Battle of Salla (1939)

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Battle of Salla

Initial Soviet advance November 30 - December 17

Date	November 30, 1939 to 28 February 1940
Location	Salla, Finnish Lapland
Result	Finnish victory

Combatants

Finland

Soviet Union

Commanders

Major General Kurt Martti Wallenius

Strength

Several battalions

Two divisions

Casualties

Winter War
Tolvajärvi – Suomussalmi – Taipale – Summa – Raate-Road – Kuhmo – Honkaniemi – Kollaa – Salla – Petsamo

The Battle of Salla was fought between Finnish and Soviet troops near Salla in northern Finland during the Winter War. The Soviets had orders to advance through Salla to Kemijärvi and Sodankylä, and from there to Rovaniemi in just two weeks. From there they were to advance to Tornio and cut Finland in two. The Finnish troops managed to stop the Soviet advance just east of Kemijärvi. During the last days of February 1940 the Finnish troops were replaced with the Swedish and Norwegian volunteers of the Stridsgruppen SFK.

[edit] Order of battle

[edit] Finland

There were only a few Finnish troops in the area at the start of the war. The 17th Separate Battalion (Er.P 17) or the "Salla Battalion" was mobilized before the war. Its main components came from a company of the Frontier Guard. The Finnish troops were part of the Lapland Group (Lapin Ryhmä) which was commanded by Major General Kurt Martti Wallenius.