Territorial Unit (Lithuania)
{{Short description|Lithuanian partisan military unit type}}
A Territorial Unit ({{Langx|lt|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.{{Sfn|Kašėta|2011}} Instead of destroyed or disintegrated units, new ones were founded, often with different names.{{Sfn|Kašėta|2011}}
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.{{Sfn|Kašėta|2011}} Sometimes territorial units were transferred from one military district to another.{{Sfn|Kašėta|2011}} Territorial units, thought not all, published their own press.{{Sfn|Kašėta|2011}}
Beginning
The first territorial units were formed in Southern and Eastern Lithuania at the end of 1944.{{Sfn|Kašėta|2011}} 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).{{Sfn|Kašėta|2011}}
Composition
A territorial unit was made up of several squads, companies, battalions, districts.{{Sfn|Kašėta|2011}} Most frequently, it included several companies.{{Sfn|Bernotas|2014}} In turn, several territorial units made up a military district ({{Langx|lt|Apygarda|links=no}}).{{Sfn|Kašėta|2011}} After the founding of the Lithuanian Freedom Fighters Union in 1949, a territorial unit was composed of several homelands ({{Langx|lt|Tėvūnija|links=no}}).{{Sfn|Kašėta|2011}}
Territorial units differed in the number of fighters (from roughly 50 to about 200 people).{{Sfn|Kašėta|2011}} Sometimes, they were 700-strong.{{Sfn|Bernotas|2014}} They were active anywhere from several to 8 years.{{Sfn|Kašėta|2011}}
Command
The military district's commander appointed the territorial unit's commander.{{Sfn|Kašėta|2011}} The people chosen were either staff officers or distinguished commanders of companies or other formations.{{Sfn|Kašėta|2011}} Generally, these were Lithuanian army officers and school teachers.{{Sfn|Kašėta|2011}}
List of territorial units
The following territorial units were active at various times:{{Sfn|Kašėta|2011}}
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|+Territorial Units (TU) ! scope="col" width="15%" |Formation name ! scope="col" width="15%" |Date created ! scope="col" width="15%" |Date formation ceased to exist ! scope="col" width="15%" |Unit insignia ! scope="col" class="unsortable" width="10%" |Part of Military District (MD) ! scope="col" class="unsortable" width="25%" |Notable battles !Notes ! scope="col" class="unsortable" width="5%" |Source(s) |
| scope="row" |Duke Margis
| align="center" |May 1947 | align="center" |Autumn 1950 | align="center" | | rowspan="3" align="center" |Algimantas | align="center" | | | align="center" |{{Sfn|Tutlys|2019a}} |
|---|
| scope="row" |Šarūnas
| align="center" |January 1945 | align="center" |November 1950 | align="center" | | align="center" | | | align="center" |{{Sfn|Gečiauskas|2018a}} |
| scope="row" |Green
| align="center" |March 1946 | align="center" |November 1953 | align="center" | | align="center" |Ažagai | | align="center" |{{Sfn|Jankauskienė|2018a}} |
| scope="row" |Dzūkai
| align="center" |June 1945 | align="center" |16 August 1954 | align="center" | | rowspan="5" align="center" |A or Algirdas MD; since May 1946: Dainava MD | align="center" | | | align="center" |{{Sfn|Rimkus|2018}} |
| scope="row" |Šarūnas
| align="center" |April 1945 | align="center" |26 December 1951 | align="center" | | align="center" |Liepakojai, Kalniškės | | align="center" |{{Sfn|Vilutienė|2018a}} |
| scope="row" |Iron Wolf
| align="center" |May 1945 | align="center" |August 1946 | align="center" | | align="center" | | | align="center" |{{Sfn|Gečiauskas|2018b}} |
| scope="row" |Merkys
| align="center" |June 1945 | align="center" |September 1947 | align="center" | | align="center" |Varčios Forest, Liberation of Merkinė | | align="center" |{{Sfn|Gečiauskas|2018c}} |
| scope="row" |Kazimieraitis
