DRIVE ON VIBORG

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 223, 17 June 1944, Page 7

DRIVE ON VIBORG

Breach In Second Defence Zone SOVIET PROGRESS (By Telegraph.—Press Assn. —Copyright,) LONDON, June 15. The Russians today on the Karelian Isthmus continued to develop their offensive and broke through the Finns second strongly-fortified defence zone and captured 17 strongly-fortified points, says a Moscow communique. ’ Troops of the Leningrad front, as the result of a six-day offensive, have penetrated two strongly-fortified defence belts, advancing upward of 2o miles, widening the breach by upward of 45 miles, and thereby capturing or destroying more than 500 permanent defence fortifications and capturing 235 .guns. The enemy suffered enormous losses of manpower. Twelve enemy planes were destroyed yesterday. Russian planes last night made a mass raid on the airfield of Byelostock, Baranovicti. and Lininets, directly hitting German planes and fuel dumps. Three of the Russian planes have not returned. ... Battleship Joins In.

The battleship October Revolution, of 23.000 tons, heads the Baltic fleet battleships which, backed up by Kronstadt s shore batteries, are pounding into silence the Finnish batteries on the coastal route to Viborg, along which the Red Army is making very swift progress, says the British United Press Moscow correspondent. .... . The Russians participating in the inland thrusts are battling against wellestablished defences built along lakes and marshes. . , . Red Air Force planes are ranging ahead of a 30-mile front smashing the Finns prepared positions and blasting communications along which their reinforcements must come. One hundred and “tty Kus* sian planes raided Viborg last night. A Finnish communique states, that the Russian offensive on the. Karelian Istnunis was continued -with unabated strength. The enemy penetrated the Finnish positions at Kuuterselkae. There was heavy fighting at Kivennapa and Siiranmaeki. , Kuuterselkae is 10 miles north-west of Terioki and 32 miles from Vilborg. . The breach in the Finnish defences is now 46 miles wide. In less than a week the Russians have advanced' ‘—o miles.