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Old 03-12-16, 07:41 AM   #134
Dowly
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12 March 1940 - DAY 104 of Winter War

At 9 o'clock in the morning President Kyösti Kallio puts his signature to a paper giving full powers of negotiation to the Finnish delegation at the Moscow peace talks.

Kallio says on signing: "This is the most awful document I have ever had to sign. May the hand wither which is forced to sign such a paper."

There is fierce fighting on the Isthmus to the northeast and south of Viipuri.

The Red Army breaks through at Kollaa to a depth of approximately one kilometre. Combat Detachment Haini's daily losses total around 100 men.

On the days of fiercest fighting, the enemy is losing over 2,000 men a day.

The Finns decide to abandon the defensive line along the River Kollaanjoki.

Around 50 Soviet tanks drive across the Vuoksi to the mainland, suffering losses under the Finnish artillery fire.

Colonel Hersalo's 21st Division launches a counterattack in Vuosalmi.

The commander of III Army Corps, Major-General Talvela decides to pull back his troops in Vuosalmi on account of the ceasefire negotiations. However, in the evening his troops occupy the support line in the rear.

There is a serious rail accident south of Hämeenlinna between Turenki and Harviala when a military train carrying a transport company is involved in a collision with an express train. All the company's 4 officers and around 30 men are killed, and another 40 are injured in the collision.

Sweden announces its readiness to begin talks with Finland on a possible defensive alliance between the two countries.

Finnish Foreign Minister Väinö Tanner wanted the expression "urgently consider" to be included in the news report of the talks, but Sweden demanded removal of the word "urgently".

The delegations to the Moscow peace talks meet twice in the Kremlin, but there are no changes in the Soviet Union's terms.

The meeting, which begins at 10 p.m., continues on beyond midnight.

The troops defending Viipuri withdraw by midnight to new positions in Patterinmäki.

Daily Finnish losses: 683
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