RUSSIAN BOMBERS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25455, 9 February 1944, Page 3

RUSSIAN BOMBERS

HELSINKI AGAIN RAIDED WIDESPREAD DAMAGE LONDON, Feb. 7. A Russian communique says that a large group of Russian bombers last night raided Helsinki, the capital of Finland, and attacked military objectives as well as the railway junction, and port, and the central part of the town. They started over 30 fires, which were accompanied by heavy explosions. Fires were observed in the military barracks, power station, main railway station, shipyards, and dry docks, and also in a car assembly plant area. The fires could be observed from a distance of 160 miles. Reconnaissance to-day showed that the fires were not extinguished. The town continues to burn and is'enveloped in smoke. Four Russian planes were lost.

The Russians also announced that Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, was bombed last night. A Finnish communique says that more than 2QO Russian bombers attacked Helsinki last night, for the second night running, causing widespread damage and numerous fires. Thirty-eight people were killed and 232 injured. The Russians also bombed other parts of South Finland. The Helsinki correspondent of the Stockholm newspaper Aftonbladet reports that thousands of women and children and elderly people began to leave Helsinki this morning by every available means of transport. The Stockholm correspondent of the Associated Press says that the raids have added to the growing uneasiness in Sweden. Swedish planes this morning carried out extensive / exercises over Stockholm.