Evening star., 1939-12-31
Firms Rout Soviets Over Border
For Third ime on Central F ront
As Red Planes Intensity Attacks
Russian Bombers
Destroy Hospital
At Hunko Base
BY LYNN HEINZERLING,

HEISlNkl, Dec. S0.-F1nldnQ S
warriors of the SHOWS today flung
third Red Russian Army back onto
Soviet soil-in full rout-and faced
the new year eXultant in the
strength they have shown to the
world.
Other Finnish armies stood fast
against attacks of the Mannerheim
Line while this little capital, in con-
trast to the bloody aerial "blitzkrieg"
of month ago. had not single air
raid alarm all day.
Soviet bombers, however, attacked
other towns both close to Helsinki
and on the Karelian Isthmus. Half
a hundred bombs were dumped on
Hanko, southwestern naval base, de-
stroying a hospital and four other
buildings and injuring 10 patients.
Vaasa, in the capital area, was
bombed with three to five civilian
deaths; Sipoo, 80 miles east of Hell
sinki, was raided and little girl
was killed; there were civilian casu-
alties in raids on Kakisalmi and
other isthmus towns.
Dispatches from the Finnish
central front by way of Stock
holm said Soviet flyers, in inten-
sif1ed air raids, had dropped
numerous bombs near a hospital
train. The town of Rovaniemi
was bombed.
The dispatches carried a de-
nial from the Finnish northern
commander, Gen. Wallenius, of
foreign reports that Finnish
scouts had cut the Soviet Mur-
mansk-Leningrad Railway.
British accounts of the opera
tionS at the start of the second
month of northern war had gone
so far as to credit Finnish sui
eide patrols of skiers with cut
ting Russia's vital railway from
Murmansk to Leningrad in three
places. These dispatches said
there were reports of food
shortage in Murmansk as a re-
suit of the raids on the railway,
which is the main supply line for
the invading Russians.
ROut Charted as Southeast.
The third battle in which the at
tacking Russians were pushed back
across the border took place near
Kuhmo, about so miles north of
Lieksa. IN lower Central Finland.
The Finnish command charted the
course of the Russian rout as south
east. past Kiekki.
Previously. the Reds had been
forced back over the border at points
east and southeast of Lieska. The
Finnish ski troops, moreover, have
been reported in dashes into Soviet
territory near Salla. further north,
In attempts to shear off the Soviet
rail "life line"
Finland's army command detailed
victorious Finnish stands on the ice
OF Lake Suvanto, on the Eastern
Karelian Isthmus; at Kitalae, on
the northern shore Of Lake Ladoga,
and on front between Lake Ruoko
and Lake Sysky. A several-day
battle around Lake Kianta con-
tinued
A military communique said two
enemy tanks were destroyed be-
tween Summa and Lake Muola. and
that Finnish planes shot down two
Soviet raiders.
Norwegian Volunteers Coming.
Firms on this last Saturday of the
year realized with proud satisfac-
ton that Russias armies seemed
much further away than they did
on the terrible opening day of the
conflict-November 80. They were
puzzled, however, by numerous for
eign reports that foreign volunteers
were arriving in Finland.
So far. the SWedes have been the
only ones to come in noticeable
numbers, although the first Nor
wegians are expected next week.
Today was the first time the Firms
have officially admitted the pres
ence of Swedish volunteers under
Gen. Ernst Linder. In statement,
Foreign Minister Vaino Tanner ex-
pressed Finland's thanks and great
encouragement"
GA writer in Benito Mussolini's
newspaper, II Popolo d'1talla,
(see FINLAND, Page A-40