By wi With the Finnish Army on the Mannerheim Line, Dec, 21 FPOR the third successive day the great Red army hammered at the middle of the important Finnish defence system on the Karelian front.
Everywhere the Russians were flung back with heavy losses as the Finns tenaciously retained their positions and destroyed and captured more than 100 Soviet tanks.
The air throbbed constantly today with the thunder of plane motors in many aerial battles, At the vital front between Lake Muola and Lake Kauk, the most bitter phase of this critical battle has proceeded for the past three days.
'This afternoon 1 witnessed the most spectacular air fight 1 have seen. in any war. For half an hour, just above our heads, six Finnish planes: engaged 11 Soviet machines, most of Which were bombers. The planes Mashed ard glittered' in the bright sun as they rolled and dived. It was Impossible to determine the casual les, but the Soviet planes disappeared in the direction of Russia, The battle convinced me that the Finns have extremely fast pursuit planes and skilful pitts, 'During the day as I inspected the ines I saw groups of tired men clad in their' White parkas, walking down the road going back for a rest after three days of stubborn fighting.
1 walked down a single file path through the woods in this sector and detected a fire. I discovered it was 39-ton Russian tank, its Interior a blazing Inferno. The air was filled with the sickening stench of burning Nesh, for nine members of the tank's crew had been carbonized inside the Aghting machine, "Yesterday the Russian forces concentrated their heaviest bombardments on the Mannerheim Line since the beginning of the Russo-Finnish war, Despite terrific losses the Soviets were unable to shatter the Finnish defence system, Even now new Finnish lines are being erected behind the original defences. 1 saw 100 men working at the new defences tonight long after dark—United Pres
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