Английская Википедия:259th Lithuanian Police Battalion

Содержание

Текст

Текст

Текст

Текст

Текст

Текст

Текст

Текст

Текст

259th Lithuanian Police Battalion (Шаблон:Lang-de;Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Lang-lt) was a Lithuanian auxiliary police battalion formed in April 1944 in Prienai.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn It was soon disbanded in July of that same year in Tilsit.Шаблон:Sfn The battalion was formed from the soldiers sent by the Training Unit (Шаблон:Lang) and the 3rd Lithuanian Construction Battalion.Шаблон:Sfn The 259th Battalion was the last Lithuanian Police Battalion to be formed.Шаблон:Sfn

The battalion was subordinated to the Ordnungspolizei leader under the SS- und Polizeiführer in Lithuania.Шаблон:Sfn However, the battalion's staffing, enforcing of discipline and economic affairs were taken care of by the LAD liaison officer's headquarters under the Ordungspolizei leader in Lithuania.Шаблон:Sfn

History

The battalion was stationed in Prienai between 18 April and 11 July 1944, and was then moved to Kaunas.Шаблон:Sfn In Prienai, the soldiers lived in the barracks, were trained and introduced to weapons.Шаблон:Sfn

On June 20, two platoons each from the 1st and 2nd companies fought against Soviet partisans near the Шаблон:Ill village in the Шаблон:Ill.Шаблон:Sfn The operation was led by lieutenant Balys Lukošius.Шаблон:Sfn Upon receiving information from a farmer about the whereabouts of the partisans, the companies hurriedly prepared to march.Шаблон:Sfn The policemen were armed with a machine gun and French rifles.Шаблон:Sfn The partisan bunker was encircled.Шаблон:Sfn After noticing the approaching policemen, the partisans opened fire.Шаблон:Sfn Later, as the partisans emerged from their bunker, they attempted to escape into the forest, located about 300 metres away.Шаблон:Sfn In the bunker, the policemen found two killed partisans, two submachine guns and grenades in the bunker.Шаблон:Sfn The Lithuanian casualties of this fight were the 1st company's junior non-commissioned officer (Шаблон:Lang) Jonas Chmieliauskas and private Petras Umbrasas.Шаблон:Sfn Private Juozas Skinkys was wounded in the head and was taken to the German military hospital in Kaunas.Шаблон:Sfn

During May and June, desertion rates became massive.Шаблон:Sfn About thirty policemen deserted from the battalion until the beginning of June.Шаблон:Sfn In the first half of July, the battalion was transferred to Kaunas.Шаблон:Sfn

It is known from the orders of the battalion's commander that the battalion, or at least its headquarters, were in Kaunas from July 13 to 25.Шаблон:Sfn As of April 25, the battalion had four companies and a pioneer platoon.Шаблон:Sfn

The Battalion's composition on April 25Шаблон:Sfn

Subdivision	Total of people
2nd Company	140
3rd Company	142
4th Company	135
Pioneer platoon	33

The soldiers guarded the railway bridge over Nemunas, the meat factory, other companies and barracks located there.Шаблон:Sfn At the end of the month, the battalion retreated to Tilsit.Шаблон:Sfn Along the way, many soldiers left the unit, preferring to remain in Lithuania.Шаблон:Sfn Soon, the battalion was disbanded in Tilsit.Шаблон:Sfn

Aftermath

Some of the battalion's troops were sent to Oldenburg and later Vienna, to work at the airports.Шаблон:Sfn They reached the end of the war in Austria, where they were taken prisoner by the United States Army.Шаблон:Sfn

Commanders

The battalion's commander was captain Albinas Lastas.Шаблон:Sfn On April 25, junior lieutenant Benjaminas Paulionis, who was the 4th company's commander, was temporarily acting as the battalion's adjutant commander.Шаблон:Sfn It is known that captain Balys Matulevičius served in the battalion, but his position is unknown.Шаблон:Sfn

1st company

The 1st company's commander from April 25th was lieutenant Balys Lukošius.Шаблон:Sfn From May 2, it was junior lieutenant Antanas Gelažėla.Шаблон:Sfn In July, the company commander was Lieutenant Albinas Sidaravičius.Шаблон:Sfn

3rd company

On April 6, lieutenant Antanas Baltrušis, from the 9th Battalion, was appointed the 3rd company's commander, replacing the previous commander, lieutenant Aleksas Grinius, who was sent to the 9th Battalion.Шаблон:Sfn From April 18, the 3rd company's commander was junior lieutenant Kostas Eidukonis.Шаблон:Sfn

4th company

As of April 25, the 4th company's commander was junior lieutenant Benjaminas Paulionis.Шаблон:Sfn The 3rd company's commander Eidukonis was also temporarily the 4th company's acting commander on July 8.Шаблон:Sfn

Pioneer platoon

Lieutenant Jonas Kupstas, transferred from the Training Unit, was made the pioneer platoon's commander on May 5, but just two days later he was sent to the Police Battalion "Lietuva".Шаблон:Sfn The pioneer platoon's new commander was junior lieutenant Benediktas Laibėnas.Шаблон:Sfn

Bibliography

• Шаблон:Cite web
• Шаблон:Cite journal
• Шаблон:Cite book