Seagulls.

This is coolbert:

Jonathan Livingston Seagull this is not!

Ukrainian partisans continue the work. We must not forget the Ukraine Conflict continues.

″Jonathan transcends into a reality, which he assumes is heaven″

Transcend reality in a manner of speaking yes!

"Dozens of Russian Soldiers Killed After Drinking Poisoned Vodka"

From Newsweek ^ | December 4, 2023 | Aila Slisco | the tip from Freeper.

"Two dozen Russian soldiers have allegedly been killed by a Ukrainian partisan group who claimed it offered them poisoned vodka and other food items in occupied Crimea. A partisan group calling itself the 'Crimea Combat Seagulls' said in a post to Telegram over the weekend that it had killed 24 Russian soldiers and hospitalized 11 others after giving them the poisoned food and drinks in Simferopol"

Poisoning the adversary and killing in this manner is a grave violation of the Laws of Land Warfare? I have consulted with authority on this manner. 

P.S. Per the response of an acknowledged authority in such matters. Poisoning the food and water of an enemy a violation of the Rules of Land Warfare:

"I've [acknowledged authority] always thought it was a major violation of the Rules of Land Warfare, but I cannot cite any law or treaty that says so . . . No one using poison in food or drink during wartime to my knowledge has been prosecuted in the 20th Century for its use."

coolbert.

Poisoning.

This is coolbert:

Grave violation the Laws of Land Warfare? Alleged! Ukraine Conflict partisan activity.

Use of poison strictly forbidden!

"Was a mass poisoning of Russian officers part of a Ukrainian counter-attack?"

From the JPost ^ | 8/5/23 | Maariv Online the tip from Freeper.

"An official in Ukraine reported on Thursday night that two Russian officers were killed and 15 other servicemen were hospitalized after a 'mass poisoning attack' that occurred during a festive event in the city of Mariupol. . . . 'the poisoning was carried out by Ukrainian partisans while Kremlin forces celebrated Navy Day last Sunday.' . . . 'During the celebration, the officers were poisoned in one of the military facilities.'"

From the Internet an extract the laws of land warfare:

"Offenses by armed forces.—The principal offenses of this class are: Making use of poisoned and otherwise forbidden arms and ammunition"

My instantaneous and intuitive reaction to this story was that the Russians might have been more likely  poisoned rather from drinking either contaminated water or food prepared in contaminated water. That infrastructure Mariupol too badly damaged from the siege that ended just over a year now.

That Soviet military experience Afghan the Red Army suffering 300,000 non-battlefield casualties! I would suspect hepatitis from drinking bad water.

The Ukrainian if responsible fighting the war of the flea, no-holds-barred type of warfare.

coolbert.

Exhumation.

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"We were under the orders of an Allied command center at Saint-Fréjoux, and they were the ones who gave the orders to kill them"

Allied atrocity World War Two. A subject that arouses the instantaneous interest of some.

"French Resistance man breaks silence over German prisoners executed in 1944"

By Hugh Schofield | BBC News, París.

"Excavation [exhumation] work is to start soon to find the bodies of up to 40 German soldiers who were executed by the French Resistance in June 1944."

"It follows the testimony of an ex-Resistance fighter who recently broke eight decades of silence to reveal how the Germans were shot in a wood near Meymac in central France."

"Edmond Réveil, 98, is the last surviving member from the local branch of the FTP (Francs-tireurs et partisans) Resistance group, and personally witnessed the mass execution at a place called Le Vert."

FTP as needs to be noted communist organized French partisans WW2.

Tit-for-tat retaliation the shooting of civilians and military captives hardly a unique phenomenon in wartime. Even understood better within the context of events as transpired in France, that period of June 1944. The day of reckoning for the German was now at hand, the war becoming a no-holds barred fight between the German invader and the French resistant!

coolbert.

Touchdown.

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Seems to be real!

You Tube video showing recce mission [reconnaissance] the airfield Belarus where the recently attacked [damaged or destroyed] Russian AWACS warplane flying in/out of.

"INTELLIGENCE! AWACS A-50U at the airfield MACHULISHI! Bypol"

Read further the translation [thanks to Google translate] from the video:

"Bypol: Not so long ago, the dictator [Putin] once again told his propagandists that he had the best air defense and means against drones. Therefore, all military installations are allegedly in complete safety. What the situation really is is clearly demonstrated by the video transmitted by the combat group of participants in the Peramoga [Victory] plan. 

