War of the Sausage - Ready To Go

Redleg · Post by **Redleg** » Thu Jan 31, 2002 3:12 am

12 turns, 20 minutes. I just played it through again to double-check the results:

I got a marginal at approximately 4:1 (800-200) so I know it can be won. It takes some good luck with the roll of the electronic dice to get a decisive but I am sure some of you will figure a way.

Be sure to read the text file, expecially the "How this scenario works" section.

Anyway, if you want a shot at destroying a lot of attacking Soviets, I will be happy to email it to you. Please specify "War of the Sausage" so you get the correct scenario.

email:artifice@fireserve.net

Bing · Post by **Bing** » Thu Jan 31, 2002 5:25 am

Was that a Marginal with or without Plochman'a mustard?

Bing

AbsntMndedProf · Post by **AbsntMndedProf** » Thu Jan 31, 2002 9:39 am

I'm facing the Stalin Line, and feel like I'm going through a sausage grinder, so I'd say I'm ready for this! <img src="biggrin.gif" border="0">

Eric Maietta

Redleg · Post by **Redleg** » Fri Feb 01, 2002 6:58 am

No mustard with the sausage.

I'll be interested in seeing if anyone is able to save the cooks from the onslaught.

swagman · Post by **swagman** » Fri Feb 01, 2002 8:20 am

Just played…great fun and highly recommended…18 Finnish casualties to 189 Russian…but I couldn't save many cooks…half the casualties were cooks, the rest from a couple of re-inforcements squads when I went chasing the retreating ruskies.

The HQ staff are tough…virtually stopping the Russians all by themselves…

Except for the Guard Officer…he is one cool dude…he must really like his sausage…after his buddy bought it, he single handed held off two platoons of Russians…forcing three squads to retreat and pinning the rest…I was finally forced to retreat him when he ran out of ammo…but being next to the ammo-dumps he soon resupplied and routed a couple more squads when they recovered enough.

Well done and thank-you Redleg.

Redleg · Post by **Redleg** » Fri Feb 01, 2002 8:39 am

Col. Pajari must have been one very tough hombre.

I couldn't save many of the cooks either. But that was the way it really happened according to the book.

I am very pleased that you enjoyed the scenario.

There is another Finnish scenario coming soon.

Sami · Post by **Sami** » Fri Feb 01, 2002 8:31 pm

Hello all,

just to add atmosphere to the scenario, my site has at
http://www.winterwar.com/Battles/Tolvaj.htm
an overall map of the area (although this particular battle isn't drawn on the map). The Soviet battalion maneuvered around the northern end of the Lake Hirvasjärvi, and attacked the Finnish HQ on the main road running west from the village.
I guess the Russians were quite hungry after the trek...
<img src="smile.gif" border="0">

Cheers,
Sami Korhonen
www.winterwar.com

[ February 01, 2002: Message edited by: Sami ]</p>

Redleg · Post by **Redleg** » Fri Feb 01, 2002 11:23 pm

Hello, Sami.
I enjoyed visiting your site.

When I first read about the Sausage Battle, I knew that one day, I would try to make a scenario about it.

Also, Col. Pajari accompanied a single company of his regiment to attack a large Soviet force encamped along a road.

It was bitterly cold and the Soviets had built huge warming fires and very thoughtfully gathered around. The fires were so large, they illuminated large numbers of Soviet troops for the stealthy Finnish company that was to attack that night.

So I can figure a way to somewhat model the huge warming fires, I shall create at least one more scenario featuring Col. Pajari.

Thanks for the input. I will go back to your site to see if it has changed any since my last visit.

Redleg · Post by **Redleg** » Sat Feb 02, 2002 3:47 am

Anyone with an interest in the Winter War should visit Sami's site (url above). It is very informative and I enjoyed my visit very much.

Sami · Post by **Sami** » Sat Feb 02, 2002 8:22 am

Originally posted by Redleg:
Hello, Sami.
I enjoyed visiting your site.

- Thanks!

Originally posted by Redleg:

When I first read about the Sausage Battle, I knew that one day, I would try to make a scenario about it.

- I hope I'll get the newest SPWAW version quickly so that I get to test it.
<img src="smile.gif" border="0">

Originally posted by Redleg:

Also, Col. Pajari accompanied a single company of his regiment to attack a large Soviet force encamped along a road.

It was bitterly cold and the Soviets had built huge warming fires and very thoughtfully gathered around. The fires were so large, they illuminated large numbers of Soviet troops for the stealthy Finnish company that was to attack that night.

