Winter War, day by day.

[Jimbuna]

Keep this up Teemu, I read it every day....crackin stuff

[Dowly]

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

Keep this up Teemu, I read it every day....crackin stuff

***

18 February 1940 - DAY 81 of Winter War

Viipuri suffers unprecedentedly ferocious enemy bombing.

The first aircraft appear over the city at 8.45 in the morning.

The air raid continues without a break until evening.

During the course of the day over 200 enemy aircraft are in action over the city.

The old town suffers the worst damage, including the 500-year-old garrison church and the old cathedral containing the grave of the Finnish Lutheran reformer Mikael Agricola.

Numerous medieval buildings are damaged in the bombing.

The electricity and water mains are cut, the newspapers fail to appear, and the last civilians finally leave Karelia's devastated capital.

There is growing pressure from Soviet troops around Viipurinlahti bay, and the defending Finnish troops are forced to evacuate the mainland for the islands on the eastern side of the bay.

The departing Finnish troops set fire to the houses in the municipality of Johannes.

Eastern Isthmus: the enemy launches a massive assault on the Finnish defences in Taipale.

In Kirvesmäki the infantry assault is preceded by a brief preliminary bombardment from the enemy artillery.

The Finnish front line has just been replenished with troops from the 21st Division in their clean snow suits and freshly painted white vehicles. The new arrivals are quickly dubbed the 'porcelain division'.

The artillery bombardment kills the commanding officers of the strongholds, and enemy bombers cripple most of the Finnish machine guns. Soon the whole front line is in enemy hands.

Ladoga Karelia: Finnish troops take the 'regimental motti' formed to the north of Lake Ladoga on February 9. After several unsuccessful attempts, the breakthrough finally came this morning with an assault preceded by a relatively mild preliminary artillery bombardment.

The Finns take charge of a considerable quantity of enemy war material: around 20 assault tanks, 35 pieces of artillery, 25 lorries, 17 tractors, 200 other vehicles and 32 field kitchens.

Also captured is the enemy division's flag embroidered in gold and silver.

Enemy dead number between 1,000 and 1,200 men, in addition to which around 250 are taken prisoner, including two officers and two political instructors.

166 Finnish troops die in the battle, equivalent to 30% of the unit's combat strength.

Karelian Isthmus: Soviet tanks break through the intermediary positions in two places.

Northern Finland: in Kuhmo, around 1,000 enemy troops attack the Kuusijoki line with the support of artillery and assault tanks.

300 Danish volunteer metal workers have arrived in Finland.

France: the leader of the Garibaldi League, General Marabini is assembling a force of Garibaldi legionnaires for Finland.

Daily Finnish Losses: 362

[Dowly]

19 February 1940 - DAY 82 of Winter War

Commander-in-Chief Mannerheim promotes Jaeger Major-General Erik Heinrichs to Lieutenant-General and names him as the new commander of the Army of the Isthmus.

A new I Army Corps is established on the Isthmus under the command of Jaeger Major-General Taavetti Laatikainen.

The commander of Group Talvela, Major-General Paavo Talvela, is appointed commander of III Army Corps. Talvela, too, is a jaeger.

Karelian Isthmus: in Taipale, Finnish troops repulse the strongest enemy assault so far: this particular assault was concentrated on the Terenttilä strongholds. The bodies of 300 Russian soldiers are left lying in the trenches.

The Finns have also suffered heavy losses: between 260 and 290 died yesterday in Kirvesmäki.

The Larkko battalion which had been held in reserve, has lost 41 dead, 57 wounded and 45 missing in action.

A new Soviet division attacks across Lake Suvanto. The defending Finnish troops repel the assault with concentrated artillery fire.

The Soviet division suffers heavy losses on the Suvanto ice, which is black with the bodies of fallen Soviet troops. Between 700 and 1,000 dead enemy soldiers are strewn along the shores and the ice of the lake.

The Finns are forced to withdraw from Revonsaari island.

Further south the troops on the mainland pull back to Koivisto.

The volunteer Danish pilot Count Erhard Frijs is killed over Heinjoki when his Fokker fighter bursts into flames during aerial combat.

100 enemy bombers pound Uuras and Antrea.

King Gustav V of Sweden calls a meeting of the Swedish Government in response to the controversy caused by the visit of Finland's foreign minister, Väinö Tanner.

