PIERCED BY REDS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 64, Issue 212, 19 June 1944, Page 4

PIERCED BY REDS

THE THIRD MANNERHEIM LINE.

FINNS RETREATING IN HASTE ** ■ ' ;; factories in working order (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright.) (Rec. 12.5 p.m.) LONDON, June 18. The Red Army has pierced the ■ third line of the Mannerheim Line de fences. The Soviet communique to-nighu states: “Troops on the Leningrad : 'front of the Karelian Isthmus to-day, ; as the result of an impetuous advance by infantry and tanks, supported by artillery and planes, penetrated the ikhird line of the Mannerheim Line defences. The Russians broke through and are on the Muurila river, 30 miles > south of Viipuri. They occupied the town and port of Bjorko (this is the modern name for Kovisto) and occupied over 100 other inhabited places including several railway stations.’ The'Moscow radio to-night said that tlig Finns in the Karelian Isthmus are retreating with such haste that the Red Army often finds the remains of meals still ■warm on the plates that the enemy had no time to remove. Military trains, even factories, are found in full working order.