58

war (4)

The first thing Tymoshenko did as commander-in-chief was to find the cause of the Soviet army's defeat and thoroughly analyze it.

"Because shelling and bombing is carried out at the same time every day, it is bound to be ineffective. Wouldn't the enemies be able to predict this clearly?"

"Reconnaissance is an important factor before an attack, but should we just ignore it and just attack?"

"The most basic principle in offense is 'concentration', concentration. "There has to be a central point in the offensive."

Tymoshenko launched a large-scale airstrike on southern Finland, where the industrial zone is located, while reorganizing the devastated troops and sending in 900,000 additional reinforcements to prepare for the offensive.

To make matters worse, the weather was not on Finland's side.

As the winter that had been a nightmare for the Soviet military ended and spring began, temperatures began to rise.

After completing reorganization, the Soviet army launched a large-scale offensive.

This time too, the Finnish army fought bravely. But the enemies were not the ragtag group of the past.

The Soviet army, with tanks, armored vehicles, and aircraft, and supported by artillery, put strong pressure on the Finnish army, causing a crack in the stalemate front line.

***

February 11, 1940

Karelia, Southern Finland

"Shoot!!!"

"Shoot!"

Every time the large and beautiful 152mm ML-20 howitzer fired fire, the heavens and earth shook and a deafening roar rang out.

The Soviet artillerymen wore earplugs to prevent damage to their eardrums and even covered their ears with the earmuffs of their budynovkas, but the gunfire was so loud that their ears tingled.

The soldiers worked silently like worker ants, carrying boxes of ammunition and pushing shells into the chamber.

Every time the battery commander shouted a command, the lanyard was pulled and the gun was fired.

Not only the 152mm howitzer, but also smaller 107mm and 122mm howitzers spewed fire all at once.

The shells flew in a parabola and hit the Finnish army's positions hard.

"Company, move forward!"

After an hour-long artillery bombardment, the Soviet army began its attack.

"medic!"

"Someone help me!" "Kimmy has been crushed, but I can't do it alone!"

"Karl is dead! "Carol is dead..."

The Finnish army, devastated by artillery fire for an hour, was unable to properly respond to the Soviet attack.

While the soldiers who barely survived the bombardment were pulling out their comrades trapped in collapsed trenches and shelters, the Soviet army appeared.

"It's the Soviet Army! "Ready for battle!"

The Finnish army quickly entered combat readiness, but the defense line was weakened as many soldiers were killed or injured in the artillery fire.

The Soviet army attacked with tanks and armored vehicles.

The Soviet Army's famous T-26 and BT-7 tanks opened fire on their main guns and attacked the Finnish army's positions.

The power of a 45mm grenade cannot be said to be powerful, but it was enough to tear apart a human body made of flesh and bones.

The bodies of soldiers hit by shell fragments were torn in half and their intestines spilled out.

"Wow!"

Lieutenant Markus Kainen reflexively lowered his head as shrapnel hit his helmet. Fortunately, the fragment did not pierce the helmet and bounced off.

"You bastards, you're so fucking stupid."

As soon as we spoke, the Bofors 37mm anti-tank gun, which had only one door in the company, opened fire on the Soviet tanks that were flooding in.

The BT-7, whose front observation window was hit directly by a shell, exploded and spewed flames out of the hatch.

"Reload!"

The enemy had to be reduced as much as possible while the distance to the enemy was still far. This will slightly increase your chances of survival.

"launch!"

This time the BA-6 armored personnel carrier was hit. Wounded armored soldiers opened the hatch of the armored vehicle turret and came out.

As the gunner was about to load the third shell, a blind shell flew out and hit the anti-tank gun.

The anti-tank artillerymen were left lying on the ground with their limbs blown off and holes all over their bodies.

"Damn it, that's my only hope, what if I die now!?"

Kainen looked like he was about to burst into tears.

The only weapon in the company that could not catch an enemy tank had just been destroyed.

Now Kainen's company had to deal with Soviet tanks with only Molotov cocktails and grenades.

The distance to the enemy has now narrowed to within 200m. The Soviet army came running again, shouting "Ura!"

"Start shooting!"

When the Finnish army, which had only a handful of troops compared to the Soviet army, started shooting, the Soviet army collapsed.

But even though there were many, there were too many.

As soon as one person was shot and killed, the next soldier appeared to fill the void. No matter how many shots were fired, the number of Soviet troops did not decrease.

Kainen, who was shooting the enemy with a Kar98k imported from Germany, spotted a T-26 approaching the left trench. The T-26 bravely attempted to break through the trench, but the width of the trench was much wider than expected.

Before the track could reach the ground on the other side, the T-26 lost its balance and fell into the trench. The main gun was stuck in the mud, making it impossible to fire the gun or turn the turret.

Kainen did not miss the opportunity and ran forward with a cluster grenade. He placed a cluster grenade on top of the engine room of the T-26 and quickly fled his position.

When the grenade exploded, the T-26's hatch opened and the tank crew came out.

"Sigh!"

The tanker, whose jaw was pierced by a bullet fired by Kainen, fell back into the hatch.

