Maantie on Kova Kävellä: A Finland Hoi3 AAR Part 13

Maantie on Kova Kävellä: A Finland Hoi3 AAR Part 13
Operation Serpent has widened the Eastern Front over 1,000 Kilometers and the Soviets are still reeling from their defeats. Welcome back to Maantie on Kova Kävellä.

The Germans holding the middle of our line have only seen combat in France and Britain. They are veterans but vastly unprepared for the Soviet winter.

With South Africa formally out of the war, only Portugal remains on the continent. The Afrika Korps will land and take the coastline of Angola and force the surrender of the Portuguese.

We expect our German comrades to deal with the Portuguese swiftly and decisively, as every man available is needed on the Eastern Front.

In Finland, our secret police have done well in rounding up suspected Soviet sympathizers and Partisan leaders.

A noticeable drop in tension is reported near Murmansk and the Kola Peninsula.

On the morning of October 3rd, thousands of German Fallschirmjäger jump from their planes and land near the Swiss city of Zürich. The city falls in 2 hours and the German invasion of Switzerland begins.

The Swiss heavily lack in any Anti-aircraft weaponry and only manage to shoot down a small fraction of the transport planes and fighter escorts. Another nation will fall to the Reich.

Mountain troops recruited from Austria and Bavaria pour over the border, beating back the unprepared Swiss. Bern lies on the front lines and is expected to fall within the week.

The Swiss relied heavily on their mountainous terrain to defend them in case of war. However, by dropping into their main city with paratroopers the Germans have completely bypassed most of their forces.

German infantry enters Bern on the 9th, capturing many important government officials.

The surrender of Switzerland is enforced and the country is incorporated into the Reich.

The strength of the Fallschirmjägers is not lost on the German High Command, who are immensely pleased with their results. They hope to use them on the Eastern Front in upcoming offensives.

As the Soviets dig in for winter, Mannerheim and his generals plan a winter offensive. The objective is to exploit the stretched Soviet lines and divert some Soviets north, away from the Germans.

The division commanders are given their orders and advance once again deeper into Soviet territory. The Soviets crumble at the sight of the Finnish attackers.

Up north, the Soviets have better defensive positions and slow up our advance. They will be dislodged with a few bombing sorties.

Our men have become experts in the rapid advance, as they have done it since Operation Jääkäri. Our soldiers do not falter!

The battles start to become more costly, as the Soviets are driven farther back.

The first series of provinces has now been taken, and the Generals are ordered to press the attack.

A costly victory is achieved near Nyandoma. Our manpower once again runs low but Mannerheim addresses this before it becomes an issue.

An unneeded division outside of Leningrad is disbanded and its men are sent to the reserves. We should not have any more manpower issues for at least 6 months.

Front wide assaults are launched and the Soviets begin to put up more of a fight.

On December 21st 1943, Adolf Hitler flies to meet with Field Marshal Mannerheim near the front. This is a highly publicized event showing the strong relations between our two countries. Among the things talked about is a potential German offensive towards Moscow. Mannerheim agrees that the only way to win the war is to burn Moscow to the ground.

The Germans launch an offensive of their own, hoping to take Smolensk and Minsk. In addition they hope to take crucial airbases close enough to achieve air superiority over Moscow.

Hitler and Mannerheim visit the trenches and even speak to some of the German soldiers under Finnish command. The two also visit Arkhangelsk and some field hospitals near the front.

December 23rd marks a black day in Finnish history as almost 3,500 men are killed in two unsuccessful battles on the front. The Soviets stall our offensive but our men remain hopeful.

Our men recuperate and rest through Christmas and are ready to attack the Soviets, which they do on the 26th and 27th. It is estimated that the offensive is now more than halfway complete.

The front right before the New Year.

Velsk is quickly nicknamed "The Forest of Death" by the men sent into it. The fighting is bloody and it seems impossible to take, yet the High Command demands the province be taken.

The German lines are now only 450 Kilometers form Moscow. Bombing runs are ordered to level the city.

Our men slowly make progress into Velsk, only to be thrown out by the overwhelming number of Soviet defenders.

The Forest of Death continues to claim thousands of lives.

In West Africa, the Afrika Korps finally lands and seizes the coastline. it is now a matter of marching before the Portuguese surrender.

After 3 bloody battles, our men finally take Velsk. We refuse to let it go after so many brave Finnish and Germans perished for the province.

More bloody victories are reported from the front. If it wasn't for our sizable manpower pool we would be in a serious crisis.

In Danzig, Ethiopian soldiers arrive to fight the Soviets. The defeat of the Soviet Union is truly a global effort.

The Japanese continue to press into Russia, making their way out of Siberia towards the Aral and Caspian Seas.

Any Russian divisions holding them back have been crushed and are now in a full route west. We hope to link up with them some time in the future.

We hold onto Velsk and the Soviets throw men at our lines. The winter offensive is now coming to a close.

The Germans in Africa near the Portuguese capital.

The last battles are fought to secure the objectives.

Portugal finally surrenders with the loss of their last colony and joins the Axis. They are now one less country to worry about.

Hitler hopes a friendly Axis country in Iberia will pressure Franco to join the Axis sooner rather than later, as Spanish troops would be helpful securing the rest of Europe.

With the winter offensive completed, our men begin to dig in and secure their positions.

Supplies are no longer a problem thanks in part to the Murmansk-Arkhangelsk Convoy route. Some of the men even receive fresh fruit in their trenches.

Hitler's promised offensive is finally revealed to Mannerheim on the 1st of March. The main objective is driving closer to Moscow, with a chance to encircle some Soviet divisions near the Ostwall. If this is successful, the war may be over by Christmas.

Ethiopia was the first and only Axis country to surrender to the Allies during the fighting of 1939. With their cities under Italian control, they are given their independence.

Africans, Europeans and Asians fight side by side to achieve a common goal: Fascism world wide.

The Soviet Union is crumbling but it will take one last offensive to force their surrender. We will dictate the peace terms in the Kremlin! Hakkaa Päälle!