Finland Today Enters Third Month Of War
(Received •> p.m.)
lIFJKfNFFORft, January 31
TODAY ENTERS THE THIRD MONTH OF THE WAR.
An official statement estimates the Russian losses since tlie outbreak at 250,000 dead, wounded or taken prisoner.
The Russians have dropped 20,000 bombs on Finland, and made air raids on 207 towns, villages and clusters ol farmsteads.-
In 640 raids, the cost to Russia has been 300 planes and 900 trained airmen, which is very serious in view of the well-known shortage of trained airmen.
New Offensive. 1 A special correspondent of “The Times” reports that a new Finnish offensive was launched yesterday northward of Kuhmo (in Central Finland) against the Russians’ 54th Division. The Finns have already been very successful, destroying many tanks and killing several hundred Russians. The Russians in the North of Finland hold much less territoi'y than they did last month, states a message from Helsingfors. A Finnish communique states: “Our coastal forces silenced Russian artilelry on the Karelian Isthmus, destroyed five field kitchens and killed many Russians. Futile Red Onslaught. “We repulsed attacks north east of Lake Ladoga. “The enemy launched futile onslaughts upon Mantsi Fort, on an island in Lake Ladoga.” Six feet of snow hampers the Russians in this area.
The Finns are making a heroic stand, defying every Russian attempt to invade the fort, in spite of the presence of two Soviet destroyers. The Finns shot down 21 enemy aeroplanes in two days and lost one. Dum-Dum Bullets. . The Russian offensive north east of Lake Ladoga has severely taxed the resources of the Finnish field hospitals and hospital planes. Russian airmen on the south front are reported to be using dum-dum bullets. Two hundred unassembled aeroplanes have reached Bergen. A Moscow communique reports the shooting down of seven Finnish aeroplanes. Air Raid Casualties It is officially stated in Helsingfors that civilian casualties in air raids from November to January 29 were 377 killed, 323 seriously injured and 583 slightly hurt. The efficiency of the air raids precaution is Shown by the fact that the Russians dropped 2500 bombs on 45 planes on January 20 and only damaged 90 houses, killing four people and injuring 45. ,
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Bibliographic details
Northern Advocate, 1 February 1940, Page 5
Word Count
363Finland Today Enters Third Month Of War Northern Advocate, 1 February 1940, Page 5
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