During the Russo-Finnish Winter War of 1939–1940, the Finnish Kaukopartio (“long-distance patrol”) units served as elite reconnaissance and harassment forces operating deep behind Soviet lines. Although they became formally organized and widely known later in the Continuation War, their tactics and missions were already in use during the Winter War through ad-hoc patrols attached to Finnish divisions and corps. These patrols were small—typically 4 to 12 men—and composed of experienced soldiers, hunters, skiers, and woodsmen skilled in skiing, navigation, camouflage, survival, and independent decision-making. They operated for days or even weeks with minimal support in some of the harshest winter conditions imaginable.
Their primary role was deep reconnaissance, providing intelligence that Finland critically needed due to being heavily outnumbered. Kaukopartio patrols identified Soviet troop concentrations, supply routes, roads and rail lines, artillery positions, and command posts, and tracked enemy movement patterns through dense forests. This intelligence was essential because Soviet forces were often constrained to narrow roads, making them vulnerable to isolation and encirclement. The information gathered by these patrols directly supported Finland’s effective use of motti tactics, in which large Soviet formations were split into smaller, manageable pockets.
In addition to reconnaissance, Kaukopartio patrols conducted harassment and disruption operations. These included ambushing supply columns, sabotaging communications such as telephone lines, sniping, and conducting small raids. While not designed as assault units, their constant presence behind Soviet lines strained enemy logistics and morale, creating the psychological effect that Soviet troops were under continual observation. They also played a key role in target acquisition and fire direction, helping guide Finnish artillery, support counterattacks, and confirm the results of engagements—an especially valuable function in forested terrain where visibility was limited.
Operating at temperatures of −30 to −40°C, Kaukopartio patrols exemplified Finland’s adaptation to winter warfare. They moved silently on skis, crossed frozen lakes and forests, survived on limited rations, and often functioned without radio contact. Although these small units could not alter the overall strategic imbalance of the war, they significantly enhanced Finnish situational awareness, disrupted Soviet logistics, and supported major successes such as those at Suomussalmi and along the Raate Road. Their Winter War experience laid the foundation for later, formally organized long-range patrol units and influenced modern Finnish special forces doctrine, earning the Kaukopartio a lasting reputation as the “eyes and ears” of the Finnish Army in the wilderness.
10 figures @ 5pts each gives me a total of 50 pts!
