MANNERHEIM LINE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 3 February 1940, Page 5

MANNERHEIM LINE

FRESH ATTACKS GAIN NO GROUND. NEW STRATEGY FAILS. (Receive This Day, 9 a.m.) LONDON, February 3. A report from the Finnish army on the Karelian Isthmus states that, des'* pite new tank strategy the Russians have gained no ground in fresh attacks made against the Mannerheim Line, accompanied by 130 planes and tanks. TOWN ABLAZE AFTER THURSDAY’S AIR RAID. (Received This Day, 10.30 a.m.) STOCKHOLM, February 2. Rovaniemi is still aflame today after the air raid of Thursday. BATTLE DESCRIBED TANKS EMIT SMOKESCREENS. FIERCE HAND TO HAND ' FIGHTING. (Received This Day. 10.30 a.m.) HELSINKI, February 2. Describing the battle on the Karelian Isthmus, a Wiipuri. message refers to “Light armed cars on sledges.” It says that after the barrage a fleet of tanks appeared, preceded by sledges, many heavy tanks took the centre of the field, the flanks being covered by light tanks emitting smoke screens. One hundred and thirty planes simultaneously dropped a hail of bombs. Fighters swooped down, machine-gun-ning the Finnish lines. This is the largest air force used in any Russian attack. Finnish machine-guns and artillery silenced most of the 15 Russian batteries. Fierce hand lo hand fighting occured at several points attack. So far the attack has been repulsed, though fighting continues in no-man’s-land.