1997 (continued)
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By the end of spring the NATO Atlantic fleet has managed to eliminate the last remaining Russian blockade runner. The remaining aircraft carriers and missile cruisers move to northern waters. NATO's northern flank offensive has been bogged down by the Litsa River, but the commander of the northern army group plans a bold move in order to destroy the remaining Russian naval forces. While U.S. and British units would attempt a quick flanking maneuver through Finnish Lapland, NATO's Atlantic fleet would strike Murmansk and Severomorsk, destroying the Russian fleet's anchorages and air bases with massive air strikes and artillery bombardment. The land offensive begins on 7 June and the fleet sets off for the Kola Peninsula soon afterwards.
Finland is expected to respond to this violation of her sovereignty with only symbolic resistance. Instead, the Finns fight ferociously, decisively slowing down the flanking maneuver. From the Finnish point of view the battle is a success because the aim of driving the Americans back over the border ASAP is achieved before Swedish forces, coming over to Finland's aid, can even make it into Finnish territory. At sea NATO fares even worse as missile boats protecting the coast and the last remnants of the Russian Navy's own air force inflict heavy casualties to the NATO fleet. By the middle of June the world's last true fleet-in-being has been smashed for good.
For the first time Finland and Sweden announce publicly that they have agreed to a defence alliance in order to secure their neutrality and integrity. They warn the warring parties not to violate their territory. Nevertheless the U.S. 6th Light Infantry Division, having already come through Finland, has no choice but to come back the same way it went. The Finns see no reason to tie the Americans into battle in Finnish territory, which would only lure the pursuing Russian forces into the kill. Instead, they let the remnants of the 6th Light Division run relatively freely through Lapland back into Norway and concentrate on closing the path against the pursuing Russians. Some Americans wander into Sweden by mistake, where they are disarmed and interned as peacefully as possible. The Russian Lapland Army, having dwindled to just a shadow of its former self, considers it best not to pick a fight with the two least damaged armies in Europe and chooses to settle into positions along the Litsa instead.
With regards to Northern Europe the great battles of the war have been fought and the situation stabilises for years afterwards. The NATO-Russian front will move a few hundred kilometres back and forth, but the warring parties will settle for using Norway's narrow North Atlantic coast as the battlefield.
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To be continued
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