TSFE: The Defense of Finland.

[PinkyGen]

I started a game as the Fin's on medium on May, 1945. I wanted to see how well I could defend my homeland in the new world.
For a year, nothing happens. I slowly improve my defenses.

In 1946, I have three perimeters facing the Soviet Union. The first is the Helsinki-Lenningrad line. This line is dominated by three defensive pillboxes in fortresses protecting Finland, and Lenningrad, surrounding by it's own pillboxes in fortresses. Three light tanks, and two German infantry divisions are kept in this theater, plus two fighters.


The second line is Joensuu-Petrozavodsk line. Two pillboxes on a hill in fotresses defend my city. Joensuu itself had three pillboxes. Joensuu also has a german Infantry division, and my two elite tank divisions. One elite Panzer IV, and one elite T-34/85. It also has a fighter.

The third is isolated Salla in the north, facing Murmansk and Kirovisk. It has a pillbox, and some AA. Very weak.

Also, all cities have a mix of homeguard and AA guns.

Being rather bored in 1946, I launch a nice suicide attack against the Soviets in order to make the game worth playing.

I quickly lose my destroyers and offensive bombers. But the Soviets seem rather hesistant to strike back. So far, in late 1947, they have only committed two T-34/85' into attacking pillboxes (one was destroyed attacking, the other was lost by a surprise attack by own T-34). The main Soviet effort has been in the air, dominated by Pe-2's and La-5's. It is not a very effective tactic. They have managed to destroy some pillboxes, but have managed to lost a lot of planes in the process. Even my weak counter-fighters have been able to down a few weakened bombers that survived their first run (they also downed a weakened Yak-9). Nevertheless, the enemy has complete air control of the battle, and they keep on sending Yak-9's through my territory to their other cities.
So far, only Salla has fallen to massive air attack, the other fronts have held fine (though curiously the Soviets were able to bribe a pillbox near Helsinki. How did that happen?)

So far, only Salla has fallen to intense Air attack.

Beggining of the summer of 1947, Finland engaged in a full diplomatic offensive. My first meeting was with the allies. They proved to be uncooperative, refusing to sign an alliance, and unwilling to declare war on the Soviets. Meetings with my fellow weak countries of Turkey, Sweden, Spain, and neutral alliance were better, and I recieved offers of alliance from all of them.

The best news was the next turn. Turkey fully honored the "Helsinki Pact" and declared war on the Soviet Union, drawing forces away. But their port of Samsun has suffered terribly, it is now defensless. Istanbul holds, and so does Trabzon near Batumi.

But the best news was a surprise Allied attack on the Soviets. Perhaps they listened after all. They managed to take Rijeka, Rostock, Dresden, and Berlin from the Soviets. (Note: They took Praha and Salzburg from the Germans earlier.)

Sweden also jumped in, and used bombers to attack Sala. Their more advanced Stridvasagn's have also entered our territory.

However, our elation has now turned to fear. A meer one turn after this great news, Allied B-29's struck Turku and Oulu, destroying those pillboxes.
But the new grand alliance responded, and now the Allies find themselves faced against Turkey, Sweden, Neutrals, and Spain itself. But the war still goes well for them, and the Spanish have lost the island of Palma to this cause.

The brave army, navy, and Air forces of Finland have withstood the Red Storm. But can we survive the Allied B-29's as well?


to be continued...

 

[PinkyGen]

The Immense Struggle:

While Finland bravely fought the aggressors, their Allies did not do so well.

The Spanish, after losing Palma, made peace with the Allies. The Swedes after losing Malmo the Allies in an amphibious attack, also made their peace.
For Turkey, they were unable to replicate Finland's success agains the Red Storm. Soviet forces operating from Batumi swept into Eastern Turkey, seizing Trabazon, Adana, Samsum, and their capital Ankara. In the West, the Turks suffered their worst blow, losing Istanbul to the Soviets.

While the Soviets have faired well in the Middle East(they have taken all of Iraq and Damascus, they have greatly suffered in Europe against the superior Allied airpower. The Allies have taken all of Poland (including Konigsberg) except for Warsaw. They have suffered heavily in the rest of Eastern Europe, and now only hold Sofia and Romania, though they did manage to destroy Thessalonki in Greece. If the scenario continued, I had no doubt they would have eventually been destroyed.

But all of that news was of small concert to Finland. Their hopes of an alliance with the Allies had fallen through. Allied B-29's and Battleships pummelled Oulu. Though massive attacks of fighters managed to destroy one weakened B-29, Oulu was left defenseless. And to make it worse, not the Allies, but the Soviets then paradropped into the city, bringing the Red menace even closer. The Allies then bombarded the Soviet city of Oulu, and left it defenseless. Then, my "allies", the swedes with their more advanced tanks, retook the city before I could mount my own tank. My diplomats tell me they plan to keep it as compensation for losing Malmo as our Allies.

Wishing no more to be attacked by the Allies, we paid an enormous amount of 1,000 in Finish Currency, and got a cease-fire.

Then, in November of 1948, the last turn of the scenario, the Finnish armed forces made their counter-attack against the weakened Soviet Union. But Instead of retaking the far off Sala, Our T-34, Panzer IV, mobile troops, and light tanks took Petrozavodsk. The Soviets, humiliated once more by failing to annhilate the Finish Army and actually losing a size 8 city while only taking size 4 Sala, decided to sign a cease-fire.

Thus, little Finland emerged from the intact, though not unscathed. While our main industrial base of power remained intact, the loss of the two northern cities greatly saddened the population. Yet, the new Soviet city was far more advanced than those in our own Tundra, and our people look forward to perfecting this new city.

Perhaps, the Allies will soon drive to Moscow. If so, and if they turn out to be honorable, Perhaps Finland can rejoin the war once more. Murmansk, Kirovsk, and Salla have been isolated from the rest of Russia. If the Allies can keep mainland Russia busy, perhaps we can retake the Salla and add the two new Soviet Cities. Then, we would have achieved our goal of Greater Finland. But only time would tell.

(P.S. I played the Finns for the challenge, and was quite satisfied. Next time, I will play Allies on Medium, and see if I can stop the Blitzkrieg.