RUSSIANS LOSE GROUND

Southland Times, Issue 24039, 1 February 1940, Page 7

RUSSIANS LOSE GROUND

RETREAT IN NORTH FINLAND FUTILE ONSLAUGHTS ON MANTSI (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright) (Received January 31, 11.30 p.m.) HELSINKI, January 31. The Russians in north Finland hold much less territory than they did last month. A Finnish communique says that the Finnish coastal forces silenced the Russian artillery on the Karelian isthmus, destroyed five field kitchens and killed many enemy troops. They repulsed attacks north-east of Lake Ladoga. The Russians launched futile onslaughts on the Mantsi fort on an island of Lake Ladoga. Six feet of snow hampers the Russians in this area. The Finns are making a heroic stand, defying every Russian attempt to invest it, despite the presence of two Soviet destroyers. The Finns shot down 21 enemy aeroplanes in two days and lost one.

The Russian offensive north-east of Lake Ladoga has severely taxed the resources of the Finnish field hospitals and hospital trains. Russian airmen on the south front are reported to be using dumdum bullets.

Two hundred unassembled aeroplanes have reached Bergen. A Moscow communique reported the shooting down of seven Finnish aeroplanes. The special correspondent of The Times reports that a new Finnish offensive launched yesterday northward of Kuhmo (in central Finland) against the Russian 54th Division is already markedly successful. The Finns have destroyed many tanks and killed several hundred Russians.