OK, here's a little mid-week popper to give you more spring in your step to make it to the weekend.
"On The Borderline" is the least well-developed of the four Winter War scenarios being revised, so I had intended to feature the others first. But since Tom wants ruff-n-tuff lookin' Finns to play with, we'll tell you more about Lt. Toiviainen and what
really happened to him and his comrades on 30 November 1939.
This scenario was split evenly on ROAR as of last June, but the mere 17 playings speak volumes about its underwhelming popularity. Part of this may be all the things the scenario gets wrong. Here's an inexhaustive list:
- Wrong names - Not only is the Lieutenant's name is spelled incorrectly, so is the place name, Artahuuhta, south of Suvilahti (present day Suoyarvi, Russia) and north of the Myllyjärvi
- Wrong board - The site is an unpaved track through a wooded area, board 3 is far too urbanized
- Wrong units - Combatants on both sides are mis-identified
- Wrong equipment - Doubtful that any cavalry galloped to the sound of the guns
Here's how we are trying to turn these wrongs into a right:
Finnish JR34 of 12th Division (IV Corps) opposed the Red Army’s 56th Rifle Division (not 139 RD) attack in this area. 56 RD initial objective was Loimola, not Tolvajärvi. The Finnish unit in question was the cavalry squadron (
Ratsuväki eskadroona) of the Division’s Light Detachment (
Kevyt Osasto 12), under overall command of Captain Karl Arnold Woldemar Majewski. Lt. Toiviainen led Company 5, 2nd Battalion, JR34. 56RD moved on Suvilahti from the east on a road running through Verkkolampi (37th RR, opposed by 6/II/JR34), and from the south on the trail from Myllyjärvi (RR unknown, either 184th or 213th). Alm (p.28) records that on 30 Nov the Light Detachment marched to Suvilahti, from where Reserve Lt. Vilho Lavikaisen was ordered to lead the first reconnaissance patrol on skis (“hiihto hinauksessa”) toward Myllyjärvi, taking a cavalry and two bicycle platoons with him. About 2km from the border the patrol encountered 5th Company (also on skis), which was moving to counterattack. Lavikaisen took the bicycle platoons to join Toiviainen’s effort, but this was quickly thrown back. Both units retreated northward to set up a blocking position at Artahuuhta. Early in the afternoon orders came placing Majewski in command of all forces opposing the northward thrust to Suvilahti.
The scenario could focus on the aborted morning counterattack or the efforts to block the Soviet advance, the first of which occurred over the night of the 30th – 1st. For the revision I have chosen to simulate the Finns breaking off counterattack and retreating to Artahuuhta with Soviets in pursuit, Victory Conditions
a la “Fighting Withdrawal,” but in reverse. If Finnish reinforcements are needed, Corporal Toivo Reijonen’s cavalry platoon could come up
on skis.
There's still so much to do to get a revision into playable shape that I would welcome a co-designer for this title. Hope the research to date and these ideas spark some interest.
Cheers!
- G