November 30, 1939 · Southern Finland Theater
November 30, 1939
On the first day of the invasion, Soviet bombers struck Helsinki, Turku, Tampere, and Viipuri. In Helsinki alone, 61 people were killed and 261 wounded in the first raid. Soviet foreign minister Molotov claimed the planes were dropping 'humanitarian bread' to starving Finns, inspiring the Finns to nickname the Soviet cluster bombs 'Molotov bread baskets' — and to name their anti-tank bottle bombs 'Molotov cocktails,' a drink to go with the bread.
Commanders