Salt Lake Telegram | 1939-12-18 | Page 1 | Finns Claim Most Cital Victory over Russians

, Finns Claim Most Vital Victory Over Russians Drive Invaders Back Across Taipale River and .Relieve Pressure on Mannerheim Line By WEBB MILLER WITH FINNISH ARMIES ON THE KARELIAN ISTHMUS, Dec. 18 (UP) Finnish troop scored their most important gain in the battle of the Mannerheim line today when they drove Russian force back across the Taipale river. ' In the early days of the Russian Invasion red army units occupied a sharp bend on the Taipale river between Lake Ladoga and Lake Suvsnto. But In fighting today, which followed unsuccessful efforts ef-forts of the Russians to advance. the Finns, by enfilading crossfire from the east and west, drove the red army back and relieved intense in-tense pressure on their own forces at the mouth of the Taipale river on Lake Ladoga. Finnish commanders said that iCoatlauoS on Pai Two) tColuau BishD FINNS REPORT I VITALVIOTORY (Cotlnud tnm Fsc Ona) their iucc In throwlnf th Ru-lam Ru-lam back had flven them their moit Important victory In thii sector of the Karelian front Finnish commanders at the mouth of the Talpala told me that the Russians had been in a death trap ever slnc they occupied the bend in the river. The Russians made repeated efforts to get out of the trap by advancing against the Finns. .In at least one assault on the Finnish lines the Russians used 50 Units, the largest concentration con-centration of tanks employed in any battle thus far. With the' Finnish successes of today the Russian offensive in this sector appears to have spent Itself unless the red army has massed large numbers of reserves in the rear for a quick renewal of the assaults on the Finnish positions., The battle of the Mannerhelm lint had been regarded as "crucial" by the Finns and in comparative importance they called it their Verdun. Again snd again Russians hurled waves of attackrTigalnsl Fliintsli defenders. The Russian attack. Finnish commanders believed, was designed to enable them to Hip around the left side of the Man-nerheim Man-nerheim system of defenses, which the Soviets have discovered cannot be smashed by frontal assaults. These assaults were supported by withering artillery fire in what military experts said was hope of slaughtering the Finns and pushing push-ing them back by the aheer weight of tanks, men and metal. The Finns said that the Russian assaults had been thrown back with heavy losses to the red army. The Finns claimed, too, that even in the face of repeated setbacks the Russians were under increasing increas-ing pressure to advance. The Finns said that every Rus-sian Rus-sian attack had failed