BITTER COLD

Wairarapa Times-Age, 22 December 1939, Page 5

BITTER COLD

CHECKING SOVIET ADVANCE IN FINLAND HEAVY ATTACK OPENED IN KARELIA. FINNS RETIRING IN NORTH. The bitterly cold weather is Finland’s strongest ally in central and northern Finland stated a Daventry report last light). Heavy’ snowstorms have been raging over the entire Russo-Finnish northern front and the armies are immobilised. Visibility is mostly not more than three yards. Near the Norwegian border the temperature is 54 degrees below freezing point. At Salla, the keypoint of the Russian thrust across central Finland, a big Finnish victory is confirmed by neutral correspondents. Some thousands of Russians were killed when the Finns launched a surprise attack. The wounded, it is stated, were frozen to death within a few minutes of falling. A Helsinki message claims that the counter-attack resulted in the regaining of 20 miles of .territory, and that practically two Soviet, divisions were wiped out near Sousmussalmi, which is about five miles from the Russian border. A Press Association message from Helinki, received at midnight last night, stated that the Russians have launched a gigantic attack on the centre of the Mannerheim Line in the Karelien Isthmus after heavy and prolonged artillery preparation in which thousands of shells of all calibres wete used. The infantry advanced, supported by several hundred tanks and 250 planes. The attack began on Tuesday and has continued since on a 12-mile front, on which the Finns have now trebled their defences. The Russians have increased their pressure elsewhere for diversion. The Finns claim the capture of 20 tanks, and the destruction of scores of them, and also the destruction of 20 planes. The Finns are retiring on the northern front. It is now revealed from Helsinki that, the Russian battleship October Revolution was damaged by shell fire from coastal batteries, but was not sunk.

MORE BOMBING MANY CASUALTIES FEARED IN TURKO. RAID MADE ON HELSINKI. (Received This Day. 10.15 a.m.) HELSINKI. December 21. Sixteen Russian planes dropped between 25 and 30 bombs on the Helsinki hospital district. At present it is believed that the casualties were small, because warnings enabled people to reach shelter. Several buildings, including the childrens' and blind institution. were badly damaged. ■ The. Russians also carried out an air raid on Turku. Many casualties are feared.