TSF 2: Exp Pack 1 Story and Order of Battle

[+JonathanRL 974]

Background:

The Second World War is over. Having fought the unjust and unprovoked Soviet Invasion in the Winter War and then try to reclaim what is rightfully theirs during the Continuation War Finland finds itself on the losing side, bundled with the Axis. While the future looks grim, many Finns know that it was only by their prowess in War that prevented the Soviet Occupation of their nation and the end of their independence.

Stalin however, obsessed with revenge after his humiliating defeat try to find any angle to bring Finland to heel but fearful of the new American President Harry S Truman and the nuclear bomb can do little to act on his urges. However, 1948 his patience pays off as Yrjö Leino arrives in Moscow to negotiate and sign the YYA Patch, binding Finland and Soviet into a treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance. Before his trip, Yrjö confides in Finnish Cheif of Defence Aarne Sihvo that he may be intending to use the army to secure Finland against a imagined Imperialist coup, a notion that massive demonstrations in the country by the left and the right have placed firmly in his mind. While Yrjö is in Moscow, Aarne warns former president Mannerheim and several other prominent Finnish Politicians and they plot their escape. Yrjös contacts in the secret police, keeping tabs on them all warns Yrjö and to him, the suspicions are confirmed. 

Pleading before Stalin, the Finnish Minister of Interior argues about the plans, his fears of a Imperialist Coup and the threat this would pose to the stability of the Soviet Union. Stalin agrees and in a cunning plan has Yrjö send the army home on Holiday Leave to celebrate the new pact. As Yrjö signs a new treaty, making Finland part of the Soviet Union the border is breached by Soviet units. There are some firefights between Border Patrols and the Soviet Army Forces but the outcome is inevitable. Helped by radio speeches by Yrjö and the assistance of the Finnish Secret Police already under his control, Finland falls in a matter of days.

During the coming weeks, several prominent war heroes of the Winter War are tried for War Crimes and Crimes against the Soviet State by Soviet Kangaroo Courts. The outcome - and the sentence - is always the same. One after one, Mannerheim, Törni, Häyhä and many others are put before the wall and shot. Within weeks, a new national anthem is introduced with the Finnish Flag and other symbols banned. The outrage of the rest of the world is ignored by Stalin as the Finnish Socialist Soviet Republic is formed. Yrjö Leino is given the leadership of the Nation alongside made a Hero of the Soviet Union for doing what the Soviet Army and Stalins best generals could not - Bring Finland to the Soviet Fold. Hundreds of innocent Finns are killed as Soviet Troops impose their will on the Land of a Thousand Lakes and almost a thousand are shot trying to flee over the border to Sweden.


 

The Swedish Reaction:

Out of all Countries, Sweden was the most affected with refugees fleeing across the Baltic and the border. There has been fire fights between ships and airplanes as Swedish military forces has protected refugees from attack from the VVS, the NKVD and the newly reinforced Finnish Secret Police. Sweden accepted the refugees and brought them to shelters. The amount of refugees tallies over fifty thousand and with American and British help, entire villages are created to house the refugees and give them a purpose. The establishment of the villages, new farms and new businesses alongside new citizenships that pay tax provides a boon to the Swedish economy. Meanwhile, the Swedish Government still ashamed of their actions during the Second World War wows to avenge this injustice. Swedish Prime Minister Tage Elander stands before the King and declares "Finlands sak är vår." The King agrees.

Operation Harmaahylje is formed and fleshed out by the Swedish Chiefs of Staff. The plan is an ambitions one - striking to liberate Finland if and when the opportunity arises to do so. To that effect, the Finnish Volenteer Corps is created, a Finnish-Speaking section of the Swedish Armed Forces. Finnish Volenteers who can speak Swedish serve in their local Regiments. Meanwhile, Forces are trained and maintained for the upcoming conflict. The requirement of the plan is that it must always be ready to go within two weeks, keeping the Navy at a high state of alertness. In 1949, Norway joins the planning and offers forces to assist the liberation. Having recent experiences of foreign occupation, they too stand ready to assist with Air and Land Forces.

In September of 1950, as the eyes of the world turn to Korea the Swedish Prime Minister and the King meets with the Norwegian Prime Minister Einar Gerardsen and orders that the preliminaries of the Operation are to be put into effect.


