SMASHING VICTORY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 January 1940, Page 5

SMASHING VICTORY

WON BY FINNS IN CENTRAL AREA Russian Division Virtually Destroyed INVADERS DRIVEN BACK AT NEW POINT REPORTED REVOLT IN ENEMY LINES (By Telegraph.—Press Association. Copyright.) LONDON, January 1. The Finns have won a smashing; victory over the 150-mile front between Snomussalmi and Kemittrask in Finland s bottleneck, where a fierce battle has raged for a week, states a message from Helsinki. , . , The Russian forces, 18,000 to 20,000 strong’, were hulled back across the frontier and beyond. They are almost surroundjed. The victory has culminated the Finns’ counter-attack against the Russians’ attempt to split Finland in twain. A Daventry report of the battle says that this victory may be the most important of the war. A Finnish communique claims that they virtually destroyed a Russian division of 18,000 men at Kiantajarvi, near Siiomussalmi. The Finns captured enormous quantities of war materials. ■ • ... Russian bombers have attacked towns in southern Finland and dropped hundreds of bombs, though the damage is meagre. The Rome radio announces that the Finns are reported to have recaptured Petsamo. The Russians launched a new and furious onslaught on the Karelian Isthmus in an endeavour to break 1 lie Mannerheim Line before the New Year. The bombardment of the Finnish defence lines was intensified. Fresh Soviet troops, believed to be from the crack Moscow garrison, were thrown into the attack on Saturday in a snowstorm. The Finns now claim to have repulsed the attack.

ONSLAUGHTS THAT FAILED

Sunday’s Finnish communique stated: "The Russians were forced back across the frontier at a third point, namely the Kutno sector. "A new Russian onslaught on the Mannerheim Line failed, and an enemy attack at Kitela was repulsed. Fighting continues farther north. “The Russians bombed Kexholm, Wasa and Jyvaskyla, killing some civilians and causing seme material damage. “The air-raiders dropped 60 bombs on Hanko hospital, destroying four buildings and injuring 10 patients. They killed a child in a Helkinsi suburb and machine-gunned civilians in Jyvaskyla. “The enemy vainly re-attacked on the Karelian Isthmus on Thursday. Near Kuolojarvi we destroyed five tanks and captured two. The Russian infantry lost heavily. Artillery fire and patrol activity prevailed elsewhere on the isthmus. “Our defences stopped an attack north-east of Lake Ladoga. The dispersal of two Russian battalions at Suvanto resulted in the death of 300 Reds and loss of arms and ammunition. We took one tank and one anti-tank gun. on the Kutno sector and destroyed a column of 40 pack horses. “A battle north of Suomosalmi lasted throughout the day. We destroyed supply solumns and an armoured car and took three tanks and two guns.” The Russian communique says: “There was nothing of importance on Saturday. Our aircraft is successfully bombing some areas.’’ Confusion in Kuolarjarvi is increased by Finnish patrols penetrating the Russian lines. A shortage of supplies due to the cutting of the Murmansk railway has added to the Red Army’s discomfort, while the population of Murmansk, resenting . the consequent lack of food, is creating disturbances. It is reported that patrols operating behind the Russian lines cut off 10,000 Reds by destroying their lines of communication. As the ice on the Suvanto River thickens Russian tanks are trying to cross, while the Finns are experimenting with methods of smashing the surface. SOVIET AIR RAIDS. Towns subjected to Russian air raids at the end of the week were important, railways centres near Helinski, but they were little damaged. The total death-roll of Finnish civilians as a result of Russian raids so far was still only about 100, according to the Finnish A.O.P. chief, who ascribed this to the well-organised shelters, the anti-aircraft defences, and to the fact that plenty of air-raid wardens were mobilised before the war began. A Stockholm report says that a squadron of Soviet airmen alighted on the ice on Enare Lake and surrendered, complaining of engine trouble and lack of petrol, though the engines were in perfect condition and the tanks wellfilled. Elsewhere two infantry regiments surrendered on the 'ground of being without food. Messages on Friday stated:— Finland defiantly holds her own, heartened by semi-official Finnish news that a revolt has broken out in the Russian lines. It is said that the revolt is due to defective discipline among the troops in the Kuolojarbi district, where Russian warplanes were forced to bomb and Russian machineguns to fire on their own troops. Two infantry regiments fiercely fought each other, but this may be due to their mistaking each other for Finns. Reports from Copenhagen declare that discontent and sabotage are rife in the front ranks of the Red Army, and are extending to civilians behind the lines. Finnish reports before the announcement of the revolt stated that the Russians were bringing up more guns on the Kuolojarvi front, but that disastrous confusion prevailed. RUSSIAN PICKED TROOPS Nevertheless, the Russian command is ruthlessly expediting action. Picked troops and ski-running sharp-shooters have been drawn from Siberia, men skilled in guerrilla warfare are arriving from the Caucasus, and regiments of Cossacks are replacing the cumbersome tank battalions. Everything indicates an early resumption of the Russian onslaughts. The Finnish intelligence service anticipates an offensive.from the south end of the Mannerheim Line, the attack on the northern end having failed. This is expected to employ 100,000 Rus-

sians, but the Finns are prepared for anything, even parachute landings, while the coastal batteries should be able to enfilade the Reds. On the Salla front, where fierce fighting is in progress north of Lake Ladoga, the Russians may suffer the same fate as those at Snomussalmi, as the Finns are harassing their lines of communication. The latest Russian communique completely ignores these Finnish successes and states that there is nothing of importance. However, heavy air attacks have been launched, and the Russians appear to be relying on these mainly. Sunday was one of the worst days of the war for the civilian population, 11 towns being raided, a radio message states. Helsinki had three alarms, 2? planes being seen over the city, but heavy anti-aircraft fire kept them away from the centre of the town, and at least one plane was shot down. Thirty bombs were dropped on the railway junction north of the capital. Hanko was also bomber, and a particularly heavy raid took place over Vassa, on the Gulf of Bothnia. It is also reported that the Russians again have intensified their bombardment of the Mannerheim Line, which confirms the belief that a large-scale Russian attack may be expected in this quarter.