Memories of Werner Preijer, Commander of the Company of the 42nd Regiment of the Latvian Legion, about the battles of Kurzeme.
The Kurzeme fortress was formed after the fall of Riga on October 13, 1944 and the Russian break-up to Klaipeda on October 10, thus stopping traffic with Germany by road.
(..) The battles in Kurzeme were so severe and often in unclear, complicated circumstances that every battle had to be improvised, often at risk, contrary to the generally accepted principles of war. What worked in one battle did not work in another. Only one principle remained strict and unchanged - what is called a soldier's morality. The whole fortress of Kurzeme then adhered to this principle, but in our nineteenth, especially, as well as the 106th Grenadier Regiment. When I joined the Latvian army as a young guy, morale and moral forces were mentioned in the first place among many other necessary qualities of a soldier. It took me a while to fully understand what this set of features really means. This concept is not exactly what it means in civilian life, or what Captain Līdums later refers to as "pure and shameful" living, as opposed to similar living, swallowing, tearing, and carnal desires. (..)
(..) We have had a strict ammunition limit for a long time - 5 rounds per machine gun. However, every machine gunner is well aware that with 5 rounds it is difficult to check whether the machine gun works, as it tends to do when the items change. It was no longer that we did not stockpile ammunition at critical times. Serious officers told me that in general, ammunition in Kurzeme would be enough for a month or a little longer. However, common sense showed that the end is not far away, although we had decided to fight to the end, then we will see. The only thing that pleased me with the German lieutenant was that he and others must trust us, the Latvians. In fact, it was already something to rely on, and this 6th battalion, one of the most difficult battles in Kurzeme, has already been won by Lieutenant Colonel Kocins, the last legionnaires of Kurzeme, the last of the nineteenth.
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Memorial Stone to Defenders of the Kurzeme Fortification
Located in Tukums region, on the side of the A9 motorway, 500 m from the turn to Lesteni in the direction of Riga.
The memorial site was established in 1991 near the Rumbu houses, in the vicinity of which there was active warfare. This is a tribute to the defenders of the "Kurzeme Fortress" who fought against the Red Army in World War II. The battles were significant because they temporarily stopped the Red Army's complete occupation of Latvia. About 300,000 Latvians emigrated, avoiding crimes against the civilian population by the Soviet regime.
At the end of World War II, a peculiar situation had developed in the territory of Latvia. There were German army forces in Kurzeme, which the Red Army tried to eliminate or prevent their involvement in the fighting in East Prussia or around Berlin. "Kurzeme Fortress" - the most common term to describe the warfare in Kurzeme from 1944 to 1945. The "battles of Kurzeme" were the battles of the German army to repel the large-scale attacks of the Red Army. The Kurzeme fortress ceased to exist shortly after the German capitulation.
Today you can see a place of remembrance and rest, which has been popular among Latvian legionnaires since the restoration of Latvia's independence.
Lestene Brothers' Cemetery
Located in Tukums region, Lestene, next to the church.
The construction of the Brothers' Cemetery in Lestene began in 1998. It is the second largest cemetery of soldiers in Latvia, where more than 1,300 Latvian legionnaires are buried together. Only after the restoration of the Republic of Latvia was it possible to bury Latvian soldiers who died in World War II from various places.
The Latvian Legion was a combat unit of the German army, formed mainly from illegally mobilized Latvians. The soldiers perceived their presence in the legion as a struggle for the restoration of Latvia's independence, despite the fact that it took place in the ranks of the German armed forces and that Germany had occupied Latvia. There was no other military force that could delay the return of the Soviet occupation. Latvian legionnaires fought against the Red Army, which had abolished Latvia's independence, destroyed its army and committed crimes against civilians. Between 110,000 and 115,000 soldiers fought in the ranks of the German army, and between 30,000 and 50,000 of them left their lives on the battlefield.
Today in Lestene you can see the Brethren's Cemetery, next to which is Lestene Church. It is an outstanding example of baroque sacred art. In the old church pub you can get acquainted with the exposition dedicated to the history of the Latvian Legion. The central image of the Brothers' Cemetery "Motherland - Mother - Latvia" was created by the sculptor Arta Dumpe. Nearby is Lestene Manor, which belonged to the Latvian Army General Mārtiņš Hartmanis before the Second World War.
Excursions to Lestene Church can be booked at the head of the parish of Lestene Evangelical Lutheran Church Inguna Kokina, phone +371 29993743.