For 2 weeks, Belarusian partisans, using civilian drones purchased in a store, conducted aerial reconnaissance at the Machulishchi military airfield. 

During one of the successful reconnaissance operations, the drone not only flew into the protected area of the specified airfield, flew near the Russian AWACS A-50U military aircraft, but even landed on its radar station ('dish'). 

 Well, how did the vaunted means of anti-drone warfare show themselves, for the development and production of which tens of millions of rubles of budget funds were spent? The answer is obvious - no way. And was information about these incidents reported to the self-appointed ruler? Of course not."

Reconnaissance of the airfield and the A-50 ongoing for TWO WEEKS prior to the attack? And no one saw a thing? The drone [apparently a commercial quadrocopter] even LANDING on the radome of the A-50.

coolbert.

TOG.

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These guys back during the days of the old Soviet Union were KGB Second Department as far as I remember counterintelligence internal within the Soviet Union.

Now called FSB! Different nomenclature but the mission still continues

"New FSB groups arrive in occupied south of Ukraine to search for partisans"

"partisan: A partisan is a member of an irregular military force formed to oppose control of an area by a foreign power or by an army of occupation by some kind of insurgent activity."

From "Ukrainska Pravda" December 8, 2022.

"New groups of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB) have arrived in the temporarily occupied south of Ukraine to uncover the Ukrainian partisan movement."

Source: "National Resistance Center"

Details: "New FSB groups will be assigned the tasks of carrying out signals and electronic intelligence, including intercepting calls, monitoring Internet traffic, and jamming signals during the movement of Russian military equipment."

FSB mission evidently radio intercept and triangulation to discover communications and  locations of the various partisan groups.

"The National Resistance Center recalls that the Russian secret services have started hunting down partisans. The so-called temporary operative groups (TOG) were created in the temporarily occupied territories to search for partisans. These groups consist of employees of the counterintelligence department of the FSB and representatives of various services."

Ukrainian partisan activity the occupied territories must now have be seen as a serious threat to Russian rule and military activity. If they were not so the FSB would not be committing resources as they are now.

To what extent the Ukrainian Army had organized partisan units to be employed in case of Russian attack I just cannot say. Sounds like these units are similar to what the NATO calls GLADIO operations. Partisans during a time of crisis already trained becoming active and wage guerrilla warfare in in the rear area of an advancing enemy.

Ukrainian military from my perspective seems to be very well organized and perhaps has thought through the entire aspect of partisan activity well in advance. There is indeed a very long history of partisan warfare in that part of the world. Partisan warfare as being successful too when waged in  conjunction with conventional warfare.

coolbert.

Arsonists.

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Partisans Ukraine Tatar style?

Both entries courtesy yahoo.com. Original Stories as seen at "The New Voice of Ukraine".

Partisan activity as favorable to the Ukraine cause and as perpetrated by Crimean Tatars arsonists. On a massive level and not spontaneous.

[The spelling of Tater or Tartar either one will suffice generally recognized as being correct]

1. "Casualties reported in large-scale fire incident in occupied Crimea"

December 10, 2022.

"Casualties have already been confirmed."

"The Krymsky Veter channel posted a video from the scene of the incident. The post specifies that the fire started at around 06:00 a.m. on Dec. 10."

"Those barracks could house from several hundred to several thousand people, Serhiy Bratchuk, an Odesa Oblast military administration official, wrote on Telegram.

"'At about 6 a.m. today. The barracks are on fire... There are dead and wounded people,' the message reads."

2. "Ukrainian partisans take responsibility for setting fire to Russian barracks in Crimea"

December 11, 2022.

“'The base of the conscripts of the army of the Russian Federation in the village of Sovetske in Ukrainian Crimea is on fire,' ATESH wrote."

ATESH those Tatar partisans as favorable to the Ukrainian cause!

“'Our agents worked pitch perfect. We worked on this ‘project’ for a long time and, of course, everything worked out for us. We will continue to destroy the Russian army from the inside.'”

"The partisans also added that there were victims as a result of the fire, and promised to publish a list at a later date."