King Gustav issues a statement confirming Sweden's decision not to help Finland in its struggle against the overwhelmingly superior numerical force of the Soviet invader.

Despite the King's statement, schoolchildren in Linköping decide to publish an appeal for Sweden to help Finland and organize a collection to buy a fighter aircraft for Finland as a gift from the schoolchildren of Sweden.

Hungary: leading performers give a concert in Budapest to raise money for the Finnish Red Cross.

(Click for larger photo)

Finnish heavy artillery firing. Possibly Kenttätykistörykmentti 13 (=field artillery regiment 13).

Daily Finnish Losses: 381

[Schroeder]

That artillery piece looks ancient.

[Dowly]

Originally Posted by Schroeder

That artillery piece looks ancient.

If I am not mistaken that is a 152 K/04-200p (6-inch siege gun m1904) built in 1904 in Russia.

[Dowly]

20 February 1940 - DAY 83 of Winter War

The day begins on the Isthmus with heavy enemy bombing.

Representatives of the Western Allies are negotiating with Mannerheim over possible military aid for Finland.

The Russians maintain the heavy pressure in the Taipale sector.

In Terenttilä they break through the Finnish defences to a depth of 1.5 kilometres.

Intense enemy bombing hampers Finnish countermeasures.

By evening, part of the front line has been retaken in a counterattack.

The situation of the Finnish troops in the intermediary positions on the Isthmus has decisively deteriorated.

In the Mustalampi area, Soviet tanks dragging sled personnel carriers break through the intermediary defences during the night.

By the afternoon the breakthrough extends to a depth of one kilometre.

The defending Finns manage to deal with the enemy infantry, but are unable to destroy the tanks.

About twenty tanks push through the Finnish positions.

One of the reasons for the Finnish failure is a lack of artillery shells. Finnish losses are 74 dead and wounded.

Defence of Viipurinlahti bay is transferred from the navy to the Army of the Isthmus.

Finnish gunners shoot down nine enemy aircraft today.

A detachment of Swedish volunteers, Svenska Frivilligkåren, is attached to the Finnish field army. The volunteers prepare to assume responsibility for the front in the far north, taking over from the Lapland Group.

An ambulance sent by the Swedish Red Cross is working close to the front lines in northern Finland.

In Sweden, the national collection and the women's fighter aircraft fund are both growing rapidly.

Back in Finland, the Martha Organization is opening a service centre for veterans of the front in Helsinki.

Daily Finnish Losses: 364




Patrol in Petsamo.



***

21 February 1940 - DAY 84 of Winter War

Northern Sweden: shortly after noon, at 12.46 p.m., seven Soviet aircraft begin to bomb the Swedish village of Pajala in the Tornedal valley nine kilometres from the Finnish border.

Altogether 34 explosion and 100 incendiary bombs fall in the centre of the densely populated village. A quarter of the village is set ablaze.

Despite the considerable destruction, by some miracle there is no loss of human life. The all-clear is sounded at 12.55.

The Swedish Government presents a stiffly worded protest to the Soviet Union over the incident.

The Soviet forces on the Karelian Isthmus penetrate ever deeper towards Viipuri.

Jaeger Colonel A.E. Martola is placed in command of the Finnish 1st Division.

His predecessor, Jaeger Major-General Taavetti Laatikainen is transferred to command I Army Corps.

Viipuri marshalling yard is the target of incessant enemy bombing. Over 1,000 wagons and a dozen engines are trapped in the yard by the damaged track.

The Russian fire control planes and captive balloons are becoming more and more accurate in directing the enemy artillery.

An artillery casemate in Patoniemi on the western edge of the Taipale sector is destroyed by two direct hits. Over 700 artillery shells explode and two guns are badly damaged. One man is killed and six wounded by flying shrapnel.

Ladoga Karelia: during the course of the morning Finnish troops take the final remnants of the 'regimental motti' to the north of Lake Ladoga.

Northern Finland: the Soviet offensive in Kuhmo runs out of steam.

Karelian Isthmus: the Russian breakthrough in the intermediary position at Mustalampi is halted in a renewed counterattack by a reinforced Finnish brigade.

The Finns lose control of one of the strongholds in the Terenttilä area in Taipale and are unable to retake it.

