VECSLABADA BATTLE OF 1943

ˈVecslabada ˈBattle of 1943

Joint military operation of the partisan commands of Belarus, Latvia, Lithuania, and the Kalinin (now Tver) Oblast of the RSFSR against German Nazi invaders in Vecslabada rural settlement (Latvian SSR) on January 13, 1943, during the Great Patriotic War.

800 combat soldiers of three Belarusian partisan brigades, i.e. the “Za Savietskuju Bielarus” (for Soviet Belarus) one (later, the K. K. Rokossovskij Partisan Brigade), Asvieja M. V. Frunze Partisan Brigade and Drysa one (later, the Partisan Brigade 1, Drysa), as well as the 4th Kalinin Partisan Brigade (commander V. M. Lisovskij, commissar V. N. Vakarin), Latvian [commander V. P. Samson (Samsons), commissar authorised by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Latvia O. P. Oshkaln (Oshkalns)] and Lithuanian (commander P. Proniavichus) Partisan detachments participated in the operation.

The operation plan was developed by the headquarters of the Latvian Partisan Detachment, its administration was conducted by the headquarters of the  “Za Savietskuju Bielarus” Brigade headed by commissar acting as brigade commander A. V. Romanov. The “Biasstrashny” (fearless one) Detachment (commander S. F. Bubin, commissar K. S. Kuzniatsow) of the Drysa Brigade, M. A. Shchors (commander P. M. Masheraw, commissar S. B. Piatrowski) Detachment of the “Za Savietskuju Bielarus” Brigade and Latvian Detachment formed an assault group. The rest of the detachments organised ambush groups and cover groups on the road which were connected the Vecslabada garrison with the nearest enemy garrisons as well as evacuation groups for the looted grain.

On the night of January 13, assault groups covertly approached the skirts of Vecslabada, attacked the enemy’s earth-and-timber emplacements on a general message, and broke into the main street. In a persistent fight, the partisans destroyed the buildings of the commandant’s office, police station, volasts (district) department, set the post office on fire, distillery, exploded warehouses, seized 400 grain sacks, 65 sugar sacks, 4 tons of wool which were looted from the population by the invaders, and killed more than 50 Hitlerites.

As a result of the combat operation, the partisans disrupted the shipment of large grain stocks and other food products to Germany as well as the enemy’s plans.