Evening star., 1942-05-08
Ndzi Offensive
From Finland
Halted, RedsSay
Enemy Losses Heavy
On koreIion Front,
Russians Declare
D, the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
MOSCOW, May ga German
spring offensive intended tc
smash across the Soviet Kare-
liam frontier from Finland at
three points has been repulsed
battle front dispatches reported
today.
A dispatch to Pravda from the
state border" said the Germans
withdrew from Russian territory
with heavy losses.
This was the second enemy at
tempt to drive into this sector of
Karelia. In the first. near the out
break OF the war, a Finnish bat
talon of 1900 men, supported by
two German companies, crossed the
frontier in the same general region,
but were driven back to Finland by
a Russian counterattack.
Pravda said the sector remained
relatively quiet throughout the
winter. The new thrust, Pravda
said. apparently was left entirely to
German troops.
Specific Location Withheld.
The Communist party paper said
the Nazis sprung their new assault
last month.
The specific location of the battle
on the long Karelian border was not
disclosed. The terrain was described,
however. as covered with swamps,
lakes and hills, apparently in the
we'll northern tundra.
Three German battalions reported
to have penetrated across the from
tier were hurled back onto Finnish
soil within a short time after they
entered Russian territory, the dis
patch to Pravda said:
Thus. ingloriously, ended this
spring visit in which they placed
great hopes" Pravda's correspondent
wrote.
Russians Move Forward.
Red Star reported that generally
along the Karelian front Russian
troops were moving forward steadily.
Germany is pressing futile aerial
offensive against Russia's far north
ern rail and water communications
in an attempt to isolate the Soviet
Union from the outside world, Red
Star said, and communique de-
clared that 500 Nazis had been
wiped out in the northwest.
For six weeks, the newspaper said,
the reinforced German northern
squadrons had executed repeated
raids, but the effects have been
slight, and "a enemy planes have
been destroyed or damaged over
Murmansk alone.
The Russian air force is striking
back heavily and has forced the
Germans to shift their northern air
bases to more remote regions in
Norway and Finland, Red Star said.
Passengers Arrive From Murmansk.
Failure of the German offensive
was evidenced by the arrival this
week in Moscow Of several passen-
gers from the ice-free Arctic port
Of Murmansk.
(The German communique said
Nazi and Finnish troops had
annihilated an encircled enemy
unit in Lapland after several
days of bitten fighting, killing
1,400. Other Russian forces were
reported smashed on the Muir
mansk front, the Official German
account said)
Red Star said IA raids were car
ried out against five German air
ports in the north last month and
that the bombings were continuing
In the last two days 43 German
planes were estimated as destroyed
in the northern fighting alone.
United States and British supplies
have been flowing in increasing
quantity into Murmansk in recent
weeks.
German air squadrons are COM
nanded by Col. Gen. Hans Juergen
Stumpff, who most recently was re-
ported in charge of Air Fleet No :
stationed in Norway, the Neither
lands and Denmark.
Concentrating on Rail Lines.
The Nazi flyers we're reported
concentrating on railway lines
bridges, stations and trains. They
usually fly in groups of 20 bomber,
protected by ow-fying fighters op'
Grating at between 600 and l,20C
feet The bombers fly at between
5000 and 5000 feet. dropping 1000
pound bombs, many of them de.
layed-action types.
Red Army units operating or
northwestern front sectors have
wiped out 500 Germans in two days
fighting and captured booty sucl
as field guns. "a mortars and 5.
machine guns, the Soviet Informa
ton Bureau said.
A Nazi counterattack on the ad
tacent Kalinin front was repulsec
and the enemy left more than l0'
BODIES on the battlefield" the mid
day communique reported.
Following up an announcement
yesterday that a wedge had beer
driven between two invasion armie
before ns-besieged Leningrad. thu
Moscow radio said the winter cam
paign had enabled the Russian Arm,
Ito make disposition for full devel
opment of its own offensive"
Spring is more likely to witnes
general offensive by the United
States, Britain and the Soviet Un
ion on all fronts rather than an,
particular German offensive"
said.