by Gary Stagliano
This additional Soviet order of battle information is presented in the following format:
2. Commanders' names appear [in brackets]. 3. Units are presented as they appear in A Winter War, including their historical deployment hexes, followed by notes where appropriate. Note: Units and counters already deployed at specific hexes in the A Winter War Soviet Order of Battle are not repeated here; consult the AWW OB. 4. The regimental components of a division (if known) are listed under the division (in parentheses). USSR Order of Battle and Appearance at FrontLeningrad Military District Note: The Finnish National Army, commanded by Aksel Anttila, began forming November II, 1939 (!) from Finns and Karelians serving in the Leningrad Military District. By November 26 it had 13,405 men, and grew to 25,000 later (Mikhail Semiryaga, The Winter War). According to Timoshenko's report to the Congress of People's Deputies, three divisions of the FNA were formed. They are the 1, 3, and 4 FNA that appear in the game. Northwest Front Seventh Army 50th Rifle Corps: 1x 4-6 Rifle XX 43 35:4814 Remains with 50th XXX/7A
1x 4-6 Rifle XX 90 35:4813 To 19 RC/7A Feb 40
1x 2-6 Art X 50 Any 50C Assumed unit id., corps artillery.
*(** Reports regiment in 90 Rifle Division and 461 RR and 701 RR in 142 RD) 19th Rifle Corps: 1x 5-6 Rifle XX 24 35:4814 To 34 RC/7A Feb 40
1x 5-6 Rifle XX 70 35:4915 To 23 RC/13A Feb 40
1x 4-6 Rifle XX 123 35:4915 To 23 RC/13A Feb 40
1x 2-6 Art X 19 Any 19C Assumed unit id., corps artillery. 10th Tank Corps: (1x 7-5-8 Tank XXX 10)
Seventh Army Reserves: 1x 3-6 Rifle XX 49 35:4914 To 3 RC/ 13A Mar 40
1x 4-6 Rifle XX 138 35:5013 To 50 RC/7A Feb 40
1x 1-6 Rifle III 19 35:4713 Independent 2x 3-2-6 Hvy Tank X 35, 40 Any 7A Some sources have 35 X as Lt tanks 1x 3-2-8 Art X 7 Any 7A Assumed unit, army level artillery. 1x 1-6 Eng III 7 Any 7A Composite unit army level engineers.
1x 1-6 Lt AA III 7 Any 7A [AA = 2] Assumed unit id.
1x 0-1-5 Cons X 7 Any 7A Assumed unit id.
2x 0-1-8 Bdr III 4,6 Bdr Hex (NKVD) Assumed unit id. Group Grendal
1x 1-8 Cav III 1 Leningrad Assumed unit id.
1x 2-1-8 Lt Tank X 1 Leningrad 1x 4-6 Rifle XX 50 35:5014?
Northern Front Eighth Army [I. N. Khavarov **] [Kovalev] 1st Independent Rifle Corps: 1x 3-6 Rifle XX 139 35:4007 [Be1jajev]
1x 3-6 Rifle XX 155 35:3606 To 56 RC/8A
56th Rifle Corps: 1x 4-6 Rifle XX 18 35:4308 To 1 RC/8A [Kondrashev]
1x 3-6 Rifle XX 56 35:4207 Remains with corps
1x 4-6 Rifle XX 168 (w) 35:4509 [Bondarev]
1x 3-2-8 Tank X 34 Any 56C
8th Army Reserve:
Ninth Army [M. P. Khanov Nov 1939 **] [Chuikov] Special Corps: (49th Rifle Corps) 1x 3-6 Rifle XX 122 35:1507 Remains in Corps
1x 1-6 Rifle III 273/88 (w) 35:1504 Kandalakha.
