259th Lithuanian Police Battalion | |
---|---|
Lithuanian: 259-asis lietuvių policijos batalionas | |
Active |
|
Country | German-occupied Lithuania |
Allegiance | Nazi Germany |
Branch | Ordnungspolizei |
Type | Auxiliary police |
Commanders | |
First and only commander | Captain Albinas Lastas |
259th Lithuanian Police Battalion ( German: Litauische Polizei-Ausbildungs-Bataillon Nr. 259, lit. '259th Lithuanian Police Training Battalion'; [1] Lithuanian: 259-asis lietuvių policijos batalionas) was a Lithuanian auxiliary police battalion formed in April 1944 in Prienai. [1] [2] It was soon disbanded in July of that same year in Tilsit. [2] The battalion was formed from the soldiers sent by the Training Unit (Mokomoji dalis) and the 3rd Lithuanian Construction Battalion. [3] The 259th Battalion was the last Lithuanian Police Battalion to be formed. [4]
The battalion was subordinated to the Ordnungspolizei leader under the SS- und Polizeiführer in Lithuania. [1] 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. [1]
The battalion was stationed in Prienai between 18 April and 11 July 1944, and was then moved to Kaunas. [3] In Prienai, the soldiers lived in the barracks, were trained and introduced to weapons. [3]
On June 20, two platoons each from the 1st and 2nd companies fought against Soviet partisans near the Pagaršvys village in the Prienai parish . [5] The operation was led by lieutenant Balys Lukošius. [5] Upon receiving information from a farmer about the whereabouts of the partisans, the companies hurriedly prepared to march. [5] The policemen were armed with a machine gun and French rifles. [5] The partisan bunker was encircled. [5] After noticing the approaching policemen, the partisans opened fire. [5] Later, as the partisans emerged from their bunker, they attempted to escape into the forest, located about 300 metres away. [5] In the bunker, the policemen found two killed partisans, two submachine guns and grenades in the bunker. [5] The Lithuanian casualties of this fight were the 1st company's junior non-commissioned officer (j. psk.) Jonas Chmieliauskas and private Petras Umbrasas. [5] Private Juozas Skinkys was wounded in the head and was taken to the German military hospital in Kaunas. [5]
During May and June, desertion rates became massive. [5] About thirty policemen deserted from the battalion until the beginning of June. [5] In the first half of July, the battalion was transferred to Kaunas. [5]
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. [3] As of April 25, the battalion had four companies and a pioneer platoon. [3]
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. [5] At the end of the month, the battalion retreated to Tilsit. [5] Along the way, many soldiers left the unit, preferring to remain in Lithuania. [5] Soon, the battalion was disbanded in Tilsit. [5]
Some of the battalion's troops were sent to Oldenburg and later Vienna, to work at the airports. [5] They reached the end of the war in Austria, where they were taken prisoner by the United States Army. [5]
The battalion's commander was captain Albinas Lastas. [3] On April 25, junior lieutenant Benjaminas Paulionis, who was the 4th company's commander, was temporarily acting as the battalion's adjutant commander. [3] It is known that captain Balys Matulevičius served in the battalion, but his position is unknown. [5]
The 1st company's commander from April 25th was lieutenant Balys Lukošius. [3] From May 2, it was junior lieutenant Antanas Gelažėla. [3] In July, the company commander was Lieutenant Albinas Sidaravičius. [3]
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. [2] From April 18, the 3rd company's commander was junior lieutenant Kostas Eidukonis. [5]
As of April 25, the 4th company's commander was junior lieutenant Benjaminas Paulionis. [3] The 3rd company's commander Eidukonis was also temporarily the 4th company's acting commander on July 8. [5]
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". [5] The pioneer platoon's new commander was junior lieutenant Benediktas Laibėnas. [5]
259th Lithuanian Police Battalion | |
---|---|
Lithuanian: 259-asis lietuvių policijos batalionas | |
Active |
|
Country | German-occupied Lithuania |
Allegiance | Nazi Germany |
Branch | Ordnungspolizei |
Type | Auxiliary police |
Commanders | |
First and only commander | Captain Albinas Lastas |
259th Lithuanian Police Battalion ( German: Litauische Polizei-Ausbildungs-Bataillon Nr. 259, lit. '259th Lithuanian Police Training Battalion'; [1] Lithuanian: 259-asis lietuvių policijos batalionas) was a Lithuanian auxiliary police battalion formed in April 1944 in Prienai. [1] [2] It was soon disbanded in July of that same year in Tilsit. [2] The battalion was formed from the soldiers sent by the Training Unit (Mokomoji dalis) and the 3rd Lithuanian Construction Battalion. [3] The 259th Battalion was the last Lithuanian Police Battalion to be formed. [4]
The battalion was subordinated to the Ordnungspolizei leader under the SS- und Polizeiführer in Lithuania. [1] 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. [1]
The battalion was stationed in Prienai between 18 April and 11 July 1944, and was then moved to Kaunas. [3] In Prienai, the soldiers lived in the barracks, were trained and introduced to weapons. [3]
On June 20, two platoons each from the 1st and 2nd companies fought against Soviet partisans near the Pagaršvys village in the Prienai parish . [5] The operation was led by lieutenant Balys Lukošius. [5] Upon receiving information from a farmer about the whereabouts of the partisans, the companies hurriedly prepared to march. [5] The policemen were armed with a machine gun and French rifles. [5] The partisan bunker was encircled. [5] After noticing the approaching policemen, the partisans opened fire. [5] Later, as the partisans emerged from their bunker, they attempted to escape into the forest, located about 300 metres away. [5] In the bunker, the policemen found two killed partisans, two submachine guns and grenades in the bunker. [5] The Lithuanian casualties of this fight were the 1st company's junior non-commissioned officer (j. psk.) Jonas Chmieliauskas and private Petras Umbrasas. [5] Private Juozas Skinkys was wounded in the head and was taken to the German military hospital in Kaunas. [5]
During May and June, desertion rates became massive. [5] About thirty policemen deserted from the battalion until the beginning of June. [5] In the first half of July, the battalion was transferred to Kaunas. [5]
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. [3] As of April 25, the battalion had four companies and a pioneer platoon. [3]
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. [5] At the end of the month, the battalion retreated to Tilsit. [5] Along the way, many soldiers left the unit, preferring to remain in Lithuania. [5] Soon, the battalion was disbanded in Tilsit. [5]
Some of the battalion's troops were sent to Oldenburg and later Vienna, to work at the airports. [5] They reached the end of the war in Austria, where they were taken prisoner by the United States Army. [5]
The battalion's commander was captain Albinas Lastas. [3] On April 25, junior lieutenant Benjaminas Paulionis, who was the 4th company's commander, was temporarily acting as the battalion's adjutant commander. [3] It is known that captain Balys Matulevičius served in the battalion, but his position is unknown. [5]
The 1st company's commander from April 25th was lieutenant Balys Lukošius. [3] From May 2, it was junior lieutenant Antanas Gelažėla. [3] In July, the company commander was Lieutenant Albinas Sidaravičius. [3]
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. [2] From April 18, the 3rd company's commander was junior lieutenant Kostas Eidukonis. [5]
As of April 25, the 4th company's commander was junior lieutenant Benjaminas Paulionis. [3] The 3rd company's commander Eidukonis was also temporarily the 4th company's acting commander on July 8. [5]
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". [5] The pioneer platoon's new commander was junior lieutenant Benediktas Laibėnas. [5]