Reverse for Red Army

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 29 January 1940, Page 5

Reverse for Red Army

Lake Ladoga Offensive Heavy Losses Suffered FINNS CAPTURE TANKS AND MACHINE-GUNS [United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright! (Received 29th January. 9.35 a.m.) LONDON, 28th January. There is no news of further fighting from Russo-Finnish sources. The Russian steamroller appears at least temporarily to have broken down. A force estimated at 200.000, which for a whole week has been trying to outflank the Mannerheim Line, is believed to have failed. Helsinki reports that a Russian submarine was destroyed recently in a Finnish minefield. Two hundred more volunteer airmen have arrived. Indicating the intensiveness of the Russian bombardments, experts estimate that 1 5,000 shells fell within 1 \ square miles, blackening the snow. A Finnish machine-gun crew buried by a shell were dug out alive.

Earlier messages state that neutral miltary observers in Helsinki express the opinion that the failure of the Russian offensive north-east of Lake Ladoga amounts to a definite defeat. It is estimated that the Russians lost 5000 dead in their six days’ offensive. The Finns claim that 500 of 1000 tanks with which the Russians began the campaign have been destroyed and that the Finns captured 100 tanks and a large number of machine-guns in the most recent fighting. The Finns yesterday continued to hold fast against the great offensive, and new attacks were repulsed. The Russians retired, leaving several hundred dead and 1000 wounded. Fierce fighting occurred at Mattsi, onj the eastern bank of Lake Ladoga, when fresh Russian forces, supported by artillery, furiously attacked, apparently in an endeavour to extricate a large Russian force which had been lured into a dangerous situation on this sector. Finnish batteries enfiladed the Russian lines and hurled back the attackers. inflicting heavy casualties. A Finnish communique says: “The icy battlefield north-east of Lake Ladoga i is covered with hundreds of Russian dead.” Several Soviet companies were cut up. Two Russian attacks on the main Mannerheim Line at Lake Muola and Lake Taipale, on the Karelian Isthmus, were also repulsed.