Protracted
THE CHINA MAIL, FEBRUARY 9, 1940.
Soviet Drive
Dents Mannerheim Line
Red Army Progresses Within 20 Miles Of Viborg
BUT STILL ONLY IN FIRST LINE OF DEFENCES
Stockholm, To-day.
DURING FIERCE FIGHTING in the Summa sector of the Mannerheim Line the Russians are believ- ed to have made a dent in the Finnish front line, bringing them within about 20 miles of the im- portant port of Viipuri.
It is extremely unlikely, however, that they will pene- trate far into the stout defences of the Manner- heim Line, as after a violent battle lasting some days and involving the expenditure of vast quan- tities of ammunition and many lives they are still only in the first-line defences.
A Finnish communique issued ining the defences at Summa, where a Helsinki states that on the Karelian big battle has been raging since last Isthmus the Reds continued the al-week.
tacks between Haljaladenjaervi and It is possible that yet another Rus- Summa, all of which failed.
In the Summa sector the enemy attacked four times with tanks and were repulsed with losses,
Attempts to transport infantry on armoured sledges pulled
tanks also
falled. During
by the
sian division is in difficulties on the central and northern front.
RUSSIAN
TANK
ARMADA
DIMINISHED
Helsinki, To-day.
of Russia's Nearly one-fifth
the of tanke on great armada
been Finnish front have now destroyed, according to estimates here, and the number destroyed Is given as 600.
The fallure of the Soviet tanks has been one of the chief fea- tures of the present offensive against the Mannerheim Line.
Ruselan losses In the Summa battle are now estimated at 5,000, and Finnish losses probably not one-Afth of this-Reuter.
NO LACK OF
FOOD
Helsinki, To-day. There are two encouraging Finnish items of Home news from
Finland to-day.
For just over a week the troops released after the victories at
Suomussalmi and Lake Kianta have
been trying to surround this division north of Kuhmo.
FINNISH COMMUNIQUE
day about 20 tanks were destroy- ed or put out of action. On the eastern front the Finns scat- tered completely an enemy skiing bat-
Yesterday's Finnish communique re- talion; the Reds lost over 300 killed,
ports that Finnish troops in the Kuhmo Fighting continued in the direction area have improved their positions, of Kuhmo; the Reds'
the while a battalion of Soviet troops was battle of Kuhmo in the last six days cut down with losses of 250 men while amount to about 1,500 killed.-Reuter. trying to cross the frontier south of Raate. Doubtless this was part of the hard-pressed Soviet division.
losses in
Of Losses
Red Army Careless
Helsinki, To-day. As a result of 10 days' fighting in which they were careless of losses, the Soviets seem to be making a Manner- little progress against the
heim Line, having penetrated it at one point to within about 20 miles of Viborg.
So far, however, there is no indic tion that it is a serious breach or
a break-through. The Mannerheim
Line is not a line but a series of de- fences of considerable depth.
The Russians suffered heavy losses in this attempt, one estimate putting the losses at. 5,000 men.
On the Central Front, there is stil! fighting near Suomussalmi, where the Finns are reported to have defeated a Soviet battalion.
Another body of 300 men was des- troyed in this region the previous day.
Meanwhile the Finns are #tili mopping up the "loat" division north of Lake Ladoga, and are beating on
attempts to relieve it.
ATTACK REPULSED
An attack supported by artillery and tanks is reported to have been repulsed in this region; one Soviet co- lumn comprising heavy guns, four tanks and over 60 motor vehicles was destroyed.
The Russians have made very few bombing raids in the last fow days.
The arrival of British
other foreign fighting aircraft seems to have had a strong deterrant ef- fect.
re-
HUNT FOR PARACHUTE JUMPERS
Stockholm, To-day.
Finnish patrols are comb- ing territory between Ro. İvaniemi and the Gulf of Bothnia for Soviet parachute troops believed to be still at large.
About 60 of these troops were drop: ped from the air, and not all were rounded up.
In Finnish uni. They are dressed form and their equipment Includes Finnish tele.. apparatus for tapping phone lines.