Kainen finally threw the grenade into the hatch. I thought I heard someone's urgent voice in Russian, and then a burst of laughter broke out.

The voice was no longer heard.

Soldiers also threw firebombs and cluster grenades, destroying Soviet tanks that came close to the trenches.

However, no sooner had the tank been destroyed than the Soviet soldiers who had followed the tank to the very front of the trench were hit by bullets and fell to the ground.

Kainen put a bullet into the back of a Soviet soldier who jumped into the trench.

As he drove his bayonet into the neck of an enemy soldier who had fallen while screaming, blood poured out like a fountain.

"Come on, you bastards! "Go for it!"

Kainen, who was known for his strength from a young age, once fought and defeated a 16-year-old boy in his neighborhood who was rumored to be a delinquent when he was only 12 years old.

He has never lost a fight with anyone before.

When Kainen ran out of bullets, he held the rifle upside down and swung it like a baseball bat to fight the Soviets.

The Soviet officer who was hit by the butt of his gun, which he swung with all his might, had his face caved in and fell to the bottom of the trench.

However, no matter how strong you are, there is no business in front of a page.

Kainen, who fought like Asura, slowly began to run out of stamina as time passed.

The rifle that I used to carry around as easily as a butter knife has now become a lot heavier.

Sweat poured down my face, my mind became distracted, and my vision became blurry.

The whole world seemed yellow.

"Oh my, damn it..."

Kainen, who was panting due to low stamina, suddenly realized that it was strangely quiet and looked around.

The only Finnish soldier left in the trench was Kainen.

All the rest had long since fallen after being hit by enemy bullets or tank shells.

"Yaaaaah-!!!"

A brave soldier rushed at Kainen.

Kainen gritted his teeth as the spiked bayonet attached to the Mosin-Nagant rifle pierced his thigh. It was as if he was burning his flesh with a skewer heated over a fire.

"You bastard!"

Kainen mustered up all the strength he had and swung the butt. The Soviet soldier who was hit squarely in the temple died on the spot.

But Kainen's fate ended there.

When the Soviet troops surrounding the trench fired PPD-38 submachine guns at Kainen, Kainen fell into a hive.

The Soviet army, having crushed the Finnish army's resistance, advanced, leaving behind the dead. The procession of Soviet troops continued endlessly west.

***

At the same time, the Soviet Air Force bombed Helsinki.

"Drop the bomb!"

When the bomb bay opened, death poured out.

Helsinki, a historic city in Northern Europe, was engulfed in fire and smoke.

Beautiful buildings collapsed like sandcastles kicked by feet, the tree-lined streets where Helsinki citizens used to walk became piles of trash, and ashes and corpses floated in the river.

Anti-aircraft guns fired hard to drive out the invaders, but the air raids continued.

The pilot of the TB-3 bomber turned his head slightly to the side and looked at the smoke-engulfed view of Helsinki.

To his eyes, the plumes of smoke rising from all over the city looked like huge pillars connecting heaven and earth.

A passage that connects the land of the living with the land of the dead.

He knew that the mission his country had given him was to drop bombs on the heads of innocent civilians.

A part of my heart ached as I thought about the people I had never even met killed or injured by the bomb I dropped.

But he did not regret becoming a pilot.

Although it was a dangerous mission and one that he could not be proud of, he believed that it was inevitable in order to protect Leningrad, where he was born and raised (it was called Petrograd when he was born), from the threat of Finland, the vanguard of imperialist countries.

At least that's what I wanted to believe.

***

February 24, 1940

New Fuhrer's Residence in Berlin, Germany

When Tymoshenko took over as commander-in-chief, replacing Voroshilov, who had been mistreated by Stalin, the Finnish army began to be on the defensive.

Countries around the world provided supplies to help Finland, volunteers from many countries poured into Finland, and the Finnish people devoted themselves to protecting their homeland, but it was not enough to stop the Soviet army.

The Finnish army, which had previously been doing well by paying overwhelming exchange rates, was forced to retreat, unable to handle the accumulated damage, when the Soviet army put pressure on it using tactics appropriate for 1940.

The Soviet army advanced inland, raining bombs on the heads of the retreating Finnish army.

Finland became desperate and asked for help from Germany, which was far away.

Although they mentally supported Finland, Germany remained neutral due to the non-aggression pact signed with the Soviet Union.

Finland would also be unaware of the relationship between Germany and the Soviet Union.

The fact that they asked for help despite knowing this probably means that Finland is in an urgent situation.

"It is truly an honor to meet Mr. President. "My name is Elsas Erko."

Elsas Erko, Finland's former foreign minister who came to Germany as an emissary of the Finnish government, looked somewhat uneasy.

This is probably due to concerns about the country, which is at a crossroads. Finland today is like a candle in the wind, not knowing when it will fail.

"Welcome, Ambassador. Nice to meet you too."

The day before I met Erko, Ribbentrop came to me and advised me that I should refuse to meet Erko.

When I asked why, Ribbentrop answered as if it were obvious.

