Evening star., 1941-08-11
Firms and Russians
Use Only Long-Range
Guns on Hango Front
Reds, on Defensive. Are
Surrounded on ; Sides
By Enemy Territory
Ry LOUIS P. LOCHNER.

Associated Press War Correspondent.
WITH THE FINNISH ARMY on
THE HANGO FRONT, Aug. IL
Only long-range guns now are
speaking on Finlands Hango front.
Some 90 miles southwest of Hell
sinki, sticking out like sore thumb,
is that wooded peninsula of Hango,
comprising some 20 square miles
ceded as naval and air base to
Russia at the end of the winter
war of 1939-40 Some 10000 Rus
sian troops are believed stationed
there.
The Firms and the Russians get
each other only by long-range
coastal artillery, for the Russian
airdrome was destroyed by lombard
ment, the Firms claimed, soon after
the outbreak of hostilities and only
few seaplane remain for scouting
but apparently not for bombing.
Russians on Defensive.
The Russians are on the defen-
sive, being surrounded on three sides
either by the Finnish mainland or
by small islands in Finnish hands
Yet they attempt landings from
time to time on Finnish soil.
Only quite recently on two differ
ent nights about 1000 Russians
tried to sneak up to Bramarv. an
other promontory 4 miles away, in
small boats. The Firms, however,
warded of both attacks and said
they believed only a few Russians
returned alive to Hango.
Parachutists too have ceased to
be a menace to Finland's mainland
in these parts. So long as the air
port on Hango was intact, isolated
groups OF them would descend on
Finnish soil. Firms said that in
every case they were mopped up
before doing much damage.
Finnish men and the Lottas
(womens auxiliary maintain con-
slant vigil on this front. They stand
many hours on observation towers
scanning the horizon for possible
Russian flyers and especially for
incendiary bombs.
AFtlilefy position Hidden.
We were shown an artillery posi-
ton only / mile from several little
island of Hango assigned to Rus
sia which we couldn't detect even
100 feet away.
In another place, slightly camou-
f1aged to look real, a fake gun of
papier-mache had been mounted,
its barrel protruding just far enough
so it would show on photographs
OF Russian air scouters.
Heavy shelling indicated the Rus
slams had fallen for the ruse.
Another time just as l was climb
ing the ladder of an observation
tower an 8-inch gun doomed quite
near me with report which nearly
threw me off the ladder. 1t had
been fired from position which
l passed only a few moments before
without noticing that heavy artillery
was hidden there.
Reaching the top of this tower
saw what the Firms were after:
Two seaplanes were riding at anchor
about miles away.
Two Russian scout planes hove
into sight. evidently trying to de-
termine where the shooting came
from.
Other shots barely missed the
mark, but the Russians avoke 10
the danger and took their planes
out of sight. E ..-
Through our glasses We clearly
saw the water tower and church
of Hango and large complex OF
new buildings which, according TO
the Firms, house a Russian mum
tions factory.
why don't you lombard these?'
they were asked
I'm due time we'll have the Hango
Peninsula back, anyway" was the
reply, so why destroy anything?
The Russians are bottled up and
can't get out, now that Germany
holds the Estonian coast. We can
afford to wait till Hango falls into
our lap like a ripe apple"