Evening star., 1939-12-07
Soviet Offensive
Apparently Confirms
Expected Deficiency
Test for Finland
Lies in Future, However,
Observer Forecasts
BY MAJ. G. FIELDING ELIOT.

ny MAJ. H. FxELD1Nu 6LlO1.
So far tho Firms appear to be
holding their own very well against
superior Russian forces. Judging
from information 50 far available,
the Russian Army, air force and
navy are not showing up any better
than has been expected-in Of
fensive operations-by military OBJ
servers.
But it would be premature to draw
any hard and fast conclusions, both
because development of the fighting
has not proceeded far enough and
because of the dearth Of reliable in
formation.
Let us see what has happened, as
far as we can tell from what we
can now learn.
On the Karelian Isthmus, q Rus
sian Army stated to contain 10000
to $4,000 men has pushed forward
through the outpost zone of the
Mannerheim Line against perhaps
half It's number of Firms. It has
lost heavily from land mines and
Finnish fire. Russian reports admit
losses far greater than those of the
Firms. There does not appear to
have been any large scale assault on
the main Finnish defense position.
Take Toll In Retreat.
North of Lake Ladoga, Russian
troops have penetrated Finnish ter
ritory, resisted by mobile Finnish
detachments which appear to be
falling back in the usual manner Of
outposts, while taking considerable
toll of their opponents. The terrain
Is difficult and grows more difficult
as the Russian troops get deeper into
Finland. The Russian objective here
is probably to come clear around
the lake and take the defenders of
the Mannerheim Line in the rear.
This will require an advance of $50
miles. 1t is now reported that on
this front and that Of the Karelian
1sthmus, total Of 100000 Russian
troops are concentrating for great
combined advance.
yhis seems to indicate that the
nAael attacks were, as the Rus
slams state, made by troops of the
Leningrad military district without
much reinforcement. One may con-
lecture that the initial Finnish re-
sistance in the field exceeded Rus
sian expectations, or that the ability
of the Soviet troops to overcome
1t proved less than had been hoped.
There has followed a lull, during
which reinforcements have been
brought up from other areas. The
real test, therefore, is yet to come.
The number of troops given--700,-
000-probably represents the maxi
mum Russian military effort for
this front. It is doubtful whether
q greater number can be supplied
by the available means of transpor-
tation, and even so the larger part
of the force must be employed on
the isthmus, comparatively close to
Leningrad, since north of Lake La
doga only the Murmansk Railway
(already overtaxed for the arctic
campaign is available, and once
away from the railway the army
must depend on roads that are little
better than trails through the freez-
ing wilderness.
Navy Inefficiency Shows Up.
In their naval operations the Rus
slams have displayed that lack OF
efficiency which has long been char
acteristic OF the Russian Navy and
more especially of the Baltic fleet.
To attack the heavily armed fort
ress of Hango by bombardment was
foolish enough; to so employ light
cruiser of the type of the Kirov
was suicidal The reported injuries
to this ship were followed by
second bombardment in which YES
sels reported as "ironclads" took
part, probably the two ancient Rus
sian dreadnaughts Of pre-1914 de-
sign. They appear to have had lit
tie success, and we now hear that
the Russian fleet is seeking a means
to cover a landing of troops else
where on the Finnish coast.
Additional troops can, Of course,
be made available for this purpose,
as they would not be dependent on
the same supply lines as those
operating north and west Of Lenin-
grad, but could use the Esthonian
ports recently handed over to the
Soviets as military bases. There is
nothing reliable as to the where
abouts or activities Of the small
Finnish Navy.
In the air, the Russians started
OF with a rush but do not appear
to have found 1t worth while to
continue their attacks on Helsinki.