Chapter 181

March 24, 1941

Helsinki, the capital of Finland

"Haa, haa. Ugh…"

Finnish President Kyösti Kallio groaned in pain, hastily tossing medicine into his mouth and swallowing it with water.

"Mr. President…"

While Prime Minister Risto Ryti watched with a pained expression, President Kallio clutched his chest and endured the pain.

Having been beloved as a minister and prime minister who worked harder than anyone for his homeland of Finland, Kallio was burning the last of his flames as president, fighting the bleakest war in his nation's history.

The war between Finland and the Soviet Union, which in the original history was named the Winter War and ended in Finland's defeat in just four months despite its desperate struggle and lack of aid, was not yet over.

"Not yet, not yet…"

President Kallio suppressed his moans and collected himself.

Originally, he would have died before 1941, shocked after signing a treaty that conceded to almost all of the Soviet Union's demands despite the immense blood Finland had shed. But because Finland had not yet fallen, he was clinging to his position, though suffering from severe stress.

"A telegram from Germany!"

At the words of Foreign Minister Tanner, the President and Prime Minister looked up with brightened faces.

"It says the French Army's vanguard and the Reichsmarine will depart from Danzig on the 26th!"

President Kallio fought back tears and spoke as if letting out a lament.

"They really didn't abandon us."

"I will deliver this joyous news to the front immediately!"

At Ryti's joyful words, Kallio slowly nodded his head.

"Yes, please do."

As Ryti and Tanner ran out, President Kallio gazed out the window with a heavy heart.

When Germany, which had stepped forward to support Finland even while in the middle of a civil war when all other nations had turned a blind eye, put Finland's application to join the Allied Powers on hold, Finland had fallen into despair.

Although Germany had its reasons, Finland had spent a long, anxious time wondering if even Germany was about to abandon them.

In the end, as the Mannerheim Line collapsed and Finland was considering surrender, the promise Germany had made was kept.

All the sacrifices Finland had made did not end up being worthless.

President Kallio quietly gave a nod in the direction of Germany.

-

March 25, 1941

Southeastern Finland, Karjala (Karelia) Viipuri Front

Finland had lost most of Karjala (the Finnish name for Karelia), and just before its provincial capital Viipuri was about to fall, the Rasputitsa arrived, halting the Soviet Army's offensive and allowing them to barely catch their breath.

But the Rasputitsa eventually ended, and Kirill Meretskov's Soviet Army resumed its offensive as if on cue.

"Comrades, advance! For the Union!"

"Uraaaaa!!!"

The Soviet troops let out a roar and began their charge, but before they could even properly launch their offensive, they had to watch as the aircraft of the Finnish Air Force and the Luftwaffe, which blanketed the sky, rushed toward them.

The Soviet troops who were about to attack scattered in panic, but a running man could not escape the pursuit of a fighter aircraft.

-This is Eino Juutilainen, no enemy aircraft confirmed.

Continue the ground support mission.

-This is Hans Wind, confirmed!

The Finnish Air Force and the Luftwaffe bought time by cutting down countless Soviet soldiers who were charging to support the beleaguered Finnish army.

In the midst of this, a few precious T-34s on the Finnish Front joined the offensive, but they were met by the 'Kanonenvogel' (Cannon Bird), a version of the Stuka equipped with Flak 18 anti-aircraft guns.

Soon, the Kanonenvogel's autocannon roared and spat fire, and the T-34, struck on its top armor, fell silent.

Originally, the Soviet offensive was not a reckless charge shouting 'Ura' but a full-scale echelon tactics carried out with the support of artillery and the air force.

However, the Soviet Army, having completely lost air superiority, lacked the capability to properly execute such tactics.

The Soviet Air Force had long since suffered near-annihilation, and the swarms of aircraft that descended the moment they even began to shell did not allow for proper artillery support.

Nevertheless, the Soviet Army continued to push forward with its overwhelming numbers, no matter how immense the sacrifices.

Learning from their defeat in the Winter War offensive, where they had used limited advance routes, the Soviet Army was now pushing through the entire country of Finland.

In northern Finland, which was impossible to defend due to a shortage of military force, the Soviet Army had already occupied Petsamo and Salla and was pouring into Lapland in northern Finland.

No matter how poor the roads were, no matter how many casualties they sustained, there was nothing Finland could do against the Soviet Army that continued its attack without stopping.

Ultimately, Finland gave up on defending the north, issued an evacuation order, and concentrated most of its forces in the south.

But even in the south, the Soviet Army was pushing like a tidal wave to seize Viipuri, the last Finnish strongpoint remaining in Karelia.

In Viipuri, filled with the sound of gunfire as the Finnish Army fought a desperate resistance, Mannerheim's speech was broadcast through loudspeakers, encouraging the soldiers.

[Brave soldiers of Finland! You know me and I know you, and I know that everyone, regardless of rank, is prepared to do his duty, even unto death!]

"Attack, gack!"

"Aaargh, the platoon leader's been hit again!"

