The defending Finnish forces take out 72 enemy assault tanks.
Photo: SA-KUVA
50,000 Russian troops attack in Summa
- Karelian Isthmus: the day begins foggy, but brightens up during the course of the morning. The temperature remains at around 20 below zero throughout the day.
- Central Isthmus: at 8.40 in the morning, the Soviet artillery begins drumfire across the entire breadth of the 3rd Division's defensive position in Summa, continuing the bombardment for four hours.
- A little before midday the enemy infantry begins its assault with massive air and tank support.
- The Russians throw 50,000 troops into the attack in Summa.
- The defending Finnish forces take out 72 enemy assault tanks.
- The 'Fort Poppius' fortress is lost to the enemy at 1 o'clock in the afternoon. Some of its defenders begin to panic, and by evening a Russian division has penetrated to the support line in the Lähde sector.
- The Finnish counterattack runs out of steam before midnight. In all other parts of Summa the enemy assault is successfully repulsed.
- By midnight Finnish reserves have restored the lines.
- The three Finnish divisions in the main defensive position successfully repulse attempted breakthroughs by at least six Soviet divisions.
- Eastern Isthmus: during the course of the day between 40,000 and 50,000 mortars of varying types rain down on the front line and reserve positions in Taipale.
- In Kirvesmäki every single soldier in stronghold no.1 is either killed or wounded.
- Northern Finland: at Löytövaara in Kuhmo, Battalion Arponen launches an assault with shock troops at 7 o'clock in the morning.
- A volunteer detachment of shock troops crawls through deep snow to take the enemy dugouts by surprise. The ploy is a success, and the shock troops begin to systematically take out the Russian defences with piled-up charges, petrol bombs and machine pistols. By evening the area is in Finnish hands, with only a few of the enemy managing to escape across Lake Löytöjärvi to Riihivaara.
- Karelian Isthmus: Reserve Lieutenant Gunnar Höckert is killed on the Isthmus. Höckert won the gold medal in the men's 5,000 metres at the 1936 Berlin Olympics and ran three world record times during the course of his athletic career.
- Abroad: teams representing Sweden and Finland play an international bandy match in biting temperatures of 15 below zero in the Olympic Stadium in Stockholm. The proceeds are to be donated to the Finnish war effort. Listeners to Swedish radio can also contribute to the collection.
- Before the match begins the actress Ella Eronen recites the words of the Finnish national anthem in Finnish and Swedish.
- The game ends in a Swedish victory by 2 goals to 1.
- The official proceeds from the match are 475,000 krona.
- The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra has sent 1,200 dollars to the great Finnish composer Jean Sibelius, and Sibelius has decided the money should be used to help the needy families of fallen reservists.