STRONG COUNTER-ATTACKS MADE BY FINNS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 December 1939, Page 5

STRONG COUNTER-ATTACKS MADE BY FINNS

Heavy Enemy Losses of Men and Material LENINGRAD-MURMANSK RAILWAY BOMBED e — ITALIAN AND SPANISH AIRMEN PARTICIPATE (By Telegraph.—Press Association.—Cdpyright.) LONDON, December 21. The Finns replied to the Russian air bombing' raids with magnificent attacks on all fronts, capturing enormous quantities of material, killing thousands, and thrusting back the northern Russians for miles. They attacked the enemy s rear and also made reconnaissance flights over Leningrad, but dropped no bombs. A successful two-day counter-attack at Kuolajarvi forced back the Russians 20 miles and averted immediate danger to Kemittrask, which is connected by rail with Rovaniemi and Swedein. The Finns captured scores of machine-guns 30 armoured cars and 200 horses. Russian dead on this front are reported to be 20,000. Italian and -Spanish airmen participated in several bombings of the Leningrad-Murmansk railway. Russians on the Petsamo front were driven back many miles north of Nautii, which is the southernmost tip of the Norwegian, frontier, north of which bare terrain favoured, the advance, but the Finns have now received modern, anti-tank gnus. Moreover, east of Kyro a 60-mile belt of forest hills renders the Russians’ advance much more difficult. A message from Svanik states that Russians were seen retreating in disorder through Salimarjarvi. The Finns were advancing along the Pasvig River. The retreat was due to Russian carelessness in the establishment, of communications to the base.' A Moscow message says that wounded soldiers are arriving there because Leningrad hospitals are overcrowded.

DETAILS OF RUSSIAN LOSSES

A communique states that the Karelian Isthmus offensive continued throughout the day. The positions were unchanged at nightfall. The enemy losses were severe and included eight tanks and at least 20 machine-guns. The Finnish artillery bombarded the enemy lines, causing heavy losses. The battle of Aglajarvi continues, the Russians losing nine heavy tanks, two field guns, three armoured cars and 20 machine-guns. The Finns destroyed a battalion, killing 600 between Pielisjarvi and Grigoriev. The Finns advanced to Kuolajarvi, destroying a battalion, killing 800, and capturing much equipment. A passenger on a machine-gunned train said: “Five planes attacked us in 10 minutes from a height of 150 feet. We were an easy target, but ran into the 'woods immediately the train pulled up. A second train, which was machine-gunned, was full of refugees.” No Russian-planes were under 10,000 feet over the capital, so that even if they sought military objectives the bombing could only be haphazard. DIVISIONS WIPED OUT Whatever promises the Russian Army may have made, Finland was not among Stalin’s birthday presents. Observers agree that yesterday’s terrific offensive yielded nothing. The coun-ter-offensive by the Finns at Snomussalmi is reported-to have resulted in the wiping out of two Soviet divisions, killing 20,000 Russians. A Leningrad war communique modestly declares that on all fronts there were petty skirmishes between patrols, while in a number of districts, particularly in the Karelian Isthmus, intensive artillery duels occurred. Soviet planes made reconnaissance flights. It is not safe to discuss the Russo-Fin-nish war in Moscow, though it is darkly hinted that the army’s special birthday effort is scheduled for today, not yesterday. For the first time since their capture of Petsamo, the Finnish port on the Arctic Sea in north Finland, Russian troops are retreating, stated a Daventry broadcast last night. The Russians are stated to be retreating in disorder from the nickelmining town of Salmijarvi, and to have suffered heavy losses. Soviet planes have endeavoured to halt the Finnish advance by attacking the troops, but their efforts have been unsuccessful. Hardly any news of the campaign was published in the Soviet newspapers. “Pravda,” one of the official Soviet newspapers, devoted six pages to eulogies of M. Stalin and 25 words to the invasion of Finland. The Finnish Prime Minister, in a further broadcast to the nations of the world for assistance against the invader, said that Finland hoped to receive everything in the way of assistance that was due to the victim of an aggression, in accordance with the Covenant of the League of Nations. He emphasised that such assistance would be used for defensive purposes. —By radio.