Finnish Foreign Minister Väinö Tanner gives an account of the exploratory peace talks to the Foreign Affairs Committee of Parliament. The majority view is to grasp the chance of peace even at the cost of heavy sacrifices.

Western Finland: Vaasa Town Court convicts five young men of looting.

Helsinki Town Court hands down fines for infringements of the blackout regulations.

Abroad: the wife of Georg Gripenberg, Finland's diplomatic representative in London, introduces the British Women's Council to the work of Finnish women in defending their country.

Despite the war, US exports to the Soviet Union continue unabated. During the five months to the end of January, 90% of Soviet imports from the USA have been munitions to the value of 35 million dollars.

(Click for larger photo)

Machine-gun position in Saija.

Daily Finnish Losses: 378

***

22 February 1940 - DAY 85 of Winter War

The extremely cold winter has made the Gulf of Finland excellent terrain for mounting an assault on the Finnish coast, the severe frost making the ice thick enough to drive a lorry over.

In the morning, the Russian 43rd Division launches an assault on the Koivisto islands from the mainland.

The islands are lost to the enemy. Before abandoning them, the Finnish garrison destroys the guns and fortifications and then withdraws under cover of a snowstorm across Viipurinlahti bay to Säkkijärvi.

On the Isthmus the enemy assaults on the intermediary defensive positions are successfully repulsed.

Soviet troops take Lasisaari island in Viipurinlahti bay.

The staff of II Army Corps reports it has run out of 37 mm anti-tank shells.

Fresh supplies arrive during the night.

Northern Finland: in Kuhmo, Finnish dugouts are destroyed by direct laying fire from heavy field guns.

Ladoga Karelia: the enemy's 204th Reconnaissance Parachute Brigade is sighted on the front on the coast of Lake Ladoga.

Sweden is afraid that giving military aid to Finland would end up dragging it into a major war.

The Swedish Government's policy on Finland is approved by the first chamber of the Swedish Parliament. The chamber nevertheless urges the Swedish people to give whatever voluntary aid they can to Finland.

The constant enemy bombing on the home front is hampering work in factories and other workplaces.

The Finnish Government decides that the working day may be extended by up to two hours to take account of the time lost due to air raids. It also issues pay guidelines for such a contingency.

Members of the public are urged to buy 1939 government bonds.

There has been an increase in the number of volunteers from the United Kingdom since the British Government announced that men aged 27 or over are free to serve in Finland.

Daily Finnish Losses: 461

[Dowly]

23 February 1940 - DAY 86 of Winter War

The commander of the Army of the Isthmus orders his group commanders to prepare for withdrawal to the backline defensive positions.

A Finnish force in Viipurinlahti bay retakes Lasisaari island, but the general situation forces it to withdraw from the island in the evening and during the night.

The enemy mounts a forceful attack on Petäjäsaari island in Lake Ladoga and takes control of the southern tip of the island for 24 hours.

In the far north, army intelligence reports that the enemy has 23 fighter aircraft and 49 bombers in Petsamo.

In Ladoga Karelia the enemy attacks in Pitkäranta across the entire breadth of the front, but without success.

During the afternoon Foreign Minister Tanner receives a communication from Stockholm containing a precise statement of the Soviet Union's terms for peace.

The terms are a shock, and the shock is further compounded by Sweden's refusal to allow Allied troops to pass through Sweden en route to Finland.

The Soviet Union responds to Sweden's protest over the bombing of Pajala in northern Sweden.

The TASS news agency describes the reports of the bombings by Soviet aircraft as "mendacious and malicious allegations".

In Moscow, the Red Army celebrates its 22nd anniversary with exceptionally little pomp and without the traditional parade through Red Square.

Izvestija, the chief organ of the Soviet Government, praises the achievements of the Soviet forces in the Finnish war by saying that despite the "treachery" of the Finns the Red Army will in the end prevail.

Daily Finnish Losses: 412

[Dowly]

24 February 1940 - DAY 87 of Winter War

Karelian Isthmus: the Finnish 23rd Division takes advantage of a momentary lull in enemy pressure to attempt a counterattack to improve their defensive positions to the east of Lake Näykkijärvi.

The counterattack is launched at 2.30 a.m., but almost immediately breaks down. At daybreak the Finnish troops withdraw to their defensive positions.

