Lietuvos laisvės armijos „Vanagų“ šaudymo pratybų vietos žvalgymai Plokštinės miške

LT2020 m. rugsėjį LLKĮS ir Žemaitijos nacionalinio parko direkcija tęsė Lietuvos laisvės armijos „Vanagų“ karinius mokymus menančių vietų Plokštinės miške (Plungės r., Platelių sen.) tyrimus (ATL 2019 metais, 2020, p. 452–460). Ekspedicijos metu surengta antroji Žemaitijos nacionalinio parko direkcijos organizuojama laisvės kovų atminimo stovykla. Aptikti radiniai perduoti saugoti KM. 2019 m. Plokštinės miške nustatyta tiksli 1944 m. rugpjūčio 15–25 d. „Vanagų“ karinių mokymų vieta, kurią patvirtino daugelio pateikėjų – karinės mokomosios stovyklos dalyvių – pasakojimų detalės, sukaupta naujų, iki tol nežinomų duomenų apie stovyklos įrengimą ir joje tarnavusių „Vanagų“ buitį. Tyrimų rezultatai leido apibrėžti vadavietės ir eilinių „Vanagų“ palapinių stovėjimo vietas (išskirtos ne mažiau kaip 4 palapinių grupės), patvirtinti istorinius duomenis, kad šaudymo pratybos vyko už stovyklos ribų. Siekiant užbaigti „Vanagų“ karinės mokomosios stovyklos vietos tyrimus ir apie mokymus surinkti išsamių archeologinių duomenų, metalo ieškikliais ieškota ir tyrinėta trūkstama stovyklos dalis – šaudymo pratybų vieta. [...]. [Iš teksto, p. 624]

ENIn 2020, the LLKĮS and the Directorate of the Žemaitija National Park investigated the Vanagai firearms training ground of the Lithuanian Liberation Army in Plokštinė forest (Plateliai eldership, Plungė district). A total of 369 finds were recovered using metal detectors in an area of 1.8 ha. The overwhelming majority of finds consisted of Russian and German bullets and bullet casings (322), along with some structural elements (27), household items (6 finds), and other artefacts (14 finds). Besides the bullet casings, the following finds could be linked to the Vanagai who participated in the training: a knife; a piece of a radio (?) antenna; a fragment of a harmonica; and a fragment of a lock. The investigation determined the exact location of the Vanagai training ground, including the target area and the firing positions. The data collected provided comprehensive information about the size, boundary, and layout of the grounds, and the firearms used. The training area extended across both sides of the Žemgrindas stream, including the edge of the rise, the slopes, and the valley. Other notable features include two rampart-enclosed dug-outs and thirteen single-person square and oblong curved training trenches. The target of firearms training was a mature pine growing on the slope on the right-hand side of the stream, which still grows to this day. A paper clip and a concentration of bullet projectiles (the pine trunk was riddled with bullet holes) found in the vicinity seemed to indicate that targets might have been attached to the pine trunk during training. The distance between the primary firing position in the valley on the left-hand side of the brook and the target was approximately 65–75 m, whilst the shooting trajectory extended along the base of the stream, surrounded by tall banks.From there, a Mosin carbine or an SVT semi-automatic rifle, along with Mauser and MAS–36 carbines and a PPŠ submachine gun, were used to shoot at the target. Two minor additional positions for the PPŠ submachine gun were identified on the righthand-side slope and in the valley of the Žemgrinda stream – 10.85 and 30 m distance from target, respectively. At least 226 shots were fired during the training exercises, with most coming from a Mosin carbine or an SVT semi-automatic rifle (106 shots combined) or a PPŠ submachine gun (46 shots). Somewhat fewer shots were fired using a Mauser carbine (11 shots), a pistol of unknown type (9 shots), a MAS–36 carbine (3 shots), a TT pistol (2 shots), or a Lee–Enfield rifle (2 shots). The lack of bullet casings indicated that most were collected upon the conclusion of training exercises. [From the publication]