The Soviet soldiers attacking Viipuri were panic-stricken by the horrifying sight of any commander who so much as showed signs of encouragement being immediately picked off.

Perched atop the church tower, Simo Häyhä let out aclickas he pulled the bolt of his M28 rifle and aimed for his next scapegoat.

In the original history, he had to snipe with great difficulty while avoiding a hail of artillery and the Soviet Air Force, but here, he was performing his feats safely with the support of the Finnish Air Force and the Luftwaffe.

[Gentlemen are the most elite soldiers standing against the threat of Communism! No nation, no one, could have thought that Finland would be able to fight this far against such a colossal enemy!]

Amidst Mannerheim's speech, heavy artillery positioned on the hills spat fire, showering the charging Soviet troops with a barrage of shells.

Although outnumbered, the morale of the Finnish Army was high, and unlike in the original history where they couldn't even standardize their rifles due to the neglect of the great powers, they now had heavy equipment provided by Germany.

[The defense line you are now holding was established with the blood of Finnish Civil War veterans who gave up their peaceful lives to take up arms again! The artillery supporting you is made of shells carried by students who have given up their studies in school!]

Finland's military force, which had been scraped together from the very bottom, combined with volunteers sent by Sweden, had already lost 200,000 men in the war that broke out in late 1939 and had continued ever since.

On the front lines, old men and women were fighting with rifles and Suomis, and their supplies and meals were being prepared by children who should have been in school, yet only 200,000 soldiers remained.

[This war is a continuation of our American Revolutionary War, and its final chapter.

If we are defeated here, everything Finland has sacrificed will come to nothing, and our homeland will be trampled under their jackboots! Do not hesitate! Do not stop! Do not despair!]

And yet, they had hope.

The Finland of the original history, which had resisted at the cost of half its entire military force while being ignored by the great powers, only to surrender due to a lack of ammunition, was no more.

Germany and the Allied Powers had not abandoned Finland until the very end, and the continuous equipment support and the decision to dispatch French troops became a lifeline for Finland to hold onto even in a desperate war situation.

[Allied reinforcements will arrive soon! What we are defending is not just our hometown! We represent all generations of this land, and we are protecting the history that Finland's future will build! Our resistance will remain in history as a most proud achievement!]

"Long live Field Marshal Mannerheim! For the homeland!"

A military force of 200,000, an extremely small number in the great war that was World War II.

But for Finland, it was a desperate resistance with everything on the line.

[Unite under the spirit of sisu! Let's show those invaders! This is our land! This is our homeland! We will never fall! Let us carve the name Finland into their nightmares! To victory!]

-

March 25, 1941

Northwestern Soviet Union, Leningrad – Headquarters of the Finnish Invasion Force

The worries of General Kirill Meretskov, commander of the Soviet invasion force in Finland, were deepening.

The Soviet Army had pushed Finland to the brink by continuing its offensive despite massive casualties, but it wasn't as if they were pouring in soldiers without feeling anything.

The casualties the Soviet Army had suffered in Finland were approaching a staggering 700,000.

The frozen land of Finland had swallowed up an enormous number of soldiers, enough to make any decent European country stagger.

Even for the Soviet Union, with its flagrant disregard for human life, bearing such massive casualties in Finland, which was not even the main front, was by no means a light matter.

Nevertheless, at the General Secretary's order to subjugate Finland before the French troops could land, Meretskov had truly done his best to launch the offensive.

But the Rasputitsa had given the Finnish Army time to reorganize, and the troops that had entered Lapland in northern Finland were struggling just to move through a virtually undefended region due to the rough terrain and poor road conditions.

Crucially, the Finnish Army, with air support, was engaged in a desperate resistance at Viipuri, Karelia's last strongpoint.

Even the Soviet Army's million-strong force was sickened by the sight of old men and even women taking up arms to resist.

Meretskov, who was already receiving criticism and threats from the General Secretary for the abysmal casualty ratio, had no choice but to continue the offensive, but no matter how he thought about it, fulfilling the General Secretary's demand was impossible.

"T-This is an impossible mission…"

Meretskov was in despair.

The Finns were fighting with the will to resist to the last man, and he was being told to finish them off before the French landed.

Meretskov also had something to say about the casualty ratio.

200,000 of the 700,000 sacrifices occurred during Field Marshal Voroshilov's outdated offensive.

Even then, a significant number of them were not inflicted by the Finnish Army but were losses of Ukrainian soldiers who could not withstand Finland's severe cold.

After that, American and German fighters entered the Finnish Air Force, and air superiority began to reverse. The battle became even more difficult as the Finnish Army mobilized heavy equipment provided by Germany.

The Luftwaffe, in particular, tormented the Soviet Army with extreme viciousness.

There was even a disaster where they waited for a unit to cross a frozen lake, then bombed the ice covering the lake, causing a whole battalion to fall into the water and freeze to death.

Thanks to that, movement across lakes was forbidden, but now they were unleashing a furious bombardment on the narrowed advance routes and raiding supply units, making it impossible for the Soviet Army to attack properly.