45th Rifle Corps: 1x 4-8 Motor XX 44 35:2407 To 49 RC
1x 4-6 Rifle XX 16335:2408
1x 2-6 Art X 45Any 45C Assumed unit id. Group Rebola: 1x 4-6 Rifle XX 54 35:3009
1x 1-6 Rifle III 52935:3209? Ninth Army Non-Divisional Units:
Fourteenth Army [V A Frolov Nov 1939 **] 1x 4-6 Rifle XX 104 (w) 35:0504, 0403, 0402
Group Murmansk: 1x 4-6 Rifle XX 14 35:0501, 0502, 0503
1x 4-6 Rifle XX 3 (w) On or adjacent to Murmansk
Fifteenth Army [Marshal G M Stern] Activates Early January 1940 ** Naval Units At the Leningrad or Kronshtadt port:
Air UnitsAir Unit Abbreviations: A Air Aviatsionny
Here are some notes on Soviet air organization during the time of the Winter War. From April 1938 the Soviet air force was in the process of transforming from an air brigade- to an air regiment-based organization. An air brigade consisted of three to four squadrons of 27 aircraft (AC) for fighters and 18AC for bomber squadrons. A full strength fighter brigade could have as many as 81-108AC. A full strength bomber brigade could have 54-72AC. This level of equipment was seldom obtained. A typical composite brigade could have two squadrons of fighters and two squadrons of bombers for a strength of 50-70AC. The new air regiment was standardized at 60AC for both bomber and fighters. The bombers consisted of five squadrons of 12AC and the fighters consisted of 4 squadrons of 15AC. Again the paper strength of these regiments was hardly ever attained. The average fighter or ground attack regiment was 48AC while the bomber regiments were even worse off at 36AC. Although the air brigade was officially abolished, at the time of the Winter War it still existed. The brigades were kept as an intermediate-sized unit between the regiment and the air division that could have 4-6 regiments attached to it. The naval air fleets were the last to abandon the air brigade structure and still retained that structure when the Germans invaded in June of 1941. Serviceability was a major concern. Bomber regiments typically had 36AC present, but the actual count was more like 20 serviceable planes. Seventh Army Air Support: Karelian Peninsula LMD (1534AC) [1] Parent Designation and Size Type Initial City Final Base
Forming:
Baltic Fleet Aviation (VMF) (469AC) [1]
Forming:
Eight Army Air Support: (500AC) [1]
Ninth Army Air Support: (450AC inc. 14 Army) [1]
Reinforcements:
Kravchenko Independent Aviation: (300AC) [1] ?X Independent Air Brigade
Fourteenth Army Air Support: ?X Independent Air Brigade
Forming:
Northern Fleet Aviation (VMF): (150AC) [1]
Long Range Aviation (DA): (300AC) Available Dec 25 1939
Notes: 1.) Novgorod is off map 8 hexes from the center hex of Leningrad.
Leningrad Military District:
13th Army Reinforcements:
15th Army Air Support:
Note: SB-2+ means regiment only partially equipped with SB-2 bombers Ground ReinforcementsAll reinforcements start in Leningrad unless otherwise indicated. Dec I 1939 1x 4-6 Rifle XX 4 To 13A 1x 4-6 Rifle XX 75 To 1 RC/8A/N Front
1x 3-6 Rifle XX 164 To 8A (Only one source not confirmed-not in game.) (531, 620, 742 Rifle III's; 494 Artillery III) 1x 3-6 Rifle XX 150 To 3rd RC/13A
1x 1-2-8 Para-Inf X 201 15th Army 1x 1-6 Ski III 8A (w) North Front 8A
Dec II 1939 1x 5-6 Rifle XX 100 34 RC/7A
1x 4-6 Rifle XX 41 15 RC/13A
1x 4-6 Rifle XX 136 23 Ind RC/13A
1x 3-2-8 Tank X 39 13A Reserve 2x 1-2-8 Para-Inf X 204,21415th Army 2x 2-6 Art X 34,56To 34 56 Corps 1x 1-8 Cav III 5To Group Rebola/9A 1x 1-6 Eng III 13 To 13A 1x 3-6 Rifle XX I FNAPetrozavodsk 35:4305 Convert: 1x 0-1-8 Bdr III I (NKVD) to: 1x 1-8 Pltcl Pol III 1 (NKVD) To 8A/N Front Jan I 1940 1x 4-6 Rifle XX 11 To 7th RC/8A
1x 4-6 Rifle XX 17 To 15 RC/13A
1x 3-6 Rifle XX 33 To Gp, Rebola/9A
1x 4-6 Rifle XX 52 To 40 RC/14A
1x 4-8 Motor XX 25 To 56 RC/8A
1x 3-6 Rifle XX 62 To 23 Ind RC/13A
1x 2-3-6 Rifle XX 3 FNA Petrozvodsk 35:4305 2x 3-2-8 Tank X 28,35 ** 35th not confirmed-not in game. 1x 9-6 Art XX 1 To 13A Reserve (Note there is some evidence that a second artillery division was formed in Latvia at about this time.) 2x 2-6 Art X 1,3 To: 1, 3 Corps Convert: 2x 0- 1 -8 Bdr III 2, 3 (NKVD) to: 2x 1-8 Pltcl Pol III 2, 3 (NKVD) To Special C/9A, 45 RC/9A (3rd III [Major L'vov] to 44 Rifle XX 5 Jan 1940) Jan II 1940 1x 4-6 Rifle XX 97 To 23 Ind RC/13A
1x 4-6 Rifle XX 81 To 14 RC/3A
1x 3-6 Rifle XX 72 To 7 RC/8A (7RC [Gen Korotaiev])
1x 3-6 Rifle XX 60 To ? RC/8A
1x 3-6 Rifle XX 86 To 28 RC/7A
1x 3-6 Rifle XX 113 To ?
