ALTONA

ˈAltona (Altona is a suburb of Hamburg in Germany)

Code name for the punitive operation of Nazi invaders during the Great Patriotic War against the local population and partisans who escaped from encirclement during the Hamburg punitive operation.

It was conducted in the second half of December 1942 in Novaja Mysh, Bycien, and Liahavichy rajons of Baranavichy Voblasc, Cieliahany and Gancavichy rajons of Pinsk Voblasc by the forces of the 14th SS Police Regiment, special military units of the Security Police and SD, other punitive combat groups.

The punitive forces pursued the partisans in the direction of the Naliboki Pushcha, pushing them east and south, to Kosava — Bycien Rajon. The Order of SS Gruppenfuhrer lieutenant general of Police C. von Gottberg stated, “Through village starastas (heads) and other persons alike, persons sympathising with the partisans, as well as other suspicious persons like Jews and Gypsies, shall be identified and killed. Individual subunits... shall be eligible for merciless reprisals against individuals and villages prone to be friendly towards the enemy.” For a week, the Hitlerites unsuccessfully tried to encircle and destroy the partisans, and then conducted a bloody massacre of civilians.

In total, during the Altona punitive operation, the Nazis executed and burned alive more than a thousand children, women, and elderly.