Enemy attacks on the intermediary defensive positions are unsuccessful.

In the north, the Finnish guerrillas operating in Salla are suffering from stiffer countermeasures by the Soviet troops in the area.

The independent Company Kojonen pulls off a successful surprise attack on a Red Army logistics centre at Kuusivaara in Salla, causing considerable losses among the Soviet troops.

In Petsamo, a 180-strong enemy ski company attacks Heteoja, bringing to an end a phase of guerrilla activity which had lasted almost two months. They are surrounded by Finnish troops, but half their strength manage to break out.

In Kuhmo, Finnish troops take the Reuhkavaara 'motti'.

Enemy dead total 174. Finnish casualties are three dead and five wounded.

The Finns capture a considerable amount of material, including two tanks, four lorries and over 200 small arms.

Finland's Foreign Minister meets the new British diplomatic representative in Finland, Mr. Vereker, and the military envoy, General Ling, who has just visited General Headquarters in Mikkeli.

According to Vereker, the Allies are ready to send 20,000 soldiers to Finland on March 15.

The exhibition of captured war material in Helsinki Exhibition Hall is a great success. 13,000 people have visited the exhibition during the first week alone.

The foreign ministers of Norway, Denmark and Sweden meet in Copenhagen.

The Nordic countries make a joint decision not to give military assistance to Finland nor to allow foreign troops to pass through their territory. Finland therefore stands alone.

Daily Finnish Losses: 326

[Dowly]

25 February 1940 - DAY 88 of Winter War

Karelian Isthmus: the enemy offensive on the intermediary positions in the Taipale sector and the Central Isthmus is halted by Finnish counterattacks.

A Finnish infantry division is deployed in Vuosalmi.

III Army Corps' focus of operations is shifted to Vuosalmi.

In the north, an enemy company pursuing the Finnish troops which carried out yesterday's surprise attack at Kuusivaara in Salla is destroyed in an ambush.

In Kuhmo, Reuhkavaara 'motti' is finally cleared out by midday.

Scandinavian foreign ministers declare their countries' neutrality and emphasize their commitment to peace.

Daily Finnish Losses: 355

[Dowly]

26 February 1940 - DAY 89 of Winter War

Marshall Timoshenko orders his troops to take Viipuri.

The Soviet force is ordered to surround and totally destroy the city's Finnish defenders.

The plan of attack includes an assault by two army corps across Viipurinlahti bay to encircle the city from the southwest.

Further east the enemy also attacks to the north along the banks of the Vuoksi with another two army corps.

Colonel Oinonen, the new commander of the Finnish 23rd Division, decides to launch a counterattack on the enemy troops which have overrun the Honkaniemi area. The counterattacking force includes a strengthened battalion with its own tanks. H-hour is set for 5.00 a.m.

H-hour has to be put back when the attacking force is unable to establish contact with its own artillery. When contact is finally established about an hour later, part of the preliminary artillery bombardment comes down among the Finnish troops, killing or wounding 30 men.

When the troops on the Isthmus at Lake Näykkijärvi move into battle between 6.15 and 10.00 a.m., a fierce tank battle ensues in the area around Honkaniemi station.

The Finns lose five of the six old Vickers tanks used in the attack.

The attacking troops are finally forced to withdraw to their starting positions.

The Russians bring more men into the area to support the breakthrough.

Two strongholds are initially lost in the Terenttilä area in Taipale, but are retaken in a counterattack.

Eight Finnish aircraft bomb the Lotinanpelto airfield near the mouth of the River Syväri and the Murmansk railway line.

Foreign Minister Tanner arrives in the evening in Stockholm and meets Professor T.M. Kivimäki, who has just returned from a fact-finding mission to Germany and urges acceptance of even harsh peace terms. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs communicates the peace terms to Finland's diplomatic representatives in Paris and London.

80 enemy bombers pound the marshalling yard and the surrounding district in Kouvola, causing a temporary break in traffic to the east and south.

Eastern Finland: British pilots bring 12 Bristol Blenheim bombers directly to Jukajärvi airstrip in Juva.

Abroad: in Stockholm, holders of steel von Döbeln rings bearing the election slogan "Honour - Duty - Will" exchange them for gold rings, the proceeds from the sale to go to help the Finnish cause.

