SOVIET PRESSURE GROWS

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 224, 19 June 1944, Page 5

SOVIET PRESSURE GROWS

Karelian Isthmus Offensive DESPERATE DEFENCE (By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (Received June 18, 9.10 p.m.) LONDON, June 17. The Russian communique states that Soviet forces on the Karelian Isthmus today fought their way into more than 120 inhabited places and three rail stations, including Perkjaervi, 25 miles north-west of Terijoki. Seventeen enemy planes were shot down yesterday. Reuter’s Moscow correspondent says the I’inns are preparing for a desperate stand in the last fortified zone barring the road to Viipuri (Viborg) and the main land approaches to Helsinki. • Compared to the Russo-Finnish war of 1939-40, the Finns have considerable quantities of German material, but the strength of the reinforced. Mannerheim Line is an unknown quantity. The correspondent points out that the Red Army’s striking power, which was thrice unleashed to penetrate two massive defence lines in a week, is already being prepared for a still more powerful onslaught. It is significant that there Jias so far been no mention of the Red Army meeting a single German soldier in the Finnish struggle. “Red Star” says: “Finland had a chance to avoid the blows ■which the Red Army has dealt. The Russian Government showed the maximum patience to Finland. It is now forced to talk to the Finnish Hitlerites in the only language they understand —the language of guns.” The Russian offensive in the Karelian Isthmus may be a diversionary manouvre designed to cover Russia's real aims, says the German news agency’s commentator von Olberg. “Our reconnaissance shows that the main Russian concentrations are north of Pskov, aiming at a thrust to the Baltjc States, and round Tarnopol for a push to the Danube estuary.” Voa Hammer states that continuous preparations for a Russian offensive were observed in the southern central eastern front, specially, in the Gomel-Smolensk areas. 24 MILES FROM VIBORG LONDON, June 18. Russian troops on thfe Karelian Isthmus are reported to be 24 miles from Viipjri (Viborg), the southern gateway to rtnland. Yesterday they advanced a further 11 miles and occupied well over 100 places. Fighting was heaviest on the Leningrad-Viipuri railway. According to German reports, Viipuri is being emptied of all civilians and shops are being closed down.