| align="center" |25 September 1945 | align="center" |February 1952 | align="center" | | align="center" | | align="left" |A{{efn|Kazimieraitis TU was formed on the basis of Merkys TU.}} | align="center" |{{Sfn|Gečiauskas|Rimkus|2018}} |
| scope="row" |A
| align="center" |December 1945 | align="center" |September 1948 | align="center" | | rowspan="2" align="center" |Grand Fight | align="center" | | rowspan="2" |A{{efn|Both were united into Grand Fight MD, which operated as the Grand Fight TU until early 1945.}} | align="center" |{{Sfn|Gaškaitė-Žemaitienė|2001}} |
| scope="row" |B
| align="center" |1 December 1945 | align="center" |25 November 1950 | align="center" | | align="center" | | align="center" |{{Sfn|Gaškaitė-Žemaitienė|2018a}} |
| scope="row" |Krikštaponis
| align="center" |20 April 1949 | align="center" |January 1951 | align="center" | | rowspan="3" align="center" |Vytis | align="center" | | | align="center" |{{Sfn|Tutlys|2019b}} |
| scope="row" |Moose
| align="center" |20 April 1949 | align="center" |January 1951 | align="center" | | align="center" | | | align="center" |{{Sfn|Vaičiūnas|2018}} |
| scope="row" |Gediminas
| align="center" |January 1951 | align="center" |17 April 1953 | align="center" | | align="center" | | | align="center" |{{Sfn|Gečiauskas|2018d}} |
| scope="row" |Falcon
| align="center" |23 May 1945 | align="center" |July 1945 | align="center" | | rowspan="5" align="center" |Vytautas | align="center" | | | align="center" |{{Sfn|Gečiauskas|2018e}} |
| scope="row" |Tiger
| align="center" |20 November 1944 | align="center" |June 1952 | align="center" | | align="center" |Kiauneliškis | | align="center" |{{Sfn|Vilutienė|2018b}} |
| scope="row" |Bear
| align="center" |15 December 1944 | align="center" |April 1951 | align="center" | | align="center" |Antazavė Pinewood | | align="center" |{{Sfn|Vilutienė|2018c}} |
| scope="row" |Lion{{efn|Until June 1946, Šarūnas.}}
| align="center" |June 1946 | align="center" |May 1952 | align="center" | | align="center" | | | align="center" |{{Sfn|Vilutienė|2018d}} |
| scope="row" |Tumas-Vaižgantas
| align="center" |November 1950 | align="center" |October 1952 | align="center" | | align="center" | | | align="center" |{{Sfn|Gečiauskas|2018f}} |
| scope="row" |Iron Wolf
| align="center" |October 1945 | align="center" |April 1953 | align="center" | | rowspan="9" align="center" |Tauras | align="center" |Būdininkai, Palios–Žuvintas, Raišupis | | align="center" |{{Sfn|Ulevičius|2018a}} |
| scope="row" |Žalgiris{{efn|Vytautas Territorial Unit was known as the Deer Territorial Unit from 15 August 1945 to 31 January 1946}}
| align="center" |15 August 1945 | align="center" |July 1952 | align="center" | | align="center" |Opšrūtai | | align="center" |{{Sfn|Vilutienė|2018e}} |
| scope="row" |Vytautas
| align="center" |25 June 1945 | align="center" |21 January 1952 | align="center" | | align="center" | | | align="center" |{{Sfn|Sajauskas|2018a}} |
| scope="row" |Gediminas
| align="center" |April 1945 | align="center" |August 1946 | align="center" | | align="center" | | | align="center" |{{Sfn|Tutlys|2018a}} |
| scope="row" |Birutė
| align="center" |24 September 1947 | align="center" |28 February 1949 | align="center" | | align="center" | | | align="center" |{{Sfn|Ulevičius|2018b}} |
| scope="row" |Šarūnas
| align="center" |January 1945 | align="center" |November 1950 | align="center" | | align="center" | | | align="center" |{{Sfn|Gečiauskas|2018g}} |
| scope="row" |Patrimpas
| align="center" |August 1945 | align="center" |22 October 1945 | align="center" | | align="center" | | | align="center" |{{Sfn|Sajauskas|2018b}} |
| scope="row" |Kęstutis
| align="center" |1947 | align="center" |1949 | align="center" | | align="center" | | | align="center" |{{Sfn|Sajauskas|2018b}} |
