 In battles from Ladoga Karelia all the way north to the Arctic port of Petsamo , the Finns used guerrilla tactics . The Red Army was superior in numbers and materiel , but the Finns used the advantages of speed , tactics , and economy of force . Particularly on the Ladoga Karelia front and during the battle of Raate road , the Finns isolated smaller portions of numerically superior Soviet forces . With Soviet forces divided into smaller pieces , the Finns could deal with them individually and attack from all sides . 