x 3-6 Rifle XX 16 To 10th RC/7A
1x 3 -2-8 Tank X 24 To 15A/N Front 1x 1-2-6 Ski X Dol (w) To 10 RC/7A
2x 2-6 Art X 15,23 To 15, 23 RC 2x 3-2-8 Art X 9, 13 To 9A, 13A/NW Front Convert: 2x 0- 1-8 Bdr III 4, 5 (NKVD) to: 2x 1-8 Pltct Pol III 4, 5 (NKVD) To 15A, Rebola/9A Convert: 2x 1-6 Marine III VMF/A, B (w) to: 1x 2-6* Marine X VMF/5 (w) To NW Front Feb I 1940 1x 4-6 Rifle XX 84 To 34 RC/7A
1x 3-6 Rifle XX 51To 19 RC/7A
1x 1-2-6 Ski III BOS (w) To NW Front
1x 3-2-8 Med Tank X 33 To NW Front 2x 3-2-8 Tank X 32,51 To NW Front 1x 0-1-6 Rifle II 1 FNAC 35:4305, To NW Front, Not in game. 1x 2-1-8 Eng Tank III LVO To NW Front 1x 2-6 Art X 40 To 40 RC 1x 0-5 Cons III 13 To 13A/NW Front 1x 1-6 Lt AA III 13 [AA = 2] To 13A/NW Front Convert: 1x 0-3-0* Fortified Area Kar to 1 x 1-2-6 Machine Gun X 7A
Convert: Ix 0-1-8 Bdr III 6 (NKVD) to.- 1x 1-8 Pltct Pol III 6 (NKVD)
Feb II 40 1x 4-6 Rifle XX 37 To 7 RC/8A (7RC formed Feb 8 1940)
1x 4-6 Rifle XX 7 To 50 RC/7A
Note: The game shows the 77 Rifle Division; this is a misprint, it should be the 7th. 1x 3-6 Rifle XX 128 To 13th RC/8A (Late Feb)
1x 3-6 Rifle XX 80 To 19th RC/7A
2x 1-8 Cav III 102,116 To Group Rebola/9A 1x 2-6 Art X 28 [XXX Cmdr: Pavlov] To 28 RC, Not in game. Mar I 40 1x 3-6 Rifle XX 91 (w) To 50 RC/7A
1x 4-8 Motor XX 95 To 50 RC/7A
1x 3-6 Rifle XX 173 To 28 RC/7A/NW Front
1x 3-6 Rifle XX 42
1x 3-2-8 Tank X 31 To 8A Res 1x 0-5 Cons X 15 To 15 Army 1x 1-6 Lt AA III 15[AA = 2] To 15 Army 1x 3-2-8 Art X 15 To 15 Army Mar II 40 1x 5-6 Rifle XX 40 (w)
1x 4-6 Rifle XX 59 (w)
1x 4-6 Rifle XX 53
1x 1-6 Eng III 15 To 15 Army 1x 2-6 Rifle XX 4 FNA Petrozavodsk 35:4305 References[1]. Ihnavoimat Talvisodassa (Espoo: 1990)
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