As an initial study guide for the SoS NTO Winter War Soviet at startset-up we use the information in Sam Dahman’s “A Soviet Response tothe Finn Judgment,” in Europa #65. In a short article he presents aninteresting Soviet set-up, a good description of his Dec I 39 Sovietturn movements & activity, and a good summary.
Starting at the top northern end of the European continent with the AWWSoviet OB’s Fourteenth Army, the winterized 4-6 Inf XX 104 is placed atfrozen rough terrain border hex 0402, which is “…within five hexesof Murmansk” per the OB stipulation and also happens to be adjacentto Petsamo, in Finland. This placement also complies with thestipulation in J. Astell’s recommended Additional Soviet DeploymentRestrictions from Europa #61 which states that only “winter-capableand NKVD units may deploy anywhere in their army’s deployment zone.”Otherwise the non-winterized 4-6 Inf XX 14 might be a better choice forthis remote and desolate spot in the Arctic tundra, except that per theabove Additional Soviet Deployment Restrictions, non-winterized Sovietground units “…may only deploy in or adjacent to hexes containinga road or rail line.”
At Murmansk (dot city & Artic Ocean major port) are a positional flackfactor, the winterized 4-6 Inf XX 3, the 4-6 Inf XX 14 and the SoS DDflotilla-1 (AA=1).
To the south of Murmansk the 1-6 Inf III 529 is placed at remote andlikely quite cold wooded rough terrain road border hex 1507, on theKandalaksha-Torino transportation line. Facing it in Finland at Salla(at woods road junction hex 1510) is the 1-6 Ski III 1/LR.
Up against the frigid Finnish border at wooded swamp road hex 2108 isthe 4-6 Inf XX 163. Two hexes eastwards down the road from it atKestenga’s 1-cap permanent airstrip (at wooded swamp secondary railhead/road hex 2107) is based an I-152 F type air unit. Also at Kestengais the 0-1-8 Bdr III 2. This remote Arctic road is the Loukhi-Oulutransportation line. Facing it three road hexes westwards in Finland atKussamo (at woods road hex 2010, one hex NW of the border) is thesupported 1-6 Ski III 2/LR.
A little farther south at another remote & freezing woods road borderhex (2510) is the 4-6 Inf XX 54. A little behind it (eastwards) at Ukhta(at woods road hex 2508) are a 1-cap permanent airstrip, the 0-5 ConstIII 9, and a G-1 T type air unit. It is likely that beginning the firstSoviet turn the const III will begin upgrading the 1-cap airstrip to a3-cap permanent air field. This is along the Kem-Ukhta-Soumussalmitransportation line. Facing it down the road in Finland at Soumussalmi(at woods road junction hex 2612) is the 1-2-6 Ski III 1/PKR.
The remainder of the Soviet Ninth Army is clustered next theSoviet-Finnish eastern frontier border along the Rugozero-Kuhmo roadarea just above the A weather line. At forest road border hex 3110 arethe winterized Inf III 88/273 and the 2-6 Art X 45. At adjacent foresthex 3210 is the 0-1-8 Bdr III 5. Next to it at forest hex 3310, right onthe A weather line, are the 3-6 Inf XX 122 and the primo 4-8 Mot Inf XX44. Here in the AWW OB’s Soviet Ninth Army’s set-up J. Astell’srecommended Additional Soviet Deployment Restrictions perhaps for thesecond time begins to rub against what might be called the”otherwise” AWW Soviet OB set-up. For in this particular gamethe Soviet deployment restriction compels the placement of the 4-8 MotInf XX 44 here at this remote and desolate hex “adjacent to…aroad,” instead of maybe farther south along the 35XX hex row (theNinth Army’s southern limit of deployment), which would enable it tomore quickly get into battle, at least in the Lake Janis/Ladogan Kareliazone. Finally, at forest/woods road hex 3208 is the 0-1-8 Bdr III 3.Both this bdr III and the 2nd Bdr III farther north are poised to therear of the Soviet Ninth Army’s Finnish border front so that on thefirst Soviet turn they can march back to the Murmansk rail line andeventually arrive in the Karelian Isthmus zone in time for their Jan II40 conversion to Pltcl Pol IIIs. Here at this important war zone theycan in their converted mode likely better facilitate Soviet victory inthe Winter War per Rule 38H6-Political Police Units.
