Helsinki, Feb. 24. deux fierce fighting throughout yesterday all along the front in the Karelian Isthmus, the Russians failed to keep their promise to celebrate the 22nd birthday of the Red Army with a triumphant march into Viipuri, strategic railway junction and the objective of the present Soviet drive.
The Russians, however, are making persistent efforts to find a weak spot through which to force a way to Viipuri.
The Finns are now acquiring quite a large number of serviceable tanks, since those taken from the Russians are now leaving Finnish workshops ready for use. Russian anti-tank guns, now aimed by Finns, are also doing their bit towards preventing the Red Army from breaking through to Viipuri.
A Finnish communique: ciaiiis che Finns repulsed two Russian attacks yesterday between Muolajaervi and Ayrapaanjaervi, "after each of which the Russians left approximately a whole battalion of dead."
A Russian detachment which attacked Syskiemi, across the Ayrapaan lake, is said to have been driven back, losing 800 killed and 100 prisoners. In cleaning up the stronghold captured on Wednesday north of Lake Ladoga, the communique adds, an abundance of war material was captured including twelve guns and' over fifty machine-guns and tractors—Reuter, Finns Hold Ow
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.