A Territorial Unit (Lithuanian: Rinktinė) was a type of Lithuanian partisan military unit that existed from the end of 1944 to 1954, who fought against the second Soviet occupation of Lithuania.[1] Instead of destroyed or disintegrated units, new ones were founded, often with different names.[1]

Due to the difficulties of guerrilla warfare, as well as for tactical reasons, the territorial units' boundaries changed, so, depending on the case, they operated in one county, a part of thereof, or several neighboring counties.[1] Sometimes territorial units were transferred from one military district to another.[1] Territorial units, thought not all, published their own press.[1]

Beginning

The first territorial units were formed in Southern and Eastern Lithuania at the end of 1944.[1] At the beginning of the partisan war in Lithuania, some territorial units formed and operated independently (e.g. Perkūnas, Deer, Vytautas in the Tauras military district).[1]

Composition

A territorial unit was made up of several squads, companies, battalions, districts.[1] Most frequently, it included several companies.[2] In turn, several territorial units made up a military district (Lithuanian: Apygarda).[1] After the founding of the Lithuanian Freedom Fighters Union in 1949, a territorial unit was composed of several homelands (Lithuanian: Tėvūnija).[1]

Territorial units differed in the number of fighters (from roughly 50 to about 200 people).[1] Sometimes, they were 700-strong.[2] They were active anywhere from several to 8 years.[1]

Command

The military district's commander appointed the territorial unit's commander.[1] The people chosen were either staff officers or distinguished commanders of companies or other formations.[1] Generally, these were Lithuanian army officers and school teachers.[1]

List of territorial units

The following territorial units were active at various times:[1]

Territorial Units (TU)
Formation name Date created Date formation ceased to exist Unit insignia Part of Military District (MD) Notable battles Notes Source(s)
Duke Margis May 1947 Autumn 1950 Algimantas [3]
Šarūnas January 1945 November 1950 [4]
Green March 1946 November 1953 Ažagai [5]
Dzūkai June 1945 16 August 1954 A or Algirdas MD;

since May 1946: Dainava MD

 [6]
Šarūnas April 1945 26 December 1951 Liepakojai, Kalniškės [7]
Iron Wolf May 1945 August 1946 [8]
Merkys June 1945 September 1947 Varčios Forest, Liberation of Merkinė [9]
Kazimieraitis 25 September 1945 February 1952 A[lower-alpha 1] [10]
A December 1945 September 1948 Grand Fight A[lower-alpha 2] [11]
B 1 December 1945 25 November 1950 [12]
Krikštaponis 20 April 1949 January 1951 Vytis [13]
Moose 20 April 1949 January 1951 [14]
Gediminas January 1951 17 April 1953 [15]
Falcon 23 May 1945 July 1945 Vytautas [16]
Tiger 20 November 1944 June 1952 Kiauneliškis [17]
Bear 15 December 1944 April 1951 Antazavė Pinewood [18]
Lion[lower-alpha 3] June 1946 May 1952 [19]
Tumas-Vaižgantas November 1950 October 1952 [20]
Iron Wolf October 1945 April 1953 Tauras Būdininkai, Palios–Žuvintas, Raišupis [21]
Žalgiris[lower-alpha 4] 15 August 1945 July 1952 Opšrūtai [22]
Vytautas 25 June 1945 21 January 1952 [23]
Gediminas April 1945 August 1946 [24]
Birutė 24 September 1947 28 February 1949 [25]
Šarūnas January 1945 November 1950 [26]
Patrimpas August 1945 22 October 1945 [27]
Kęstutis 1947 1949 [27]
Seinai July 1945 July 1946 [28]
Altar[lower-alpha 5] September 1946 8 July 1948 Kęstutis [29]
Butigeidis July 1948 13 June 1954 [30]
Vaidotas Summer 1946 5 August 1953 [31]
Lydis Early 1945 July 1947 [32]
Naras[lower-alpha 6] December 1946 July 1947 [31]
LLA's March district[lower-alpha 7] 1945 1946 [33]
Amber February 1948 March 1949 [34]
Weasel[lower-alpha 8] 22 July 1945 Late 1951 Pyragiai [34]
Squirrel[lower-alpha 9] October 1946 May 1952 Resurrection [35][36]
Vytautas the Great[lower-alpha 10] January 1946 April 1948 [1]
Lithuanian Green April 1948 November 1950 [37]
Lukšys[lower-alpha 11] March 1946 March 1953 [33]
Alka October 1945 1949 Žemaičiai [38]
Sword 15 November 1945 1953 [39]
Šatrija August 1945 March 1953 [40]

Notes

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Kazimieraitis TU was formed on the basis of Merkys TU.
  2. ↑ Both were united into Grand Fight MD, which operated as the Grand Fight TU until early 1945.
  3. ↑ Until June 1946, Šarūnas.
  4. ↑ Vytautas Territorial Unit was known as the Deer Territorial Unit from 15 August 1945 to 31 January 1946
  5. ↑ Until July 1947, Lydis. From summer 1948, Butigeidis.
  6. ↑ Renamed to Vaidotas in late 1947.
  7. ↑ Renamed to Lukšys Territorial Unit in 1946.
  8. ↑ After the Battle of Pyragiai, Weasel Territorial Unit was renamed to Boar TU from August 1946. From November 1946 to June 1947 – Volunteer's TU. From July 1947 to January 1948 – Book smuggler's TU. From February 1948 to March 1949 – Amber TU. From April 1949 to late 1951 – Birutė TU.
  9. ↑ Renamed to Duke Žvelgaitis TU from April 1948.
  10. ↑ Also known as Sapling TU from 1947-1948.
  11. ↑ From March 1946 to February 1952, Maironis TU.

Citations

Bibliography

  • Bernotas, Darius (2014). Lithuanian Freedom Fighters' Tactics: Resisting The Soviet Occupation 1944-1953. ISBN 9781782897088.

Universal Lithuanian Encyclopedia

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