FINNS RETALIATE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 3 February 1940, Page 5

FINNS RETALIATE

RUSSIAN BASES HEAVILY DAMAGED

EXTENSIVE AIR RAIDS. STALIN SAID TO HAVE BEEN HOODWINKED. LONDON, February 2. Helsinki reports that the Finns carried out extensive air raids on Paldiski and the Russian-occupied islands of Oesel and Dagoe and heavily damaged Soviet air bases in Estonia. The commander of the Paldiski base was long ago recalled to Leningrad and has never returned. Officers of other Estonian air bases have also not returned and it is believed they have been shot.

A Finnish communique states that dozens of civilians were killed or wounded as the result of Russian air raids on Rovaniemi and adjacent towns. The bombardment compelled fhe Finns to evacuate Rovaniemi. Fort Mantsi on an island in Lake Ladoga, heroically continues to defy capture.

The Finnish operations in the Kuhmo sector, 25 .miles south-east of Suomussalmi, indicate that an important encircling movement has been begun by the Finnish dispersal of a Siberian ski battalion.

Fighting over a wide area has reached a critical pitch. The “Daily Mail’s” Stockholm correspondent says that as the result of Madame Kollontay, the Soviet diplomatist, who is Ambassador in Sweden, disclosing neutral reports on the Suomussalmi disaster, M Stalin discovered that the generals have hoodwinked him regarding the Finnish war. Many high officers disappeared after recall to Leningrad. Staff officers have been shot and staffs arrested. M Stalin is now depending on neutral reports. DECISIVE DEFEAT FINNS SUCCESS AGAINST RUSSIANS. RECENT BATTLE IN CENTRAL AREA. “Never have there been scenes of such. frozen horror since Napoleon’s retreat from Moscow," was the description applied by a 8.8. C. correspondent of the trail of desolation following the virtual innihilation by the Finns of two Russian divisions, the 163rd and the 44th, in the great battle between Suomussalmi and Kemittrask, Finland’s "bottleneck,” at New Year. This battle would go down in history as one of the most decisive defeats ever inflicted on an army, though it was superior in numbers, he said. Many people had been inclined to believe that the figures of Russian dead were exaggerated, but the tale of desolation presented but one story —complete disaster for the Russians. It was on Boxing Day that the Finns engaged the 163rd division near Lake Algajarvi. News was received shortly afterward that the Russians were sending the crack 44th division to reinforce the 163rd. “This was one of the most critical periods of the war. The 44th division got to within four miles of the 163rd. The fact that they got no nearer was due to a tiny Finnish force, which could ill be spared from the main force.

"The moment the 163rd division was defeated, the Finns turned with troops which had scarcely had any rest for a week, and attacked the fresh and wellarmed 44th division. It was on New Year's Day.

“The Russian column was concentrated for several miles along the road. The Finns deployed and attacked the flanks. A week later this entire Russian division had been practically wiped out. Their casualties were enormous. About 1500 prisoners were taken as well as vast quantities of war material —virtually that of an entire division.

"Those who escaped as far as their own country must have been negligible.”

The correspondent describes how he set out from the headquarters of lhe Finns to lhe scene of this battle. The