Beginning with the Soviet Eighth Army, the 3-6 Inf XX 56 is at forestroad border hex 3708, facing Ilomantsi three road hexes west in Finland.Two hexes behind it (eastwards) at woods road hex 3706 is the 0-5 ConstIII 8, implying that on the first turn it may intend to move eastwardsdown the road towards Medezhyegorsk on the Murmansk rail line.
Proceeding farther south at woods border hex 4007, adjacent to thePetrozavodsk-Soujarvi secondary rail line penetrating into the LadoganKarelia, is the 3-6 Inf XX 155. Two hexes to the south at woods”border salient” hex 4208 (w/ 4 Finnish border hex sides) is thewinterized Inf XX 168. Directly east of it at woods secondary railborder hex 4207 are the 4-6 Inf XX 18, the 3-2-8 Arm X 34, the 3-2-8 ArtX 8, and the 0-1-8 Bdr III 1.
Guarding the eastern shore of Lake Ladoga at wooded swamp coast roadborder hex 4509 are the 3-6 Inf XX 139 and the 1-9 Lt AA III 8.
A SB-2bis air unit is based at each 1-cap permanent airstrip at thefrozen White Sea port Belomorsk and at Medvezhyegorsk, both along theMurmansk railway. A little farther south on the same railway threeSB-2bis air units are based at the reference city of Petrozovodsk(4305), where there is an at start 3-cap permanent airfield. To the SWof it at the 3-cap permanent airfield at wooded swamp Lake Ladoga coastroad hex 4608 are based an I-16, an I-153, and an I-152, all F type airunits.
Skipping the quite important Leningrad-Karelian Isthmus Soviet zone forthe moment and jumping to the farthest west AWW Soviet OB forces placedon game map 35, the Soviets base at their recently acquired militarybase at Tallinn, in Estonia, a positional flack unit, an I-16/t10, andan I-153 air unit. This important Baltic military base was obtained bythe USSR through the auspices of the Nazi-Soviet Pact.
At the Leningrad-Karelian Isthmus Soviet zone is found the rest of theAWW Soviet OB at start set-up forces. The following is only a partiallisting of the AWW Soviet OB forces and their hex locations for thecurrent game.
At the sea isle of Kronshtadt (4916) are the two SoS Task Forces Marat &O. Rev., the two winterized Marine Cmdo Xs A & B, the 0-1-5 Const X 7,the 1-6 Eng III 7, and the R-10 A type air unit. On the first Sovietturn the eng III & const X will likely begin to quick construct a 3-cappermanent airfield. In this game it is assumed that Kronshtadt is animproved fortress (w/ an intrinsic airbase capacity of 1 per Game PlayChart 1), although I don’t believe Kronshtadt’s fortress status isspecified in either the AWW or SoS rules or OBs.
At woods “border salient” hex 4814 (possessing three northernborder hex sides) are the two big 5-6 Inf XXs 24 & 70, the two 3-2-6 ArmXs 35 & 40 (for these two unique units, see Optional Rule 44B12-HeavyTanks), the 3-2-8 Art X 7, and a positional flack unit.
At woods road border hex 4813 are the winterized 3-6 Inf XX 142, the 4-6Inf XX 123, the supported 0-3-0 Fortified Area X Kar, the 2-6 Art X 19,the 4-2-8 Art X LVO, and a positional flack unit. Woods (see the AWW maperrata slip) Lake Ladoga coast border hex 4713 is left vacant.
At the SE Leningrad partial city hex 5114 are the 3-6 Inf XX 49, the 4-6Inf XX 50, and the two 3-2-8 Arm Xs 13 & 20. These units are poised tolikely leave the Leningrad partial city hex the first game turn eitherby admin movement and/or by rail movement and move farther north up theMurmansk rail line. The appearance of the 13th & 20th Arm Xs revealsthat the Soviet side did not opt to utilize the 10th Tank XXX unit perOptional Rule E6-10th Tank Corps. Based at adjacent Leningrad partialcity hex 5115 are the G-2 & TB-3 T type air units and the primo DB-3t Btype air unit.
All the remaining AWW OB Soviet Northwest Front ground units and Sovietair units are stacked in the other Leningrad full & partial city hexes(4 hexes).
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