Chronology and Losses of the Winter War

The Winter War
Timeline
(1939-1940)

A historical overview of the Soviet war with Finland

This section will give a brief history of the Winter War. For ease of reference the table below allows you to study the war month by month. At the end of this section the costs of the war are discussed. Losses in men and materials are listed as well. In the future we plan on adding more to the reasons for the war and the effects of its aftermath.

A Soviet ground crewman loading ammunition on a I-15 Chaika biplane - 1940

History of the Winter War by Month
Prelude to War November 1939 - Invasion December 1939 January 1940	Febuary 1940 March 1940 Aftermath of the War Costs of the War

November 1939

3rd
After weeks of negotiations break down, Molotov launches a propaganda campaign against Finland.

28th
Soviets break off negotiations, which had been between Molotov on the Soviet side and Paassikivi and Janner on the Finnish side.

30th
Soviet forces invade Finland with 19 divisions and 5 tank brigades. Red air force attacks and bombs Helsinki and Viipuri by surprise. Total Soviet strength 300,000 men and 800 planes fight against 120,000 Finns and 100 aircraft.

December 1939

7th - 11th
The Battle of Suomussalmi begins.163rd Division advances on Suomussalmi in two columns.

11th
Soviet 9th Army advances on Oulu. Soviet 163rd division is cut off from friendly forces. Finnish 9th division begins counterattacks.

12th - 14th
Finnish IV Corps counterattacks in Karelia-Ladoga region.

12th
Battle of Tolvajarvi.
139th and 75th Divisions reach Tolvajarvi and are attacked by 7 Finn battalions under the command of General Talvela. 5,000 Soviet soldiers are killed in action.

22nd
Soviet forces pull back from Mannerheim line in the face of fierce resistance.

23rd
Finnish II Corps begins counterattacks.

25th
44th Motorized Division attempts to reach the desperate 163rd Division.

25th - 27th
Battle of Kelja.

27th - 30th
Finnish 9th Divisional Artillery arrives and begins vicious assault on the Soviet 163rd division.

28th
Soviet 44th Division is completely destroyed while attempting to withdraw.

29th
163rd Division at Suomussalmi is surrounded, attacked, and broken. Finnish forces capture 11 tanks, 25 artillery pieces, and 150 trucks.

January 1940

1st - 8th
Soviet 44th Division is trapped on a road and is systematically cut up and destroyed. Soviet losses - 27,000 killed, 1,300 captured. Finnish forces lose only 900 killed and 1770 wounded.

6th - 17th
Finnish IV Corps attacks in the Karelia region.

February 1940

1st
Soviet forces under General Semyon Timoshenko launch attack in Summa region. Even though the temperature is -30 degrees, the men of the 7th and 13th Armies strike with heavy artillery and air support.

11th
First breakthrough of the Mannerheim line. In the following days the breach will be widened. Finnish forces withdraw in good order and Soviets lose contact with them.

13th
Despite heavy losses Soviet forces break through near Summa.

14th - 15th
Defense of the 5/JR14 on the Muolaa Church isthmus.

18th
Finnish forces take up a new defensive line.

24th
Soviets seize island fortress of Koivisto in the Gulf of Finland. They are ordered to attack Viipuri as soon as the ice freezes enough to support tanks.

March 1940

1st
Finnish right and center line is pushed back to Viipuri.

3rd
Soviet battalion crosses the ice to Vilajoki - the road to Helsinki is opened.

4th
Finnish communications are threatened in Karelia by Soviet action.

5th
General Mannerheim reports that long term resistance is no longer possible.

8th
Finn delegation travels to Moscow and sues for peace.

12th
Russo-Finn treaty is signed in Moscow. The Soviet delegation is comprised of Molotov, General Alexei Zhdanov, and General Vasilevsky

13th
Cease fire goes into effect at noon. At 11:45 as Finn forces begin to pull back from the front, Soviet artillery opens fire on them for 15 minutes resulting in many Finn casualties.