Finland's good will envoys in the United States, the great runners Taisto Mäki and Paavo Nurmi, are today guests of honour at the US indoor championships in New York's Madison Square Garden. Finland's blue and white flags are raised on the flag poles side by side with the Stars and Stripes.

Daily Finnish Losses: 472




Soviet casualties in the "Regimental-motti".



***

27 February 1940 - DAY 90 of Winter War

The Finnish troops have held the intermediary defensive positions on the Isthmus for 12 days. Lieutenant-General Erik Heinrichs, commander of the Army of the Isthmus, orders withdrawal from these positions to begin at 7 o'clock in the evening.

The Finns begin delaying action to cover withdrawal to the backline defences.

Despite the critical situation in the intermediary positions as a result of the enemy breakthrough, the Finnish troops manage to pace their withdrawal successfully. The Soviet force follows behind relatively slowly.

Following the realignment of the front on the western part of the Isthmus, the Finnish 2nd Division is ordered to withdraw to the eastern side of the Vuoksi and defend the Sintolanniemi-Vuosalmi line.

The 2nd Division fighting in Vuosalmi ends its assessment of its present situation: "Today we're okay, tomorrow we'll be really struggling, and the day after tomorrow the 2nd Division will no longer exist unless we get full assistance from III Army Corps."

The 2nd Division is placed under III Army Corps and begins a delaying action in the Vuosalmi sector.

In the far north, enemy air raids on the Finnish positions at Heteoja in Petsamo continue throughout the day.

In the face of an assault by a much larger enemy force, the outnumbered Finns are forced in the evening to withdraw to the west bank of the River Nautsijoki.

Abroad: Finland's Foreign Minister Väinö Tanner is in Stockholm for talks with Swedish Prime Minister P.A. Hansson.

The Swedish Government sticks to its previous position: it will not intervene to help Finland.

Tanner proposes a defensive alliance to halt the Soviet advance. He also meets the Soviet Union's ambassador in Stockholm, Madame Alexandra Kollontai.

The Soviet Union refuses to relax its peace terms.

300 child evacuees arrive in Stockholm from Finland. 3,000 more are expected to arrive soon.

Pope Pius XII donates a signed and sealed prayer on behalf of Finland to the Pro Finlandia auction of books organized by the Bukowski auction house in Stockholm.

Helsinki's Swedish Theatre visits Oslo and receives public acclaim for its performance of J.J. Wecksell's play Daniel Hjort.

After the performance the company are presented with flowers and Director Nyman presents his Finnish colleague with a laurel wreath.

The Norwegian Royal Family and many members of the Government attend the performance, which ends with the singing of the Finnish and Norwegian national anthems.

Daily Finnish Losses: 408




Danish volunteer doctor. (Helsinki)

[Dowly]

28 February 1940 - DAY 91 of Winter War

The Soviet Union launches a massive general offensive.

The Finnish troops on the Karelian Isthmus withdraw from Pulliniemi and Lihaniemi.

During the course of the day Finnish troops beat back three enemy attacks on the Taipale strongholds.

In the north, the Swedish volunteer corps, Svenska Frivilligkåren, takes over responsibility for the front at Märkäjärvi in Salla in the early hours of the morning.

The Defence Union of Finland, Lotta Svärd (the women's voluntary defence organization) and the Central Organisation of Social Democratic Women decide to organize a joint collection of gold rings and other valuables to buy fighter aircraft for the Finnish Air Force.

Foreign Minister Tanner returns from Stockholm. He says Finland has no choice but to accept the Soviet Union's peace terms.

A majority of the Finnish Government are inclined to agree, but nevertheless want first to hear the views of the Commander-in-Chief.

The Western Allies promise to send Finland 10,000 troops in April.

France's diplomatic representative in Helsinki, Monsieur Magny urges Finland to make a formal appeal for assistance.

In Washington, the US House of Representatives approves legislation for a 20 million dollar loan to Finland.

Oy Karl Fazer Ab buys Frans Emil Sillanpää's Nobel Gold Medal, donated by the author to raise money for Finland's defence. The Finnish confectioners pay 100,000 marks for the medal, which they then return to the author.