| scope="row" |Seinai
| align="center" |July 1945 | align="center" |July 1946 | align="center" | | align="center" | | | align="center" |{{Sfn|Gečiauskas|2018h}} |
| scope="row" |Altar{{efn|Until July 1947, Lydis. From summer 1948, Butigeidis.}}
| align="center" |September 1946 | align="center" |8 July 1948 | align="center" | | rowspan="8" align="center" |Kęstutis | align="center" | | | align="center" |{{Sfn|Gaškaitė-Žemaitienė|2018b}} |
| scope="row" |Butigeidis
| align="center" |July 1948 | align="center" |13 June 1954 | align="center" | | align="center" | | | align="center" |{{Sfn|Gaškaitė-Žemaitienė|2018c}} |
| scope="row" |Vaidotas
| align="center" |Summer 1946 | align="center" |5 August 1953 | align="center" | | align="center" | | | align="center" |{{Sfn|Jankauskienė|2018b}} |
| scope="row" |Lydis
| align="center" |Early 1945 | align="center" |July 1947 | align="center" | | align="center" | | | align="center" |{{Sfn|Girdzijauskas|2018}} |
| scope="row" |Naras{{efn|Renamed to Vaidotas in late 1947.}}
| align="center" |December 1946 | align="center" |July 1947 | align="center" | | align="center" | | | align="center" |{{Sfn|Jankauskienė|2018b}} |
| scope="row" |LLA's March district{{efn|Renamed to Lukšys Territorial Unit in 1946.}}
| align="center" |1945 | align="center" |1946 | align="center" | | align="center" | | | align="center" |{{Sfn|Malinauskaitė|2018b}} |
| scope="row" |Amber
| align="center" |February 1948 | align="center" |March 1949 | align="center" | | align="center" | | | align="center" |{{Sfn|Jankauskienė|2018c}} |
| scope="row" |Weasel{{efn|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.}} | align="center" |22 July 1945 | align="center" |Late 1951 | align="center" | | align="center" |Pyragiai | | align="center" |{{Sfn|Jankauskienė|2018c}} |
| scope="row" |Squirrel{{efn|Renamed to Duke Žvelgaitis TU from April 1948.}}
| align="center" |October 1946 | align="center" |May 1952 | align="center" | | rowspan="4" align="center" |Resurrection | align="center" | | | align="center" |{{Sfn|Malinauskaitė|2018a}}{{Sfn|Tutlys|2018b}} |
| scope="row" |Vytautas the Great{{efn|Also known as Sapling TU from 1947-1948.}}
| align="center" |January 1946 | align="center" |April 1948 | align="center" | | align="center" | | | align="center" |{{Sfn|Kašėta|2011}} |
| scope="row" |Lithuanian Green
| align="center" |April 1948 | align="center" |November 1950 | align="center" | | align="center" | | | align="center" |{{Sfn|Gečiauskas|2018i}} |
| scope="row" |Lukšys{{efn|From March 1946 to February 1952, Maironis TU.}}
| align="center" |March 1946 | align="center" |March 1953 | align="center" | | align="center" | | | align="center" |{{Sfn|Malinauskaitė|2018b}} |
| scope="row" |Alka
| align="center" |October 1945 | align="center" |1949 | align="center" | | rowspan="3" align="center" |Žemaičiai | align="center" | | | align="center" |{{Sfn|Kuodytė|2018}} |
| scope="row" |Sword
| align="center" |15 November 1945 | align="center" |1953 | align="center" | | align="center" | | | align="center" |{{Sfn|Šidlauskas|2018}} |
| scope="row" |Šatrija
| align="center" |August 1945 | align="center" |March 1953 | align="center" | | align="center" | | | align="center" |{{Sfn|Gečiauskas|2018j}} |
Notes
= Footnotes =
= Citations =
{{Reflist}}
Bibliography
- {{Cite book |last=Bernotas |first=Darius |title=Lithuanian Freedom Fighters' Tactics: Resisting The Soviet Occupation 1944-1953 |year=2014 |isbn=9781782897088}}
= ''Universal Lithuanian Encyclopedia'' =
- {{Cite web |last=Gečiauskas |first=Geistautas |date=2018a |title=Šarūno rinktinė |url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/saruno-rinktine/ |website=vle.lt |language=lt}}
