The Finnish counterattack succeeds at Tolvajärvi
Finnish forces under Paavo Talvela attacked Soviet formations around Tolvajärvi after days of pressure north of Lake Ladoga. The action combined local manoeuvre through forest with attacks against Soviet units separated by lakes, roads and narrow causeways. The battle produced the first substantial Finnish offensive success of the war and forced Soviet troops back from the Tolvajärvi area. The victory raised confidence at a moment when the national command was still measuring whether the eastern fronts could be stabilised. Tolvajärvi also demonstrated the operational value of concentrating a small mobile…
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