Survivalisti

As a sidenote: Because of the experience of the War of year 1918 and lessons learned from the fighting in Eastern Karelia during the 1920`s, the Finnish army based it`s squad-level tactics on two soldiers supporting each other in battle. These two-man "taistelijapari" ("combat couple" if translated rudely) were then only loosely commanded by the NCO and supported by the LMG, and were particularry trained to be able to act without the support of the rest of the squad (or platoon for that matter) if needed. During the Winter War this practice was tested in battle and partially it helped to achieve the early war-victories of Tolvajärvi, Suomussalmi and Raate. In these encirlements small Finnish units operated quite independendly with platoons and squads split to smaller taskforces and detachments. After the Winter War and during the Continuation War and afterwards (1941-44) NCO and platoon leader-training actually encouraged action that would be called squad-splitting in the terms of CMBB. And yes, while fighting early-war forest battles in huge maps with plenty of room for flanking manouveurs and encirclements and even later on with more smg-heavy squads these real-life tactics work quite well. And the point is that least some armies fought with "split squads" in real life, so so much for that being gamey tactic.

1. Dirt, and in poor condition. 3. The 6th was formed in Lappland area, and many of it's soldiers had combat experience from the Winter War. During the Continuation War this division was the only Finnish army unit commanded by Germans. The division took part to General Diet's plan called "Polar Fox." 6th had 12.000 men, while full-strength Finnish inf.division should have had 16.348 Finnish Infantry Division's structure, 1941: Three Infantry Regiments Field Artillery Regiment Heavy Battery AA-Battery AT-Company (With gun calibres 37-45mm, Bofors being most common) Pioneer Company Signal Company Infantry Regiment's structure: Three Infantry Battalions AT-Company (equiptment as above) 3 Mortar Companies, 120mm 4. http://www.sodatkuvina.cjb.net/images/Jatkosota/Kartat/cwdata/41Salla.html 1.7 Tuesday: Attack begins 5.7 Saturday: Germans are stopped in the area of Salla, and after official request of help, Infantry Regiment 14 is transferred to the area from Åland. 8.7 Tuesday: The German forces commanded by Feige are finally able to seize Salla, but especially the SS Nord suffers heavy casualties, in fact Germans aren't able to continue their offensive actions at all until 18.8 18.8 Tuesday: 03.30 the 6th Infantry begins their 50km long encirlement attack to the rear areas of the Russian defences at Kuolaanjärvi area. The road to Alakurtti is cut, and several enemy units are totally encirled to the road area motti's. 22.8 Saturday: The elements of the 169th Division and SS-Division "Nord" encirle the main enemy forces in the area of Kuolajärvi. In the following battles the bulk of the enemy forces is able to slip away from the motti to east in the area of the 169th Division. After these battles the attack continued, with SS Nord in the middle in road area, 6th Finnish Infantry in the southern flank and the German 169th in the north. A new Russian defence line was met in the River Tuntsa, and when it was finally breached in Semptember, the tired attackers found out that the Russians had fortified another riverline at Voita River. By now the German 169th had lost over 2500 men, and the remaining soldiers were tired and poorly supplied due the extremely poor roads of the area. And when the Voita-line was finally breached, exhausted Germans met yet another well- fortified defence line, again positioned behind a river, this time called Verma, only 10km east from Voita. 8. October: German HQ calls of further attacks in this area, and the exhausted attackers dug in and prepared to spend their first winter in northern Finland. The attackers had advanced 80km from their starting positions. The XXXVI Army Corps has suffered severe casualties, and despite their best efforts, has been unable to reach either Murmansk or the railway. In southern flank of this operation, the famous Hjalmar Siilasvuo (Suomussalmi, anyone?) had led his forces to Kiestinki, 64km from the Murmansk Railroad. Mannerheim, however, does not allow him to continue is attack to Louhi, and Murmansk railroad remains uncut. Germans are furious, but can't force Finns to continue their attack. Large-scale operations won't occur here until year -44. [ December 16, 2002, 02:42 AM: Message edited by: Survivalisti ]

Hmm, somewhat off-topic: Finns used to attach at-mines to long wire, and then set the mine to the other side of the probable route of tank. And when the tank was in the right place, the ambushers just quickly pulled the mine under the tank's track, thus ensuring their success.