 

The Order of Battle - Sweden & Norway

The Swedish Armed Forces has been prepared for this invasion for several years and planned accordingly. Three newly established Landing Brigades will establish a foothold and secure bridges along the coast while Armored Units rush across the border to secure Kemi and Rovaniemi. After that, Swedish and Norwegian Regiments alongside the Finnish Volunteer Corps will secure the nation, restore ministers-in-exile to power and present the Soviet Union with a fait accompli.

Air Assets:
The Swedish Air Force (Flygvapnet) role during the Operation is to bomb targets of importance to the Finno-Soviet Regime, provide close air support, guard Swedish Soil against Soviet Bombers and destroy Finno-Soviet and Soviet Figthers on the ground and in the Air. The entire Swedish Air Force will participate in the operation alongside the Finnish Volunteer Corps Air Division who has been donated surplus P-51D Mustangs from the Royal Air Force.
 

F 1 Hässlö (De Havilland J 30 Mosquito)
F 3 Malmslätt (De Havilland J 28 Vampire)

F 4 Frösön (North American J 26 Mustang)
F 6 Karlsborg (Saab A 21)

F 7 Såtenäs (Saab B 18B)
F 8 Barkarby (De Havilland J 28 Vampire)
F 9 Säve (De Havilland J 28 Vampire)
F 10 Ängelholm (Saab J 21R)
F 11 Nyköping (Supermarine S 31 Spitfire)
F 12 Kalmar (Saab J 21A)
F 13 Bråvalla (De Havilland J 28 Vampire)
F 14 Halmstad (Saab B 18B)
F 15 Söderhamn (Saab J 21A)
F 16 Uppsala (North American J 26 Mustang)
F 17 Kallinge (Saab T 18B)
F 18 Tullinge (De Havilland J 28 Vampire)
F 21 Luleå (North American J 26 Mustang)
Frivilliga Finska Flygkåren (North American P 51D Mustang)

The Norwegians have committed four Squadrons to the operation. Many of the pilots are world war two veterans and their aircraft mostly inherited from the Royal Air Force. Their command structure has been completely integrated with the Swedish for ease of command in this operation.

No. 331 RNoAF Skv (Supermarine Spitfire)
No. 334 RNoAF Skv (De Havilland Mosquito FB 6)
No. 336 RNoAF Skv (De Havilland Vampire F.52)



Naval Assets:

The Swedish Navy has been divided into four battlegroups for the upcoming operation. Three will escort ships that ferry the Amphibious Assault Infantry of the newly created Naval Assault Corps and the forth is tasked with drawing the attention of the Soviet Baltic Fleet and Maritime Patrol Aircraft away from the landing ships.

Amfibiegrupp Umeå (HMS Sundsvall, HMS Pollux, HMS Altair, HMS Herkules)
Amfibiegrupp Nystad (HMS Kalmar, HMS Plejad, HMS Argo, HMS Friheten)

Amfibiegrupp Hangö (HMS Gotland, HMS Visby, HMS Antares, HMS Acturus, HMS Saskia)

Kustflottan (HMS Sverige, HMS Drottning Viktoria, HMS Tre Kronor, HMS Göta Lejon, HMS Norrköping, HMS Helsingborg)

Ground Assets:
The Swedish Army will form the core of the Operation. Their best infantry batallions has been reorganised to form the Naval Assault Corps who will secure bridges and coastal towns while waiting for the armored regiments to arrive from Northern Sweden and Finland. The bulk of the small Norwegian Army will be placed at the Norwegian-Soviet Border to prevent a flanking manoeuvre but some elite regiments will participate in the operation, most notably Lingekompaniet, restructured as a Armoured Regiment. Only units tasked with offensive manoeuvres are mentioned here.

1. Landstigningskåren (Infantry)
2. Landstigningskåren (Infantry)
3. Landstigningskåren (Infantry)
Norrbottens Pansardivision (Tank m/42)
Norra Smålands Regemente (Infantry)
Västgöta Regemente (Infantry)
Södermanlands Pansarregemente (Tank m/42)
Svea Pansarlivgarde (Tank m/42)

Stridsgrupp Norrland (Tank m/42)

Finska Frivilliga Kåren (Tank m/42)
Lingekompaniet (Sheman)
Bergenhus Regemente (Sherman)


 

The Order of Battle - The Soviet Union

 

While the Soviet Union has large military assets available, they have few units who can react quickly. The main opposition to the invasion the first days will be from the Communist Forces in Finland, the Neuvostoliitto-Suojeluskunta. The name is essentially correct, first formed to replace the Finnish Army there is a small detachment in almost every Finnish Town. However, the pool of loyal and trusted Finns to bear arms for the new regime is quite small, more so after purges and mock trials that has lost many Finns their jobs and standing. As such, it is a common bet or a joke to try to find a Finnish National in their ranks.

