Salt Lake Telegram | 1940-02-07 | Page 1 | 1800 Russians Slain in Battles

1800 Russians Slain in Battles Red Forces Continue Ceaseless Assault HELSINKI Feb. 7 'INS) Six more attacks on Finland's Man-nerhelm Man-nerhelm line, with the Russians throwing every form of winter fighting equipment into the fray, were beaten off today, according to an official Finnish announcement. announce-ment. In fighting on other fronts In the last few days, 1800 more Russians Rus-sians were killed, said the communique. com-munique. Although unable to crack the Mannerhelm after a ceaseless assault as-sault now in Ita eighth day, the Russians hurled wave after wave of troops against the fortifications on the Karelian isthmus, unleashing unleash-ing one swarm of troops the moment mo-ment the previous one was repelled. re-pelled. "Continued attacks between Hal-Jalhdenjaervl Hal-Jalhdenjaervl and Summa, on the Karelian isthmus, failed," the bulletin bul-letin said. "Four attacks were repulsed. Attempts At-tempts to transport infantry In armored sledges pulled by tanks (CaatlnuH on P.r. Two) (Column rtv 1800 RUSSIANS REPORTED SLAIN (Costlnuai Tnm Pass 0n failed. Twenty tanks were destroyed de-stroyed or put out of action. "The enemy was twice repulsed at Punnusjokl. Elsewhere on the Isthmus action was mainly confined con-fined to artillery. "An enemy skiing battalion was completely scattered on the eastern east-ern front. Three hundred were killed and two tanks destroyed. "Fighting continues In the direction direc-tion of Kuhmo, where 1500 enemy soldiers have been killed In the six-day battle. The Finnish air force reeon-noHered reeon-noHered " and made defensive ' flights. "Six enemy airplanes and a barrage bar-rage balloon were shot down, It was confirmed. "Enemy aerial activity was confined con-fined to raids on a few front lines. There were no bombing attacks at-tacks worthy of mention." The attacks on the Mannerhelm line produced some of the heaviest heav-iest fighting of the conflict Military authorities in Helsinki claimed that the soviet attacks, supported by bombing planes and terrific artillery barrages, were being be-ing thrown back by the Finns. They said the Russians were keeping up the assaults day and night in the hope of exhausting the defenders. defend-ers. (An official soviet war communique commu-nique Issued In Moscow made no mention of the fighting on the Mannerhelm line In the Karelian isthmus. It merely stated that there were "encounters between small miantry aeiacnmenis norm of Lake Ladoga" and that Russian planes carried out reconnaissance flights.) The fighting for possession of the Finnish-held village of Summa raged along a ten-mile front as the Soviets pounded the sector from two directions, supported by 150 tanks. Reports from the battle zone said that five separate soviet infantry in-fantry attacks were repulsed in severe fighting that followed a long Russian artillery barrage. The Russians suffered heavy losses in men and at least 33 tanks were destroyed. Likewise the Russians maintained main-tained their pressure on the other fronts, including the area northeast north-east of Lake Ladoga, where they repeatedly assailed the Finnish flank positions on the shores of the lake and In the island fortresses. fort-resses. These attacks were turned back and hundreds of Russians were killed by Finns, who drove forward to harass the Russian communication lines.