U.S. troops using confiscated Iraqi AK-47s

Been to the arctic circle once... in the summer.

Im a southern boy, so I'll leave the snow and ice to those crazy enough to want it.

I guess that is one of the major defensive features of Scandanavia... who the hell wants to dominate an iceberg????

Seriously though, the maintenance problems you describe, I have no doubt that they exist, but are far and away from the problems you encounter in more arid climates, which seems to be where most of the combat in the world is fought...

Actually even Russian frozed to death by tens of thousands during ww2 battles against Finns..

But this is totally different matter and really doesnt belong here..

It is just that the Russians are considered by most as 'experts of winter warfare', but even they they were totally dejected by Finnish climate..

-50 celsius was something that even they couldnt hack..

And they consider us as the best and also as very dangerous folk..

That is why we have been left alone by them after ww2.

(Finland was only Axis nation that wasnt occupied by anybody.. and only nation that was able to reject Soviets take over attemps in ww2.)

Originally posted by FULCRUM

(Finland was only Axis nation that wasnt occupied by anybody.. and only nation that was able to reject Soviets take over attemps in ww2.)

Actually, I understand the Finland was able to eject the Russians after they invited Germany into Lapland to help.... and then the Germans had it in thier mind to stay, so then the Fins had to fight thier former allies...

It really isnt like that:

1939-1940 Winter war 105 day of fierce combat between only Russians and Finns

Resulted 20k Finns and about 1 million Soviets dead.

1941-1944 Finland bombed by USSR after Germans launch Barbarossa.

(25.6.1941-19.9.1944 There is combat between USSR and Finland.)

And Germans have 200k troops in Lapland.. mostly acting as 'border guards' as these German troops have no clue how to fight in terrain like that.. (they hardly make any gains.. and their only successfull attacks are backed (made by) Finnish Division J that is under German control.)

In summer of 1944 Finns defeat 'Soviet great offensive' (this is the heaviest Soviet attack of the war at that point against anybody.. even Germans.. as the Soviets have almost as much troops as in Kursk, but this time they are all used for attack.) that started at about same time as 'D-Day' aka 'Overloard'..

After which failure Soviets agree to have a peace with Finns.. but the deal includes that Finns must capture / kill / drive out the Germans from Lapland..

And that is what we do.. costs 5000 Finns and 6000 Germans.. and the whole Lapland burn / blown up / mined..

(about half of the Finland.. 150 000 square km:s..)

virtual.finland.fi...

From 'Uncle Joe':

This was such an incredible accomplishment that in 1948, Josef Stalin himself stated, "Nobody respects a country with a poor army, but everybody respects a country with a good army. I raise my toast to the Finnish Army." Finland kept, once again, its own institutions and western democracy with market economy. Some believe that Finland could somehow miraculously have avoided the horrors of war, but the majority view seems to be that Finland as a small country had no choice but to fight or surrender. The "What-if World" has been very near, 80 km from Helsinki, on the southern shores of the Gulf of Finland.