Lestene Brothers' Cemetery, Memorial Exposition and bunker
Lestene Brothers’ Cemetery is located in Tukums municipality, Lestene, next to the Lestene church. The construction of the Brothers’ Cemetery in Lestene began in 1998. It is the second largest military cemetery in Latvia, and more than 1,300 Latvian legionnaires are buried here. Only after regaining the independence, it was possible to rebury Latvian soldiers who fell during World War II. The Latvian Legion was a combat unit of the German Army, formed mainly from illegally drafted Latvians. The soldiers thought of their presence in the legion as something that had to be done to be able to restore Latvia’s independence, despite the fact that they were in the ranks of the German armed forces and that Germany had occupied Latvia. Latvian legionnaires fought against the Red Army, which had destroyed Latvia's independence and its army and committed crimes against civilians. Between 110,000 and 115,000 soldiers fought in the ranks of the German Army and about 30,000–50,000 of them never left the battlefield. The Brothers’ Cemetery central theme ‘Motherland – Mother – Latvia’ was created by the sculptor Arta Dumpe. Across the road an exhibit dedicated to the history of the Latvian Legion has been created in a former pub. Right next to it the men of the Latvian Officers Association, under the leadership of Captain Jānis Slaidiņš, have built an underground bunker to show how soldiers and officers lived on the front lines.
Kurzeme fortress museum in Zante
Kurzeme Fortress Museum is a large private collection dedicated to the events of World War II in Kurzeme. The museum is located in the village of Zante, Kandava municipality, which is part of the military history of the Kurzeme Fortress. Exhibit includes items of military history, military machines, restored trenches and bunkers.
The Kurzeme Fortress and Courland Pocket – these are the terms that are most commonly used to describe battles between the German and Red Army in Kurzeme from 1944 to 1945. These engagements or “Grand Battles of Kurzeme” were notable, because the German Army, which was located in a partially isolated territory, managed to withstand multiple large-scale attacks by the Red Army at a time when Berlin had fallen to the Allied Army and Germany had already surrendered. Units of the Latvian Legion were one of the best combat units in Kurzeme. Latvian Legionnaires believed that their fight would help thousands of Latvians to escape the Red Army's crimes against civilians. Even long after the war had ended the land of Kurzeme was riddled with reminders of the battles fought – military cemeteries, destroyed equipment, armaments and trenches.
World War II battle sites at Pampāļi and the private collection of Arthurs Hartmanis
The "Dzirnavas" in Pampali parish houses an impressive collection of antiquities, which the young collector started to build at an early age. The private collection includes many World War II relics found in the surrounding area.
Listening to the collector's enthusiastic narration, you can see the antiquities found in Pampāļi and its surroundings, from household utensils, dowry chests, radios and working pataphones to wartime relics and a wonderful stamp collection.
The history of Pampally began in 1835, when Ludwig von Stiglitz started building the estate. In 1837 and 1839 the new church of Pampally was consecrated.
War of Independence
During the Latvian War of Independence, Pampāļi was an important road junction between Lakes and Salda, and several battles took place in its surroundings between German units of the Dzelzdivision and Soviet Latvian troops. It was from Pampally that von Borke's battalion set out in the early hours of 6 March 1919 to carry out a joint mission, and later engaged in a misunderstood battle with the Separate Latvian Battalion, resulting in the death of Colonel Oskars Kalpaks.
World War II
Hostilities in the vicinity of Pampally began on 21 November 1944, when the Soviet 4th Shock Army, fording the Venta, launched an attack in the direction of Saldus. By 24 November, the situation stabilised and the front line remained unchanged until 21 December.
On 21 December 1944, the so-called 3rd Kurzeme Bolshoi began, during which the 4th Shock Army of the 1st Baltic Front with 4 Rifle Corps (12 Rifle Divisions) and the Mechanised Corps of the 3rd Guards attacked towards Saldus to link up with the units of the 2nd Baltic Front there. The German 132nd Infantry Division was defending in the Pampally area, with the 1st Battalion of the 436th Grenadier Regiment fortified in the vicinity of the manor and the church.
The attack on Pampally was carried out by the 357th and 145th Rifle Divisions of the 1st Rifle Corps, supported by the 39th Guards Tank Brigade, under massive artillery fire. During the first 24 hours of the battle, the Pampally garrison, commanded by Captain Eberard Coll, commander of the 14th (anti-tank) Company of the 436th Grenadier Regiment, was surrounded and virtually destroyed in fierce fighting.
As Pampally was directly on the front line, all the buildings suffered from artillery fire and are practically non-existent today. However, the outline of the former church, which was converted into a workshop during the Soviet period, has been preserved, as have the marks of shells on the wall of the former .. building.
