⚔️ Battle of Suomussalmi / Raate Road, Finland,
30 Nov 1939 – 8 Jan 1940
When Stalin’s Red Army invaded Finland on 30 November 1939, the two main thrusts were in the south around Lake Ladoga and the Mannerheim Line, and in central Finland focussed on Suomussalmi. In central Finland, the Russian 163rd Rifle Division and an independent tank brigade crossed the border at Juntusranta, and the 44th (Ukrainian) Rifle Division crossed at Raate. Both forces converged on Suomussalmi as their immediate objective. Their ultimate aim was to seize Oulu, and cut Finland in two.