Atlas of Battles

battle, notable, interwar and Second World War

Battle of Salla

Battle of Salla was a battle fought on 30 November 1939 at Salla, in what is now Finland; it lasted 3 months. It was part of the Winter War, which ran from 1939 to 1940. The recorded result: Finnish victory. Recorded strength: 3,500; From 10 February 1940 9,400 Scandinavian volunteers against Two infantry divisions.

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A Finnish guard near Kemijärvi. 11 February 1940
A Finnish guard near Kemijärvi. 11 February 1940. Finnish Wartime Photograph Archive (sa-kuva.fi), CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought30 November 1939lasted 3 months
WhereSalla, Finland66.833N, 28.667E
OutcomeFinnish victory
BelligerentsFinland; Swedish volunteers; Norwegian volunteersagainstSoviet Union
Part ofWinter War1939 to 1940

Where it sits in the Winter War

Battle of Petsamo, 1939Battle of Salla, 1939Battle of Taipale, 1939Battle of Suomussalmi, 1939Battle of Kollaa, 1939Battle of Varolampi Pond, 1939Battle of Tolvajärvi, 1939Battle of Summa, 1939Battle of Kelja, 1939Battle of Raate Road, 1940Battle of Vyborg Bay, 1940Second Battle of Summa, 1940Battle of Kuhmo, 1940Battle of Honkaniemi, 194019391940Battle of Salla, 1939
16 placed engagements of the Winter War in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date30 November 1939
to 28 February 1940
PlaceSalla, Finland
66.833N, 28.667E
KindBattle, interwar and Second World War
Strength3,500; From 10 February 1940 9,400 Scandinavian volunteersTwo infantry divisions
Casualties and lossesFinnish: 650 dead or missing; 450 wounded; Volunteers: 33 dead; 50 wounded; 130 frostbitten4,000
Commanders
  • Kurt Martti Wallenius
  • Ernst Linder
Battle of SallaBattle of SallaBattles of KiestinkiSimo SkirmishBattles of KiestinkiSimo SkirmishRovaniemiKandalakshaKemiKemijärviSodankylä100 km66.833N, 28.667E
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1939

Battle of Salla is one of 2,997 engagements of the 20th century in the atlas and one of 108 in present-day Finland.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q715182, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of Salla (1939), revision 1370273466, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.