Evening star., 1940-03-14

"a 10 Russia.
the Russians broke up their care
full range, shells went wide and ma
chine guns had q limited target
area. Thus the forts were soon
comparatively useless.
The worst breakup of these forts
in this manner was at Summa Tues
day, January 16, when I was at the
battle of Summa road.
Not ShelIed So Strongly.
AS the forts at Summa were USE
less the Russians found that they
need not be so strongly shelled, so
they advanced and the Films had to
fight doubly hard In this Summa
area. which was the quickest en-
trance point to Viipuri. And this
told on the Finnish soldiers, bring
ing us to point 2. .,..,
Fighting their hardest to prevent
the Russians from advancing any
further than Summa, the Firms
lost the most men of any single
battle as the Russians came time
and time again along the Sumtna
road. The Finnish Army command
ers had to withdraw their best, but
tired, troops and replace them with
foreign volunteers, the only available
reserves, who had not seen any fight
ing before, but were fresh and well
fed.
Whether by good information
service or luck, the Russians sud-
denly made their strongest attack
along the Summa road on February
10. pouring over q super-artillery
barrage as a prelude.
Untried Troops Chased.
In less than no time volunteer
replacements lost a large number
of their ofhcers. who had no con-
ception of what to do under such
tremendous fire. Following the bar
rage came the best and most fit
Russian fighters ever used on the
isthmus, slashing their way forward.
They cut their way through these
untried troops. Some of these In
experienced soldiers, now UNDER
omcered in their first fighting with
Russians, the equal of which the
Films had never met, just folded
up and turned and ran, chased by
Russian tanks. And those dugouts,
where had stayed the week before,
were now occupied by the oncoming
Soviet troops.
The Firms rushed up their cavalry
(Tavast Light Horse to hold the
line. I knew these men personally;
had 1unched with their 1t. Col.
Aka Wahren. But this cavalry
regiment, too, was wiped out by
the Russians, who did not stop at
the dugouts, but kept coming on
to Naykki and Kamara Villages
within easy walking distance of
Viipuri.
The Finns' tired men were called
back and with what was left Of the
routed volunteers were thrown in to
hold the Russians. But the Firms,
for the first time, lost their conf
dence.
Discouraged, they fought as though
their backs were against wall, and
gradually the Russians pushed them
back until the Firms were in the
last line Of defense.
Struck ut Right Moment.
And this leads to point 3-The
Russians best divisions well-timed,
well-placed; attack by the three
crack Red Army divisions made the
break-through at Summa. The
Tooth, l03d and 10th divisions Of
the Red Army were divisions COM
posed Of young, flrst-line Russians
trained carefully In guerrilla fight
ing, with crack ski patrols and tanks
which got places-the right places.
Stated by three of the best Red
Army divisional commanders, who
knew what they were doing and
were on the spot, they struck at the
right moment and went into their
advance with al the caginess and
cunning of the Films. They used
the quick attack, withdraw and re-
attack method, utilizing the terrain
to their best advantage.
And this against untried troops.
This was the most fortunate moment
for the Soviet troops and the most
unfortunate for the Firms, and once
they had begun to advance the Rus
slams took some stopping. They for
once used the woods and left their
tanks to chase the retreating COL
umns while they went ahead to
tackle the rear Of the Finnish line.
The outpointed and outfought
anything they met until they, faced
the Finns again, who dug In st their
new defense line.
These three factors together are
the realpn for the break In the line.