Petsamo Heap Of Ashes

Northern Advocate, 4 December 1939, Page 5

Petsamo Heap Of Ashes

The Finns sank every vessel in the harbour, blocking the fairway and also detonated mines embedded in the face of the cliff, the flying rock fragments being as effective as artillery.

When eventually the invaders landed the qtlays and roads exploded as fresh mines went off.

The retreating Finns set fire to the port in order to delay the Russians, and then struck back yesterday, Petsamo is now a heap of ashes. A reinforced Russian attack is expected today. The Russian troops are only 10 miles from the Norwegian border in the North, where 800 Finns are opposing a force of several thousands. The Finns are burning houses, slaughtering stock and forcibly removing the inhabitants, piling their belongings into sleighs for transportation to Norway. Burning buildings are visible from the Norwegian frontier, where streams of women and children are constantly arriving, accompanied by lorries laden with food.

Laying Countryside Bare.

The fleeing population is determined that the Russians shall find the countryside bare.

A Finnish official communique sayis two Russian companies in the south were wiped out, largely by the use of the new Finnish automatic rifle, which fires as rapidly as a machine-gun, and has been specially constructed for forest fighting.

The troops have captured 1200 Russian soldiers. Over 35 Russian tanks were destroyed in Karelia yesterday.

One Finnish warship was sunk during an engagement with the Red Fleet off Hanko, and Soviet warplanes machine-gunned sailors struggling in the water.

Russian Cruiser Sunk.

The Finnish batteries at Hanko, which wore replying undauntedly to shelling by Soviet warships, are reported to have sunk the Russian cruiser Kiroff (8500 tons).

The Finns admit the loss of Hogland, an island in the Gulf of Finland, and also the Russian occupation of the Seiskarri Peninsula. The Finns announce the recapture of Kiveapa, 13 miles behind the Karelian frontier. The Soviet Commissar for Defence (Marshal Voroshiloff) is commanding the armies on the Finland front. The Russians are reported to bo badly equipped and to lack provisions. Russians are reported to have machine-gunned their own troops at Tuelma, as the result of a disagreement between soldiers and officers, who drew their revolvers against the former.

“Fight Unto Death.” The Finnish Army is striking back against a four-fold invasion in the north, centring around Lake Ladoga, and. along the Karelian Isthmus northwest of Leningrad. The Finnish Commander-in-Chief (Field-Marshal Baron Mannerheim) issued an order of the day which declares;

“The whole country will fight unto death against the invader, who is Finland’s hereditary enemy. This war is nothing hut the continuance and the final act in our war of liberty.”

The Finnish legation in London amplifying Baron Mannerheim’s order of the day, says:

“Although death rains on us from the skies, we will fight to the bitter end and will never call a retreat. “The united forces of the nation are behind the new Government.”