Part of WWII that is frequently ignored is the northern engagements between Finland and the Soviet Union. While Finland was not supportive of Fascism or any of the other parts of the Nazi regime. They followed a simple doctrine. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. The Soviet Union had taken large swaths of Finnish land in previous years, and Finland wanted them back.

The Battle of Tali-Ihantala started on June 25th, 1944, and lasted until July 9th.

Finland
C.G.E. Mannerheim
100,000 Soldiers
Several Armoured Divisions
German Luftwaffe Detachment

Soviet Union
Leonid Govorov
150,000 Soldiers
6 Tank Brigades
10 Artillery Regiments

The opening hours of the battle involved a Soviet Artillery bombardment and a hard push along the edge of Lake Leitimojarvi. This is where we will have our game.

Wargame
Rules, Command Decision, Bolt Action, Flames of War
2 Players
6×4 Table
Forces Needed: Finnish and Soviet forces in your chosen game. The Soviets should have 50% more troops than the Finns. For Bolt Action, we will use 1500 points for the Soviets and 1000 for Finland.
Terrain should be an interesting area with pine forest, clearings, and a large lake.

Set-Up

Finland should be in a defensive position with its forces holding each side of the lake. An objective marker should be placed somewhere on the Finnish side of the lake. The Soviets should be off the table, preparing to assault the Finns’ position. The Soviets will get an artillery strike before the first round of the game.

If the Soviets end the game with one objective, it is a tie; if both objectives are achieved, it is a win.