BIG BATTLES

Grey River Argus, 16 January 1940, Page 7

BIG BATTLES

ON FINNISH FRONTS Russian Offensives AID FOR DEFENDERS IN NORTH. (Aust. & N.Z. Cable Assn.] (Received ;January 15, 7 pint.) HELSINKI, January 14. Forty Russian, planes attacked the Finn's on the Petsamo Front in the North. They bombed a field hospital, driving the staffs and tne wounded into the snow for shelter., Appreciable foreign material help is believed to have reached the Finnish northern forces, including one or two brigades of Swedish volunteers also big guns, and other arms. A ’Finnish communique reports that on Saturday there was patrol activity, with gunfire, on the Karelian Isthmus. It adds that enemy attacks there were repulsed.

LARGE SCALE ENGAGEMENTS ON TWO NORTHERN FRONTS (Received January 15, 8.50 p.m.) HELSINKI, January 14. There are large scale engagements now developing on both the Salla and Petsamo fronts. Fighting is already intense at Koirinokakitela, to the north of Lake Ladoga, where two fresh Russian divisions are attacking towards Sortavala.

The Finns have made all preparations to resist the enemy, and are digging in behind barbedwire, while Finnish patrols are trying to cut off the Russian communications. There are twenty thousand Russians with thirty tanks and a number of armoured cars participating in the offensive against Petsamo in the far north. The Finns hold strong positions. Their Karelian Tines have nowhere been penetrated. The Finnish losses from the Russian artillery, however, are heavy. . . Russian air raids killed a total or fifteen at Hameerlinna, Helsinki, Lahti and Hyvinkai, and wounded dozens. The bombs destroyed many houses, including that of the United States Minister, Mr Schoenfeld, an empty villa, at Espoo. The Finns shot down two of the Russian machines and they found the wreckage of another.

Soviet Submarine

SINKS FINNISH ARMED VESSEL. (Received January 15, 5.5 p.m.) HELSINKI, January 14. A Russian submarine sank the “Aurora,” the Finnish Governments armed yacht. The "Aurora,” with another war vessel, was convoying merchantmen from Turku to StockThe “Aurora’s” consort dropped depth charges, and so drove off a second submarine.

RUSSIAN VESSELS. BOMBED BY FINNISH - — PLANES. HELSINKI, January 14. The Finns claim to have bombed Russian vessels in the Gulf of Finland. Swedish Island Raided BY SOVIET PLANES (Received January 15, 9.30 p.m.) LONDON, January 15. Eight Russian planes are reported to have dropped bqmbs, though without any casualty, on the Swedish laitf of Kallaz, in the Haparanda Archipelago, six miles, south-west of Prince Gustav Adolf, of Sweden, investigated the matter. He found Russian letters on. bomb fragments. The Swedish Foreign Office states that a . snowstorn prevented the identification of the planes.

RUSSIAN PLANES.

OVER NORWAY.

LONDON, January 15.

Norwegian anti-aircraft gunners fired on Russian bombers were crossing the Norwegian-Finnish frontier. Soviet Charges AGAINST SWEDEN AND NORWAY BREACH OF NEUTRALITY. (Received January 15, 9.45 p.m.) MOSCOW, January 15. The Moscow radio has revealed that the Soviet sent a note to Sweden and to Norway on January 5, alleging that they were breaking their neutrality by sending arms and volunteers to Finland, and also alleging that the Swedish and Norwegian press was showing a hostile attitude to the Soviet.

The Norwegian Government replied on January 6 to the Soviet denying any participation in any movement to assist Finland, and that Norway was interested in maintaining friendly relations with the Soviet. Sweden replied on January 10, stating that the Swedish press is free, and, for this reason, it could not be prevented from saying anything. If Sweden were sending material to Finland, that was because Sweden was interested in trading with Finland. Sweden also hoped that her relations with the Soviet would remain friendly.

ITALIAN SUPPLIES. STOCKHOLM, January 14. The “Aftonbladet’s” Berlin correspondent says that Germany has raised the embargo on the transit of Italian arms to Finland, explaining that the previous detention wag not due to political, but to technical reasons, including ransport difficulties. U.S.A. HELP. LONDON, January 12. In Washingon to-day, President Roosevelt said that he had asked the Congress leaders .of both parties to work on the question of help for Fin-

land,.but so far their deliberations had not been completed. . The President added that he had not the faintest idea what civic steps might be taken. The Inernational Federation of Trade Unions passed a resolution appealing to trade unions throughout the world to help Finland. NORWEGIAN DEFENCE. OSLO, January 14. The defence estimates total £ll,800,000 in a budget of £48J00, 000. The Government proposes to double •the income-tax, the capital tax, and the tax on war profits.