Penktasis lietuvių policijos batalionas (1941-1944)

LTReikšminiai žodžiai: 5-asis lietuvių policijos batalionas; II Pasaulinis karas; Lietuvos policija; Nacių okupacija; Novgorodo regionas; Penktasis lietuvių policijos batlionas; Policijos batalionas; Pskovo regionas; Sovietų partizanai; 5th battalion of the Lithuanian police; Fifth Lithiunian police battalion; Lithuanian Police; Nazi Occupation; Novgorod region; Police Battalion; Pskov region; RussiaFi; Soviet partisans; World War II; Rusija (Russia).

ENThis paper deals with the history of the 5th Battalion of the Lithuanian Police. It can he divided into several stages: a) the formation of the battalion and training in Kaunas (September-November 1941); b) service in the Pskov and Novgorod regions in Russia (December 1941-early 1944); c) service in Lithuania and Latvia (spring-autumn 1944). During all its lime in service, the battalion guarded railways and military objects, and the Baltic coastline. Some companies served on the front line, were surrounded and fought Soviet partisans, though the losses were not heavy: several scores of troops were killed or wounded, .some deserted. Unlike other Lithuanian police battalions, the 5th Battalion did not commit any war crimes and were not involved in killings of Jews and oilier civilians. The disbanding of the battalion was painful: seven Hoops were court-martialled by the Nazis, 11 sent to hard labour camps and prisons: others were transferred to the 13th and 256th battalions. The Nazis did not resort to such drastic measures against any other Lithuanian police battalion. [text from author]