Territorial_Unit_(Lithuania)

Territorial Unit (Lithuania)

Territorial Unit (Lithuania)

Lithuanian partisan military unit type

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]

More information Formation name, Date created ...

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

  1. [1]
    Kašėta 2011.
  2. [2]
    Bernotas 2014.
  3. [3]
    Tutlys 2019a.
  4. [4]
    Gečiauskas 2018a.
  5. [5]
    Jankauskienė 2018a.
  6. [6]
    Rimkus 2018.
  7. [7]
    Vilutienė 2018a.
  8. [8]
    Gečiauskas 2018b.
  9. [9]
    Gečiauskas 2018c.
  10. [10]
    Gečiauskas & Rimkus 2018.
  11. [11]
    Gaškaitė-Žemaitienė 2001.
  12. [12]
    Gaškaitė-Žemaitienė 2018a.
  13. [13]
    Tutlys 2019b.
  14. [14]
    Vaičiūnas 2018.
  15. [15]
    Gečiauskas 2018d.
  16. [16]
    Gečiauskas 2018e.
  17. [17]
    Vilutienė 2018b.
  18. [18]
    Vilutienė 2018c.
  19. [19]
    Vilutienė 2018d.
  20. [20]
    Gečiauskas 2018f.
  21. [21]
    Ulevičius 2018a.
  22. [22]
    Vilutienė 2018e.
  23. [23]
    Sajauskas 2018a.
  24. [24]
    Tutlys 2018a.
  25. [25]
    Ulevičius 2018b.
  26. [26]
    Gečiauskas 2018g.
  27. [27]
    Sajauskas 2018b.
  28. [28]
    Gečiauskas 2018h.
  29. [29]
    Gaškaitė-Žemaitienė 2018b.
  30. [30]
    Gaškaitė-Žemaitienė 2018c.
  31. [31]
    Jankauskienė 2018b.
  32. [32]
    Girdzijauskas 2018.
  33. [33]
    Malinauskaitė 2018b.
  34. [34]
    Jankauskienė 2018c.
  35. [35]
    Malinauskaitė 2018a.
  36. [36]
    Tutlys 2018b.
  37. [37]
    Gečiauskas 2018i.
  38. [38]
    Kuodytė 2018.
  39. [39]
    Šidlauskas 2018.
  40. [40]
    Gečiauskas 2018j.

Bibliography

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

Universal Lithuanian Encyclopedia
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