The Flying Finn - Finland 1936 SF normal

[unmerged(145355)]

This is my first AAR, a normal game as Finland in Semper Fi.
It will be a very straight forward AAR, no RP.
I'm playing as I'm writing so any advice is appreciated


1 Prepare stance

Manpower is the biggest issue for Finland. In 1936 I have 58 MP but need 99 to fully reinforce

Do to MP problems, no new land units will be built until attleast the reserves can be mobilized. Instead I will focus on land forts and INT's, a very special build of INT in fact:

Deadly guns and a tough airframe will keep the Russian bombers away!

Meanwhile a defencive perimeter will be built in the south while attacks are to be carried out against the Murmansk railway and Murmansk itself, hopefully trapping some reds.

But lets not get ahead of our selfs, first some politicians need to be replaced:

Next some trade deals are set up, selling rares and buying supplies, in order to spend all IC on forts.

Agriculture is researched and internal spies are created to lower neutrality...

When spies are done, Single engine aircraft and industrial techs are researched.

In November the first fort is done! The next is due in October and only costs 7.2 ic Hurray!

 

[unmerged(145355)]

2 The Super Gloster

2 The Super Gloster

By september 1939 all is going to plan 3 wings of gloster gladiators has been built, and are in the procces of being upgraded to Super Glosters.

Stats of the Super Gloster:

• Air Defence = 5
• Air Attack = 11
• Mission Range = 225 Km

A Interceptor with the toughness of a Multi role!

The Mannerheim Line has been extended and now spanns the whole of southern Finland.

All in all the following techs has been reserched:

• Basic aero engine
• Basic single engine airframe
• Basic aircraft machine gun
• Single Engine airframe 1
• Single engine armament 1
• Infantry warfare 2
• Industrial production 2
• Industrial efficiency 2
• Fighter pilot training 2
• Intercept tactics 2
• Small arms 2
• Support weapons 2
• Light artillery 1
• Infantry anti tank 2

Manpower is still low, 57.
87 needed for full mobilization

Soon the army will be mobilized, as war is in the air!

 

[sneakey pete]

Nice, looking forward to seeing how you go in this.

You might want to selectivly mobilize, so you don't have understrength divisions where you don't want them.

 

[unmerged(145355)]

You might want to selectivly mobilize, so you don't have understrength divisions where you don't want them.

I will probably not mobilize the garrisons to save manpower. I reckon that the divisions will be at ~ 90% strength.

 

[unmerged(145355)]

The Winter War

By late early October all forces are in place:

Murmansk attack plan: 2 Inf Divisions and a Cav brigade, 13892 men.

Salla defence plan: One Inf Division will hold the Salla gap for now 5448 men

cupa attack plan: 2 inf divisions, including the 12,000 man strong regular infantry division. Total 20431 men.

Total size of Finland's army is 113.000 men.

The winter war starts on the 18 November...

Ponca is attacked and the Russian armor retreat immediately. But soon returns for another attack

Murmansk is attacked with Cav and Inf while another Inf take Kola

23 November:

Apparently some Russian HQ was going to kola... One Russian staffer bites the dust! And Ponca is won (again)

The Murmansk attack is supported from kola...

24 November:

Kasten'ga is attacked and the Super Glosters provide air support!
The battle is won on the 26th

By December Russian infantry is at the Mannerheim line:

2 December an attack is mounted at Cupa, Soviet armor will soon arrive to help the lone HQ

4 December, Soviet try to bomb the Cupa Group, Super gloster's blow them out of the sky!

11 December, Cupa is won, Soviets counter attack, but is beaten back by Finnish reinforcements. 2 divisions is transfered from the Mannerheim line, one To Salla and one to Cupa. The Soviet force at the Mannerheim line is rather small.

16 December, Murmansk is captured, but at a high cost: 825 dead. But the Soviet 1 Tank division is no more! What a propaganda victory!!
The Kola peninsula is encircled!

There is at least 105.000 enemy's in the kola pocket!

Hopefully Cupa can be held until the pocket runs out off supply.

The plan is to let the pocket starve during the winter and attack in the spring.

Any tactical advice appreciated.

Data:
Soviet losses: 1316 men + 1 tank division and a HQ total 12.480 men
Finnish losses: 1052 men, 825 at Murmansk



ps. Am I using to many pictures?

 

[loki100]

fascinating stuff, having just played through the winter war from the other side, you're doing to the Soviet AI in the north what the Finnish AI damn near managed to do to me.

How are you holding in the south?

Like the number of screenshots, its a small manageable war, so there's no danger of too much detail

 

[peterhoi3]

Interesting, I will be following.

Number of pictures is ok.

