Einsatzkommando operations in Lithuania 1941-1942

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#16

Post by David Thompson » 08 May 2005, 18:00

Operational Situation Report USSR No. 88 September 19, 1941
Einsatzgruppe A
Location: Posje

Liquidations

a) Operations were carried out by the Sonderkommando of the Einsatzkommando 3 in conjunction with the Lithuanian Kommando in the districts of Raseiniai, Rokiskis, Sarasai, Perzai and Prionai. Eleven districts are now free of Jews. These executions bring the number of persons liquidated by Einsatzkommando 3, together with Lithuanian partisans, to 46,692. The total number of executions is approximately 85,000.

b) After scrutiny of the Daugavpils (Dünaburg) prisons, a total of 279 persons (against whom there was no reason for detention) were discharged. 21 persons were liquidated.

c) Of the inmates in the lunatic asylum Aglona, a total of 544 insane persons were liquidated on August 22 with the assistance of the Latvian self-defense unit. Ten males who could be regarded as partially cured were discharged by the governor of the institution, Dr. Borg, after steps for their sterilization had been taken. After this action, the asylum no longer exists. The question of the re-employment of the nursing staff (about 150 persons) to care for the troops or in connection with the establishment of a hospital is being discussed with Military Headquarters.

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#17

Post by David Thompson » 08 May 2005, 18:03

Operational Situation Report USSR No. 94 25 September 1941
I. Political survey.

II. Reports from the Einsatzgruppen and Einsatzkommandos: Einsatzgruppe A.

Location Kikerino.

I. Partisans: Within the area of the civil administration, Einsatzkommandos 2 and 3 found at various places an intensified propaganda activity of the Jewish population for the Bolshevist cause. Wherever such propaganda activity appears the most severe measures are being taken and the places entirely purged of Jews as far as possible. This Jewish propaganda activity having been particularly intensive in Lithuania, the number of persons liquidated within the area of Einsatzkommando 3 has increased to approximately 75000.

For specific tasks special Kommandos had repeatedly to be sent into the rural districts and were assigned to certain places for several days. Thus, for example, one Kommando had to be sent to Pljussa, since reports about large-scale looting had been received from there. Forty-seven persons were arrested and questioned. Seven persons were shot for looting, two more were publicly escorted through the streets of the place, while the inhabitants were told that these persons had been looting food to the detriment of the population. Another Sonderkommando had to be sent to Mugotova where 87 insane persons had armed themselves and roamed the countryside looting. It could be ascertained that these insane had been incited by 11 Communists, part of whom presumably belonged to a partisan group. The 11 agitators, among them 6 Jews, and the insane were liquidated.

In the vicinity of the headquarters of group staff Pesje, Ikerine and Neshne, the whole male population was regularly screened immediately on arrival of the units, resulting repeatedly in the arrest of partisans, Jewish and Communist agitators, looters, etc. Since the locations of the Einsatzgruppe are always near the headquarters of the 4th Armored Group, appreciation for this systematic and successful screening of the neighborhood area was repeatedly voiced by the 4th Armored Group.

II. The Jewish problem in the Eastland Territory [Gebiet Ostland]: The first actions against the Jews in the Reich Commissariat Eastland, also in the field of the administrative police, were undertaken by the Security Police. After the civil administration had taken over, the Einsatzkommandos transferred all anti-Jewish actions in the administrative police field whether completed or only initiated, to the civil administration agencies. The establishment of ghettos had already been prepared everywhere and is being continued by the civil administration. Only at Wilno [Vylna] which was taken over by Einsatzgruppe A at a later date, preparations for the confinement in a ghetto of the 60000 Jews living there had not yet been made. Einsatzkommando has now suggested the establishment of a ghetto and will at the same time initiate the necessary pacification actions against the political activity of the Jews.

At Riga, the so-called Moscow quarter of the town had been provided as a ghetto, even before the civil administration took over and a council of Jewish elders had been nominated. The removal of the Jews into the ghetto is being continued.

