Evening star., 1939-12-29
Russian Flyers
Strike al Finns'
Rail functions
Another Victory in
East Is Claimed
By Defenders
By LYNN HEINZERLING,

HELSINKI, Dec. 29.-With Firms
unbowed after a month of attack
by Soviet Russia, the Red air force
smashed again today at Southwest
ern Finland.
Almost as if in reprisal for a VIC
tory claimed by Finland on the
eastern front-perhaps actually the
winning of a new foothold on Rus
sian soil for a third thrust toward
the Murmansk railway-Russian
bombing planes attacked railway
functions at Hyvinkaa, Riihimaki
and Karjaa.
Also under alarm was Finlands
southwestern coastal base, Hanko,
but Helsinki, up to 1885 pm, was
"all clear" The coastal towns of
Kotka and Porvoo were bombed
during the night.
Results OF this far-flung aerial
foray in terms of damage or casual
ties were not at once forthcoming.
Reds Reported Bombing Own Lines.
The three Finnish thrusts into
Russian territory are east of Lieksa,
in the Inari sector; northeast of
Lieksa, in the Kivivaara sector, and
the penetration by ski troops, re-
ported from the far northern front,
in the direction of Kandalaska. This
last has not been mentioned in the
Helsinki communiques.
The Finnish Telegraph Agency
meanwhile reported confusion in the
Salla sector Of the eastern front as
the result of Russian flyers bombing
their own lines and Russian artillery
shelling their own troops by mistake
The agency reports said these
operations were the results of errors
and did not indicate any belief they
were signs of revolt.
Helsinki was quiet throughout the
day without single air alarm being
sounded.
Repulse Near Lieksa Reported.
An army communique announc-
ing that Red forces had been rolled
back in one sector of the 1000
mile eastern frontier at least indi-
cated strong flank support tor one
OF two defensive invasions by ski
troops toward Russias far north
supply artery, the Murmansk Rail-
| way.
The comInunique said the Rus
slams were 'foiled" by the guerrilla
warfare being waged by the hit
and-run ski forces on Russian soil
east Of Lieksa and that "the enemy
also has been pushed back across
the frontier northeast of Lieksa."
There were still no reports of the
outcome of a parallel foray toward
the railway from the Salla region,
about 225 miles north of Lieksa
where it curves to within so miles
OF the border. The railway is about
$50 miles from the border in the
Lieksa region.
tHowever. dispatches reaching
Stockholm from the Salla sector
told Of a new Russian assault
there. against Finland at her mar
roWest point. The Russians, ap-
parently trying to regain so miles
OF ground lost in the past few
days to counter attacking Firms,
had brought up hundreds of new,
quick-firing field pieces.
(The dispatches added that
lack of knowledge of the terrain
in that section of Finland's
snowy, gale-swept frontier, just
above the Arctic Circle, ham,
pered the attackers.
un the extreme north, near
Petsamo, the Reds were said to
have ended a fve-day, 5O-mile
withdrawal toward the Arctic
Ocean and had started digging
trenches for war of position.)
Claim Battery SiIenced.
The Finnish air force, steadily
gaining power with arrival of Italian
and other fighting planes, reported
silencing with bombs at least one
(See FINLAND, Page A-3)