- {{Cite web |last=Gečiauskas |first=Geistautas |date=2018b |title=Geležinio Vilko rinktinė |url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/saruno-rinktine/ |website=vle.lt |language=lt}}
- {{Cite web |last=Gečiauskas |first=Geistautas |date=2018c |title=Merkio rinktinė |url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/saruno-rinktine/ |website=vle.lt |language=lt}}
- {{Cite web |last=Gečiauskas |first=Geistautas |date=2018d |title=Gedimino rinktinė |url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/gedimino-rinktine-1/ |website=vle.lt |language=lt}}
- {{Cite web |last=Gečiauskas |first=Geistautas |date=2018e |title=Sakalo rinktinė |url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/sakalo-rinktine/ |website=vle.lt |language=lt}}
- {{Cite web |last=Gečiauskas |first=Geistautas |date=2018f |title=Vaižganto rinktinė |url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/sakalo-rinktine/ |website=vle.lt |language=lt}}
- {{Cite web |last=Gečiauskas |first=Geistautas |date=2018g |title=Šarūno rinktinė |url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/saruno-rinktine/ |website=vle.lt |language=lt}}
- {{Cite web |last=Gečiauskas |first=Geistautas |date=2018h |title=Seinų rinktinė |url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/seinu-rinktine/ |website=vle.lt |language=lt}}
- {{Cite web |last=Gečiauskas |first=Geistautas |date=2018i |title=Lietuvos žalioji rinktinė |url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/lietuvos-zalioji-rinktine/ |website=vle.lt |language=lt}}
- {{Cite web |last=Gečiauskas |first=Geistautas |date=2018j |title=Šatrijos rinktinė |url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/satrijos-rinktine/ |website=vle.lt |language=lt}}
- {{Cite web |last=Gečiauskas |first=Geistautas |date=2018 |title=Kazimieraičio rinktinė |url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/kazimieraicio-rinktine/ |website=vle.lt |language=lt |last2=Rimkus |first2=Henrikas}}
- {{Cite web |last=Girdzijauskas |first=Petras |date=2018 |title=Lydžio rinktinė |url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/lydzio-rinktine/ |website=vle.lt |language=lt}}
- {{Cite web |last=Jankauskienė |first=Edita |date=2018a |title=Žalioji rinktinė |url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/saruno-rinktine/ |website=vle.lt |language=lt}}
- {{Cite web |last=Jankauskienė |first=Edita |date=2018b |title=Vaidoto rinktinė |url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/vaidoto-rinktine/ |website=vle.lt |language=lt}}
- {{Cite web |last=Jankauskienė |first=Edita |date=2018c |title=Žebenkšties rinktinė |url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/zebenksties-rinktine/ |website=vle.lt |language=lt}}
- {{Cite web |last=Kašėta |first=Algis |date=2011-12-08 |title=rinktinė |url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/rinktine-1/ |website=vle.lt |language=lt}}
- {{Cite web |last=Kuodytė |first=Dalia |date=2018 |title=Alkos rinktinė |url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/alkos-rinktine/ |website=vle.lt |language=lt}}
- {{Cite web |last=Malinauskaitė |first=Aurelija |date=2018a |title=Voverės rinktinė |url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/voveres-rinktine/ |website=vle.lt |language=lt}}
- {{Cite web |last=Malinauskaitė |first=Aurelija |date=2018b |title=Lukšio rinktinė |url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/luksio-rinktine/ |website=vle.lt |language=lt}}
- {{Cite web |last=Malinauskaitė |first=Aurelija |date=2018c |title=Vytauto Didžiojo rinktinė |url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/vytauto-didziojo-rinktine/ |website=vle.lt |language=lt}}