The Jews in the cities are being employed by all German agencies as unpaid manpower. Difficulties with such employing agencies are everyday occurrences, if and when the Security Police must take steps against working Jews. Economic agencies have repeatedly even filed applications for exempting Jews from the obligation to wear the Star of David and for authorizing them to patronize public inns. This concerns mostly Jews who are designated as key personnel for certain economic enterprises. Such efforts are of course suppressed by the agencies of the Security Police.

In the old Soviet Russian territory, Jews were found only sporadically, even in the cities. Most of the Jews who had been living there had fled. At present, and since old Soviet Russian territories have been occupied, the Wehrmacht itself usually issues orders for the marking of the Jews. Thus, the commander in chief of the 18th Army has ordered, for example, that Jews must be distinguished by white brassards to be worn on both arms and showing the Star of David.


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#18

Post by David Thompson » 13 May 2005, 05:38

Operational Situation Report USSR No. 96 September 26, 1941
Einsatzgruppe A
Executions
In the period from August 30 to September 5, the following were executed:
in Riga [Latvia] 186 persons
in the area of the field office Siauliai [Lithuania] 44 "
in the area of the field office Liepaja [Latvia] 38 "
in other areas 191 "
sum total: 459 "
....................................
Included among those executed were 237 mentally ill Jews from the mental institutions in Riga and Liepaja.
The present total [of executed] in Einsatzkommando 2 territory is now 29,246 persons.

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#19

Post by David Thompson » 13 May 2005, 07:37

Operational Situation Report USSR No. 130 November 6, 1941
Attitude of the Polish clergy in the Vilnius area

3) A priest, Jonas Gylys, said during his sermon: "Like the hang-men they hit innocent people, pushed old men and pregnant women. Innocent persons suffered like Christ from Judas. The blood did not yet have time to dry, and already they rob their property."

These words of the priest were apparently meant for those who had participated in the liquidation of the Jews.

This is particularly characteristic of Gylys. Without permission, he went to the synagogue to the arrested Jews in order to console and encourage them.

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#20

Post by David Thompson » 14 May 2005, 06:26

Operational Situation Report USSR No. 151 January 5, 1942
All the Jews, without exception, in the General Kommissariats Lithuania and Latvia, are now interned in ghettos. The Jews of the Riga Ghetto who are employed by the German Army and civilian authorities, are no longer permitted to go freely to their places of work. In the morning, they are picked up in closed columns by authorized personnel who then escort them from the ghetto to their work place, and returning them in the evening the same way.

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#21

Post by David Thompson » 14 May 2005, 06:30

Operational Situation Report USSR No. 152 January 7, 1942
On November 29, 1941, the workers of the meat export main office in Pernau went on strike because they felt that their wages were too low. The necessary inquiries and measures have been initiated.

A constantly growing number of Estonian citizens tries to buy additional food on the black market. Fantastic prices are demanded and paid on the black market. 402 people were shot after summary proceedings in Vilnius on December 22, 1941. Of these, 385 were Jews, the rest Poles who had been active Communists.

A German soldier was found stabbed to death in Kaunas on the night of December 16/17, 1941.

An escaped Russian prisoner-of-war who could be the culprit was arrested on December 22.

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#22

Post by David Thompson » 14 May 2005, 06:34

Operational Situation Report USSR No. 154 January 12, 1942
The district chief of Utona, Grebliauskas Pranas, was arrested on November 14, 1941. He failed to hand over Jewish property. He took objects from Jewish homes and did not obey orders of German officials.

The County Chief Antanas Sabaliauskas and the Mayor Wolfas Juodka of Raseinai, were deprived of their functions because of their repeated help to Jews in the course of a special action organized by the Security Police. They were suspected of taking Jewish property for themselves.

* * * * *

During the action on November 29 in Kaunas, 15 Soviet terrorists as well as 19 Lithuanian Jews were also shot for refusing to live in the ghetto.

