Great scenario. A strong Soviet assault must survive a gauntlet of few but tenacious Finns and tough terrain. I think I wasted Finn strength in too many low odds assaults, but it was ALMOST effective. Luckily the Soviets drew a great mix of leaders so they could keep the troops moving forward. If I had played the Finns a bit cagier and the Soviets had their more typical leadership, this could have gone the Finns way. As it was, the Soviets barely won, coming down to the final turn and a single platoon.

30 November 1939

In this scenario Soviet troops invade Finnish territory and approach the seaside resort of Terijoki. Here stand several units of the Finnish army élite: the frightful " Sisu" (skiers). Approximately three companies of " Sisu" and a 37mm AT battery must defend the town against a Soviet infantry battalion reinforced with artillery and T-26 tanks (three platoons). The Finns lack mortars and artillery. The Soviets have a powerful OBA (4 x 12, 2 x 18).

The battle lasts 24 turns. The last turns are night turns. Morale: Finns 9/8, Soviets 7/6. River is minor.

Victory Points: One VP for each enemy step eliminated (tanks count double). One VP for each town hex under Finnish control at the end of play. Two VPs for each town hex under Soviet control at the end of play. And only for the Finns, thirty VPs if there are fewer than 30 undemoralized Soviet steps west of the river at the end of play.

Tactics: The Finns must avoid at any price that Soviet units cross the river. The Finns will deploy a defensive line at seven or eight hexes from the east edge. (The Soviets enter on the east edge). Some Finnish units will deploy behind this line to counterattack infiltrated Soviet units. The Soviets will avoid to attack frontally and assault Finnish positions, given the enormous Finnish superiority in assaults (better morale and Finnish infantry bonuses). Soviets will try to elude Finnish positions and to reach the west bank of the river as quickly as possible. They will use artillery to destroy Finnish units in open field.

Turns 1 - 4

The Soviets enter on the battlefield. The majority of the infantry enter on the woods and tries to infiltrate in the Finnish line. The other (infantry and tanks) form a screen in front of the first town near the sea. The Soviet artillery and mortars crush the Finnish positions in the woods and cause the first losses. The Soviet concentrated fire of some HMG platoons causes some losses as well. The Soviets also undergo losses, but they are able to infiltrate some units in the Finnish line.

Turns 5 - 8

The Soviet artillery play havoc with the Finnish positions in the woods. There is a hole in the Finnish line and the Soviets penetrate. In the first town the Finnish AT battery destroys 1/2 T-26 platoon, but next this battery is targeted by the Soviet OBA and destroyed. The scarce Finnish units of second line are ready to counterattack the infiltrated Soviet infantry.

Losses: Finns 4 steps, Soviets 4 steps.

Turns 9-12

Finnish defensive line in the woods is completely broken. Only some units maintain isolated but tough resistance pockets. Soviet OBA continues destroying Finnish units in open field and in the woods. The Finnish "majuri" is surrounded and eliminated. The T-26 tanks elude the first town and go towards the center of the battlefield.

Losses: Finns 7 steps, Soviets 6 steps.

Turns 13 - 16

Some Finnish units withdraw from the first town to try the deployment of a second line near to the river. The Soviets take advantage of it and enter on the town, where two Finnish platoons still resist. In the woods the Finnish counterattack has been able to stop to some Soviet units. Others nevertheless have arrived at the river and even are able to cross it. The Soviet tanks advance on the road without resistance and are on the verge of the second town. The scarce Finnish forces cannot cover all the holes.

Turns 17 - 20

More Soviet units cross the river. A T-26 tank platoon is destroyed in the second town, but the other one advances unmolested on the road towards the Finnish rear. The remaining Finnish units try to form a line to avoid the passage of the river of new Soviet forces. It grows dark.

Turns 21 - 24

The Soviet advance becomes paralyzed. The arrival of the night prevents the movement of Soviet isolated units without leader. A Finnish roadblock interrupts the passage of several enemy units. The surviving T-26 platoon takes without resistance all the Finnish towns in the rear. Only 22 Soviet steps have been able to cross the river.

Losses: Finns 8 steps, Soviets 13 steps.

Victory Points: Finns 56, Soviets 28.

Finnish Major Victory.

I finlandesi applicano una resistenza passiva, attendono l'avanzata nemica in posizioni riparate: gli hex di città. L'alto morale finlandese permette di passare indenne alla maggioranza degli attacchi dell'artigleria sovietica. Un errore di manovra sovietico permette un veloce attacco di 2 unità sisu che infliggono perdite per poi ritirarsi. Il sovietico non riesce a trovare la giusta strategia di attacco, forse disperde inizialmente le sue forze e non ha abbastanza unità per sostenere ogni singolo esagono d'assalto. Il basso morale russo rallenta gli attacchi, è difficile recuperare le unità demoralizzate, anzi è quasi impossibile. Il finlandese vince, il sovietico si ritira.

Il morale basso delle unità sovietiche rende difficile l'attacco, la difficoltà di recuperare le unità disperse/demoralizzate pone problemi alla strategia sovietica.

The higher morale Finns handily managed to fight off the hordes of Russian invaders. Which just goes to show you that a deliberate defense is very hard to crack, particularly when the defenders are highly motivated, and the flanks cannot be turned in the scenario.