HOLDING OUT

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20135, 3 January 1940, Page 11

HOLDING OUT

FINN DEFENCES SEVERE FIGHTING TROUNCING INVADERS SUPERIOR TACTICS AERIAL BATTLES RUSSIANS PUT DOWN (Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Heed. Jan. 2, 3 p.m.) LONDON, Jan. 1. Helsinki messages state that Finland still holds her own. New Russian attacks on the Mannerheim Line, preceded by artillery barrages, resulted in violent fighting on the Karelian Isthmus and also on the opposite side of Lake Ladoga around Kitela, which the Finns repulsed. The defenders are feeling secure along the entire 800 miles of eastern front north of Lake Ladoga. They are taking the initiative on all sectors, including a threat to Salmijarvi, which is untenable as a base for the Russians. The temperature, 40 degrees below zero, is slowly immobilising this front. A Finnish communique states that the fighting on Sunday was most severe between Lakes Ha+jan and Moula and the Suvanto and Taipalo Rivers, but enemy attacks were futile. Patrol activity occurred elsewhere, particularly north-east of Lake Ladoga. Russian planes flew over Norway from Petsamo and dropped two bombs in the River Pasig. Good flying weather enabled the Russians to carry out numerous air raids over southern towns, killing 20 civilians, but the material damage was small except at Jyvaskylawasa. Finnish planes dropped bombs over the Russian rear. Six Russian Planes Down

It is unofficially stated that six Russian planes were brought down at Kallio.

In the .course of a new year broadcast it was announced from Helsinki that the Russians would soon meet detachments of foreign volunteers.

The Swedish radio to-day stated that 50,000 Russian troops were massed at Leningrad, en route to Karelia.

The Finnish tactics in overcoming the Russians at Kiantajarvi consisted of surrounding and starving them out, preparatory to annihilation, despite the Finnish inferiority of numbers and equipment.

The Russians, who hoped to drive through to the Gulf of Bothnia in order to break Finland’s military backbone. blundered into an area between the arms of Lake Kianta. They could have fought a way out in normal weather, but the Finns isolated them and cut off the supplies and left exposure and lack of food to do deadly work. They then attacked on the tenth day. The Russians resisted for three, but it was all over 'on the fourth. Thousands of the invaders were slaughtered. Few of the survivors were strong enough to stand. The Moscow radio to-day announced that nothing important occurred on the front. Russian aircraft “successfully bombed certain parts of Finland.”