Helsinki, Dec. 20.
On the Eastern front Finnish troops advanced towards Salla and succeeded in capturing three tanks, one artillery gun, several machine-guns, thirty lorries and a considerable amount of ammunition.
On the Northern front, Finnish troops were still in possession of Kornettijaervi this evening.
Soviet naval and air units launched severe attacks against Koivisto, on the Northern coast. Coastal batteries managed to repel the attackers.
As for air operations December 19 was the most active day since the beginning of the war, the communique said.
Since early morning Soviet planes staged several attacks in the Karelian Isthmus and the region north of Lake Ladoga but despite these heavy attacks, Finnish losses were significant, Besides raids on positions at the front, several attacks were staged in the interior. Soviet planes bombed Turku, Sartavala, the neighbourhood of Helsinki, and also the Hangoe Islands and peninsula, killing and injuring a great number of civilians and setting fire to many buildings.
It is estimated that no less than 200 Soviet planes flew over Finnish territory during the day.
Finland's air force was engaged in severe combat with the enemy squadrons, especially over the Karelion Isthmus.
It has been ascertained definitely that 14 Soviet planes were destroyed in the fights, these being mostly bombers.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.