"I also feel human sympathy for Finland's situation, but there are concerns that meeting with the Finnish envoy could harm relations with the Soviet Union. "The country Germany should prioritize is the Soviet Union, not Finland."

Ribbentrop's words also had a point.

Nevertheless, Stalin had expressed his discomfort about Korea exporting food to Finland through the German embassy in Moscow a month ago.

I explained that it was something that had been planned before the war and that there was nothing we could do about it since all payment had already been received, so I ignored it, but the deterioration of relations with the Soviet Union was also something that Germany had to avoid.

It was not yet before the invasion of France, and minerals and food imported from the Soviet Union were essential.

"That is correct. But I can't just send back someone who came all the way to meet me. "I also know that relations with the Soviet Union come first."

I guided Erko to the VIP room.

Before the car even came out, Erko politely asked if we could get straight to the point.

Even though it's urgent, it seems like it's really urgent.

"It doesn't matter. "Isn't that why you came all the way here anyway?"

"thank you. There is no way the President does not know this, but as you can see, Finland is currently in danger of survival."

Finland was in a desperate situation.

Nearly 70,000 soldiers, equivalent to 20% of the Finnish army's total strength, were killed or injured, and ammunition was on the verge of running out.

In addition, Sweden, which had been helping Finland both materially and spiritually, gave in to the Soviet Union's protests and threats and officially rejected Finland's request for war.

The United States promised to send as many as 44 new F2A Buffalo fighters to Finland, of which only 10 were deployed in its own military, but delivery took time due to the distance.

When Britain and France asked Norway and Sweden to pass through their territory in the name of helping Finland, the two countries also showed signs of discomfort and urged Finland to negotiate with the Soviet Union.

In the end, the only thing left in Finland was Germany.

"But we, Germany, signed a non-aggression pact with the Soviet Union. "You probably know that well, right?"

"How can I not know that? It may be a shameless request, but please help Finland. "Without Germany's support, Finland is finished."

"Um, what specifically do you want? "Let's hear it first."

"We need Germany's superior weapons. "If the Finnish army had the same tanks and Bf109 fighters as the Germans, they would be able to take on the Soviets."

Heh, this is true.

It was a question that could not be answered hastily.

In actual history, Germany openly helped Finland, but eventually stopped providing support out of concern about worsening relations with the Soviet Union.

Even if we support Finland now, it is difficult to change the outcome of the war.

Even without the help of the Soviet Union, the invasion of France scheduled for May of this year is unlikely to fail, but the problem lies next. Concentrating all your efforts on the war with Britain would be easy, but if you turn the Soviet Union into an enemy, it would be really difficult.

I feel a bit sorry for Finland, but there are times when you have to exclude emotions and think calmly.

"I think it will be difficult. Right now, we are also in a position to import food and minerals from the Soviet Union in preparation for a full-scale war with the British Empire. Already a month ago, Stalin protested against exporting food to Finland. "I'm sorry."

"Is that so······."

Erko lowered his head.

If it had not been for the war with England, not only Panzer IV and Bf109 but also StG39 and Panzerfaust would have been provided for Finland.

However, Germany is at war and cannot freely distribute valuable new weapons to foreign countries, which have only just begun to be supplied to the Wehrmacht.

"I'm sorry for making you miss out. But don't despair too much. The Soviet Union no longer has the capacity to continue the war."

To comfort Erko, I told him about the top secret information that SD had collected from the Soviet Union.

Even within the Soviet Union, there are voices of dissatisfaction due to the prolonged war and excessively high casualties, which is why Stalin is hastening a ceasefire.

However, since it would be shameful to propose a ceasefire first, they were waiting until Finland proposed a ceasefire first.

Erko's expression improved a little at those words, but it was still dark.

"The Soviet Union has already proposed peace on the 12th of this month, but I am hesitating because the terms are difficult to accept."

"But what can we do when there is no other way than peace negotiations? If the war continues any longer, the Soviet Union will try to annex all of Finland to make up for the losses suffered in the war. "It's unfortunate, but it's also necessary to accept reality."

To put it bluntly, the only way for Finland to survive is to strengthen with the Soviet Union.

Even if you make the sacrifice, you will only lose territory, but wouldn't it be better than the entire country being destroyed?

"And when the war with England is over, Germany will support the reconstruction of the Finnish army. "So that the same tragedy never repeats itself."

"Are you sure?"

Erko looked at me as if he had seen a ray of light in the darkness.

Immediate humiliating reinforcements cannot be avoided, but if Germany receives support, the reconstruction of the Finnish army will be accelerated.

In particular, if the Finnish army were armed with excellent German weapons, they would not be left helpless even if the Soviet army attacked again.

"exactly. "I promise."

***

Erko eventually had to return to his home country empty-handed.

The only consolation was that after the war Germany received Hitler's promise to support the reconstruction of the Finnish army.

Even this was subject to the condition that the war with England and France ended.

On February 29, the Finnish government decided to negotiate with the Soviet Union.

Finland no longer had the strength to hold out any longer since the Mannerheim Line, its last line of defense, had been breached by the Soviet army