บท 260: Chapter 338 The Winter War (7)
The belated I-153s and I-16s encountered 20 Bf 109F fighters.
"It's the Germans' Bf 109!!"
"The Germans are involved in the war too?!"
"Damn it! Wasn't it said that the Finns only have the Fokker D.XXI fighters?!"
"It's the Spanish!"
Several sharp-eyed Soviet pilots noticed the Spanish coat of arms on the fuselages of the Bf 109F fighters. It's worth noting that the relationship between Spain and the Soviet Union was far from friendly. Over the years, the Spanish government had consistently accused the Soviet Union of appropriating the 560 tons of gold shipped to the Soviet Union during the Spanish Civil War. The Soviet Union, on the other hand, claimed to have seen no trace of the gold and refused to acknowledge any such accusations.
The tension between the two countries had been thick, on the verge of an outright declaration of war.
Unexpectedly, Spain was now openly assisting Finland.
The air forces of both sides had clashed during the Spanish Civil War. Back then, I-15s and I-16s were overwhelmed, although they had undergone upgrades. The Bf 109 had also not remained static, progressing from the Bf 109B to the Bf 109F. In terms of performance, the Bf 109F still dominated the I-153 and I-16 Type 24.
Soon, the fighter planes from both sides were entangled in a chaotic dance, darting around, biting each other's tails, executing evasive maneuvers, climbing, diving, making sharp turns...
Planes intermittently emitted thick smoke, falling from the sky—some were I-15s, I-16s, and Bf 109Fs. Overall, more Soviet planes were shot down, considering the superior performance of the Bf 109F and the much greater combat experience of its pilots.
As the Finnish soldiers at the Mannerheim Line watched planes trailing smoke crash to the ground, cheers erupted.
The Mannerheim Line was one of the four major defense lines in Europe during World War II.
In 1931, when Mannerheim assumed the position of Chairman of the Finnish Defense Committee, he accelerated the construction of a defensive line spanning the entire Karelian Isthmus, which was essentially completed by 1939.
The entire line consisted of a security zone, a main defense zone, a secondary defense zone, and a rear defense zone constructed in the Vyborg (Viipuri) direction. The security zone extended from the original Finnish-Soviet border to the front of the main defense zone, with a depth of 25-65 kilometers. It featured field forward positions and numerous obstacles (stone fortresses, tree trunk obstacles, anti-tank ditches, cliffs, barbed wire, minefields, etc.), arranged in layers to form a large depth of obstacle terrain, enhancing the flexibility of the Finnish defense.
The main defense zone stretches from Muurila to Taipale, winding and twisting along a length of 135 kilometers. The maximum depth of the defense line is 95 kilometers, comprising 25 resistance nodal points divided into two sections: 14 resistance nodal points protecting the Viipuri direction and 11 resistance nodal points protecting the Käkisalmi direction.
The fortifications on the Viipuri side are the strongest. The front of each resistance nodal point measures 3.5 to 4 kilometers, with a depth of 1.5 to 2 kilometers. They are primarily constructed with a small amount of reinforced concrete permanent firing positions, combined with field firing positions and obstacles, forming a circular defense system. The garrison force at each permanent resistance nodal point ranges from one platoon to one battalion, tasked with blocking major roads and narrow routes between lakes. The most robust permanent firing positions can withstand direct hits from 203mm shells, while some field firing positions can resist 122-152mm shells. Field intermediate positions are constructed between resistance nodal points. The second defense zone is 3-5 kilometers away from the main defense zone and is primarily constructed with field defensive works.
Some sections between the main defense zone and the second defense zone are equipped with oblique-cut positions. Only a few field works are constructed in the rear defense zone. Before the start of the Soviet-Finnish War, the Finnish army also supplemented minefields and sabotaged railways and bridges that could be utilized by the Soviet army.
A white parachute emerged from a fallen I-15.
"Capture the prisoners!"
The airspace of the aerial combat was within Finland's territory, which was quite unfavorable for Soviet pilots. Even if the parachuting pilot managed to survive, landing on the ground made them a captive, and any resistance might result in immediate execution.
At this moment, the commander of the SB-2 bomber group, Anatoly, had a heart full of sorrow. The long-awaited reinforcements, far from being helpful, were struggling to preserve themselves.
Risking nearly half of their losses, the SB-2 bomber group finally approached the Mannerheim Line. Anatoly hastily gave the order, "Drop the bombs, drop the bombs!"
The bombardier released all the bombs from the bomb bay, regardless of whether they hit the targets or not.
Dropping nearly a ton of bombs, the bombers felt considerably lighter, and their speed increased significantly. The remaining bombers quickly followed suit, dropping their bombs and hastily turning to escape in the opposite direction. At this point, the remaining six LaGG-3 fighters had also nearly exhausted their ammunition and did not continue the pursuit.
The Soviet fighters gradually withdrew as well, as their primary mission was to escort the bombers, and with the bombers gone, there was no need to stubbornly stay in the area.
On the ground, the Finnish soldiers calmly watched the bombs dropped by the bombers fall on an open area several miles away from the defense line. Hundreds of bombs caused no casualties, all wasted in vain.
Just then, in the distance, signal flares were seen rising. It was a signal from the forward scouts, indicating that the Soviet ground forces had commenced their attack.
"Prepare for battle!"
As infantry on the ground, their role was limited to observation, and even the anti-aircraft gunners refrained from firing to avoid friendly fire. But now, the Soviet ground forces were finally on the move!
Although the specific situation was not visible, columns of black smoke rising in the distant wilderness indicated the presence of a mechanized unit.
Soon, a massive combat group appeared in the distance, causing everyone to involuntarily take a deep breath.
How many Soviet forces had been mobilized?
The Soviet side was a wilderness, perfectly suited for deploying their military strength. The fully deployed formation, resembling the densely packed crowds from ancient times during sieges, instilled a sense of awe.
Leading the charge were an unspecified number of tanks, followed by a densely packed infantry formation.
In an observation post on the Mannerheim Line, a German, holding binoculars, observed the approaching Soviet tanks with a disdainful expression. Although the Soviets appeared formidable, in his eyes, they were nothing.
They seemed to want to emulate the German armored units' attacking style, but unfortunately, they hadn't even learned the basics, let alone mastery. From the perspective of these "professionals," the Soviet attack seemed too amateurish.
Take their attack formation, for example. If it were a German unit attacking, the tanks would be arranged in a V-shaped formation suitable for unleashing firepower, like a wedge cutting through, with several V formations forming a triangular phalanx that could easily penetrate the enemy's defense line.
And what about the Soviets now? They seemed to have assumed a single-file snake-like formation, without any organized structure, just swarming forward.
That is not something to be feared!
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