Winter Wonderland...Vitreum vs Orzel

[Orzel Bialy]

Orzel is now copying Hellcat and fighting everyone!:D
This one is small...Finland vs Russia 1939-40.

[Orzel Bialy]

The Red Army has begun it's unprovoked attack on the Finnish Republic. In response the people of Finland rise to arms...and units of the Finnish Army march off to halt the invader.

The map is a rough, hill-strewn and wood-laced affair. There is a small riverbed flowing through a portion of the terrain...and few real roadways to speak of. Definitely not the best country for armor. The weather is horrible...which suits me fine.

A couple of my scouts set out, decked out in their winter camo and skis, to try and make contact with the Red Horde. They have orders to observe the enemy more so that to engae him.

Let us see what today brings.

[Vitreum]

Nice little scenario.
Very cold. Very Dark. Very rough terrain.
Some might even call it IMMOBILIZING type terrain...

3 sets of V hexes. North, Mid and South.
Both start lines precariously close to the V hexes. Lotta blood and valliant stands are gonna be the topic of the day. Not a whole lotta ground to traverse to get to the V hexes.

Did my first turn and just basically putting a few feelers out.
I have no idea what to expect or from where.
No sign of fanatic Finns, But i know they are there....can smell their fear...

[Orzel Bialy]

It is not from the Finns that you smell fear comrade commander....no, that stench you smell comes from those young, freezing, terrified conscripts under your command.
Leaflets are left along the trails for the Russians...warning Ivan of what awaits all invaders:
"Go Home Sons of Russia...only an unmarked grave awaits you in the land of the White Death. If you stay, you will perish and the wolves shall scatter your bones throughout the forests. Your poor parents will never know what happened to you. Drop your rifles and go back to Russia"

[Vitreum]

Hmmmmm. Nice propaganda, sir....

Only bones in them thar woods right now are Finns!
and we ain't talkin salmons either....

Contact way up north...Recon vs Recon.
Finns got chopped up a bit, smoked a hex and ran.
Typical....

See ya tomorrow...

[Orzel Bialy]

again. The files you sent we wouldn't open, until that is I hit the start key three times and the box opened and asked the Soviet player for his password...er um...which isn't me.
If you want the Finns to move your forces...just send me the password and I get right on it!:D

[Orzel Bialy]

"Ahhh, I see you" whispers the Finn as he tracks freezing Ivans through his scope.
First blood to the Russians...beat up a scouting party of mine. I'll wait to avenge those losses...when the time is right Ivan will get what he deserves.

[Vitreum]

Ah yes you see me, I see you....

That recon squad is gone...disbursed into the woods with your wolves.
Along with half an Ivan REAL squad who saw (too late ) one of YOUR REAL squads...DOH!

Yea I finished the turn at 07:00 cdst. I do not want to screw anything up again, so after letting it save I let it sit awhile. Took a shower and went to work without sending the file...oops. So I will get it to you this evening...

[Orzel Bialy]

to fill up a hex....just ask Vitreum!
Patrols ran into a mass of Russian peasants plodding through the snow drifts in the forests to the north... escorted by some trucks and tankettes. Thought it might be a good time to put some smack to them...so a little hit and run operation evolved.
Now there are all these damned terror-strickened Russians scaring off all the deer as they flee, screaming, through the woods back towards Russia.
Tell Uncle Joe hello for us when you reach the Kremlin!

[Orzel Bialy]

yes that is what some of my gallant Finnish soldiers are doing this freezing night...warming their hands around the raging bon fires that used to be Russian trucks and tanks.

Found a few more Russians hiding in the woods. They cried for mercy when they were discovered...we sent them back to the rear area...our first POW's

Gave the woods a couple rounds of mortar fire...just in case Ivan was milling about the VH's he just took.

Well, let's see...what other damage can I do?

[Orzel Bialy]

My men are getting upset with how much blood Ivan is spoiling our virgin snows with....and the smoke his burning vehicles give off are ruining the air!:D
My ski patrols have located some more groupings of Red Army trucks...albeit these are further back towards the Russian rear area. None the less we light them up...Ivan can walk back to the railheads at Leningrad!
Oh yeah, I even spotted some of those enormous land-battleships (T-28's I think) floundering about in the woods! We will have enough scrap metal to build a new patrol craft for our navy once we knock two or three of those things out!:p
Did take some losses from arty strikes on the down side...but so far it's been smooth sailing for my Finns.

[Vitreum]

Oh the cockiness of these Finns.
Won't their skis make for some fine kindling.

