During the initial attack, the Soviets also pushed to Mainila. The 13th light tank brigade was faced by the Muolaa group, consisting of Border guards and AT-infantry.
The area in the Mainila sector is full of forests and hills, an ideal setup to ambush the enemy tanks and possible infantry.
I scatter my troops to cover all the victory locations, the Soviets have to fight for every inch.
The attack started shiftly, three light tanks rushed from the forest towards the southern most VL.
I though my infantry was better camouflaged in the forest, but I was wrong. The first tank was quickly eliminated with Molotov's cocktails and satchel charges, but the second tank held it's ground, despite of the damage it sustained. Now, my troops in the southern forest were down to two men, without any means to eliminate the tank. I arranged a risky relief attempt from the nearby forest, where I had two border guard squads. I need the other one to stay in the forest incase of a breakthrough, so the task was given to the squad of Sergeant Lyytikäinen.
Squad of Border guards moving in.
In the cover of the smoke screen by our mortar, the squad moved in. It was fired upon with small arms from the forest the three tanks rolled out. The squad had to casualties until they reached the forest, from where the remaining tank opened up it's MG killing Sgt. Lyytikäinen instantly and wounding another man. The tank was attacked using Molotov's cocktails, but with no effect. Everyone was killed and the attempt to relief the troops was failed.
Sgt. Lyytikäinen's squad has just entered the woods in an attempt to destroy the damaged Soviet tank and relief the badly beaten troops defending the area. The decision to abandon the position was made shortly after the relief attempt had failed. As seen from the picture, Soviet infantry is already moving in to assist the tank.
Meanwhile, the situation elsewhere in the sector remain somewhat passive. Only a small contact with the enemy was made in the central forest, where a Soviet recon unit was eliminated and shortly after an Armored Car was damaged and abandoned by the crew.
The Soviets held from attacking further after our retreat from the southern forest. Situation remains desperate.
