Evening star., 1939-12-14
Finns' New Weapons,
Guerrilla Tactics
Slow Russians
knowledge Of Terrain
Helps Small Bonds
Turn Back Attacks
BY JAMES ALDRIDGE.

Turn Beck Attacks
BY JAMES ALDRIDGE.
HEIs1NK1, Finland, Dec. IA
NAN.A).-The battle Of and for
Karelia now raging in the isthmus
is unique in the annals Of modern
warfare.
The Russians, who do not usually
underestimate an enemy, are find
ing the Firms somewhat tougher
than expected. The Soviet tech
nique seems to be an attempt to
break through the strongest part Of
the Finnish defenses, the Manner
helm Line. and the battle there is
q mixture of the most modern tech
nique and equipment with the guer-
rilla type of fighting which the Films
Of old used against the Russian foe.
In the large, open sections, the
timberless fields and the village
areas, the Russians can advance
easily enough with tanks, but the
moment they come to a clump of
timber the going is 10 times slower.
As the Firms retire they lay land
mines which cannot be detected or
combated.
An early Russian attack on the
middle front Of the Karelian Isthmus
came from a ridge near a central
village. Light and medium weight
tanks preceded the infantry, as
usual, and advanced across farm
fields toward the Finnish line, which
was bordered by timber. The tanks
at first had easy going, for fog from
the lakes, caused by a rise in tenn
perature, acted as screen and pre-
vented long-range shooting by the
Firms and any air attack.
Tanks Fall Into Traps.
When the tanks reached the tim
Der they found in it a maze of
barbed wire. The tanks fell into a
trap and tried smashing through it
to make path for the infantry,
but it was mined, and bits of tanks
are now hanging on the trees and
stuck in the trunks.
The Russian infantry attempted
to cut the barbed wire. The Firms
waited for them in ambush posi-
tions and opened fire with machine
guns and light mortars. The Soviet
troops dropped to the ground behind
one Of the ridges. The fog was so
thick that the Russians were easy
meat for the Firms, as the Firms
knew where they were, but the
Russians did not know where the
Firms were
For while it was slaughter, as
the Russians sought protection be-
hind snow heaps, trees and rocks,
firing with light mashine guns.
Then the Firms ceased firing and
the Russians counted their dead,
but stayed where they were.
On the eastern front, in the So
Wet attack which took Pitkaranta,
on the shore of Lake Ladoga, the
fighting resulted In heavy casual
ties because of the nature of the
ground. In this region there are
large number of rocky land basins,
and the fighting becomes battle
from basin to basin. After several
sharp encounters the Firms with
drew to prearranged positions. They
know this country like the backs
Of their hands and thus have an
advantage.
Fighting by Small Bands.
At Tolvajari the fighting is for
possession of the important railhead
Of the single railway which leads
to Finland's main north-south high
way. The Firms are holding out well
there, using ambush tactics and lay
Ing stone traps for tanks.
North of the Arctic Circle the
Russian troops are pushing on from
Salla in an attempt to capture the
roadhead of Kuolajarvi, and here
the fighting is the slowest. It is dark
almost "a hours day, and now the
temperature is 20 degrees below
zero. Frost and ice form quickly
on rifles and guns. With every shot
fired, steam rises from the barrels,
and a water residue forms near
the breech but freezes immedi-
ately.
The fighting between Salla and
the Arctic Sea is mainly done by
small platoons, which half the time
do not know exactly where they
are, and the next group they meet
IN the dark might or might not be
the enemy.