FINNS FIGHT ON FOUR FRONTS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20129, 26 December 1939, Page 5

FINNS FIGHT ON FOUR FRONTS

GUNS AND AMMUNITION TAKEN CAPTURED TANKS PROTECT INFANTRY TACTICS OF INDEPENDENCE WAR AGAIN MOSCOW VERSION OF HUGE LOSSES (Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Reed. Dee. 26, 10 a.m.) LONDON, Dec. 25. Reports from Finland indicate that during the week-end the Finns continued their counter-attacks, repulsing the Russians on four fronts.

The Kirkenaes correspondent of the Associated Press of Great Britain says that a portion of the defeated Russian forces in the Petsamo area ceased retreating on Saturday and dug in in order to make a stand near Salmijarvi, where the Finns claimed that they already had surrounded the invaders. A feature of the campaign is the employment of so-called “human searchlights.“ They carry electric projectors, which the Finns switch on when they reach an objective, after which in concert they throw dazzling beams towards the Russians as riflemen and machine-gunners open fire, speedily terminating the action. Military theorists foresee the adoption of similar tactics on the 'Western Front.

Claiming 7000 dead in two battles, the Finnish war communique yesterday gave details of a victory at Aglajarvi. “The whole of this area is now in out hands,” continued the Finnish announcement. “The advance continues. Eight tanks and quantities of guns, rifles and ammunition were captured. ’ ’

The Finnish infantry are reported to have advanced behind tanks recently captured from the Russians. It is recalled that the Finns fought the war of independence of 1918 largely with arms and ammunition captured from the Reds. Most of their army rifles and many of their field guns to-day use ammunition of the same calibre as the Russian weapons. * Trail of Wrecked Tanks and Corpses

The Finnish communique, dealing with the Russian retreat in the Salla sector, estimates that the enemy lost 5000 dead. It says that the route of the Finnish advance was marked by a long trail of wrecked tanks and corpses. Another official Finnish communique states that Soviet planes machine-gunned civilians in several places and attacked coastal batteries. Finnish pursuit planes brought down 14 Russian machines during numerous aerial battles. The Finns lost two machines.

Finnish warplanes on Friday bombed Tcrijoki and otherpoints occupied by the Russians.

The Rome radio stated yesterday that 500 Russians had surrendered at Savukoski, on the north-east front, A Moscow communique states that nothing of importance occurred on Sunday except serious clashes between reconnaissance units on the Karelian Isthmus, resulting in the Finns leaving 971 dead on the battlefield.

A special communique issued on Saturday in Moscow asserted that the Russians were advancing. It suggested that the slowness of the advance was due to the inaccessible territory and the concrete fortifications. It added that 1823 Russians went killed and 7000 wounded, while 20,000 Finns were killed and 10,000 wounded and 1300 had been taken prisoner.