STATE OF WAR

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 25001, 18 September 1944, Page 5

STATE OF WAR

FINNS AND GERMANY LANDING REPELLED NAZI PRISONERS TAKEN (Reed. 5.35 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 16 Finnish artillery on Friday fired on German ships attempting to invade the Finnish Island of Hogland, south of Kotka, in the Gulf of Finland, says an official Helsinki announcement. Nine German ships were sunk or set on fire. The Germans succeeded in establishing a bridgehead. This is being mopped up. A despatch from Helsinki, quoted by Reuter's Stockholm correspondent, states that the Finnish announcement is intended to mean that a state of war now exists between Finland and Germany. Bridgehead Liquidated A latter message says the Finns have liquidated the German bridgehead on Hogland Island. According to an official announcement from Helsinki, 700 Germans were taken prisoner. About 200 of them were wounded. Fighting between Finns and Germans broke out during Friday night, says another Stockholm message. It adds that a Helsinki official communique reports that the Finnish commander on the island of Hogland received a demand from the Germans to hand over the island. When he refused, the Germans attempted landings at several points, but were repelled everywhere with the exception of one small bridgehead. "The enemy who made this demand and the Finnish High Command which accepted it knew the demand could not be fulfilled," says an announcement issued from Hitler's headquarters, quoted by the German news agency, referring to tho clause in tho RussoFinnish _ armistice terms that German troops in. Finland must withdraw by September 15. Long Distance to Cover "The German Army in Finland will, therefore, from September 15, continue to conduct all movements solely from the viewpoint of protecting its own security against all attackers. "When Finland on September 2 surprisingly demanded the withdrawal of German troops from Finland by September 15," it adds, "tho German divisions which bad hitherto defended Central Finland were almost 250 miles from the Gulf of Bothnia and more than 375 miles from the Northern Finnish and Norwegian frontier. A march to the Gulf of Bothnia requires 20 days and to the Norwegian frontier at least 30 to 35 days." The Swedish Government is affording sanctuary to the population of 20,000 of Rovaniemi. It is an important German supply base in Finland and is expected to be held at all costs. Reuter's correspondent in Stockholm says the Finnish police have begun rounding up German military personnel in Southern Finland in accordance with the Russo-Finnish agreement that the Finns would take action against the Germans if the latter had not departed by Friday. M. HACKZELL'S HEALTH CONDITION REPORTED GRAVE (Reed. 6.10 p.m.) LONDON. Sept. 17 The Finnish Foreign Minister, M. Enckel, has gone to Moscow to replace the Prime Minister, M. Hackzell, whose health is reported to be in a grave condition and becoming progressively worse. It, was reported on Saturday that M. Hackzell had had a stroke, causing partial paralysis and depriving him of his powers of speech.