400 Soviet Bombers Raid South Finland

Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 303, 23 December 1939, Page 7

400 Soviet Bombers Raid South Finland

Defenders Retaliate With Drive Against Red Army Russians Killed in Thousands United Press Assn.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright. Received Friday, 7.5 p.m. LONDON, December 21Foar hundred Soviet bombers to-day dealt death and destruction throughout South Finland, killing 23 civilians in the Sortavala district and many others in other areas, including two passengers in a machinegunned refugee train. The Finns replied with magnificent attacks on all fronts, capturing enormous quantities of material, killing thousands, and thrusting back the Russians in the north for miles. Stalin’s airmen celebrated his birthday by raining 600!b. high-explosive bombs on Finland’s chief southern towns, destroying two Helsingsfors hospitals, damaging three, and seriously injuring patients too ill for evacuation. _ The raiders simultaneously bombed several towns within a 25-mile radius from the capital. Sixteen Russian planes to-day dropped between 25 and 30 bombs on the Helsingfors hospital district. At present it is believed that the casualties are small, because warnings enabled the people to reach shelter. Several buildings, including children’s blind institutions, were badly damaged. The Russians also carried out an air-raid on Turko, in SouthWest Finland. Many casualties arc feared. They attacked Hanko, at the western end of the Gulf of Finland, and its approaches, machine-gunned two trains bound from Turko to Helsingfors, and bombed Porvoo’s (Borga’s) and Turko’s working-class districts, setting fire to many homes and, it is believed, killing and wounding many people. They are also reported to have swooped on the important industrial centre of Tampere with similar results. They visited Vasa. which is 300 miles from the nearest Russian air base. Planes were very active to-day on the Karelian Isthmus, bombing Viborg and also participating in the battle for the Mannerheim Line, which entered its third week with onslaughts throughout the day by infantry, artillery, and tanks.