 

[unmerged(119059)]

Nice one, btw, you can never use too much screenies.

 

[Timmie0307]

Go finland, hoping that the Winter War is going your way...do you know what events can pop up, in case you win for instance, and are you receiving help from the outside world?

Tim

 

[unmerged(145355)]

How are you holding in the south?

There has been some soviet buildup in the area, mostly near Leningrad. I'm moving troops to support, With Forest and 2 forts they get at least 38% attack penalty at the line, add to that defensive leaders and a 160% officer count and my air power and i think the situation is handleable.

Go finland, hoping that the Winter War is going your way...do you know what events can pop up, in case you win for instance, and are you receiving help from the outside world?
Tim

I'm not getting any support from the outside world, at least not to my knowledge.


Also I did change the strategic effects so that "Winter War" would fire even if Finland is not in a faction (bug?)



Thanks everyone for your support, I will continue to have a lot of pictures as the Winter War is a war with very few hotspots, so the detail is not overwhelming.

 

[unmerged(145355)]

3 Operation Top Kill

December 16:

The Murmansk team is ordered to advance to the south to prevent the red army from taking up defensive positions along the river.

25 December:
Due to increasing enemy buildup along the Mannerheim Line, a plan is made to destroy the top of the pocket in order to shorten the front. Soon reinforcements will arive at Salla and Operation Top Kill can begin.

1 January 1940:

SDP wins the election, a -10% supply consumption minister is gained!!!

7 January:
Operation Top kill starts with the attack on Kjume, The battle is won on the 9th. We lose 22, they lose 45.

14 January:
Once Kjume has fallen simultainius attacks on Alakurtti and kandalaksa can begin. They fall on the 15 and 27 january. One Division is sent to the southern front. We lose 5 & 404, they lose 45 & 202.

28 January:
A three way attack is performed against Zelenoborskij. The enemy is severely hampered by lack of supplies. Victory is Ours on the 30th. Another division is sent to the south. We lose 182, they lose 219.

1 February:
Troops arive at Zelenoborskij, operation Top Kill is complete. The pocket is doomed!

4 February:
Lesozavodskij is attacked, a easy victory.
We lose 37, they lose 215.

14 February
The final assault begins. 103K troops in the pocket, my initial guess of 105k was correct! This battle is harder than the previous ones, the red army has its back against the wall!

15 March:
After one month of fighting victory is Ours!!!
We lose 1803, they lose 2527, 101067 are taken as POWs

Total statistics for the northern campain:
Finland looses 3805 men, no divisions lost.
Soviet looses 4643 men , 13 Divisions lost, 112K taken prisoner.

Finland's front is now only 6 provinces long, 5 of them are fortified and the last one is a swamp.

What to do now? Wait for Barbarossa? Attack in the east?
Suggestions welcome!

 

[unmerged(52507)]

Wow, nice work. Don't know what the manpower is like now, but I'd fortify the swamp and start building an expeditionary force for Barbarossa.

 

[Niko92]

You are not in a faction so you can ask for peace. So hold on as long as you can and if your forces start failing ask for peace.

 

[unmerged(145355)]

Wow, nice work. Don't know what the manpower is like now, but I'd fortify the swamp and start building an expeditionary force for Barbarossa.

A swamp equals level 2 forts in a forest so no need to build.

Still at 0 manpower but the army will be fully reinforced by November
(Need 16.8, monthly gain 2.3)

You are not in a faction so you can ask for peace. So hold on as long as you can and if your forces start failing ask for peace.

I think I can hold them, I have air superiority and Cas is on the way.

 

[loki100]

I think I can hold them, I have air superiority and Cas is on the way.

This is prob critical, if they can back up land attacks with airpower they will just grind you down, if you can instead stick in air attacks on their land offensive, you'll prob be able to deflect them.

thing to watch out for is the critical moment when/if your air is a bit run down (org and/or strength), you might be very vulnerable then

 

[unmerged(145355)]

This is prob critical, if they can back up land attacks with airpower they will just grind you down, if you can instead stick in air attacks on their land offensive, you'll prob be able to deflect them.

Exactly, all my forts and defensive terrain means nothing if the attack is coming from the sky. Air superiority is of utter importance.

Right now my game has stalled because of a trade bug... I cant buy Energy.
Germany has 99999 but wont trade to anyone.

 

[Pickle_mole]

whats CAS?

 

[sneakey pete]

Close air support, things like stukas. good for countries that don't have much leadership, as they share the same technologies and practicals as interceptors.

 

[unmerged(205243)]

Ill be following this one, Ihanaa Leijonat Ihanaa!

 

[henkalv]

tried something similar once (and failed) will be interesting to see you pull this off