1. GUERRILLA FORCES IN LITHUANIA 2. SOVIET TROOPS IN LITHUANIA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R003500230008-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 10, 2005
• Sequence Number: 8
• Publication Date: November 8, 1949
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2005%rr2s Ql DP82-00457R00350023000
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AG!NGW REPORT NO.
INFORMATION REPORT CD NO.
OUNTRY USSR (Lithuania)
SUBJECT
25X1 C
A QUIREO
DATE OF INII
1. Guerrilla Forces in Lithuania
2. Soviet Troops in Lithuania
DATE DISTR. 8 NOV 49
NO. OF PAGES 2
NO.. OF ENCLS.
(LISTED BELOW)
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
1. The territory of the Lithuanian SSR is only nominally under
Soviet control and the Soviets can be Rsr:iu to be actually in charge
of only such cities as Kaunas. Vilnius (Vilna), Alytai, Nalvariya.
Virbaliai V iir'ballcn), Vkmerge, Penevezis (Ponewasch, Ponovesh)? Siauliai
(Schaulen), Taurage (Tauroggen), Klaipeda (Me:iel), Palanga. Utena. Birzai
and 'Te1.siai.. In the country, the predominant social and political factors
are the anti-Soviet guerrillas.
2. There are at present about 20,000 guerrillas in Lithuania. There is
an "argr" of between 3,500 and 4,000 men which fights the Soviet troops
when the occasion is propitious. The main object of the guerrillas is
to prevent by force of arms the collectivization of the land. They seek
to drive away the farmers who have been brought to Lithuania from the
Soviet Union and sometimes even kill them. Farmers who escaped from East
Prussia and took over abandoned farms in Lithuania are not molested.
3. On a percentage basis# the guerrillas are made up of;
70 percent Lithuanians
12 percent Germans - There are about 500 former officers of the Wehrmacht
and SS who were trapped at the time of the German
retreat. They are generally responsible for the
good training the guerrillas have received in the
use of arms and tactics.
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25X1X
10 percent Russians - Mostly from the Ylassov Army and the A miliary
Volunteers who fought on the German side during
the war. About 500 of them are former Soviet guerril_i~.,
who operated in the Vilna area. In November 1944 th,~,;
were incorporated into the regular Soviet Army; in Ju::e
1945 they deserted because of harsh treatment by the
Soviet military authorities. Their operational regio.
is between Trakcai. (Stare Troki), Jeznas. (Yeznas) a>
Valkininkai. SW of Vilna.
does not account for the remaining eight percent.)
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There. is no unified guerrilla organization or headquarters*, but hatred
of the Communist rule is the common bond"tu spite of a diversity of political
opinion among the members. Their fighting abilities in forest and night
operations are of a high order. Proof of this fact is that they have been
operating for several years. They are well equipped with modern weapons and
have had no lack of arms or ammunition, which are still hidden in the forests
in large quantities. Their weakest point is the food supply. The country
has been devastated by Soviet experiments and only two-thirds of the arable
land is cultivated. The local population supports them as nnuoh as it,can.
The railway lines -Yilae~ and Uetyani(t)-Dangavpfls especially have been
subjected to guerrilla, operations. Certain trains move along these lines
only in the daytime.
5. The Soviet fight against the guerrillas is conducted by MVD units and special
anti-guerrilla units called 01strebiteli5 (Destroyers). The latter were
formed in all districts and villages in the summer of 1945. mostly from among
the newcomers to the Oommunist Party. Bach unit consists of about 30 men.
They are poorly armed and commanded and often suffer heavy losses when they
are engaged with the guerrillas. The Istrebiteli are hated and despised by the
population because of their cruelty.
6. As of October 1948, the Soviet forces in Lithuania comprisedc
About 60,000 regular armor troops including the 16th Motorized
Infantry Divisions stationed at Vilna.**
About 30.000 MPD troops
About 30,000 Istrebiteli
Dighty percent of the personnel of the 16th Motorised Infantry Division
consists of Lithuanians. The o~ftoers of this unit are exclusively Russians
and the predominant language used is Russian.
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C oaune t R is to the
effect taet there is a top com::au directing Lithuanian partisan activities,
namely the DDPS (Joint Democratic Resistance Movement; in Lithuanian, Bendras
Demokratinio Pasipriesinimo Sajudfe).
25X1 A Gents This unit has also been identified as the 16th Lithuanian
anner a pods" Rifle Division but it has not previously
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