- {{Cite web |last=Rimkus |first=Henrikas |date=2018-07-27 |title=Dzūkų rinktinė |url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/dzuku-rinktine/ |website=vle.lt |language=lt}}
- {{Cite web |last=Sajauskas |first=Justinas |date=2018a |title=Vytauto rinktinė |url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/vytauto-rinktine/ |website=vle.lt |language=lt}}
- {{Cite web |last=Sajauskas |first=Justinas |date=2018b |title=Tauro apygarda |url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/tauro-apygarda/ |website=vle.lt |language=lt}}
- {{Cite web |last=Šidlauskas |first=Gintaras |date=2018 |title=Kardo apygarda |url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/kardo-rinktine/ |website=vle.lt |language=lt}}
- {{Cite web |last=Tutlys |first=Sigitas |date=2018a |title=Gedimino rinktinė |url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/gedimino-rinktine/ |website=vle.lt |language=lt}}
- {{Cite web |last=Tutlys |first=Sigitas |date=2018b |title=Kunigaikščio Žvelgaičio rinktinė |url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/kunigaikscio-zvelgaicio-rinktine/ |website=vle.lt |language=lt}}
- {{Cite web |last=Tutlys |first=Sigitas |date=2019a |title=Kunigaikščio Margio rinktinė |url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/kunigaikscio-margio-rinktine/ |website=vle.lt |language=lt}}
- {{Cite web |last=Tutlys |first=Sigitas |date=2019b |title=Krikštaponio rinktinė |url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/krikstaponio-rinktine/ |website=vle.lt |language=lt}}
- {{Cite web |last=Ulevičius |first=Bonifacas |date=2018a |title=Geležinio vilko rinktinė |url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/gelezinio-vilko-rinktine-1/ |website=vle.lt |language=lt}}
- {{Cite web |last=Ulevičius |first=Bonifacas |date=2018b |title=Birutės rinktinė |url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/birutes-rinktine/ |website=vle.lt |language=lt}}
- {{Cite web |last=Vaičiūnas |first=Gintaras |date=2018-04-18 |title=Briedžio rinktinė |url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/briedzio-rinktine/ |website=vle.lt |language=lt}}
- {{Cite web |last=Vilutienė |first=Aldona |date=2018a |title=Šarūno rinktinė |url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/saruno-rinktine-1/ |website=vle.lt |language=lt}}
- {{Cite web |last=Vilutienė |first=Aldona |date=2018b |title=Tigro rinktinė |url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/tigro-rinktine/ |website=vle.lt |language=lt}}
- {{Cite web |last=Vilutienė |first=Aldona |date=2018c |title=Lokio rinktinė |url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/lokio-rinktine/ |website=vle.lt |language=lt}}
- {{Cite web |last=Vilutienė |first=Aldona |date=2018d |title=Liūto rinktinė |url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/liuto-rinktine/ |website=vle.lt |language=lt}}
- {{Cite web |last=Vilutienė |first=Aldona |date=2018e |title=Žalgirio rinktinė |url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/zalgirio-rinktine/ |website=vle.lt |language=lt}}
- {{Cite web |last=Gaškaitė-Žemaitienė |first=Nijolė |date=2001 |title=A rinktinė |url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/a-rinktine/ |website=vle.lt |language=lt}}
- {{Cite web |last=Gaškaitė-Žemaitienė |first=Nijolė |date=2018a |title=B rinktinė |url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/b-rinktine/ |website=vle.lt |language=lt}}
- {{Cite web |last=Gaškaitė-Žemaitienė |first=Nijolė |date=2018b |title=Aukuro rinktinė |url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/aukuro-rinktine/ |website=vle.lt |language=lt}}
- {{Cite web |last=Gaškaitė-Žemaitienė |first=Nijolė |date=2018c |title=Butigeidžio rinktinė |url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/butigeidzio-rinktine/ |website=vle.lt |language=lt}}