Evening star., 1940-02-21
S8th YEAR. No. 34,994.
Red Planes Raid Swedish Town.
Forty Bombs Reported Dropped;
Firms Repu|se Isthmus Attacks
Seven Russiun Ships
Attack 5 Miles
From Frontier

from FRONTIER
RUMANIA IS REPORTED banning
shipment of aviation oil to Reich;
allies claim victory over Germany
in diplomatic struggle. Page Az
BRITISH PLANES RECONNOITER
Helgoland Blight; German sub
claims sinking of 27,7e5 tons of
shipping. Page AS
BY the Associated Press.
STOCKHOLM, Feb. 21.-Seven
Russian bombing planes today
shpwered between 80 and 40 bombs
on the Swedish frontier village of
Pajala, setting many buildings afire,
but causing no casualties, dispatches
from the border region reported.
Four buildings in Pajala, a vii
1age of 5000 inhabitants 5 miles
from the Finnish frontier, were de-
stroyed and others set af1re by the
raiders, who descended to 5000 feet
before unloading their bomb cargo.
The Stockholm newspaper Alton
bladet said half the town was burn
trg.
Regarded as Accident.
Although the bombing was gen.
orally regarded in Stockholm as
accidental. it added new complica-
tions to Sweden's difficulties over
the matter of aid to Finland.
1t was expected to bring a sharp
protest to Moscow and further stim-
ulate the Swedish "activist" cam
paign for direct military help to the
embattled Firms.
The terrified inhabitants had brief
warning of the approaching planes
from the village of Kengis, which is
closer to the frontier, thus most resi-
dents were able to find refuge. Many
fled to the fields, others crouched
In their homes.
Several bombs fell within 100 feet
of tht Pajala church where some
villagers were huddled.
When the attack ended the Soviet
planes followed the frontier about 20
miles before disappearing over Fin
land.
Center Of Town Bombed.
Accounts attributed to eyewit-
nesses said % explosive bombs fell
near Pajala church, which, however,
was not hurt, while an undetermined
number of incendiary bombs fell in
the center of the village.
Among the buildings hit was an
old hospital from which patients
had been moved recently to a new
building One bomb struck the
gymnasium of a school building and
penetrated to the basement without
exploding.
Pajala's telephone operator, Miss
Astrid Perttu, related that at 1918
pm. she received call from bor-
der station stating that foreign
planes were observed. Half an hour
later a call came from Kengis Viii
lage, near the border. stating that
seven Russian planes were proceed
ing into Swedish territory at high
speed
Il Immediately informed the near
est military commander and then
went to work to inform people and
answer calls" said Miss Perttu.
Stuck to Post.
Although building only 100
yards awav was struck by a bomb
and burned to the ground. Miss
Perttu stuck to her post throughout
the raid.
Pajala is on the Tornea River
near the Swedish Finnish border,
about 100 miles north of Haparanda.
The Swedish government was said
to have ordered an immediate in
vestigation.
The attack on Pajala apparently
was the second violation of neutral
Sweden by Russian bombers. On
January IA ten Red Army planes
appeared over Kallaks Island, in
the Gulf of Bothnia. and dropped
as many bombs. However, no seri-
ous damage resulted Island resi-
dents reported that eight of the
missiles hit offshore ice
Russia, after receiving a strong
Swedish protest. apologized four
days later. although in her con-
fession of violating neutral terri
tory she failed to specify the Kali
laks incident.
At the same time, Moscow ex-
pressed her official regrets to Nor
way.
The latter also accused Soviet
flyers of straying over her terri
tory the same day that Kallaks was
bombed. At that time there was
intensive fighting in the Arctic Pet
samo region, and reports from Kir-
kenes, Norway, just across the bor-
der from Far North Finland, said
that 80 Russian planes had crossed
the border. Anti-aircraft guns drove
them of and no bombs were drop