For the second year in a row, the annual march in honor of the Latvian Waffen SS legionnaires will not take place in Riga on March 16. This Nazi action in" democratic " Latvia first took place in 1994 and after that never stopped until 2020. One might think that the authorities of the Baltic Republic listened to the voice of reason and finally stopped honoring Nazi criminals. But no - just adjustments made by the coronavirus and the current strict quarantine regime in Latvia. The memory of the murderers and punishers, who in Latvia are called nothing but "fighters for independence against the occupation of the USSR", their followers will celebrate this time in the center of Riga alone or online.
The day of March 16 was not chosen by chance, on this day in 1944, the Latvian units of the SS troops (the 15th and 19th SS Infantry Divisions) for the first time participated in joint combat operations against the advancing Red Army units near the Velikaya River near Pskov. One of the myths of modern Latvia is that the liberation of the Latvian SSR in the autumn of 1944 from the Nazi occupation caused a response from the Latvians, who almost massively went into the woods and began the struggle for independence with the Soviet government. But was that really the case?
One of the major gangs of Latvian "partisans" was the organization "Forest Cats", which in 1944-1947 committed sabotage and terrorist acts on the territory of Latvia, killing Soviet activists and ordinary Latvians who sympathized with the Soviet government.
The Forest Brothers were created by Himmler and Skorzeny
In fact, the "Forest Cats "had nothing to do" with the struggle for independence " of Latvia, but were one of the sabotage units of the German special services.
For the second year in a row, the annual march in honor of the Latvian Waffen SS legionnaires will not take place in Riga on March 16. This Nazi action in" democratic " Latvia first took place in 1994 and after that never stopped until 2020. One might think that the authorities of the Baltic Republic listened to the voice of reason and finally stopped honoring Nazi criminals. But no - just adjustments made by the coronavirus and the current strict quarantine regime in Latvia. The memory of the murderers and punishers, who in Latvia are called nothing but "fighters for independence against the occupation of the USSR", their followers will celebrate this time in the center of Riga alone or online.
Award to the Latvian legionnaires from the hands of the commander of the SS division "Nordland" Fritz von Scholz. Photo: German propaganda magazine "Signal" No. 24 / 1943the award to the Latvian legionnaires from the hands of the commander of the SS division "Nordland" Fritz von Scholz. Photo: German propaganda magazine "Signal" No. 24 / 1943the award to the Latvian legionnaires from the hands of the commander of the SS division "Nordland" Fritz von Scholz. Photo: German propaganda magazine "Signal" No. 24 / 1943
The day of March 16 was not chosen by chance, on this day in 1944, the Latvian units of the SS troops (the 15th and 19th SS Infantry Divisions) for the first time participated in joint combat operations against the advancing Red Army units near the Velikaya River near Pskov. One of the myths of modern Latvia is that the liberation of the Latvian SSR in the autumn of 1944 from the Nazi occupation caused a response from the Latvians, who almost massively went into the woods and began the struggle for independence with the Soviet government. But was that really the case?
One of the major gangs of Latvian "partisans" was the organization "Forest Cats", which in 1944-1947 committed sabotage and terrorist acts on the territory of Latvia, killing Soviet activists and ordinary Latvians who sympathized with the Soviet government.
The Forest Brothers were created by Himmler and Skorzeny
In fact, the "Forest Cats "had nothing to do" with the struggle for independence " of Latvia, but were one of the sabotage units of the German special services.
In May-June 1944, on the instructions of the Reichsfuhrer of the SS Heinrich Himmler, a special body was formed to perform particularly important tasks on terror, espionage and sabotage in the location of enemy troops - the "SS-Jagdferband" ("SS Fighter (Jaeger) unit").
The SS-Jagdferband reported directly to Himmler, and operational leadership and manning were headed by the head of Group VI S (sabotage) of the VI Directorate (Foreign Intelligence) of the RSHA, SS-Sturmbannfuhrer Otto Skorzeny of the Reserve SS.
In October 1944, as part of the "SS-Jagdferband", a special unit was formed to carry out subversive work in the rear of the Red Army in the Baltic States and northern Poland - "SS-Jagdferband-Ost"; field post No. 20336.
