Evening star., 1940-02-02
Firms Repu|se
1sthnlus Attack
By Chute Army
Tanks and SIedees
Leud Lund Drive
OF Russians

VI NOSSuOUS
PICTURE OF HORRORS in Ger
man Poland painted by exiled
government; hunger, fear, execu-
tions and destruction described in
documents. Page "A
BY the Associated Press.
HELSINKI, Feb. a. Russian
planes were reported by the Finnish
high command today to have
dropped many" patrols by para
chute over Finnish soil, but defense
troops captured or killed the in
vaders.
The new danger from the skies
introduced before by the Russians
but always, the Firms say, without
success-came on the Karelian
Isthmus, where the Russians also
showed another wrinkle of modern
warfare in the use of armored
sledges pushed by tanks.
After battle on the isthmus, far
into the nigil,, however, the high
command said "the enemy was re-
pulsed"
Beaten Back From Islands.
The communique, covering yester-
days fighting, also reported the
Russians beaten back after attacks
against Finnish-held islands In Lake
Ladoga, northeast of the isthmus
front.
In its announcement of the at
tempt to hurdle Finnish defenses
with troops from the air, the high
command said:
During the day enemy planes
dropped many parachutist patrols.
These were partly captured and
partly annihilated."
In the air warfare the army an
nounced that at least five and pos
sibly eight Russian raiders were shot
down yesterday while civilian cas-
ualties among the Firms were "one
killed and some wounded"
The violent Red Army onslaught
on the Karelian Isthmus defenses
broke long-standing quiet.
Answer to Peace Move.
The coincidence between the sud-
den squirt OF Soviet attacks, accom-
panied by widespread air raids, and
the new offer Of Finnish President
Kyosti Kallio yesterday of IAN hon.
orable peace" told Firms what. if
any, was likely to be Moscow's
answer.
Today Helsinki residents sought
bomb shelters again when 10 Russian
planes appeared on the outskirts
Of the capital, but anti-aircraft fire
turned the planes back. The alarm
lasted from ITO to 1:48 pm.
It was announced officially that
bombing activity yesterday was
fairly heavy, with 20 localities, most
ly rural, attacked. Two persons
were killed and seven wounded, it
was said The Firms charged that
civilians frequently were machine
gunned in the raids, which were
mostly in South Finland.
The offensive in Karelia, where
entrenched Firms were reported
holding against the new-style Rus
sian battle tactics, was aimed direct
ly at the seaport of Viipuri, Finlands
second largest city, and pivoted on
attacks in the vicinity of Summa, 20
miles to the south.
Repulses Reported Elsewhere.
A Finnish army communique re-
ported Russian attacks repulsed in
the Petsamo area of the far north,
on the Salla front just abev the
Arctic circle and on the Lake Ladoga
front in the southeast.
For the first time, inhabitants of
Helsinki were reused from their beds
by a night air alarm when the sirens
sent them to shelter five minutes
after midnight today. But no planes
were sighted and the alarm was
ended in 20 minutes.
Several buildings were set afire
in an air raid at Rovaniemi in the
north, however, and bombing at
tacks occurred at Hanko, Kotka
and Turku in the south.
Infantry Follows Barrier.
An Associated Press correspond
ent with the Finnish armies on the
Mannerheim Line said Red Army
infantry charged behind the ad-
vancing tank-sledge barrier on the
isthmus front after six hours of
artillery preparation.
In this new assault, in which l3O
fighting and bombing planes par
ticipated, machine gunners and
riflemen on the sledges protected
the tanks from Finnish grenade
throwerS.
The fighting lasted through the
night, but Finnish officers said the
defense line was intact and that Is
Soviet batteries had been silenced
Finnish artillery was reported also
to have scored direct hits on COL
umns of field cannon, tanks,
armored cars and infantry before
they could reach fighting positions.
Two Russian observation balloons
and one airplane were reported shot
down.
(The Russian communique
early today said Nothing of i'm
portance took place at the front"
h,,< C.,.:~l