Evening star., 1940-01-14
500Dropped, Some
Near HeIsinki
Legation Of U. S.
BY WADE WERNER.

nnsoSidteu Tiess roielRu SolIeSpoHueHt.
HELSINkI, Jan. 13.-Russian
bombs fell close to the United
States Legation in suburban Gran
kulla today when Red army war
planes engaged in their first raid
of 1910 on Helsinki.
The Grankulla district, where
many foreigners took up temporary
residence after the Soviet invasion,
was jolted severely by the detonat-
ing bombs.
Twelve 300-pound bombs fell in
the Espoo district close by Gran
kulla, but no deaths were reported
there.
In Helsinki, however, two men
and one woman were on a death
list made public late tonight and 20
others. including nine women, were
reported injured from the 40 bombs
rained on the city by the raiders.
A Reuters British news agency
dispatch later said 13 persons were
killed and II wounded in the air
raids today. Five hundred bombs
were reported dropped.
Finnish officials said at least 400
Soviet planes, the same number
that participated in far-ranging
attacks yesterday, took part in to-
days raids throughout Finland.
Perfect Bombing Day.
Helsinki escaped yesterdays raids,
but this was perfect bombing day
with high clouds which permitted
the Soviet flyers to disappear at will
and dodge defensive fire.
In the southwestern part of the
city, however, there was consider
able damage by the incendiary
bombs. At least six houses we're
ruined and one was burned. Hun
dreds of windows were broken. A
church was badly damaged and one
bomb landed 20 feet from a large
hospital.
One foreign correspondent report
ed he saw Soviet bomber blown
to bits at 5000 feet.
Three planes which lodged down
to $500 feet were reported to have
used their machine guns, dropping
a number of 20-kilogram (about "A
pounds) and incendiary bombs at
the same time.
100 Dropped on junction.
More than 100 bombs were
dumped on twice-raided Hyvinkaa.
railroad junction some 80 miles
north of Helsinki The explosives
for the most part fell wide of their
mark, causing only one death. in
juries to 10 persons and some prop
erty damage. Karis. on the Hell
sinki-Turku Railway, also was
raided.
When the sound of the raiding
planes died away Russian broad
casts, apparently emanating from
Moscow, went on the air threatening
HelsinN with complete destruction.
With today's raids. military OBJ
servers drew the conclusion that the
Soviet high command was seizing
every opportunity in favorable bomb
ing weather to strike terror into
Finland's civilian population to Off
set failures on the war front.
Damage Is Slight.
The Finnish high command in a
communique said damage from yes
terday's mass attacks was relatively
slight. Only 2 persons were re-
ported killed and 10 wounded.
The raids were directed chiefly
against Southwest Finland and Fin
nish Notifications on the Karelian
Isthmus.
An enemy attack on Aittajoki, on
the eastern front north of Lake
Ladoga, was repelled. Finnish troops
on all fronts destroyed IL Russian
tanks and armored cars, the
communique added.
Text of Communique.
Following is the text of the Finnish
communique:
"On land-On the isthmus there
was nothing new. On the eastern
frontier, our troops repelled enemy
attacks at Aittajoki Our troops
destroyed during the course of jan
uary II altogether on the various
fronts, IL tanks and armored cars.
"On the sea-on the coast of Lake
Ladoga our batteries opened fire on
certain coastal objectives and trans
port vessels Elsewhere there was
nothing worth mentioning on the
naval front.
I'm the air-on January IL the
enemy again took advantage of fav-
orable flying weather. The number
of enemy machines observed over
Finland during the day was over
400. In spite of the large number
of enemy machines and favorable
weather, the damage done was rela-
lively slight because our anti-air-
craft batteries and fighters COM
(See HELSINKI, Page A-9D