LATYGAL BATTLE OF 1943

ˈLatygal ˈBattle of 1943

Battle between the 2nd Battalion of the Smolensk Partisan Regiment and German Nazi invaders in Latygal village, Sianno Rajon, on April 25, 1943, during the Great Patriotic War.

On April 19–20, 1943, fierce battles with much larger strength of the punitive forces made the Smolensk Partisan Regiment relocate to a new base. On the planned route, there was an enemy garrison in Latygal (7 km southwest of Sianno town) which was assigned to be destroyed by the 2nd Regiment (commander I. M. Barysaw) Battalion.

The battalion made an 11‑kilometre march and by two o’clock in the morning on April 25, 1943, it had reached its starting positions near Latygal, blocked the road connecting the garrison with Sianno by only one platoon, and attacked from the east along the village and from the north of the Nazi flank by the rest of the forces. The battle which lasted for about three hours obtained fragmented combat features from the first minutes. The enemy’s earth-and-timber emplacements were silenced by grenades. Enemy reinforcements coming from Sianno were faced by partisan ambush fire.

In this battle, 35 Nazis were killed and wounded, 6 policemen were captured. The partisans seized 6 light machine guns, 10 rifles and burned warehouses with ammunition and accoutrements. As a result of the battle, a gap in the system of the German Nazi garrisons Latygal — Sianno — Staraja Bielica thanks to which partisans subversive groups had the opportunity to get to the Orsha — Viciebsk railway by the shortest route was formed. In this battle, the partisans lost two people killed and two wounded.