FRUITLESS ASSAULTS

Evening Star, Issue 23498, 12 February 1940, Page 7

FRUITLESS ASSAULTS

Mannerheim Line Unbroken SOVIET FORCES HURLED BACK Fierce Fighting On Isthmus Frees Association —By Telegraph—Coypright HELSINKI, February 11. The Eussians continue to pound the Mannerheim Line from / the Gulf of Finland to Lake Ladoga. The Finns claim that they have not yielded a yard. A Finnish communique gives the Red losses since the outbreak of war at 327 planes, 594 tanks, 206 guns, 672 cars, lorries, and tractors, 63 field kitchens, eight ships and one submarine. A war communique states that the Soviet troops maintained the offensive for the ninth successive day without success. The Finns captured 32 tanks and shot down four enemy planes. The Karelian Isthmus is the scene of violent fighting. Heavy artillery and tanks were supported by massed Red infantry attacks against the Mannerheim Line, but were thrown back with' heavy losses. The Eussians lost another 800 men north-east of Lake Ladoga. Enemy pressure is heaviest in the Summa sector, but all of the - attacks have been repulsed, while the enemy dost about 800 killed, besides a column of 60 lorries and two tanks. The commander of the 11th Russian Division, Colonel Borisov, was killed. The enemy’s weak efforts at Suomussalmi were repulsed and the enemy lost four planes there. Yesterday the Eussians fruitlessly attacked the Finnish positions in the nickel mine area on the Norwegian frontier, to which the Finns replied and penetrated the Red lines for over 10 miles. The Finns announce that four separate attacks between Summa and Lake Ladoga were repulsed yesterday. They also claim to have driven the Reds from strongly-defended positions north-est of Lake Ladoga. It was announced yesterday that the Eussians claim they are winning against the Mannerheim Line. They announced the occupation of, an artillery position just west of the Summa sector;. comprising eight batteries, and also the capture of five similar positions between Lake Ladoga and Sakkola. The Finns declare that all the attacks were repulsed, but do not specifically refute the Russians’ claims. The invaders are obviously sorely trying the endurance of ■ the defenders of the Mannerheim Line at a daily cost df thousands of men. The Finnish losses are also considerable under closely co-ordinated attacks from artillery, tanks and planes. The Russians are preventing reinforcement of critical sectors by increased activity on the Salla and Kuhmo fronts, and have revitalised the resistance north-east of Lake Ladoga.