html

The Finnish Air Force (FAF) in Combat in the Winter War '39-40

http://www.sci.fi/~ambush/combat/combat.html

A short summary of Finnland in WW-II

http://hkkk.fi/%7Eyrjola/war/finland/summary.html

The Battles of the Winter War

http://www.winterwar.com/mainpage.htm

With friendly greetings, Trommelfeuer

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...