IVANOV

Ivaˈnov (Iwanow)

Code name for the punitive operation of German Nazi invaders against the partisans and the civilian population of Bierazino, Bialynichy, and Klichaw rajons of Magiliow Voblasc on August 25–26, 1943, during the Great Patriotic War.

It was conducted by the forces of the 700th Security Regiment, gendarmerie, sapper, and music platoons, the Einsatzkommando (subunit of the Einsatzgruppen), special motorcade to transport the looted property and agricultural products. The operation was controlled by head of the 813th Field Commandant’s Office (Magiliow) colonel Schmidt and Sonderfuhrer Enden. The punitive forces’ tasks included the defeat of partisan commands in the area of Dulieby village, seizure of crops and forced abduction of the population from the villages located south of the Bierazino — Bialynichy highway (villages of Baravica, Ujunowka, Dulieby, Zabroddzie, Zadorje, Kurgannie, Niescierawka, Piechy, and Rubiezh).

The punitive forces were instructed to ‘apply the most severe punishment measures to the inhabitants of the villages where the resistance took place... In case of armed resistance, the village shall be burned…’.

However, on the approaches to the defined lines of the attacks on the partisan positions, the Hitlerites were intercepted by the 113th (see Partisan Regiment 113) and 121st (see Partisan Regiment 121, O. M. Kasaev) Partisan detachments around the village of Zabaloccie, Bialynichy Rajon. The motorcade was crushed.

In Bykovichy village, Bierazino Rajon (halfway to the rendezvous point of the punitive forces in the village of Liubushany of the same rajon), in a head-to-head battle, the combat soldiers of the 208th J. V. Stalin Partisan Detachment (see Partisan Regiment 208th, J. V. Stalin) attacked and pushed back the headquarters company and one of the battalions of the 700th Regiment of the Hitlerites to the highway causing significant losses to it.

The punitive operation failed, the partisans did protect the population from robbery and destruction.