* * * * *

On December 22, 402 people were shot in Vilnius: 385 of them were Jews, the remainder were Poles. On December 20, a Lithuanian was found shot in Kaunas. The person suspected of having committed the crime is a member of a Lithuanian partisan battalion in whose house a pistol was found. The calibre of the pistol coincides with the size of the bullet found at the scene of the crime. For the time being, the suspected person is still denying the deed. Investigations are proceeding. In Vilkoviskis, on January 3, 1942, 50 Jews who were loitering were seized and shot. In the area of Kaunas, 10 Jews were arrested in the last few days because they had strayed from the ghetto. On January 4, there was a fire in a sawmill in Kaunas, probably due to arson. In order to prevent further cases of sabotage, all former Communists working in the plant were arrested.

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#23

Post by David Thompson » 14 May 2005, 06:43

Operational Situation Report USSR No. 155 January 11, 1942
In Lithuania, an effort had to be made thoroughly to purge the rural districts and the small towns of Jews. Apart from basic considerations, this was also an urgent necessity because Communist elements, particularly terror groups and parts of the Polish resistance movement, made contact with the Jews, instigating them to carry on sabotage and to offer resistance. The Jews, in turn, repeatedly at-tempted to work up anti-German feeling in originally loyal and co-operative Lithuanian circles. Several times guards were fired at from the Kaunas Ghetto.

The Jews were particularly active in Zagare. There, on October 2, 1941, 50 Jews escaped from the ghetto which had already been cordoned off. Most of them were recaptured and shot in the course of a large-scale action which was carried out immediately. In course of subsequent preparations for the wholesale execution of the Zagare Jews, at a prearranged signal, they attacked the guards and the men of the Security Police Einsatzkommando while being transported to the place of execution. Several Jews who had not been searched thoroughly enough by the Lithuanian guards drew knives and pistols and, uttering cries like "Long live Stalin!" and "Down with Hitler!" they rushed the police force, seven of whom were wounded. Resistance was broken at once. After 150 Jews were shot on the spot, the transport of the remaining Jews to the place of execution was carried through without further incident.

In several Lithuanian towns, the Jewish quarters have become sources of epidemics owing to bad living conditions and nutritional problems. The spread of the diseases which broke out in the ghettos was prevented by the complete extermination of the Jews.

In Lithuania, there are at present only 15,000 Jews left in Kaunas (who are urgently needed for the manpower pool), 15,000 in Vilnius, and 4,500 in Schaulai.

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#24

Post by David Thompson » 14 May 2005, 06:53

Operational Situation Report USSR No. 164 February 4, 1942
1) In Vilnius, 14 Poles were arrested because of extensive passport forgeries.

They had sold passports at high prices, particularly to fleeing Jews. In agreement with the General Kommissar and the German Army Commander in Lithuania, a new agreement for the handling of passports and certificates will be set up in the near future.

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#25

Post by David Thompson » 14 May 2005, 14:30

Operational Situation Report USSR No.178 March 9, 1942
From Lithuania

A large number of partisans was reported in several villages west of Babtai in which the population is predominantly Russian and Polish. The police measures to combat this group of partisans were completely successful on the third of this month. Altogether, 102 people, including 11 women were brought in for investigation. Besides that, six Russian prisoners of war were found as well as 12 Russian and one Polish peasant. It was determined that they helped partisans and had connections with Soviet terrorists. They were shot. The prisoners of war were temporarily taken into custody for a thorough investigation.

On February 27, four more persons who had participated in acts of sabotage on railroad installations were arrested in Pabrado and Butiai and transferred to Vilnius. Among the people arrested is also the organizer of sabotage, Stanislaus Szklenik, from Pabrado. During the arrest of two criminals in the village of Guzili, five inhabitants of the village were found in possession of firearms and ammunition; two revolvers, one rifle, and one crate of rifle ammunition were found and seized. All five people were shot on the spot.

