Finland Feeling Strain

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVII, Issue 21528, 15 December 1939, Page 7

Finland Feeling Strain

Attackers Have Unlimited

Manpower

Fierce Fighting on AR Fronts

United Press Association- “y Electric Telegraph—Copyright (Received December 14, 9.13 p.m.) LONDON, December 14. THE HELSINKI correspondent of the “Daily * Telegraph” says that Russia’s unlimited manpower is beginning to strain Finnish resources because persistent attacks on all fronts regardless of losses necessitate constant switching of reserves. The Finns mow down 100 Russians but 1000 more appear. The greatest danger is in the Kutno sector, where the Finns defending the country’s waistline sadly lack artillery. The Russians have long been constructing strategic roads to the Kutno and Kola frontiers permitting the speedy movement of artillery and tanks.

It is estimated that 100,000 Russians are being hurled at Rovaniemi, but the Finns recaptured Salla. The Finnish Air Force is concentrating on roads and railways in an endeavour to break up Russian reinforcements, and have already achieved considerable transport chaos at Murmansk.

A Finnish army communique issued at Helsinki states that there were fierce attacks at the Karelian Isthmus and Petrozavodsk sections, the enemy suffering heavy losses of men and equipment. The coastal batteries at the Bjorko and Ladoga coasts assisted land forces in breaking up and driving back enemy detachments. The enemy bombed Hanko and coastal islands. Our Air Force successfully bombed and machine-gunned infantry and motorised detachments.

The Moscow radio announced: “Our troops advanced 65 miles from the frontier on the Kutno sector and also occupied Kitela. There is no air activity owing to the weather.”