Daily Finnish losses: 271

[Dowly]

29 February 1940 - DAY 92 of Winter War

Reserve Corporal Korsola, a fighter pilot in the Finnish Air Force, is killed during the course of the morning.

The massive Soviet offensive continues across Viipurinlahti bay to Häränpäänniemi and Vilajoki.

Withdrawal from the intermediary and delaying positions in the Suur-Pero sector disintegrates into panic when enemy tanks get in among the Finnish troops.

The defending force manages to defeat the enemy detachments which have come ashore, but later in the evening Tuppura and Teikari islands are lost to the enemy.

The Finnish Government decides by 17 votes to 3 in favour of opening formal peace talks with the Soviet Union.

In Ladoga Karelia, the eastern Lemetti 'motti', also known as the 'general motti', is captured by 4 o'clock in the morning, giving IV Army Corps its greatest ever haul of captured enemy materiel: 71 tanks, 268 lorries and several lorryloads of guns and shells.

Brigade Commander Kondratiev, the general after whom the 'motti' was named, is killed along with his staff officers in a desperate attempt to break out. The enemy loses around 3,000 men altogether.

Reserve Second Lieutenant Nyrki Tapiovaara is killed leading a reconnaissance patrol on the Kollaa front. The 28-year-old Tapiovaara, a film director in civilian life, leaves behind an uncompleted film based on F.E. Sillanpää's novel Miehen tie (A Man's Way).

In northern Finland, a fierce artillery bombardment heralds the launch of the third attempt by Soviet troops to come to the aid of the surrounded 54th Division at Kilpelänkangas in Kuhmo.

In just the couple of hours before noon the enemy pounds the Finnish positions with around 3,000 shells.

The Finnish 7th Division, fighting in Taipale, has lost around 100 men a day. More than half these losses have come in February.

15 Finnish and 36 Russian fighters engage in a dogfight in the skies above Ruokolahti on the southeast edge of Lake Saimaa.

The battle lasts a little under half an hour. Several of the Finnish aircraft are damaged, and seven shot down. Lieutenants Huhanantti, Halme and Kristensen, the latter a Danish volunteer, are killed, and three other pilots are wounded.

There is heavy enemy bombing on the home front, in Turku, Haapamäki, Savonlinna and Kouvola. 132 bombers are counted in the skies above Kouvola.

Finland sends a note to the League of Nations over the Soviet Union's military action against Finland's civilian population.

Daily Finnish losses: 322

[Dowly]

1 March 1940 - DAY 93 of Winter War

The Soviet force on the Isthmus follows closely behind the Finnish troops withdrawing to the backline positions and carries out a number of assaults on the delaying positions.

Soviet tanks dragging sled personnel carriers overtake the Finnish troops withdrawing to the delaying positions to the west of Perojoki.

The vanguard of the Russian tanks breaks through to Ukonmäki near the main road from Viipuri to Tali.

The enemy is also attacking along the Heinjoki-Lyykylä road and to the south of Viipuri.

In Vuosalmi, a Soviet detachment of approximately battalion strength attacking the church hill at Äyräpää is beaten back by the defending Finnish troops.

In Taipale, the command dugout in the Terenttilä sector receives a direct hit; 2 officers and 11 men are killed and a further 6 soldiers are seriously wounded.

In northern Finland, Lieutenant-Colonel Magnus Dyrssen is killed by enemy shelling. Dyrssen was commander of the Swedish volunteer battalion, Stridsgruppen SFK, which had just taken over responsibility for the front in Salla.

The fighting in Viipurinlahti bay leads to the establishment of a Coastal Group commanded by Jaeger Major-General K.M. Wallenius from the Lapland Group.

The Western Allies announce they are ready to send 50,000 troops and aircraft to Finland if they receive an official request for help before the 5th of March.

Finland delays its response to the peace terms put forward by the Soviet Union.

Foreign Minister Tanner gives an interview to the Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter.

In his interview, Tanner underlines the urgent need for foreign aid, while also stressing Finland's willingness to seek peace through dialogue.

Finland's civil defence chief, Lieutenant-General Sihvo urges the general public to avoid going into the towns if at all possible.

In Sweden, a collection of gold rings has raised 1,500 rings.

Daily Finnish losses: 269




Mother and child taking cover in a forest during an air raid. (Heinola)

[Dowly]

2 March 1940 - DAY 94 of Winter War

Three Soviet divisions launch a massive general offensive.