As it was, the Soviet Army, which had to rely on manpower or horses for supplies due to a shortage of trucks, was already finding it incredibly difficult just to advance under bombardment in Finland's rough terrain.

On top of that, the Finnish Army, masters of guerrilla warfare, frequently ambushed and defeated the Soviet forces piecemeal.

Of course, from the home country's perspective, it would all look like nothing but excuses.

No matter how much support they had from Germany, no one could have ever imagined that the great power, the Soviet Union, would struggle so much against the small nation of Finland in Scandinavia.

Meretskov turned his head to Admiral Vladimir Filippovich Tributs, who was in the room with him.

"Admiral, you must inflict as much damage as possible before the French troops land."

But the expression on Admiral Tributs's face upon hearing those words was not comfortable either.

The power of the Soviet Baltic Fleet was far inferior to the German Reichsmarine.

The ambitious Sovetsky Soyuz-class battleships had been pushed down the priority list due to the immediate war and were incomplete.

The only capital ships the Soviet Baltic Fleet had were the old Gangut-class battleships, Marat and Oktyabrskaya Revolyutsiya.

There were reports that Germany's Bismarck and Scharnhorst were under repair, but they still had the Tirpitz.

So, overpowering the German surface fleet and gaining command of the sea was practically impossible.

"…I will at least make an attempt."

If there was one saving grace, it was that the Soviet Baltic Fleet possessed over 30 submarines.

Admiral Tributs was pinning his hopes on them.

-

March 26, 1941

Northern Germany, Port City of Danzig

The day had finally come for the French Army, commanded by Charles de Gaulle, and the East Sea Fleet to depart for Finland.

I was in Danzig, watching the departure of the East Sea Fleet.

The Reichsmarine's new battleship Tirpitz, and the heavy cruisers Prinz Eugen and Seydlitz, repaired after being damaged in the last battle.

Joining them were the Deutschland-class armored ships Admiral Scheer and Admiral Graf Spee, whose purpose had been ambiguous until now.

They were ships that were awkward to use now, but their main gun firepower was considerable, so they were heading out to be used as fixed batteries in Finland's Viipuri.

To protect our precious capital ships and the French transport ships, we mobilized five light cruisers, 40 destroyers, and 15 U-boats.

It's amusing that a good number of them are auxiliary ships plundered from France.

In the end, we're protecting the French Army with plundered French ships…

"Then, I'll be counting on you, Admiral."

"Leave it to me, Minister."

The command of the East Sea Fleet was entrusted to Admiral Wilhelm Marschall.

"As you know, the purpose of this voyage is not to engage the enemy fleet. The top priority is to safely land the French troops in Finland, so please keep that in mind."

"I understand. I will do my best to ensure that what you're concerned about does not happen."

Admiral Marschall nodded his head compliantly, as if he understood my words.

Thanks to the ships brought from France, especially the Jean Bart, which was renamed 'Widerstand' (Resistance), the satisfaction level of the Reichsmarine seemed to have risen considerably.

Although still incomplete, bringing in one of the latest battleships, two heavy cruisers, two light cruisers, and 15 destroyers must be like a welcome rain in a drought for the Reichsmarine.

I can still recall the face of Admiral Raeder, who, while aghast that their battleships were superior to the Reichsmarine's, was also beaming.

I turned my gaze to the personnel who would be accompanying Admiral Marschall as his aide.

"The surface fleet of the Soviet Baltic Fleet is much weaker than ours, but their submarine fleet cannot be ignored. Please provide your utmost advice with the know-how you've accumulated from commanding U-boats."

"Yes, sir, Minister!"

Captain Günther Prien, dispatched from the U-boat fleet, replied with a salute.

Stalin will never want French troops to land in Finland, and they will definitely attempt to interdict our shipping.

Even though the crews of the ships brought from France include inexperienced recruits who are not yet fully trained, that's the reason we're committing so many destroyers this time.

The German Navy doesn't have much experience in anti-submarine warfare, but we have many submarine experts in our navy.

The person who can best find the timing of a submarine attack and the openings in an escort fleet is a submarine commander.

With that thought, I had requested Admiral Dönitz for a submarine warfare expert to assist the East Sea Fleet, and the one dispatched was Captain Günther Prien.

"In line with the operation, the Luftwaffe in East Prussia and Finland will provide cover over the entire Baltic Sea. The fate of Finland rests on your shoulders, so I wish you a safe voyage."

"Haha, please look forward to good news, Minister!"

I glanced at the scene of de Gaulle and the French Army preparing for departure.

Personally, I wanted to save the unfortunate Finland from the original history, but at the same time, Finland's survival is also for the sake of Germany's security.

Even though I think I've made the best possible preparations, deciding on matters where countless lives are at stake is always accompanied by tension and a burden.

"…May you have victory."

Whether the war goes as planned and we win, or we lose, the losses never cease.

The monster called war is sucking in countless lives and resources like a black hole.

How long will this war truly last?

This is not a war caused by Nazi aggression.

This is not a Great Patriotic War for the survival of the Slavic people.

Stalin, what price will he have to pay before he gives up the war?