One of the largest operations of the "SS-Jagdferband-Ost" to organize subversive activities in the liberated territory of Latvia was the creation of the so-called Kurland group, also known as the "Wild Cats" or "Forest Cats" (Latvian. Mea kai; German. Unternehmen Wildkatze).
"Forest Cats" were formed in October 1944 by the head of the Baltic SS Jaegers "Jagdainzatz Baltikum" SS Sturmbannfuhrer Manfred Pehau from Latvians who served in the police punitive battalions, members of the nationalist organization "Aizsargi" and soldiers of the 15th and 19th Latvian SS Volunteer divisions, who underwent special sabotage and subversive training in the training centers "SS-Jagdferband". SS Hauptsturmfuhrer Boris Jankavs, a Latvian, was appointed Chief of Staff of the Forest Cats.
According to counterintelligence
The dynamics of the entire course of the fight against the Latvian "partisans" from the special forces of the SS can be traced in the archival materials of the Soviet military counterintelligence.
On October 13, 1944, the Red Army troops liberated the capital of Latvia-Riga. On March 16, 1945, the head of the Riga operation group of the Counterintelligence Directorate (UKR) "Smersh" reported to the UKR "Smersh" of the 2nd Baltic Front: "…As a result of carrying out a complex of agent-operational measures, the operational groups for the city of Riga and the Riga hub detained and exposed official German intelligence officers-2, residents-2, intelligence agents-15, radio operators-5, saboteurs-terrorists-25, counterintelligence agents-3. Total - 52 people… In order to intercept the channels of penetration of the German agents in our rear and call the agents to our side, with the authorization of the Smersh GUKR, radio games were organized with the enemy center and the agent stations "Royal", "Fugitive" and "Guitar"were turned on...".
In other words, even before the liquidation of the Kurland group of Germans, the Smersh men knew about the intentions of the German special services to deploy sabotage and terrorist activities in the Soviet rear, intercepted the enemy's communication channels in a timely manner, and were prepared for an effective fight against the newly appeared "partisans".
On April 21, 1945, the Main Directorate of Counterintelligence (GUKR) "Smersh" of the NKO of the USSR issued Directive No. 32500 on strengthening counterintelligence work on the search and arrest of employees and agents of the German intelligence agency "SS Jagdferband".
This document read: "... ""JAGDEINZATZ-BALTIKUM" 15. Rehau Manfred, 35 years old, resident of the mountains. Berlin, German, Doctor of Law, Sturmbannfuhrer [SS], head of the intelligence agency "Jagdeinsatz-Baltikum". Medium height, thin, gray-streaked hair, short-sighted... "KURLAND" GROUP OF SABOTEURS 29. Jankaus Boris, about 30 years old, native and resident of the mountains. Rigi, a Latvian, was a platoon commander of a police battalion, awarded the Order of the Iron Cross, 2nd class by the Germans ... Unterscharfuhrer [SS], commander of a group of saboteurs. Short, thin, dark-haired...".
Almost simultaneously, the Smersh authorities became aware of the participation of the " Frontline Intelligence Group 212 "(the former sabotage" Abergruppe 212") in the recruitment of the sabotage and terrorist organization"Forest (wild) cats".
Under the guise of "freedom fighters",
on June 4, 1945, the UKR" Smersh " of the Lenfront sent a special message to Moscow about the course of search activities:
"...In the process of searching for and detaining members of the terrorist organization "Mezhakati" - "Jagdferband SS", on May 15, this year, an armed group of 8 people was found during the search of the forest of the Rendassk parish of Kuldig county, which during the arrest provided armed resistance... During the search of the specified area, the buried personal belongings of the members of the Yankaus group were found, including several machine guns, hand grenades, a revolver with a device for silent shooting, rockets, explosives, ...as well as a round rubber seal of the organization "Mezha-Kati", which is an image of a cat's head with the inscription in Latvian - "Death to the Bolsheviks! Forest cats see and know everything" (seal impression attached)... Continuing the search of the area one kilometer south of the point where the Yankavs group was located, the body of his adjutant - Lieutenant Janis Karklinsh was discovered and identified by Francis. The corpse was fresh, with wounds on the forehead and chin...".