The "Sevenska Dagbladet" reports that a Finnish patrol returned to northern headquarters after penetrat- far as the ing the Russian lines as
valuable White Sea, bringing back Information.
in at
The Finns arc now engaged strengthening their positions
Karelian on the
Isthmus, Summa,
are believed to where the Russians have dented the front line, bringing them within 20 miles of Vipurii. Reuter.
Despite the war, the Finns are not suffering from any lack of food, and asked indeed the Government has the people to eat more and thus safe- guard their health and fitness for the CHINESE “THREAT” TO winter.
More fand is being put under vegetables. cultivation for fresh while a neutral correspondent re- nover found ports that he has anything but good food and plenty of it.
Steps are being taken to see that the education of Finnish children does war. Those not cease owing to the evacuated from the danger areas will the receive their education through radio, by post or through the news- papers.-Reuter,
BOMB JAPAN
Shanghai, To-day. Extensive air raid precaution mea- sures are being taken by the authori- ties in Japan, according to Japanese reports yesterday.
It is said that the Japanese have received information that the Chinese a "suicide Air Force plan to send
Correspondent. squadron" to bomb Japan. Our Own
U.S. AND SOVIET:
HULL
LETTER
Washington, To-day.
and THE SECRETARY OF STATE, Mr. Cordell Hull, in a letter to the Senate foreign relations committee, published yesterday, said the State Department had not consider- ed the continuance of diplomatic relatioris with Russia "wholly contingent" upon fulfilment by the Soviet of the pledge in the Litvinoff agreements preceding off- cial recognition of the Soviet Union by the U.S.A. in 1933.
The Finnish air force is again ported to have bombed enemy CO- lumns and concentrations of -mechan Ised vehicles.
On the Balla Front, Swedish volun- teers have taken over a section of the front from Finnish soldiers who The Finns announce that the Rus- lost five more planes.- have been fighting the Soviets al-sians have most continuously since the war Reuter. began.
:
At sea, the Soviets appear to have taken a leaf out of the Nazi Note- Book, and have machine-gunned and
Gaol Bombed
·
Helsinki, To-day,
Senator Vandenberg had proposed a
resolution asking the State Depart BOMBING NR.
ment to say whether the Soviet had observed the Litvinoff
agreements,
Among the buildings at Kajama contending that the Soviet had vio- lated these pledges, and urging the breaking off of diplomatic relations.
sunk the Wirgo, a small Swedish | bombed by Soviet planes were ship, near the Aaland Islands.
The Swedish Government is ex- pected to lodge a protest. — Reuter,
Mannerheim Line Stands Firm
Stockholm, To-day. Despite vast Russian expenditure in men and materials in the last-11 days
+
the
gaol, containing a number of Russian prisoners, and the hospital, which was marked with the Red Cross.-Reuter.
`Russian" Losses Of Material
Copenhagen, To-day. War material lost by the Russians since the outbreak of the Finnish war includes 308 aeroplanes and 568 tanks, the Mannerheim Line stands firm. according to reliable information
Soviet losses on the various fronts reaching here. in the last two days alone are estim- Among other Russian losser ated here at 3,000 to 4,000 men, while stated to be 1,560 horses, 20 tractors, Finnish losses' are not known.syt 294 machineguns and 235 automatic
The Finnish troops are strengthen- " pistols.—Reuter.
are.
INDO-CHINA FRONTIER
Kwang Chow Wan, To-day. Hundreds of bombs were dropped
Mr. Hull's letter stated that the State Department on several occa- sions "had ground to bellove that the Boviet Government was not Ilv- Ing up to the obligations undertaken | along the Kwangsl French Indo-China at the time of the establishment” | border on Wednesday afternoon and of relations,
some it is alleged fell in French ter¬ Senator Vandenberg said he inter-ritory. preted Mr. Hull's letter as a "politic conviction" of Moscow, "and added: and villages detalls of which have not "The cumulative cane brought down | been received. to date would seem to multiply the It is also reported that the Japan- reasons for wondering why the Unit- ese machines, numbering some 30, \mer- flew over the border and penetrated ed States should be the only
ploma- several miles into French territory Ican Republic maintaining
Own Correspondent. tio
with
Extensive damage was done to farms