On The Taipale Sector (v2) by LordCraigus on DeviantArt (original) (raw)

'On The Taipale Sector'
Acrylic on canvas, original size 24x18 inches.
Craig Wilson 2022

An updated version of a painting I did seven years ago, based on the Finnish-Soviet Winter War of 1939-40. The painting draws heavy visual inspiration from the 1989 Finnish film 'Talvisota'.

Red Army tanks and infantry, backed up by significant artillery support, assault Finnish positions north of the Taipale river. The Soviets would launch a number of frontal assaults in this area through December, suffering severe casualties in the process.

Finnish soldiers fight back with bullets, grenades and "Molotov cocktails" - sardonically nicknamed after the Soviet foreign minister. What little artillery the Finns had was to be used sparingly due to a shortage of ammunition.

Finland, worn down by three months of war would eventually cede this and other territory to the Soviet Union in the peace agreement of March 1940.