The Fighting in Finland
During the last few days the principal military news from Finland has not been about the great battle on the Manner- heim line, but from the secondary spheres of war where the Russians continue to suffer defeat. At the end of last week a Russian force of three battalions was reported to have been completely destroyed in the Kulcmo sector near the Finnish waist-line. More recently, north-east of Lake Ladoga, where the 18th Division was annihilated, another Russian Division, the 164th, is reported to be surrounded. Earlier in the war these astonishing feats of arms would have been hailed as grave reverses for the Soviet armies. But today we know that successes by the Finns on any other front can be of no avail unless the Mannerheim line is held. The lull in the violent assault should not be taken to mean that the main Russian offensive on these positions is spent. In the threatened sector on their right, which bore the brunt of the most intensive artillery fire and the most determined infantry attacks, the Finns fell back in good order to new positions in their rear, probably leaving between themselves and the enemy at least a mile or two of smashed up, track- less territory. The kind of attack which the Russians are attempting on the Mannerheim line cannot be made without heavy preparatory and supporting bombardment, and to move up the heavy guns with ammunition over this sort of country is a job which cannot be done in a day or two. If the Russians have adequate reserves of ammunition it is probable that they are preparing for the renewed attack. In the meantime the Finns have at least had some rest, though they must be pitifully short of fresh men to take their place. Fortunately blizzards are beginning.
