Finland Under Red Flail

Northern Advocate, 2 December 1939, Page 4

Finland Under Red Flail

(Received 3 p.m.) LONDON, December 2. Reports from Stockholm stated that there was bitter fighting at Terijoki, where the Russians were keeping the Finnish defences continuously engaged with heavy artillery fire and bombing by the air. Successive waves of Soviet troops were reported to have been driven back. The Russians unsuccessfully attempted a landing near Porvoo. Bombers covered the attempt, but wore driven off by ground batterires. The Finns were reported to have taken over 300 prisoners in, the Karelia district. Finnish Steamer Stopped. An Oslo message says that Russia blocked up the Petsamo Fiord, and submarines stopped a Finnish passenger ship and forced it to return. The town of Petsamo was heavily bombed, and cars carrying refugees were machine-gunned from the air. The nickel works at Petsamo were bombed and 30 women and children were killed. The Finns claim to have shot down 10 Russian planes, mostly at Wiipuri. Wholesale Bombing'. The Soviet planes apparently dropped no bombs in the morning and later afternoon raids, but during the midday raid a devastating squadron smote whole sections of the capital with machine-guns and bombs, as the firemen were searching in the smouldering ruins of yesterday’s raids. Fifteen bombs were dropped on the Munksnacs district, where 30 feet granite walls protected three munition dumps, which were undamaged.

Fifteen bombs fall on the working class district of Samas. Kail of Bullets. The Soviet air squadrons poured a 'rail of machine-gun bullets on Salmijervi, a small town joined, with Kirkenaes, in Norway, by a bridge across the Pasvik River, as 600 Finnish refugees dashed for safety. Bombers finally demolished the bridge, cutting off further retreat except over the frozen stream. Other towns raided were Kotka and Turku, while the oil port and naval docks at Skatudden, near Helsinki, were set on fire. Blaze of Fire. The capital last night was a blaze of fires from incendiary bombs. Twenty buildings were blazing at midnight. All trains were jammed, and a vast pilgrimage on foot was progressing to the snow-covered woods. Rescue work is proceeding rapidly, and the population is completely calm, although harassed parents are frantically searching for their children.