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#26

Post by David Thompson » 14 May 2005, 14:36

Operational Situation Report USSR No.183 March 20, 1942
From Lithuania:

On March 12, 1942, ten Soviet parachutists landed near Labilish in the district of Birshai. During the chase, all ten were shot. The parachutists were equipped with weapons, hand grenades, maps, documents, German and Russian money, and a radio transmitter. All the equipment was seized.

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#27

Post by David Thompson » 14 May 2005, 14:40

Operational Situation Report USSR No. 184 March 23, 1942
Einsatzgruppe A

Location: Krasnogvardeisk

Lithuania

1) On March 14, 1942, 22 Poles were arrested in Vilnius for having falsified large numbers of food ration cards and for offering faked cards for sale. Armed prisoners of war were arrested recently near Yanova.

2) The Security Kommando, deployed for the pacification of that area, arrested armed prisoners of war on the Santakai farm. One Russian prisoner of war and one Jew were killed during a fire fight. The search has not yet been completed.

3) On March 13-14, 1942, four more Poles belonging to a large partisan organization were arrested in the area of Pabrado.

A teacher, Peter Schmirski from a factory in Drushiany, is among those arrested; he is a leading member of the above-mentioned [partisan] organization.

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#28

Post by David Thompson » 14 May 2005, 14:53

Operational Situation Report USSR No. 191 April 10, 1942
Einsatzgruppe A

Location: Krasnogvardeisk

Separate reports From Lithuania

Within the framework of the Security Police actions, the following arrests were made in the period February 16 to March 21, 1942:

Arrests

in Kaunas: 9 Communists
37 Jews
4 Poles
11 saboteurs In all: 61

in Vilnius: 94 Communists
24 Jews
192 Poles
9 counter-intelligence agents and saboteurs
In all: 319

in Siauliai:
21 Communists
3 Jews
In all: 24

Total: 404

The following were shot:

in Kaunas:
38 terrorists (among them 7 women)
6 spies (among them 1 woman)
18 NKVD agents and professional criminals (among them 1 Catholic priest)
19 active Communists (among them 12 Russian and one Polish farmer)
1 Russian prisoner of war
24 Jews (among them 1 Jewess)
total: 106

in Siauliai:
2 Russian prisoners of war hanged
1 Russian peasant (active Communist)
total: 3

in Vilnius:
23 active Communists (among them 24 women)
73 Jews (among them 23 women and 2 children)
14 Poles (resistance movement)
20 Poles (forgers of passports and others among them 4 women)
7 spies
total: 137

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#29

Post by David Thompson » 14 May 2005, 15:06

Operational Situation Report USSR No. 193 April 17, 1942
Einsatzgruppe A
Location: Krasnogvardeisk

Individual reports

Lithuania

On April 7, 1942, in Olita, 22 people were shot because of Communist activities and connections with partisan groups. Russian hand-grenades and explosives were found on several of the Communists and were then seized.

The same day, in Kaunas, 22 people, among them 14 Jews who had purportedly recently spread Communist propaganda, were shot.

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#30

Post by David Thompson » 14 May 2005, 15:12

Reports from the Occupied Eastern Territories, No. 1 May 1, 1942
Einsatzgruppe A
Location: Krasnogvardeisk

Lithuania

1) During the investigation of the fire in the government fur factory Kailis in Kaunas at the beginning of February this year, it was established that all the employees of the factory regularly stole army goods. A total of 16 people were arrested; 13 of them were shot and the rest given long prison terms. Some of the stolen goods were retrieved. It was also found that the economic manager of the factory who posed as an ethnic German is a full Jew also involved in the disclosed thefts.

Finally, a Polish department manager and his mistress were shot. It was established that they were not merely involved in the fur thefts but were connected to the Polish resistance movement in the General Gouvernement.

2) On April 15, five people were arrested in Vilnius because they were suspected of having been involved in passport and other identity document forgeries. One of those arrested was convicted of helping Jews from Vilnius to travel to the General Gouvernement by sup-plying them with forged travel passes. Up to 1,000 rubles were paid for one pass. The investigations continue.

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