While reading about the Winter War between Finland and the USSR in 1939, I came to the battle of Kollaa and an engagement referred to as "The Battle of Killer Hill" where a single platoon of 32 Finns successfully held off a reported 4,000 soviet troops for several days before the USSR gave up on the hill.
Needless to say I wanted to know more about such an incredible defense, but my Google-fu only turned up a handful of results, none of which were from reputable sources and one was flatly asking if the battle actually did happen.
My question here is two fold. First, was there actually such an engagement as the Battle of Killer Hill? As second, does anyone have or know of a more in depth account of the battle if it did happen?
Most likely, no.
I have to admit that my grasp of the details of Finland's wars isn't what it used to be and I'll summon /u/Elm11 and /u/VonAdler to provide backup here, but I can't find any solid reference for the reputed fight. What is known is that many hills were informally labelled "killer hills" (in Finnish, "tappokukkula" most often) by troops during the Winter and Continuation Wars, and there was apparently one such location at the Kollaa sector. But while the defence put up at Kollaa was undoubtedly stout, especially considering the scarcity of even small caliber ammunition at times, I can't find a fight of such epicness in the original source of the Kollaa legend, Palolampi's novel Kollaa kestää (1940). Given that Palolampi had access to eyewitnesses but was writing a good story and was rather uncritical towards epic claims (he's the main source of Simo Häyhä's legend), I doubt the battle took place in any form resembling what's described in your source.
The closest to the fight you describe might be the defence of Petäjäsaari island on the lake Ladoga. This small, rocky island blocked the only supply route to the entrapped 168. Soviet division and was therefore prime real estate when the Soviet attack resumed on earnest in March 1940. It was defended by approximately 220 Finnish troops, mostly from Infantry Regiment 35 (JR35). After a month of unsuccessful attacks by forces of varying sizes and heavy bombardment, it was taken in a ten-hour battle on 6th March 1940 by a very large Soviet attack force that reputedly spread across three kilometres of lake ice. The attackers were supported by tremendous artillery and air bombardment, whose strength was amplified by the rocky terrain, as every explosion sent a hail of deadly stone fragments as well. Even though the commander of the defending force personally travelled to the battalion HQ at the night before the battle, stating in no uncertain terms that a major attack would begin in the morning and that they could not hope to defeat it, the regimental commander ordered the men to die at their posts if necessary. In the following day, about 100 men were wounded and successfully evacuated in the early stages of the battle; most of the rest, incidentally including two of my great-uncles, followed the order.