 In Finnish Lapland , the forests gradually thin out until in the north there are no trees at all . Thus , the area offers more room for tank deployment , but it is vastly underpopulated and experiences copious snowfall . The Finns expected nothing more than raiding parties and reconnaissance patrols , but instead the Soviets sent full divisions . On 11 December , the Finns rearranged the defence of Lapland and detached the Lapland Group from the North Finland Group . The group was placed under the command of Kurt Wallenius . 
