11 March 1940 - DAY 103 of Winter War
The Soviet troops in the centre of the Karelian Isthmus launch an offensive across the Vuoksi with supporting artillery and other fire.
The Finnish press publishes a bulletin from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs telling the public for the first time of the peace talks being conducted in Moscow.
The Finnish Government is ready to accept the Soviet Union's peace terms.
Thirteen members of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Finnish Parliament vote in favour of accepting the peace terms, while four vote against acceptance. Those who voted against were Kaarlo Kares of the Patriotic People's Movement, Urho Kekkonen and Kalle Kämäräinen of the Agrarian Party and Ville Komu of the Social Democratic Party.
News of the Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee's readiness to accept the Soviet Union's terms leaks into the Swedish evening papers.
The fighting continues with the Soviet troops fiercely attacking the Finnish defences in Viipuri.
The enemy breaks through into the suburbs of Viipuri.
By early evening the vanguard of five enemy tanks has reached Tammisuo station to the northeast of the city. Three of the tanks are subsequently destroyed.
At 2.45 p.m. the enemy achieve a 500 metre breakthrough to the northwest of Vasikkasaari, but the defending Finnish troops manage to contain it.
During the night, the Finnish troops in Vuosalmi withdraw from Vitsaari after heavy fighting.
Troops from the Coastal Group withdraw to new positions at Vilajoki.
In the vicinity of Tali-Portinhoikka, Red Army tanks support a breakthrough into the area around the Portinhoikka crossroads.
The defending Finnish regiment has suffered enormous losses and is utterly exhausted.
In Kollaa, the 69th Infantry Regiment just doesn't have the strength left to retake the advance strongholds.
Staff Sergeant Diego Manzochi, an Italian volunteer in the Finnish Air Force attached to Squadron 26, is killed in a forced landing in Iitti, to the west of Kouvola, caused probably by his plane running out of fuel. Manzochi had flown his own Fiat fighter to Finland back in December.
The Finnish delegation to the Moscow peace talks meets for the third time in the Kremlin at 6 p.m. today.
The news leaked to the Swedish press has already reached Moscow; the Soviet Union sees no reason to soften its stance.
(Click for larger photo)
Finnish Coastal Defence Ship
Ilmarinen.
Daily Finnish losses: 684