All Alone: A Lithuanian AAR

Having A Dream. January - February, 1944

Even with hope in men trickling away with each passing day, we were managed push the enemy out of the mountains of Berkovica by January 21, routing 7000 Germans from 218. Infantry of Lt.Gen. van Hulse, after 3 days of intense fighting, with nearly half thousand lost on each side.

We did not have any opportunity to use these gains either, as within the next three days we lost another 600 men, successfully fending off an onslaught of German Panzer division from Lom.


I was called to the Army HQ that night, stationed in one of the surviving farmhouses on the outskirts of Vratsa, when we were informed the change of Chief of Staff - General Juozas Barzda-Bradauskas was appointed few days ago. We all felt - some changes in organization of Lithuanian army were coming - for better or worse.

We were also immediately issued an order for tactical retreat to Sofia, along with 3rd Marines, stationed nearby, both to shorten the frontline, and to assist Brits, who were constantly being harassed by German troops in the hills to the southwest of the city.

At that point, however, the reasons to me and my men were as good as any, I was only glad we could leave this dreadful countryside, dotted with wrecks of trucks and tanks, still smoking here nd there, shell holes and bloody trenches under low grey sky.

Sofia was already in sight when were informed about the elimination of Pazardzhik pocket, nearly 25,000 Axis troops strong. Finally. January 26, 1944​

As far as I could understand, our forces further east were not doing that great - after a prolonged staring contest with German Panzer division, entrenched in the mountains north from Stara Zagora, now they had to fight-off Romanian infantry as well.

Although we were just in time to relieve Sofia defenders - an exhausted Marine division, on a brink of disaster, we could not notice the difference in the city itself. There was no cheering anymore among its inhabitants, like the time we entered the main square headed by Bulgarian guerrilla fighters back in November, and it felt so much more ruined and desolate.

By the 29th, the German assault on Sofia was finally beaten-off, leaving two and a half thousand men dead on both sides, twice as many Germans, as Brits.

It was the sacrifice of those men, and of our bold guys fighting further east, that we got a short respite, just for a few days, and our commanders used them to the fullest. With two fresh British divisions coming in and one new Bulgarian just formed up, we got our orders to pack our belongings post-haste, leave all heavy equipment to the new troops and board the trains heading to Thessaloniki on the morning of Jan 31. I can still remember the faces of the men in my company, full of disbelief and relief at the same time, after I came-in running, with the order on my lips way before I entered the barrack doors.

In three days we were in Athens, a bit later joined by the guys from all four volunteer divisions, which have sailed there from Varna, just two days before advancing Germans captured the port.


It came unexpected as a thunder, even though a pleasant one, when I met my brother Vincas there in Athens on the 4th of February. Apparently, he was taking part (as a member Lithuanian diplomatic mission) at a conference destined to determine the conditions and terms of transfer of the administration from our military one to Greek civil government, who have just returned from exile in London.

As far as I could understand at that point, Lithuanian military command was relocating from Balkan theater for good, and with the front still unstable, Allied command was hoping that the increase in Greek resources could help reaching the balance with advancing Axis forces.

With a few hours at our hands, we managed to talk only very briefly on the matter of world affairs, and the impression I left with, was quite a bleak one.

German Fortress Europe was standing strong still, even with Atlantikwall breached or abandoned due to American attack from the south of France, and Russians capturing Kiev at last. Germans still had the remnants of the Maginot line and their own Siegfried line still intact, and apparently there were reports of intense and bloody battles in the forest of the Eastern Front. Attacking in winter was a feat, even Russians were not fully prepared for.

Another worry, and perhaps even a bigger one to the Allied command, was the seemingly unchecked Japanese advance all over Asia, far east Pacific islands, Australia and Oceania - from Siberia and Calcutta in the West, to Midway, Wellington and Sidney in the East, topped by the fall of Nepal just several days ago.

The fight was still ongoing for Dutch colonies, and the outcome was far from certain. February 5, 1944​

The single force having potential to stop them, was the USA, as most modern British assets were tied-up in Europe. Despite that, all the Lithuanian diplomats were aware of, were promises of the Americans to sail out with their Pacific fleet in force really soon.

There were also talks of a high level conference being planned for the following months, with most Allied leaders and Stalin attending, but my brother could not tell yet, even to me, when and where it is going to take place.