ARCTIC FIGHTING

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 135, 5 December 1939, Page 10

ARCTIC FIGHTING

DEFENCE BY FINNS

INTENSE ACTIVITY

LINES DEFINED

HEROISM IN THE AIR

(By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright.) (Received December 5, 2.10 p.m.)

LONDON, December 4

Finnish official circles report a diminution of fighting owing to continued snowstorms, but according to the Helsinki correspondent of the British United Press hostilities have not entirely ceased in the Arctic area, including the locality around Petsamo. Mr. Simcox, the Canadian manager of the nickel mines at Kalosgoki,, near Salmijarvi, states that the Russians are landing 3000 reinforcements, meditating an attack in the direction of Lauti, from which the whole civilian population has been evacuated. Only soldiers remain, and these are intensely active along the road from Petchengo to the Arctic port of Liinahamari, preparing to withstand the Russian advance. A correspondent of the Associated Press of Great Britain at Kirkenaes states that 20,000 Finnish soldiers hold the lines in north Finland. The foremost line, from Petsamo southwards, is slightly east of the socalled Arctic highway, and the others are 30 miles further west, closer to Norway, and touching Salmijarvi. All the men are first-line troops with first-class equipment. Nikolai Virka, correspondent of the "Pravda," in a message from Karelia, asserts that land mines of British origin are everywhere. Authoritative circles in London deny the employment of British land mines in Finland. The Mayor of Helsinki says that the evacuation of the city has proceeded so far that further bombing will be mere wanton destruction of buildings. Today passed quietly. The Helsinki correspondent of the British United Press, dealing with stories of heroism from Petsamo, recounts how Lieutenant Vuurima Kallela, son of a noted painter, was killed while leading a small patrol against the crew of a huge Soviet bomber which was forced down in eastern Finland. The Finns, after a bitter hand-to-hand conflict, killed every Russian airman. Finnish airmen claim many successes. One reports having killed 41 Russian soldiers with single bursts of machinegun bullets. Another airman attacked a Russian squadron single-handed, brought down one, and damaged the others. Between 300 and 400 Swedes have joined up for service in Finland.