Air Assets:

The Finnish Air Force has likewise been restructured but has retained its status and so still has the ability to recruit and retain Finnish Citizens in their ranks, most devout and loyal communists. The Finnish Air Force is still restricted by the Paris Treaty but this is largely ignored by the Soviets and any attempts by the Allied Control Commission to impose their will has been rebuked. However, due to the ammount of Finns Stalin has forbidden any use of modern Soviet material. As such, most of the airframes are still of World War Two Vintage.

1th Ihmiset Rykmentti (BF-109G)

2th Ihmiset Rykmentti (BF-109G)
3th Ihmiset Rykmentti (Myrsky II)
1th Ihmiset Jet Rykmentti (Avia S-92)



Naval Assets:

The Finno-Soviet Military has no naval power to speak off. Most of their armed vessels belong to the NKVD or the Secret Police and is used to patrol for refugees. The Soviet Baltic Fleet does however have two Battlegroups ready in the event of trouble.

Ground Assets:

Most Finns in the infantry regiments are there as a reward for good service to the Soviet State or the Finnish Communist Party and as such hold command over a battalion of poorly trained privates from all over the Soviet Union, most sent there as a punishment for minor infractions. Abuse of the power vested in the privates and their officer is increasingly common. The only battalion with any combat value is the Helsinki Neuvostoliitto-Suojeluskunta who operate T-34 Tanks.

Soviet Reinforcements:
The Soviet Union is wary of losing their prize, either to internal uprising or external manipulations. In the event of a crisis, a large number units are standing by to reinforce the Finnish Front. They can arrive everything from a few days to weeks later. They operate heavy IS-2 and IS-3 Tanks as well as modern aircraft such as the MiG 9, MiG 15, Tu 4 and the La 11.


 

Edited March 31, 2015 by JonathanRL

[+Hans Topp 115]

I fall in love with your background history, i hope your team can release it soon, i waiting it !!!!

[+JonathanRL 974]

It has been in hiatus for too long and Stary has been yelling at me to get to work. Since I at last found the time, I found that there really was not all that much left to do.

Waiting for a few skins, going to see if the ground war develops as expected and adjust if it does not (easy the thing that takes the most time) but otherwise it is pretty much good to go.

[Centurion-1 1,228]

Let me fix that for you Jonathan:

 

1st Ihmiset Kansan ilmarykmentti (BF-109G) (was human regiment, now People's Air regiment)

2nd Kansan ilmarykmentti Ihmiset Rykmentti (BF-109G)

3th Kansan ilmarykmentti Ihmiset Rykmentti (Myrsky II)

1st Kansan Kaarti-ilmarykmentti Ihmiset Jet Rykmentti (Avia S-92) (was human jet (not finnish) regiment, now People's Guards Air regiment)

 

1st = Ensimmäinen, 2nd = Toinen, 3rd = Kolmas

 

Kansa = people

 

Otherwise, looks great!

[+JonathanRL 974]

Thanks for the correction! Google Translate can only take you so far :)

[+JonathanRL 974]

We are proud to soon release our first expansion pack for The Scandinavian Front. The Expansion pack will add many things that appear in Strike Fighters 2 for the first time.

* Several new and unique aircraft to fly, amongst them the Saab 18, Saab 21, Myrsky, Fuga Magister and Avia S-92!

* New cockpits for the De Havilland Mosquito, Saab 18, Saab 21 and the Fuga Magister by Stary; one of the best cockpit builders for Strike Figthers.

* A new Campaign, featuring an all out liberation of Finland by Swedish and Norwegian Forces set in the year 1950 including Amphibious Assaults.

* Fly for the Finnish Soviet Socialist Republic! A TSF First, this Campaign will allow you to fly an aircraft for the communists, defeating the filthy, warmongering imperialists in the name of Socialism!

* Bug Fixes and updates to the older campaigns, adding or replacing aircraft where suitable.