Evening star., 1939-12-10
Winter in Finland
Presents Russians
With Big Problems
Training in Ski Warfare
Gives Defending Force
Huge Advantage
BY COL. FREDERICK PALMER.

mated in overcoming prolonged Fin
nish semi-guerrilla resistance. The
Firms may develop tactics beyond
the ken of the French and German
high commands, which will be as
much of a surprise to the Soviets
as Adolf Hitler promised that his
secret, all-destroying weapon would
be to the allies.
Out of the confusion Of claims and
counter r-claims, after the struggle
has been going on for week, the
signs suggest that Josef Stains
legions are in for considerable
spell of hard fighting in place of the
anticipated parade of conquest. They
will find it more difficult to locate
Finnish soldiers in a white-out than
for an aviator at night to locate a
town in black-out.
We know the Soviet attack on
Finland was timed when the SOUTH
ern lakes were frozen over and be-
fore heavy snow began to fall. Since
the air "Blitzkrieg," without warn
ing, failed to reduce the Firms to
submission and the Soviet sweep
through the Karelian Isthmus was
arrested, it was up to the Soviets to
bring up big army reinforcements.
But, meanwhile, the SHOWS came.
Drives Reported Checked.
1t was once reported from Russian
sources that Viborg, the second
largest city in Finland, where the
Karelian Isthmus joins the main
land, had been occupied. The latest
account at this writing places the
Russian advance still 20 miles from
Viborg. Also, the drive around Lake
Ladoga and to cut the trunk-line
railroad to the north, connecting
with Sweden, has been checked, or
at least has far to go to its goal.
Day after day we still expect to
hear that the Mannerheim Line
across the isthmus has been broken,
Viborg and Petsamo have fallen and
the railroad been cut. That does
seem inevitable once the Soviets
bring to bear their avalanche of
man-power, which has been reported
as anywhere from 100000 to 1,000,-
900 men.
But, in war, what counts is the
numbers and weapons and NUM-
tions that can be transported and
supplied on the scene of action. In
July, 1918, our War Industries Board
and general staff concluded that
an army of 100000 men was the
largest that all the power of our
country. could maintain across the
Atlantic Ocean and across France
to Lorraine.
Then there is the terrain. the
nature of the ground and the
natural obstacles an advancing
army faces. There is also the kind
of warfare the invaders meet on the
defenders home ground
Much Snow Six Feet Deep.
Granted that the Soviet Army
breaks the Mannerheim Line and
even gains the other objectives
mentioned, what then? First, consi-
der what 1t means for a soldier to
trudge through even three feet OF
snow, let alone six, which is more
likely in the north, carrying rifle
pack and rations. And it will be
a very heavy pack with the blan-
kets he will need in Finnish
winter.
Consider next bringing up food
guns, machine guns and mortars
through the snow, keeping roads
open for transport trains and car
rying back wounded to hospitals
that must be established in a
frozen land. The wounded may be
frozen to death and the dead will
remain above ground unless the
earth is thawed for the grave-dig-
gers.
Stain, himself the child of a
warm climate, may wish he had
more soldiers trained in skiing. We
have photographs of his soldiers in
winter exercises. How many has he
Of this class? It will take time to
teach skiing to the Asiatics in his
most, to whom Finnish winter is
as unfamiliar as the growing of palm
trees and bananas is in Finland.
How will they like this adventure?
one practical Soviet staff problem
will be how to hold their spirits up
and provide them with winter
clothing and enough fats to keen
their blood circulating. They will
hardly be as keen on the Job as
Arctic explorers.
Firms at Home on Skis,
Every Finn is at home from child
hood on skis. They are his means
OF personal locomotion in winter
They are at his door for him to glide
on a call on a neighbor.
He need not worry much about
tanks or air attacks with such small
targets as isolated villages when
guerrilla warfare begins. Tanks
cannot 60 through Finland's forests
of big trees. While he provides q
frozen wilderness for the enemy in
his ambushes, a white uniform is
just as natural a protective colora-
ton as that of the polar bear. He
will have at his back welcome in
any Finnish home, where he will be
a hero. Crowd guests in where there
is no lack of heat from plentiful
wood! The cities have had time to
spread their populations into the
country.
Suppose Stain can maintain
500 900 men in Finland. The Firms
in ratio to their population, have
O,00O, if not 100000, able-bodied
fighting. skiers. Their tactics and
terrain may give them the same
1-to-3 edge of the Maginot Line
against German offensive, pro-
vided they stick to their stubborn
determination to hold out.
All this depends upon their re-
ceiving munitions from the outside
world, for no man can fight without
bullets though he has a rifle. To
cut of supplies, the Soviets have de-
clared q blockade. no easv ioh in