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From: military@att.att.com (Bill Thacker)
Newsgroups: sci.military,soc.misc
Subject: 50 Years Ago: Monday, 4 December, 1939
Message-ID: <11929@cbnews.ATT.COM>
Date: 4 Dec 89 02:21:44 GMT
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From: military@att.att.com (Bill Thacker)
Monday, 4 December, 1939

The Britsh battleship HMS Nelson is damaged by a magnetic mine off Loch Ewe.
The damage is extensive, and repairs will take until August, 1940.
The Germans have been employing this and other type of mines to good 
effect.  By the end of 1939 year the Allied shipping lost to mines will 
amount to 79 ships of 262,700 tons.

Finland reinforces Aaland Islands in the Gulf of Bothnia.  1500 Soviet
prisoners are reported to have been captured in a snowstorm north of
Lake Ladoga; the battle for Petsamo continues; and mines and tank traps
are frustrating the drive up the Karelian Isthmus, leading a Pravda
correspondent to complain that the Finns are "perfidious, cowardly,
and filled with base and tricky cunning."

Finnish reports indicate that the Russians are not equipped with proper
clothing for the blizzard conditions, and that their mobile, white-clad
ski troops are able to move freely about the Russian positions.

The USSR rejects Sweden's offer to mediate the conflict.  Finland's offer
to reopen negotiations is also rejected, as the Soviet Union refuses to
recognize  Premier Ryti's Helsinki government.  The USSR also notifies the
League of Nations that it will not attend the upcoming meeting called in
response to Finland's request.  Argentina proposes the expulsion of the
USSR from the League, while Italy proposes sanctions similar to those
levied against her during the Ethiopian war.

Reporter: waisnor_r@apollo.com

--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--
Bill Thacker			            military@cbnews.att.com
Send submissions for "50 Years Ago" to military-request@att.att.com

"RED ARMY HURLS BACK INVADING FINNISH TROOPS, CROSSES FRONTIER." 
-Headline from the Daily Worker, U.S. Communist Party newpaper.


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