FRAGMENTS OF 4 DIVISIONS FLEE FINNS IN LADOGA AREA; SOVIET DEAD PUT AT 5,000 (1/28/40)

Microfiche-New York Times archives, McHenry Library, U.C. Santa Cruz | 1/28/40 | Raymond Daniell

[Homer_J_Simpson]

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[Homer_J_Simpson]

Free Republic University, Department of History presents World War II Plus 70 Years: Seminar and Discussion Forum
First session: September 1, 2009. Last date to add: September 2, 2015.
Reading assignment: New York Times articles delivered daily to students on the 70th anniversary of original publication date. (Previously posted articles can be found by searching on keyword “realtime” Or view Homer’s posting history .)
To add this class to or drop it from your schedule notify Admissions and Records (Attn: Homer_J_Simpson) by freepmail. Those on the Realtime +/- 70 Years ping list are automatically enrolled. Course description, prerequisites and tuition information is available at the bottom of Homer’s profile.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Big Drive Broken – 2-3
The International Situation – 3
British Offensive Seen by Churchill – 4
Brazil Opens Immigration For Americas’ Nationals – 4
Excerpts From Churchill’s Manchester Speech – 5
Incidents in European Conflict – 6
Twenty News Questions (From News of the Week in Review) – 7
Answers to Twenty News Questions - 8

[abb]

http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1940/jan40/f28jan40.htm

Soviet moves distract Finn offensive
Sunday, January 28, 1940 www.onwar.com

The Winter War... The Finnish 9th Division attacks the Soviet 54th Division near Kuhmo and succeeds in splitting the Soviet force into three separate groups. The Finns are not able to press their attacks home. They are further distracted by relief attempts by the Soviet 23rd Division.

In Britain... The Director of Censorship permits newspapers to belatedly reveal details of Britain’s coldest winter since 1894. The Thames River ad the Southampton Docks were frozen and temperatures of -18° C (-33° F) were recorded at Buxton (Derbys).

[abb]

http://worldwar2daybyday.blogspot.com/2010/01/day-150-january-28-1940.html

Day 150 January 28, 1940
Finland. Soviet shelling of Finnish defensive positions on the Karelian Isthmus continues, with increasing intensity. Fort Poppius and Million Fort in the Lähde sector near Summa are badly damaged by the bombardment, leading to defensive weakness in the Mannerheim Line. On the North shore of Lake Lagoda, Finns destroy the Pieni-Kelivaara motti in one day, capturing 2 field guns, 2 antitank guns, 9 mortars, 9 machineguns and 100 rifles. Dug in Soviet troops in the nearby West Lemetti motti resist a similar attack, leading to new tactics to gradually reduce mottis.

German submarines sink 2 neutral Greek ships. At 2.52 AM 100 miles West of Brest, steam merchant SS Eleni Stathatou is hit but not sunk by a torpedo from U-34. Having only one torpedo left, U-34 waits for Eleni Stathatou to sink. When she starts moving again, U-34 sinks her at 4.21 with the last torpedo (12 lives lost).
http://www.uboat.net/allies/merchants/ships/217.html

At 8 PM 200 miles off Portugal, U-44 sinks coal carrier SS Flora with one torpedo (all 25 hands lost).
http://www.uboat.net/allies/merchants/ships/218.html

[abb]

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/month/thismonth/28.htm

January 28th, 1940

UNITED KINGDOM: Destroyer HMS Lively launched. (Dave Shirlaw)
FINLAND: The Finnish army drives a wedge into the Soviet 54th Division at Kuhmo.

U.S.S.R.: Soviet submarine M-120 laid down. (Dave Shirlaw)

GIBRALTAR: The U.S. freighter SS Sarcoxic is detained temporarily at Gibraltar for several hours by British authorities; the freighter SS Waban, bound for Italy and Greece, is also held there briefly but is allowed to proceed after one item of cargo is seized as contraband and 34 detained for investigation. (Jack McKillop)

ATLANTIC OCEAN: SS Eston, a straggler from Convoy FN-81, struck a mine laid by U-22 on 20 Dec 1939 and sunk near Blyth. The master and 17 crewmembers were lost. (Dave Shirlaw)

At 0421, the unescorted SS Eleni Stathatou was torpedoed and sunk by U-34 about 200 miles west of the Scilly Isles.

SS Flora was last seen in The Downs and was reported missing thereafter. At 2000, U-44 reported the sinking of a steamer west of Figuera la Foz. This must have been the Flora. (Dave Shirlaw)

[agere_contra]

Thanks for posting these. Finland’s battle against its mighty neighbor is an episode that should never be forgotten.

[agrace]

Please add me to your list, thanks.

[CougarGA7]

One small item for today that we may see more on around March is the Battle of Wuyuan. Today 26 Japanese divisions launched an attack on Wuyuan and will have captured the area by the 3rd of February. We will see though that they will not hold the area for long.

[atomic_dog]

Indeed, it is disappointing that Americans are unfamiliar with the Finnish battle against Soviet invasion and tyranny. It is inspiring and worthy of retelling.

[CougarGA7]

Day 60 of the Winter War, January 28, 1940

We extend our heartiest congratulations to K.J. Ståhlberg, independent Finland's first President, who is 75 years old today.
Photo: SA-KUVA

Finns take 'motti' at Kelivaara

• We extend our heartiest congratulations to K.J. Ståhlberg, independent Finland's first President, who is 75 years old today.

• Karelian Isthmus: a reconnaissance patrol from the Finnish 1st Division has returned from a successful two-day mission along the railway line to Raivola and back along the frozen Gulf of Finland.

• Ladoga Karelia: Detachment Pajari repulses the Soviet offensive on the River Aittojoki.

• During the afternoon, the Soviet troops in Vieksinki voluntarily withdraw from the village, leaving behind over 200 fallen comrades.

• The Finns take the Kelivaara 'motti'.

• The assault on West Lemetti 'motti' is unsuccessful.

• In the Ilomantsi sector the enemy makes several attempts to take Petkelniemi.

• Karelian Isthmus: enemy bombers hit a field hospital marked with a red cross in a vicarage in Johannes. The bomb kills 20 patients, two members of the women's auxiliary defence forces and two nurses. Several others are wounded in the attack.

• The enemy also bombs the coastal towns of Kotka, Loviisa, Hanko and Rauma.

• 29 fallen servicemen are buried in a joint service in Uurainen church.

• The crew of a Blenheim bomber on a transfer flight from Tampere to Luonetjärvi are killed when the plane crashes in Siikakangas.

• 'Père Clément', the renowned French general Clément Grandcourt arrives in Helsinki to enlist as a volunteer in the Finnish Army.

[BroJoeK]

"In Britain... The Director of Censorship permits newspapers to belatedly reveal details of Britain’s coldest winter since 1894. The Thames River ad the Southampton Docks were frozen and temperatures of -18° C (-33° F) were recorded at Buxton (Derbys)."

If I remember my math and conversion formula, -18 C means 18 centigrade degrees below freezing, which in Fahrenheit is 32 degrees below freezing = zero Fahrenheit.

Over a few days, that's plenty cold enough to freeze the Thames.

It would be interesting to learn how often since then London temperatures have reached zero F, and when was the last time?