Just a little game of tag so far.
3 Finn squads are making their presence known on the top side of the map.
1 other is trying to invade Russia on his own and picking off helpless truck drivers who only have pistols to defend themselves. So much for most of my recon force!!

Lost a few baby tanks, true. My own stupidity. I had no idea how this map was going to play out.
Should have bought more Ivan peasants, and less iron icicle coffins. Next time.....

Comin back to you in a few.

[Orzel Bialy]

figures it will ski all the way to Moscow and knock on the doors of the Kremlin to hand Uncle Joe the notice that his demands will not be granted.

Let's see...found another truck trying to flee...set it ablaze and moved on. Then stumbled upon one of those groups of terrified, half-frozen, peasants...and sent them on their way back home.

Ivan did drop some more nasty arty down around our front lines...but this time our forces had moved out of harms way.

Lost track of those big monster tanks...don't know where they went? Probably trying to move north to counter my patrols...but my recon units should be in Moscow by the time they make it up that way.

As for our ski's making good firewood...well comrade, you best start chopping wood...for very few ski's will fall into your hands. Even better, if your men get too cold...just have them follow one of your trucks or tanks...and they'll get nice and warm when we "brew it" up for them.

[Vitreum]

Oh the trash talk from these finnesse Finns....
I am letting those tanks and trucks burn to draw in your cold and chattering fellows. Figure they may look for some vodka amongst the wreckage to pass the time, since they do not seem like they want to advance upon Ivan. And when they toast their premature victory.......
Ah well.

So far I am siting scared. Tossing a few hunks of Arty wherever I can see / smell the Finns. Have no clue what to expect.

If your troops are safe from Arty and the boys, I assume you are retreating. Course I will probably pay for that miscalculation...

Back at ya' sir.

[Orzel Bialy]

Don't have to worry about my Finnish warriors drinking any cheap vodka they find littering the landscape...that potato distilled stuff is for your conscripts. We'll wait until we find and over-run your HQ staff...they'll have the higher classed rye-distilled vodka.
And you Red's are trying to say there is no class system after the Revolution. Ha!
Sit tight and freeze a bit more....the men in white will pay you visits from time to time...testing your peasant army units...prodding them...goating them into battle. Patrols are everywhere....perhaps you see them from time to time. My snipers have re-located those tanks....looky that! A KV-1...looks like you went for some heavy armor, didn't you? It too will make a fine museum piece in Helsinki when this war ends.

ps...thanks for the abandoned trucks...they will be put to good use by Finnish farmers later on.

[Orzel Bialy]

on a stolen Ivan sleigh....over the hills we go...killing Ivan all the way...bam bam bam bam...
mortars shells burst out...molotov's fill the air...Russian tanks explode...and peasants run away...ha ha ha ha.

The Finns love a good Christmas Carol....even though the Holiday has passed, all this loot falling into their hands makes it feel like X-Mas morning again.
"Unto...what did you get from Ivan?"
" I got a very nice Maxim machine gun...how about you Markku?"
" oh I got a brand new rifle...never used before."
" This was so nice of Ivan...let's see what else he left us out here in the woods."

And so it goes...

[Orzel Bialy]

to take a break from work...welcome back!
Don't worry about the gap in between turns, we all have to make a living...unfortunately SPWAW can't always take priority in life.....that would be Utopia!:)
So Ivan thinks he has my Finns running scared? I'll amdit you stung a few units up north...but they've pulled back nicely to their lines. They'll soon be back out there to cause trouble.
Ivan arty is what has hurt the most...
My sneaky recon units have managed to spot several Russian units without being seen...they are all grouped around tanks, like they are scared or somehting....but my light mortars haven't been able to do much.
So unfortunately....the line has stabalized and I have to find a way to break the stalemate without getting a lot of troops wasted by these massed pockets of Ivan infantry and armor, Hmmmm? Whatever shall I do?

[Vitreum]

Surrender papers would be a good bet.
Why prolong the inevitable?!?!?!?

The we can all laugh and drink vodka and go home!!

[Orzel Bialy]

that at this time I can not accept "your" offer to surrender.

Though I understand why you believe "your" defeat is inevitable perhaps I will accept "your" papers once I am finished teaching you some manners about invading small neighbor's without proper cause!

Get back to me in a couple turns...perhaps then I'll have a toast of vodka..celebrating "your" surrender.

[Vitreum]

Ever the Cocky S.O.B.....

I cannot wait to see how this ends up.
Had more fun trash talkin so far than Finn Slaying...