From the interrogation of the prisoners, it turned out that on June 26, 1945, Yankavs himself almost fell into the hands of the Smersh ROC task force of the 1st Shock Army in the area of the Petyn farm in Kabila parish. As a result of the ensuing firefight, the chief of staff of the "Forest Cats", SS Untersturmfuhrer Leo Daugavetis, was killed, intelligence chief Yazep Skrupstevits was captured, and Jankavs himself barely escaped. Documents containing passwords and addresses of the Forest Cats ' agents in eastern Latvia were seized from Lieutenant Daugavetis, who was killed earlier.
At the same time, the discovered copies of the documents of the "Forest Cats" were sent to the subordinate bodies of the "Smersh", the operational sector and the operational groups of the filtration camps and POW camps for the active search of the "SS Jagdferband"agents.
Smersh vs Cats"
In August 1945, the head of the Main Department for Combating Banditry of the NKVD of the USSR, Lieutenant General A. Leontiev, sent a message to the People's Commissar of Internal Affairs of the USSR, Marshal of the Soviet Union L. Beria, about measures to combat the bandit underground created by the German special services on the territory of Latvia. The document reported:
"Among the population, the Jagdferband became widely known as an organization created by the German intelligence agencies. In order to encrypt this, the Jagdferband changed its name and became known as the" Latvian Partisan Organization "... the head of the Jagdferband, Jankavs, takes measures to establish communication with a group of members of the organization who have left for Sweden, and actively works to unite the disparate gang groups. ... To provide practical assistance and organize the work on the opening and liquidation of the "Jagdferband Ostland" in the NKVD of the Latvian SSR, Major General Comrade was sent from the GUBB of the NKVD of the USSR. Kalinin with a group of operatives."
This is how the "legend" was born about the existence of certain "partisans" in the liberated territory of the Latvian SSR, who do not spare their strength and their very lives "fight" for the freedom and independence of Latvia.
Materials on the search for the head of the "Wild Cats" of the SS Hauptsturmfuhrer Boris Yankavs in the GUBB of the NKVD of the USSR were concentrated in the agent case "Raid".
The search for the leader of the "Forest Cats" lasted almost a year and a half. The experienced saboteur constantly changed locations and did not stay in one place for a long time, preferring to stay overnight in pre-prepared special bunkers in the forest, near remote farms.
The Soviet security authorities took into account that Yankavs had extensive information about the location of undetected gangs and their leaders, and decided to take him alive at all costs.
For the capture of Jankavs in December 1946, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Latvian SSR developed a special plan for his capture alive. For this purpose, an agent group was created to develop Yankavs ' connections and establish his location.
A significant help in the detention of Jankavs was provided by the arrest on September 11, 1945 of his cohabitant, a member of the "SS Jagdferband-Ost" Ziedane Martinsons - "Zygi". She told the chekists a number of participants of the "Forest Cats" who were in an illegal situation, the turnout where Yankavs was hiding, and passwords for establishing contact with him.
Soon the problem was solved. On January 25, 1947, an operational-military group of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the Kuldig district in the forest in a specially equipped bunker, Yankavs was discovered. During the exchange of fire, he was wounded and after recovering, he was questioned in detail both about his service with the Germans and about the bandits who remained at large.
On February 4, 1947, the Minister of Internal Affairs of the USSR S. Kruglov reported on the arrest of Boris Yankavs to the GKO and the SNK of the USSR.
From punisher to saboteur
During the interrogations, Jankavs said that at the end of September 1941, he voluntarily entered the service in the "SD Ostland". Already in October of the same year, the Germans sent him to Leningrad at the disposal of the SD in Tosno, and then soon transferred as an interpreter to the "Abverkommando" at the intelligence department of the headquarters of the 18th Army.
By the way, near Leningrad, along with Yankavs in the town of Nasva, two more Latvian "national heroes" were engaged in punitive activities: Viktor Arais with his "team" and his subordinate, a well-known Latvian pilot Herbert Zukurs.
