A question for the panel - what's the terrain of northern ontario like?

TruthfulPanda

Gone Fishin'
This is from the sunny, hot south of Ontario :)
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-12493628

From the text:
While the river does not freeze solid, the work takes place at the base of a waterfall where the ice is about 3m thick (almost 10 feet).

I believe that reading about fighting between the Soviets and Finns in 1939/40 and 1941/44 would be a good indicator as what to expect in Upper/North Ontario Province.

The Russians in winter laid tracks across lakes - e.g. Baikal, and that's a big lake - and ran trains across it.
The Germans shelled and bombed Soviet supply lines (trucks) running across frozen Lake Ladoga - causing momentary interruptions.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Road_of_Life
 
Last edited:
This is from the sunny, hot south of Ontario :)
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-12493628

From the text:
While the river does not freeze solid, the work takes place at the base of a waterfall where the ice is about 3m thick (almost 10 feet).

I believe that reading about fighting between the Soviets and Finns in 1939/40 and 1941/44 would be a good indicator as what to expect in Upper/North Ontario Province.

Having looked at the pictures of the terrain and that picture of the ice, I think the US just won't try it.
 

TruthfulPanda

Gone Fishin'
Still, to answer your original question - that is not good tank country.
:)
In such terrain tanks support infantry, no breakthroughs, breakouts and running about.
With all those forests there is no lack of trees for infantry with Molotov cocktails, AT-grenades, AT-rifles, HEAT warhead rockets, etc. to hide and then go for the sides of the tanks. Soviet armour did not make much of an impression on the Finns in 1939.
 
Still, to answer your original question - that is not good tank country.
:)
In such terrain tanks support infantry, no breakthroughs, breakouts and running about.
With all those forests there is no lack of trees for infantry with Molotov cocktails, AT-grenades, AT-rifles, HEAT warhead rockets, etc. to hide and then go for the sides of the tanks. Soviet armour did not make much of an impression on the Finns in 1939.

I've gone with the US isn't stupid and won't even try it with or without tanks
 

Driftless

Donor
An imperfect analog with modern warfare in its history: Finland.

The parts I've been to are closer to Lake Superior, but I'd agree with everything noted above. One of the additional parts about the shield bedrock at the surface: it's often choppy, in the sense the granite is scraped bare in spots, alternating with knobs of solid rock and boulders of varying size scattered about. Terrible country for vehicles.
 

Driftless

Donor
Another anecdote..... with the bedrock at the surface, any snowmelt or heavy rain often results in locally heavy flooding on the streams or low lying areas
 
Thank you, one more question. How easy would it be to defend Thunder Bay, or at least give an attacker a bloody nose before abandoning the city? Looking at my maps it looks like it can't be defended.
I don’t live near Thunder Bay, so I wouldn’t be able to say.

I don’t think its particulary easy to defend, maybe you could mine Lake Superior to stop Americans from bringing in their navy but those mines could be cleared.

Im no military expert but if I had to defend Thunder Bay I’d heavily mine Lake Superior and supply the city by rail. Then do whatever you can to stop them from clearing those mines. If they attempt an invasion over land use Superior National Forest to slow down their advance.

Once again no military expert.
 
This is for my why the Chinese play cricket timeline. Can anyone tell me what the terrain of northern Ontario is like? More specifically, is it suitable for 1940s armoured warfare.

Thank you
I am from Sault Ste Marie, Ontario, and in my youth I became very familiar with the terrain in the northern section of the province. Road network was for shit back in the seventies. Actual road conditions were, shall we say, on top of everything else already mentioned, sub-optimal for armor.
 
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