Kirill Meretskov - Winter War

Winter War

In November 1939, at the start of the Winter War, Commander of the Leningrad Military District Kiril Meretskov initially ran the overall operation against the Finns. However gross underestimations of the Finnish defenses, the size of their forces and the corresponding overestimations of the capacity of the Red Army, led to serious planning flaws. Only five rifle divisions were initially sent to assault the Mannerheim Line and piecemeal commitment of reinforcements did not achieve any effect. Meretskov failed and the command was passed on 9 December 1939 to the General Staff Supreme Command, Stavka, directly under Kliment Voroshilov (chairman), Nikolai Kuznetsov, Joseph Stalin and Boris Shaposhnikov.

Meretskov was appointed to command of the 7th Army. In January 1940, the Leningrad Military District was reformed and renamed "North-Western Front." Semyon Timoshenko was chosen Army Commander to break the Mannerheim Line. For the next offensive, the Stavka significantly reinforced the 7th Army, deployed the 13th Army on its flank and substantial assigned heavy artillery to both armies, including B-4 howitzers and Br-5 mortars.

The next Soviet offensive began in February 1940. The heavy artillery support allowed the Soviet forces to breach the Mannerheim Line. Meretskov's 7th Army proceeded to take Vyborg. Less than two weeks after the singing of the Moscow Peace Treaty, on March 21, 1940 Meretskov was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Afterwards, Meretskov was promoted to rank of army general and made Deputy Commissar of Defense. From August 1940 to January 1941 he was Chief of the General Staff.