AT HEAVY COST

Evening Post, Volume CXXIX, Issue 34, 9 February 1940, Page 8

AT HEAVY COST

RUSSIAN THRUSTS

LESS FORCE IN ATTACKS

SWEDES AID FINNS

(Daventry Broadcast.)

LONDON, Thursday Night

The Russians are still hammering away at the Mannerheim Line, but today's attacks lacked the thrust shown in.the last few days,, and the Finns were able to beat them back each time.

For ten days now the Russians have been throwing strong forces of troops against the Finnish defences, but so far only a small advance has been gained, at a point about 20 miles from Wiborg. But it is not a serious breach and cost the Russians heavy losses of men and material. One estimate says that the Russians have suffered 5000 casualties, and the Finns claim that during yesterday's fierce fighting they disabled 20 Russian tanks, bringing the total destroyed since the war began to about 600.

On the central front fighting is still going on near Suomussalmi, and here again the Finns are said to have defeated a Russian battalion.

Further north, in the Salla section, Swedish volunteers have taken over a section of the front from Finnish soldiers, who have been fighting almost continuously since the Russian invasion began.