(3/10) Battlefield II The Battle of Scandinavia Ep4 World War II

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Videos Running Time: 01:32:00 in 10 Parts

Battlefield: "The Battle of Scandinavia"


This episode of Battlefield chronicles the Russo-Finish War(1939-1940) and the German invasion of Norway(1940).

Almost immediately after invading Poland, Stalin began placing territorial demands on the Finish government. The Soviet Union demanded a 25 miles of land North of Leningrad and demanded a 30 year lease of the Hanko Peninsula area for a new Soviet naval base. Soviet leaders considered these as more than reasonable. The Finish government rejected the terms and began mobilizing. After an alleged shelling of a border town the Soviet Union invaded Finland on November 30th, 1939. The USSR forces consisted of 23 divisions amounting to 450,000 men. The Finish defense consisted of 8 divisions amounting to 180,000 men. The main finish defense line (Mannerheim Line) was located 25 miles North of Leningrad.

The Finns relied on hit and run tactics in freezing conditions. The Finnish assault troops could outmaneuver the Soviets with ski troops. Much food and ammunition was captured to maintain the Finnish forces. Fortunately, the Finns used the same rifle ammo as the USSR. A crude but highly effective gasoline bomb, developed in the Spanish Civil War, was deployed and destroyed up to 2,000 Soviet tanks. Later known as the Molotov Cocktail this simple weapon was used throughout World War II. Sniper warfare became a serious tactic during the Russo-Finnish War. The Finns used the "Kylmä-Kalle" (Cold Charlie) counter-sniper tactic. This tactic was highly effective in locating the Soviet sniper and shelling the position with artillery or killing the sniper with Lahti L-39 "Norsupyssy" ("Elephant rifle") anti-tank rifles. Corporal Simo Häyhä is credited with 542 kills during the Russo-Finish War. Simo Häyhä is probably the most successful sniper in history.

In one of the most amazing feats in World War II a group of 300 Finnish soldiers blocked the advance of the Soviet 44th Division(23,000 men). The Finnish 9th Division (6,000 men) surrounded and then destroyed the entire 44th Division in detail. After this and many other Soviet disasters USSR General Kliment Voroshilov was replaced by General Semyon Timoshenko

Both sides became exhausted by the war. The Moscow Peace Treaty was signed on March 12th 1940. Finland ceded several important areas to the USSR but, remained free from Soviet control.

The German invasion of Norway on April 9th 1940 Operation Weserübung (Operation Weser-Exercise) became a confusing debacle for Allied forces. Norways main importance lay with its shipping routes from Sweden to German. Swedish iron-ore was a valuable commodity for the Germany war machine.

The German Armys XXI Infantry Korps (von Falkenhorst) consisted of: 163rd, 69th, 169th, 181st and 214th infantry divisions. Two regiments of the 3rd Mountain Division (Dietl) were also committed. Fallschirmjäger units would eventually join the fight near Narvik

The Norwegian cities of Bergen, Stavanger, Egersund, Kristiansand S, Arendal, Horten, Trondheim and Narvik were all attacked and captured within 24 hours. Norways Defense Minister Vidkun Quisling announced the secession of hostilities against the Germans immediately and launched a coup d etat. Most Norwegian forces fought. King King Haakon VII escaped to the North.

The Battle of Narvik was fought between April 9th and June 8th, 1940. The first major engagement during the Battle of Narvik was a mostly destroyer to destroyer action, between the Royal Navy and Kriegsmarine. The Kriegsmarine lost 2 destroyers and 7 merchantmen. The Royal navy lost 2 destroyers. During the second naval engagement the Kriegsmarine lost 8 destroyers and 1 U-boat sunk, with the Royal Navy suffering 3 destroyers damaged. The Royal Navys aircraft carrier HMS Glorious was sunk by the pocket battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau soon afterwards.

British forces under General Mackesy landed near Narvik on April 12th 1940. Mackesy refused to subject the Norwegian citizens to naval gunfire and a direct assault on Narvik. The Allies assembled 25,000 men around Narvik. British, Poles, Norwegians, and French opposed German force of 5,000 men. Narvik was re-captured by this force on May 28th, 1940. However, Narvik was captured by the Germans on June 10th 1940. With the invasion of France, Allied troops were needed elsewhere and withdrew. Norwegian troops laid down their arms and Norway was doomed.

Enjoy this excellent episode of Battlefields.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• World
• War
• II
• Finland
• Finn
• Finns
• Leningrad
• Norway
• Norwegian
• Royal
• Navy
• Kriegsmarine
• German
• Army
• Scandinavia
• Narvik
• U-boat

[downloadgoblin]

These fins are some rock solid men...

[aaKonda]

"Scandinavia is a region in northern Europe that includes Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Finland is often considered a Scandinavian country in common English usage, and Iceland and the Faroe Islands are sometimes also included."

-Wikipedia

[PortugalDGB]

Finland kicked the ass of the USSR! Outnumbered, outgunned, and with less tanks the Fins did something that nobody expected: they beat the shit out of the advancing Soviet armies! :D

[HeroLalli]

Finnish government didn't invest enough money for defence in the 30's. Mannerheim continuously demanded more money to be put in defence. If the Finnish Army had been reasonably equipped, the Soviets could have been kept at bay much better. The peace treaty terms would have been much more pleasant for Finns if our Army had been in reasonable condition. Nowadays they're also "saving" from the defence budjet... I hope it doesn't turn out bad...

[myrkkyapina1]

@omegavalerius hmm, makes sense.. i didn't read the previous well enough

[omegavalerius]

@myrkkyapina1

But this is about the Winter war so at this point the continuous war doesn't count as it hadn't happened at that time.

[scrap222666]

@NikNovi You forget that this problem would not exist if Soviets wouldn't have attacked.

[myrkkyapina1]

@omegavalerius continuation war

[OrangeManIce]

areas with very coold winters have tough and skilled people,look at canada ,sweden and norway, colder area of russia, and the american states of alaska,north dakota, northern wisconsin, minnesota.

[omegavalerius]

@soulesslemming

Russo-Japanese war, first world war, Finnish civil war, Winter war, I guess I'm missing a war here.

[Mikuli7]

Mess with the Finns and you will get a punch on the chin!

[silentk1ll]

@NikNovi So? Were Finnish leaders supposed to believe they get killed? Maybe, but they didn't think about there is that chance to happen something like that. And Finland was dependent on Germany, it would be foolish to make Hitler angry just because we wouldn't give our enemies, that just had tried to invade us, to him, for our "friend"