patrik.possi wrote:
Hmm. I dont see how an air landing brigade would in anyway have helped the Russians in Suomussalmi.
The situation in Suomussalmi was not such critical as it seems to you. Attack on Hulkonniemi on 27-th of December has been actually beaten off. Problem was sharp shortage of people at the front because of heavy losses in rife companies. And also unwillingness of the commander of 163-rd division to continue to battle for village. The Soviet side still had the significant superiority in artillery, had tanks (on the night of 28th December in Suomussalmi has arrived mouth Т-38). Communications of a division on lake Kiantajarvi actually were not exposed to influence of the Finnish units. Arrival of commandoes, which combat training was rather high, than at Finnish 64-th regiment at least is higher, would take off a problem with shortage of good infantry. I do not see, due to that the Finnish approach in case of arrival even a battalion of commandoes, could be a success.
At least frontal attacks of the Finnish armies on December, 13-15 and 20 on Kirkonkyla and on December, 12-17 on Hulkonniemi did not give any resolute success. And attack on 27-th of December made only small success, despite of a significant superiority in strength attacking.
patrik.possi wrote:
Especially if the would be inserted by parachute, spread out over forest terrain (!)
What for to throw out a landing in a wood? In 3-4 kilometers on northeast from Suomussalmi there is a big ice field the area of 13-15 square kilometers.
patrik.possi wrote:
Would it have helped the logistic situation for the trapped Soviet troops?, or just make it worse....
It would not allow the Finnish armies to liberated Suomussalmi as the brigade completely closed shortage of staff in 163-rd division.
29.12-1.01 79-th and 365-th separate tank battalions should approach to front (more than 100 tanks), a battalion so-called to " the Finnish people army ", that with the account already taking place in Suomussalmi commandoes did a task of 9-th infantry division liberated Suomussalmi it is the extremely difficult decided.
Further the full concentration of 44-th division on road Raate followed, to prevent that Siilasvuo without mastering by village could not in any way. In that case, optimum for him the outcome of events would be recurrence of "standing" in Salla.
To put it briefly, it is worse than in a reality it was exact would not be...
patrik.possi wrote:
And JR 27, 64 and 65 started there final attack on Suomussalmi the 27th of December and liberated the village.
If to estimate those events to retrospective, keep Suomussalmi more two - three days it was possible and without commandoes. Other business, that command of 163-rd division of it did not want, and the commander 9-th army has allowed him to make how it wants. Very big problem was approach 65-th shelf and 16-th battalion. At command of 47-th SK in real it was not simple corresponding forces to remove 16-th battalion from road.