Word: gulf
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Dates: during 1930-1939
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Sweden, which used to boss the Baltic and lick the Russians pretty regularly until Napoleon persuaded Denmark and Russia to gang up on her in 1808, joined Finland in mining the Gulf of Bothnia to keep the Red Navy out and Finland's supply lines open. Forty thousand more men were mobilized, bringing Sweden's armed forces to 150,000. The fortress of Boden, at the head of the Gulf of Bothnia, was reinforced with reserves. Here was the greatest Russian threat to Sweden, marked by the steady progress of a Russian column across Finland toward Tornio...
These thrusts were as dangerous as they were daring. Although Finland might be cut in half laterally and Petsamo crippled as a supply base, the Finns in the south could still get supplies from Sweden by way of the Gulf of Bothnia. Meanwhile the Russian columns were in peril of being cut off from their own bases. The Blitzkrieg was becoming a war of supply lines...
...quiet. Finland announced that she was fortifying the Aland Islands and had mined their approaches. There was no protest from Sweden, which alone might object to the proximity of big guns to Stockholm. Russia announced her blockade of the Gulf of Finland, and Finland said it was illegal. There were some sporadic exchanges between Finnish coastal batteries and Russian warships in the Gulf (the Russians shelled Hanko without much effect), and Finland suspected Russia of planning to land troops before the Gulf begins to freeze around Christmas...
...coalition Government formed under Risto Ryti met in a vault under the National Bank, of which he is president, prepared to withdraw to Vaasa on the west coast when Helsinki became unlivable. The U. S. Legation withdrew to Grankulla, down the Gulf coast to the west. Departing householders were asked to water their homes inside and out before leaving, to form ice insulation against incendiary bombs...
Islands by which Russia could bottle up the Bothnian Sea, Finland revealed that it had laid mines-illegally, but without eliciting complaint from the only legally interested party, Sweden. Russian ships shelled Viipuri and moved out through the Gulf past Helsinki to attack Hangö, "The Baltic Gibraltar." Finland's little fleet, centred around the shallow-draft pocket-battleships Vainamoinen and Ilmarinen moved cautiously to meet them. An attempted landing was repelled at Porvoo. When the Red ships came within range, the fortress at Russarö guarding Hangö opened fire. One Soviet destroyer was reported sunk, one damaged...