- There was initially two companies, the 4th Company (with whom Pajari was) and the main parts of the 9th Company, which was intended to secure the right flank. Unfortunately the 9th Company lost contact and eventually got lost.(The 9th Co however found the road near Kivisalmi and made a somewhat similar, although a less successful strike on other Soviet forces)

Nevertheless, according to one Reino Kalervo, who took part in the action, the 4th Co. had 8 lmg's and 8 smg's and 140 rifles, i.e. the full compliment of automatic weapons. The distance to the road and the large fires from the Finnish positions on the ridge was about 100 meters.

One another point. It was NOT bitterly cold during that night between 8-9 December. The cold days started after mid-December.

The place where they hit the road is just a little southeast from the base of the "counterattack" arrow in the 364th Regiment's billeting area, visible in the map on my site. During that night, the Soviet perimeter wasn't yet as large as it was on 12 Dec. Perhaps they learned something?

Originally posted by Redleg:
So I can figure a way to somewhat model the huge warming fires, I shall create at least one more scenario featuring Col. Pajari.

- Can you also model the Red Army troops which, after the Finns left, fought each other in the dark?
<img src="wink.gif" border="0">

Cheers,
Sami

Redleg · Post by **Redleg** » Sat Feb 02, 2002 11:12 am

I think it might be possible to have the Reds fight each other..... Very possible. Now you have me thinking.

Anything less than 0* C is "bitterly" cold for some of us.

Thanks for the info. My interest is keyed up about the Winter War again.

I keep seeing the Winter War video for sale but it is very hard for me to spend that much for a video. Nagging the video rental places hasn't done any good.

Anyway, I can see the battle along the road now. Some fires. Soviet infanty around the fires. The riflemen all take up targets, and the MGs let go at 100 meters..... it was some time before the Soviets recovered enough to return fire. Then the Finns withdrew. In the confusion, groups of Soviet infantry fire on one another. Hmmnn. It has possibilities.

Bing · Post by **Bing** » Sat Feb 02, 2002 7:40 pm

Reds versus Reds would be interesting, but the problem would be: Who "wins" and who "loses"? No one, really.

I haven't gotten to the sausage yet, Redleg, right now am up to my ears in sauerkraut (LV) and I have the feeling that most of us who got beyond the third or fourth battle are going to be hopelessly hooked, for a time anyhow.

Bing

P.S. California weather is for sissies. Here in Gaylord, Michigan we average 144" snow per season, which is not a lot. Farther north, on Lake Superior is a city that is proud of a 30 foot pole in the downtown area. It represents their record of 360" for a single season, now THAT is a lot of snow. Oh, I would love to see those suntanned rascals up against our howling northeasters, where the wind chill can easily drop to 25 below Farenheit. Figure that out in Centigrade!

Sami · Post by **Sami** » Sun Feb 03, 2002 2:14 am

Originally posted by Bing:
P.S. California weather is for sissies.

- I agree... my brother, who after living a decade in there is nowdays a total wuss when it comes to weather and cold. A disgrace for a Finn, really.
<img src="smile.gif" border="0">

Originally posted by Bing:
Oh, I would love to see those suntanned rascals up against our howling northeasters, where the wind chill can easily drop to 25 below Farenheit. Figure that out in Centigrade!

- Windchill is a bitch.
The coldest weather in which I have had to operate (back in the Army days) was below -25 Celsius and a nice 10+ meters per second wind from the Gulf of Finland.
I was pretty shocked to learn afterwards that the resulting windchill effect on exposed tissue (face mainly) equaled about -60 Celsius (around -76 F). No wonder it felt so damn cold...
<img src="smile.gif" border="0">
...and that really makes the -25 Fahrenheit (about -31 or -32 Celsius) sound nice!
<img src="wink.gif" border="0">

Luckily we in Finland have rarely strong winds during the winter. I would really hate to spend a winter in the open steppes of Russia.

Voriax · Post by **Voriax** » Mon Feb 04, 2002 4:23 am

Redleg, if you plan to make sovs shooting each other, remember to add the 'Comissaar' unit!

Armed with Nagan revolver and shooting only at *own* troops that are fleeing <img src="wink.gif" border="0">

Voriax

Redleg · Post by **Redleg** » Mon Feb 04, 2002 5:19 am

Maybe an NKVD unit to help the Commissar reign terror down upon the hapless Soviets.