SOVIET TROOPS MAKE LITTLE PROGRESS

Northern Advocate, 2 December 1939, Page 7

SOVIET TROOPS MAKE LITTLE PROGRESS

But Air Raids Cause Havoc In Towns Red Soldiers Landed By Parachute (Received 12.80 p.m.) LONDON, December 1. THE RUSSIANS ARE REPORTED TO HAVE OCCUPIED PETSAMO, ON THE ARCTIC NEAR KARACHI PENINSULA, AFTER FIERCE FIGHTING, IN THE COURSE OP WHICH RUSSIAN TROOPS WERE LANDED BY PARACHUTE. Most of the city is aflame. ' Russian (warships are reported to be heavily bombarding the port of Hanko, on the Gulf of Finland, south-west of Helsingfors. Though destruction was wreaked by air on various towns, the second day’s invasion of Finland afforded the Russians little material military progress. Big Air Raid On Capitai An eye-witness said that the air raids wore concentrated on industrial areas and railway junctions in South Finland, One bomb demolished a stationary train. Finnish reports admit only > one Russian success, namely, _at P.etsamo, where troops dropped by parachute cut off the defending Finns and captured the town. Batteries protecting Helsingfors claim to have sunk a Soviet warship at Hanko, which has still not surrendered, despite three hours of shelling. A great squadron of Soviet bombers flew over Helsingfors at 1.15 p.m. The raid lasted more than an hour and a half. Several planes were brought down. Smoke was seen rising from various parts, of the city, which indicated that new fires have broken out. > Many wooden buildings were destroyed in the working-class section. Warships Bomb Bank o From Copenhagen it is reported that three Russian warships bombarded Hanko Island all morning. The entire population huddled in shelters for hours, but i the fortress was apparently undamaged. The modern Finnish harbour of Liinahamari, the terminus of the Baltic to the Arctic road, was bombed and the entire town is aflame. Two hundred refugees from the town entered Norway. The Finns are reported to be holding out in the Karelian Isthmus! 'They wrecked numerous Russian tanks. South of Lake Ladoga bitter fighting is reported. The Russians have kept the Finnish defenders busy with air bombing and heavy artillery fire, but successive waves of Russian shock troops have been driven back, according to reports from Stockholm, -, A Swedish journalist, describing the bombings, says he never saw worse scenes in Madrid and Barcelona. At least 40 persons were killed and 120 injured, all civilians, during yesterday’s raid on Helsingfors,

j ßlaze of Fires The capital last'night was a blaze of fires from incendiary bombs. Twenty buildings were burning at midnight. All trains were jammed, and a vast pilgrimage on foot was progressing -to the snow-covered ports. Rescue work was proceeding rapidly, and the population was completely calm, although harassed pari ents were frantically searching for their children. It is believed that many people were killed in a third air raid on the main railway station, which was crowded with women and children preparing to evacuate the city. Viipuri is also burning in several parts.