Maantie on Kova Kävellä: A Finland Hoi3 AAR (Finale)

Maantie on Kova Kävellä: A Finland Hoi3 AAR (Finale)
The Soviet Union- 1944. From the East, the feared Imperial Japanese Army pursue the retreating Russians. They kill hundreds every day and never let up in their pursuit. From the West, the Finnish and Germans prepare for one final death blow to end the Soviet Union once and for all. Welcome to Maantie on Kova Kävellä.

Since the Fall of Leningrad, the Soviets have been on their back foot. At every major battle, from Arkhangelsk to Minsk, the Axis forces has bested the cowardly Reds.

The end is near for the Soviets, and its citizens know it. Food shortages have become commonplace since 1941 and news of defeat in the field is now the norm. Often times, families near the front lines will attempt to cross into German occupied land, as they have more access to food there.

The last offensive of the war, Operation Untergang (Downfall), is drawn up by the Fuhrer himself in his Wolf's Lair. An assault from all over the front will send the remaining Soviet high command into disarray, just in time for a Fallschirmjäger jump on Moscow itself.

Mannerheim's forces are not originally included in the plans but, after some persuading by the Field Marshal, are authorized to take part in the operation.

On March 22nd the operation formally begins with hundreds of V-2 rockets, developed deep in the heart of Bavaria, fired at Moscow.

The speed of these rockets and air superiority of the Luftwaffe ensure that most of them hit their target. Tens of thousands of Russian civilians and soldiers are killed within the day.

The city is turned to rubble in just a few short hours. The Kremlin and Red Square are almost unrecognizable, yet Stalin survives and refuses to withdraw East. If Moscow falls, Stalin and the USSR will fall with it.

The Luftwaffe and Finnish Air Force begin to run coordinated bombing runs on Moscow, targeting railways and any concentrations of soldiers.

Assaults are ordered all over the front. The end is near and our nation will be victorious!

On April 2nd, air raid sirens blare all over Moscow. The survivors take cover and wait for the feared Stuka dive bombers coming to finish the city off.

The bombings never come, instead tens of thousands of highly trained German Fallschirmjägers jump from their transport planes on the city. When the remaining Soviet troops defending the city realize what is happening, it is too late.

The Fallschirmjägers fight with a ferocity and devotion to the Fatherland never before seen in modern history. They take no prisoners and are ordered to capture the city, even if it is only a pile of rubble.

The dense urban environment is perfect for the Fallschirmjägers who proved their worth in the invasion of Switzerland just 7 months ago.

After 60 hours of hard fighting, thousands lay dead and the Swastika flies high over Moscow. Sieg Heil Viktoria!

The raw recruits stationed in Moscow begin to surrender in the thousands. This would occur all over the front once news of the Fall of Moscow breaks.

Stalin is found a mere hours after the surrender of Moscow, held up in a bunker along with a few Generals and a dozen STAVKA members. The Fallschirmjägers that capture them put them up against a wall and execute them. No mercy is shown to those who stand in the way of Hitler's New Order.

In Berlin, the world is being carved up and Finland is eager to gets its slice. World leaders from every Axis country congregate to the city to discuss the "Treaty of Berlin".

Mannerheim is sent on behalf of President Salmiala with two clear instructions: Take as much land as possible and punish the Soviet scum.

The Finns receive all of Greater Finland, Estonia, the Kola Peninsula and some land to serve as a buffer zone between Finland and the Soviet Union. Our hard earned victory has come and and our soldiers' sacrifices are not in vain.

The soldiers celebrate, as some have been in the army since 1936 and many haven't been home since the war started. Our German expeditionaries are highly decorated and given gracious pensions by the Finnish government. They are given the option to return home to Germany or stay in Finland with full citizenship; many choose to stay. For the Finnish soldiers it is not about money or awards, for they have preserved their homeland!

From Minsk to Odessa, the Soviet soldiers begin the long walk back to Soviet land. Millions of Reds have died and they have nothing to show for it. Many would commit suicide or flee to the Balkans rather than face the shame of losing.

While the Russians march East, the men of the Axis celebrate.

The Axis controls almost all of Europe, Africa and Asia. The Finnish government is eager for the future and the prosperity peace will bring.

The Germans march, but they do not march home. Instead they march west where many transport ships are awaiting. The Fight for Europe may be over, but the Fight for America is just beginning. And where the Germans march, their Finnish allies are sure to follow. Hakkaa Päälle!