The fiercest fighting is on the Karelian Isthmus, at Käremäenlahti to the south of Viipuri and in the Lyykylä sector east of the city. The Finns are forced to withdraw from the frontline strongholds.

Enemy strikes towards the islands of Tuppuransaari and Teikarsaari are supported by a massive artillery bombardment. A Finnish counterattack around midday is unsuccessful and Tuppuransaari runs out of ammunition. Both islands are lost to the enemy.

The enemy also manages to reach land on the western shore of Viipurinlahti bay.

In Ladoga Karelia, the Soviet artillery in Kollaa begins an intensive bombardment at 6.30 in the morning, followed by an assault with two divisions across the entire breadth of the Finnish positions.

Finnish reconnaissance planes have in the past couple of days observed firing stations for approximately 50 enemy artillery batteries in the centre of the Kollaa front. During the course of the day the enemy artillery in Kollaa fires about 30,000 rounds, against less than 1,000 on the Finnish side.

Despite the enemy's massive numerical superiority, the fighting becomes bogged down in trench warfare with very heavy casualties on both sides.

The enemy artillery at times reaches a rate of 200 rounds a minute.

Despite the extremely difficult conditions and the pounding it has taken from the air due to the Soviet Union's aerial superiority, the Finnish defence nevertheless holds firm.

The Russians also launch assaults with artillery and tank support on the River Aittojoki.

The Russian assaults are repulsed.

In the north, the Finns defending the Kuusijoki line in Kuhmo are unable to withstand the Russian assault.

The assault was preceded by an artillery bombardment of around 3,000 rounds.

In Salla, nine members of a company of Swedish volunteers are killed when the company is surrounded by the Russians. The enemy loses 200 of its own men.

In Ladoga Karelia, an enemy ski battalion is wiped out between Mustalampi and Lavajärvi.

Tampere is bombed by over a hundred enemy aircraft, including some fighters.

Over 70 buildings are destroyed by Soviet bombers in Lahti.

Foreign Minister Tanner explains to the Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee why the Government has postponed acceptance of the Soviet Union's peace terms.

Sweden's Foreign Minister Christian Günther delays passing on Finland's answer to Moscow.

The Allies ask the Norwegian and Swedish Governments to allow their troops to pass through Norway and Sweden en route to Finland.

Norway and Sweden refuse permission.

A battalion of Hungarian volunteers arrives in Finland.

The office of the Canadian Prime Minister announces there are no legal obstacles to Canadian volunteers participating in the war in Finland. The first batch of volunteers board ship in Ottawa en route for Finland.

Daily Finnish losses: 523




Firefighter at work in Lappeenranta after an air raid.

[Dowly]

3 March 1940 - DAY 95 of Winter War

General Headquarters and the staff of the Army of the Isthmus are following the fighting in Viipurinlahti bay with growing concern.

The situation on the Finnish side is steadily deteriorating.

The Commander-in-Chief removes Major-General K.M. Wallenius from command of the Coastal Group, replacing him with Jaeger Lieutenant-General Lennart Oesch.

In Kuhmo, the Finns have taken part of the great 'motti' at Luelahti.

General Headquarters in Mikkeli orders the staff of the Army of the Isthmus to plan withdrawal to the Virolahti-Kivijärvi-Saimaa-Hiitola line.

Soviet troops take the island of Uuras in Viipurinlahti bay.

The Soviet troops on the Vuoksi throw almost three divisions into an offensive across a broad front in the Vuosalmi and Kaskiselkä sectors. The defending Finnish troops successfully halt the offensive with the support of artillery fire.

Detachment Alfthan is on the way to Lavajärvi, having been ordered today to destroy the Soviet troops which have advanced into the area.

The home front is once again pounded by enemy bombers: today it's the turn of Lappeenranta and Lahti; in Lahti an enemy vehicle depot is destroyed.

Foreign Minister Tanner telephones his Swedish colleague, Christian Günther. Finland is ready to open peace talks if the Soviet Union will drop its demand for cession of Viipuri and Sortavala.

Tanner attempts once again to propose a defensive alliance with Sweden.

However, Foreign Minister Günther does not consider this a realistic option.

Daily Finnish losse: 598