The Battle of Taipale was a series of battles fought during the Winter War between Finland and Soviet Union from 6 to 27 December 1939. The battles were part of a Soviet campaign to penetrate the Finnish Mannerheim Line in the Karelian Isthmus region to open a route into southern Finland. Despite their numerical superiority, the Soviet forces were unable to break through the Finnish defences.
Prelude: 30 November – 6 December
On 30 November, Soviet forces crossed the Finnish border and bombarded civilian targets from the air. The Karelian Isthmus was split into two military sectors by both belligerents: one on the side of Lake Ladoga and the other on the side of the Gulf of Finland. In the Ladoga sector, the Soviet commanding officer was Vladimir Grendahl and on the Finnish side, Erik Heinrichs. On 3 December, Grendahl received orders to make a breakthrough in his sector, as the defenders in the other sector were more numerous and offered fiercer resistance. The former objective of reaching Viipuri on the Gulf side of the Karelian Isthmus became a secondary priority. The attack began on 6 December, when the Finns had retreated to the Mannerheim Line.
The battle: 6–27 December
The Battle of Taipale began on 6 December, started when the Soviet 49th and 150th Rifle Divisions of the 7th Army tried to cross the Taipale River at three locations.
According to Chew, "The 7th Army's offensive began in earnest on 15 December, when a new attack was launched against the eastern sector of the Line near Taipale. The same bloody scenario was repeated with fresh Soviet troops the next two days. Having an excellent field of fire, the Finnish gunners inflicted prohibitive losses on the enemy who had to advance across open fields and ice."
Chew further states, "The endurance of the 10th Division at Taipale was remarkable. No other sector was subjected to such prolonged punishment - by artillery, aircraft, and ground attacks which frequently developed into major offensives. With the failure of these attacks, the fighting on the Isthmus reached a stalemate. Already on 27 December Soviet troops had been observed building field fortifications in the Summa sector, indicating a defensive posture."