Russian Airmen Bomb Finnish Hospitals

Northern Advocate, 22 December 1939, Page 5

Russian Airmen Bomb Finnish Hospitals

400 Planes Rain Death, Destruction

In Celebration Of Stalin’s Birthday

(Received 1.30 p.m.) LONDON, December 21. STALIN’S AIRMEN CELEBRATED HIS BIRTHDAY BY RAINING 600 LB. HIGH EXPLOSIVE BOMBS ON FINLAND’S CHIEF SOUTHERN TOWN, DESTROYING TWO HELSINGFORS HOSPITALS, DAMAGING THREE, AND SERIOUSLY INJURING PATIENTS WHO WERE TOO ILL TO BE EVACUATED. Sixteen Russian planes dropped from 25 to 30 bombs on the Helsingfors hospital district, according to a report from Helsingfors. It is at present believed that the casualties are small, because warnings enabled the people to reach shelter. ■Several buildings, including children’s blind institutions, have been badly damaged. The Russians also raided Turku, whore many casualties are feared. Raiders simultaneously bombed several towns within a 25-mile radius from the capital. They attacked Danko and its approaches and machine-gunned two Turku-Helsingfors trains. They also bombed Turku’s working-class district, setting fire to many homes, and, it is believed, killed and wounded many people. It is reported that planes swooped on the important industrial centre of Tampere with similar results, and visited Wasa, which is 300 miles from the nearest Russian air base.

Finns’ Magnificent Reply. Four hundred bombers dealt death and destruction all over South Finland, killing 23 civilians in the Sortavala district and many others- in other areas, including two passengers in a machine-gunned refugee train. The Finns replied with magni-

ficent attacks on all fronts, capturing enormous quantities of material, killing thousands of Soviet troops, and thrusting' back the enemy in the north for miles. Title for Stalin.

Planes were very active on the Karelian Isthmus, bombing Wiipuri, also participating in the battle, for the Mannerheim Line, which entered its third week with onslaughts by infantry, artillery and tanks that lasted all day. Stalin has been awarded the title of “Hero of Socialist Labour,” in recognition of his 60th birthday. f . Hitler telegraphed to Stalin; “On your 60th birthday, I beg you to accept my most cordial congratulations and best wishes for your personal welfare and for that happy future of the peoples of our friend the Soviet. Thq German Foreign Minister (Von Ribbentrop) sent a similar message. Gigantic Attack.

The Russians have launched a gigantic attack on the centre of the Finns’ Mannerheim Line -on the Karelian Isthmus after heavy and prolonged preparation, in which thousands of shells of all calibres were fired.

Infantry advanced, supported by several hundred tanks and 250 aeroplanes. The attack began yesterday, and has continued since on a 12-mile front, on which the Finns have now trebled their defences. The Russians have increased their pressure on other fronts for diversion. 20 Tanks Taken. The Finns claim the capture of 20 tanks and the destruction of scores, and also the destruction of 20 aeroplanes. The Finns at Salla captured much material. They are retiring on the northern front, where the temperature» is 54 degrees below freezing point. It is now officially stated by the Finns that shells from coastal batteries damaged, but did not sink, the Russian battleship Oktiabrskaya-Revolutia. But No Present. Whatever promises the Russian army made, Finland was not among Stalin’s birthday present. Observers agree that yesterday’s terrific offensive yielded nothing. The Finns’ counter-offensive at Suomussalmi, where the Russians have started their drive across the Nurromeri part of Finland, is reported to have resulted in the wiping out of two Soviet divisions and the killing \o| 20,000 Russians. A Leningrad war communique modestly declares that on all • fronts there were petty skirmishes between patrols, while in a number of districts, particularly on the Karelian Isthmus, intensive artillery duels occurred, Soviet planes made reconnaissance flights.

It is not safe to discuss the RussoFinnish war in Moscow, although it is darkly hinted that the Army’s special birthday effort was scheduled for today, and not yesterday.