Evening star., 1939-12-20
BY JAMES ALDRIDGE.

WITH THE FINNISH FORCES,
ON THE KAREL1AN FRONT, Dec.
20 (N.A.N.A.. by radio).-On a hill
near the Taipale River where Mon
day this correspondent was lying
uncomfortably on his stomach, the
Russians today are lying uncomfort-
ably on their stomachs. They got
there only after the stitiest fight of
the Karelian 1sthmus battle and
after the Firms had used more am
munition In an hour than they
usually use in this sector in day.
From the woods near the river
where they were stationed the Soviet
troops started shelling this hill soon
after I had left 1t. They continued
shelling it all day. making it un-
tenable for Finnish snipers and
blowing almost the whole top off it.
After this barrage had cleared
away early yesterday morning, four
30ton Russian tanks appeared from
a timber clump and started advance
ing across the snowy waste to the
foot of the hill. Crouched behind
each tank we're about 20 men, using
it as a shield.
The Finnish advance lines in their
timber clumps opened up with ma
chine gun fire and ripped the snow
around each tank. The big land
dreadnaughts advanced slowly, as
they had to protect their infantry
men. Finnish machine guns picked
off a few men behind each tank.
Then from the clubhouse of the
farmhouse from which I watched
the battle came the sharp crack of
an anti-tank gun and saw a burst
of snow in front of the right-hand
tank. From the tanks came fire from
guns placed almost under the treads,
where I had never seen a tank gun
before.
Woods Thick With Shells.
From the Russian lines in the
woods came covering fire, and the
woods became thick with mortar
shells and light artillery bursts. Over
on the right, where Finnish ma
chine guns were active, a Russian
gun opened fire from the opposite
side Of the wood club and l saw
the bullets chew the tops of small
pines where the Firms were hidden.
Slowly the snoW-clogged tanks ad-
vanced to the foot of the hill, with
only three-fourths Of the infantry
men left. A Finnish mortar or anti
tank shell burst 20 yards from the
first tank and the Russian soldiers
dropped to the ground. The tank
seemed disabled, for it stopped. The
other three tanks went on a few
more yards to some granite boulders
at the foot Of the hill, then turned
and plunged at full speed back to
the woods for more men. Finnish
anti-tank shells were bursting all
around them, making black spots on
the snow.
While the tanks were returning
to the woods. a Finnish advance
machine gun nest from high boul-
ders on the east opened fire on the
Russian troops at the foot of the
hill. We could not see the result,
but it must have been devastating
for the nest was almost behind the
men and nearer the Russian lines
than was thought possible.
Disabled Tank Opens Fire.
Immediately a Russian machine
gun ripped the snow in front of the
Finnish boulder nest and a grenade
or mortar shell burst in front of
it. The firing went on, as the
boulders gave fine protection.
Other Finnish machine guns had
ceased firing, waiting for the Rus
slams to come out of the woods. The
tanks came out and heavy firing
started again. The disabled tank a,
the foot Of the hill also opened fire
Finnish snipers in a semi-circular
wood f1anking the hill kept up a
steady fire and the cracking of rifle