FLANK ATTACKS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 18 December 1939, Page 7

FLANK ATTACKS

While the Finnish Minister of Foreign Affairs, M. Tanner, was broadcasting a plea for peace, the armies on Friday launched a series of blows on the flanks of the Russian forces. A number of valuable successes were achieved, according to an official communique which, apparently, is not exaggerated. A communique states: “The enemy were attacked in several places on the Karelian Isthmus supported by heavy artillery and tanks. The Russians were repulsed everywhere and several tanks were destroyed. "On the eastern frontier the enemy attacked, after heavily artillery preparations, between Liomela and LakeLadoga. but they were beaten off. We captured five tanks and other war material. The Finns continued to advance to Tolvajarvi on the southeastern front. A total of 15 medium to heavy tanks were captured in this region. THREE=DAY BATTLE "At Suomussalmi (five miles from tfce central eastern border) the Finns succeeded in cutting a road leading to the frontier. After four days’ stubborn fighting Suomussalmi was captured. Elsewhere the land situation is unchanged. "A coastal battery near Turku is believed to have sunk a Russian destroyer. "Russian planes dropped bombs south-west of a Finnish archipelago near Petsamo. No damage was done. Finnish aircraft carried out numerous reconnaissance flights and successfully attacked Russian columns.” SECRECY IN RUSSIA ONLY MEAGRE DETAILS DISCLOSED. HEAVY FLOW OF CASUALTIES. LONDON. December 16. The hospitals in Leningrad are overflowing and schools are rapidly filling with casualties from the Finnish war. concerning which the public are receiving only meagre details, states a message from Moscow. The newspapers at the outset of the operations envisaged a glorious walkover and were filled with ardent dispatches. They now publish merely

three or four-line communiques, none of which claims the capture of a single important centre. The newspapers published the bare fact of Russia’s expulsion from the League without comment. In the Soviet Press and radio the Russian aggression was excused by denying that there was any war, as a pact had been signed with the “bogus" Government, a radio message slates. Therefore, it was contended, there was no question of a war between Russia and Finland. German newspapers echo the Russian attack on Britain and France. A Moscow message states that a Government spokesman declared that the Soviet is unaware of M. Tanner's broadcast, in which he appealed for a suspension of hostilities and negotiations.