During the interrogation on February 21, 1947, Yankavs testified about the methods of work and punitive activities of the "SD" in the Tosno of the Leningrad region:
"...I was aware that persons who were arrested in the SD were subjected in some cases to severe beatings, and a significant part of them were simply shot. Moreover, shootings of Soviet citizens were not uncommon and they were shot about 100 meters from the house where the SD was located, and the corpses were buried there in a pit. The place of execution is well known to all SD employees, including me. They were shot mainly by the Germans themselves."
At the next interrogation, on February 25, 1947, Jankavs continued his testimony about his service in the German army. As can be seen from his story, he was part of the "SD Ostland" participated in the punitive expedition in December 1943 - January 1944. The personnel of the Riga Police Regiment also participated in the same punitive expedition:
"...As a result of the practical activities of this expedition, under the guise of eliminating partisan bases, a significant number of Soviet villages were burned, the inhabitants of which, regardless of gender and age, were evacuated deep into the territory occupied by the Germans, some of them were repressed..."
Jankavs then served for some time in the 15th Latvian SS Division, before arriving in Berlin in early May 1944 and enlisting in the 502nd SS Jaeger Battalion, commanded by SS Reserve Obersturmbannfuhrer Otto Skorzeny.
In the battalion, Jankavs met Skorzeny's deputy, SS - Sturmbannfuhrer Karl Radl, who introduced him to his chief. As can be seen from the interrogation protocol, it was Skorzeny who was the " godfather "of the Latvian"partisans". Here is how Yankavs described this episode in his testimony: "...Skorzeny in a personal conversation then told me that as a result of the successful offensive of the Red Army, a rather unpleasant situation is developing for Germany. In connection with the above, the leading circles of Hitler's Germany decided to organize an insurgent underground in the Soviet rear in the liberated territories, like partisan detachments, which should deploy extensive sabotage, terrorist and other subversive activities, and suggested that I start forming the so-called operational headquarters in Latvia..."
Then Jankavs was sent to study at the sabotage and intelligence school in The Hague (Netherlands). After completing his training, at the end of May 1944, Yankavs returned to Riga and began recruiting personnel for sabotage and terrorist activities in the Soviet rear.
I passed the turnout, addresses and passwords
During the interrogation on February 26, 1947, Yankavs gradually told who and how he prepared the future "partisans". Together with him, three other official members of the SS Jagdferband, all Baltic Germans, headed by SS Hauptsturmfuhrer Adrian von Felkerzam, left for Riga.
Under the leadership of Jankavs, a regulation on the goals and practical activities of the "Latvian Operational Headquarters" was developed.":
"...I must say that the sabotage and terrorist organization SS Jagdferband was a purely German organization, which, as I have already shown, was created by the German intelligence and police agencies with the knowledge of the leading circles of Hitlerite Germany to organize and conduct subversive work in the territories liberated by the Soviet army and the Allied armies from the German invaders."
Specially recruited agents of the "Frontline Reconnaissance Group 212", "Zeppelin-Nord", the Riga SD, as well as 40 people from the "Arais team", who had previously participated in punitive expeditions against the partisans, were allocated to complete the "Forest Cats".
During interrogations on February 28, March 14, 15 and 21, Yankavs gave detailed testimony about the formation of the "Forest Cats", their training, equipment, personnel, their aliases, and agents who were in a legal position…
In other words, he completely turned in his accomplices in the "partisan struggle".
On March 24, Jankavs was read out the decision to charge him. When asked by the investigator whether Yankavs pleads guilty to the charge, the latter replied: "I fully admit that I am guilty of the charge against me ... During my stay in an illegal position and until the day of my arrest, I was engaged in active sabotage and terrorist activities. He personally led various gang groups, organized, and in some cases personally participated in the commission of sabotage, terrorist and bandit acts; He published and distributed anti-Soviet leaflets calling for the overthrow of Soviet power in Latvia, and engaged in other criminal activities."
After the indictment, the interrogations of Yankavs continued... The information obtained as a result of the interrogations of Yankavs allowed Soviet counterintelligence agents to trace the remaining "partisans from the SS" and by the summer of 1947, the "Forest Cats" were finished.
The same Latvian "forest cats" and "brothers" that survived and went with the Germans to the West, soon acquired new owners. Now in the face of the US CIA.
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