CONTINUOUS RED ATTACKS REPULSED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 45, 22 February 1940, Page 7

CONTINUOUS RED ATTACKS REPULSED.

TANKS DESTROYED. Finns Report Intense Air Activity. CHILDREN'S HOME BOMBED. United Press Association.—Copyright. (Received 1.30 p.i 11.) HELSINKI. February 21. A Finnish communique reports: ,4 \Ve repulsed continuous enemy attacks between the Gulf of Finland and Muolojarvi, and drove hack an attack at Taibela, destroying many tanks. We captured tanks and a few eueniv etrongholds north-east of Lake Ladoga, and repulsed enemy attempts to reinforce their troops. _ "Our aircraft bombed Russian formations at Ktihmo day and night. Fierce air battles occurred over the home area and the lighting zone, especially at l'etsumo. "The enemy l>onrbed towns in south and south-west Finland. We dispersed enemy formations and destroyed 17, possibly 25, 'planes. The Russians machine-gunned a passenger 'plane and damaged a children's home by bombs, killing 10 and wounding 20." It is officially stated that Bjorko, and uteo Taibela, remain sturdy anchors of the Mannerheini Line. Finns' Prayers Answered. Snow, for which the Finns have long prayed, has arrived and is spreading over much country, although the. south is yet fairly clear. J lie Russian* say that tliev are progressing on the left flank in "the Bj::rko sector. %% here their troops, advancing in two converging columns, took up |*>sitions six and four miles south of Wiipuri. A .Moscow communique announced continuous artillery bombardment of Wiipuri. An earlier Moscow communique claimed the capture of the city and fortress of Bjorko, guarding the flank of th<.' Mannerheim Line. Also it said that the Knssians cleared the Finnish troops from the Bjorko Peninsula and secured much war material. Soviet aeroplanes, it added, bombed troo|is and military objectives and brought down 47 Finnish machines.