Cost of the Winter War

The number of Soviet personnel who served in Finland during the Winter War is not certain. This makes the task of determining the number of casualties the Soviets suffered very difficult. The exact number has been debated for decades. A meeting of Soviet officials after the war declared that 200,000 soldiers were dead, wounded, or missing. The lowest Finnish estimates calculated 150,000 to 200,000 killed in action, and 400,000 to 600,000 sick, wounded, or missing. Nikita Khruchiev stated in his memoirs that he believed the Soviets lost about one million men. The data I have chosen to use comes from a book by G.F. Krivosheev - "Casualties of the Soviet Armed Forces in wars and military conflicts".

Number of personnel who served in Finland: Unknown at this time

Force Breakdown

????

Red Army

????

Red Banner Baltic Fleet

????

Red Air Force

Total Killed and Wounded

Killed in Action

84,994

Sick and Wounded

248,090

Missing in Action

19,610

Equipment Losses

Aircraft

872

Tanks

1600

Vehicles

----

Artillery Pieces and Mortars

----

Warships

0

Back to the wars of 1938-1940

November 1939
	3rd	After weeks of negotiations break down, Molotov launches a propaganda campaign against Finland.
	28th	Soviets break off negotiations, which had been between Molotov on the Soviet side and Paassikivi and Janner on the Finnish side.
	30th	Soviet forces invade Finland with 19 divisions and 5 tank brigades. Red air force attacks and bombs Helsinki and Viipuri by surprise. Total Soviet strength 300,000 men and 800 planes fight against 120,000 Finns and 100 aircraft.
December 1939
	7th - 11th	The Battle of Suomussalmi begins.163rd Division advances on Suomussalmi in two columns.
	11th	Soviet 9th Army advances on Oulu. Soviet 163rd division is cut off from friendly forces. Finnish 9th division begins counterattacks.
	12th - 14th	Finnish IV Corps counterattacks in Karelia-Ladoga region.
	12th	Battle of Tolvajarvi. 139th and 75th Divisions reach Tolvajarvi and are attacked by 7 Finn battalions under the command of General Talvela. 5,000 Soviet soldiers are killed in action.
	22nd	Soviet forces pull back from Mannerheim line in the face of fierce resistance.
	23rd	Finnish II Corps begins counterattacks.
	25th	44th Motorized Division attempts to reach the desperate 163rd Division.
	25th - 27th	Battle of Kelja.
	27th - 30th	Finnish 9th Divisional Artillery arrives and begins vicious assault on the Soviet 163rd division.
	28th	Soviet 44th Division is completely destroyed while attempting to withdraw.
	29th	163rd Division at Suomussalmi is surrounded, attacked, and broken. Finnish forces capture 11 tanks, 25 artillery pieces, and 150 trucks.

January 1940
	1st - 8th	Soviet 44th Division is trapped on a road and is systematically cut up and destroyed. Soviet losses - 27,000 killed, 1,300 captured. Finnish forces lose only 900 killed and 1770 wounded.
	6th - 17th	Finnish IV Corps attacks in the Karelia region.
February 1940
	1st	Soviet forces under General Semyon Timoshenko launch attack in Summa region. Even though the temperature is -30 degrees, the men of the 7th and 13th Armies strike with heavy artillery and air support.
	11th	First breakthrough of the Mannerheim line. In the following days the breach will be widened. Finnish forces withdraw in good order and Soviets lose contact with them.
	13th	Despite heavy losses Soviet forces break through near Summa.
	14th - 15th	Defense of the 5/JR14 on the Muolaa Church isthmus.
	18th	Finnish forces take up a new defensive line.
	24th	Soviets seize island fortress of Koivisto in the Gulf of Finland. They are ordered to attack Viipuri as soon as the ice freezes enough to support tanks.
March 1940
	1st	Finnish right and center line is pushed back to Viipuri.
	3rd	Soviet battalion crosses the ice to Vilajoki - the road to Helsinki is opened.
	4th	Finnish communications are threatened in Karelia by Soviet action.
	5th	General Mannerheim reports that long term resistance is no longer possible.
	8th	Finn delegation travels to Moscow and sues for peace.
	12th	Russo-Finn treaty is signed in Moscow. The Soviet delegation is comprised of Molotov, General Alexei Zhdanov, and General Vasilevsky
	13th	Cease fire goes into effect at noon. At 11:45 as Finn forces begin to pull back from the front, Soviet artillery opens fire on them for 15 minutes resulting in many Finn casualties.