The classical techniques of the partisans / Insurgent / guerrilla in operation. We commit arson, we snipe at enemy personnel, we employ IED, we attack any sort of vulnerable and unguarded target.

Yesterday, today, tomorrow, forever as long as the Ukraine conflict persists.

coolbert.

повстанцы.

This is coolbert:

Measures both ACTIVE and PASSIVE! Insurgency the Ukraine Conflict.

Guerra de la pulga Ukraine. He who fights a small war.

"Russia's growing Ukraine occupation partisan resistance problem"

From yahoo.com and the story by Peter Weber, Senior editor. June 14, 2022.

WE have not YET begun to fight?

Ukrainian partisans have made ready. Now they go into action. Gladio the Ukraine?

"Russia is making slow, bloody progress in its campaign to capture Ukraine's eastern Donbas region. But Moscow's invasion of Ukraine was not popular in the country, and even many previously pro-Kremlin Ukrainians are outraged to see Russian forces and their allies flatten entire cities and commit war crimes against other Ukrainians."

"In the areas of Ukraine that Russia has captured, violent and nonviolent resistance has blossomed. Here's what you need to know about Ukraine's partisan resistance and their guerrilla insurgency"

Measures both active [violence] and passive [refusing to obey whatever command of the Russian occupation authority soup to nuts].

The secret services of the Ukrainian have made preparations well in advance for such an eventuality? Partisan units organized and ready to go. Train, armed, equipped. NATO Gladio stay-behind style.

For those of you interested see the Swiss guide to insurgency and underground resistance to an occupying military force:

"Total Resistance: Swiss Army Guide to Guerrilla Warfare and Underground Operations"

coolbert.

Партизани.

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Партизани України. Ukrainian partisans. "War of the Rails" 2022.

The Ukrainian fights back! Even in territory occupied by Russian forces, no Russian military man safe at any given moment. Ukrainian guerrilla fighters on the prowl.

From Newsweek Zoe Strozewski - the tip from msn.com

1. "Ukrainians Kill 'High-Ranking' Soldiers, Blow Up Russian Train: Reports"

"Ukrainian forces blew up a Russian armored train that they said was carrying personnel in the occupied city of Melitopol on Wednesday, according to Ukrainian officials."

"The day before, guerrillas in Melitopol claimed they 'eliminated high-ranking Russian servicemen,' according to Ukraine's Zaporizhia Regional Military Administration."

2. "Ukraine officials give conflicting accounts of attack on Russian train"

From Reuters May 18, 2022.

"KYIV, May 18 (Reuters) - Ukraine's territorial defense force said on Wednesday its fighters had blown up an armored train carrying Russian troops, but an adviser to President Volodymyr Zelinskiy later said the attack had been confined to rails near the train."

[....]

"The defense force - the reservist branch of Ukraine's armed forces - said in an online posting that explosives had detonated under a rail car carrying military personnel. It did not elaborate on the extent of the damage."

OK. Damage confined to the rails and not the train itself! That does make more sense. The Russian has indeed restored the ancient and venerable tradition of the armored train? Provides where tracks are available point-defense of vulnerable targets with train-mounted anti-aircraft artillery and MANPADS?

coolbert.

Partizani II.

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Partisans Ukraine once more? Guerrilla warfare as a deterrent? Conclusion!

From WBEZ National Public Radio the article by ELEANOR BEARDSLEY additional thanks to Pete Kiehart.

"Thousands of Ukrainians are training to protect their cities in case Russia invades"

Image courtesy NPR. Devoted readers to the blog might like to listen to the embedded three minute podcast. Young men drilling with wooden rifles that sort of thing I have not seen since my sojourn in Korea over fifty years ago. South Korean militia drilling with wood staffs.

"KYIV, Ukraine — In cities across Ukraine, there are billboards that show a smiling young man beckoning in full battle gear. 'Learn how to defend your home today,' the message says."

"The advertisement from Ukraine's Territorial Defense Forces, an offshoot of the army, seems to be working. As Ukrainians prepare for a possible Russian invasion, thousands of citizens are volunteering to train in case they have to help protect their cities."

Militia to act as guerrillas need to be formed and trained well in advance of anticipated conflict or invasion. Militia greatly resembling the NATO now defunct [?] Gladio ready to go without further ado. Too late for Ukraine to construct on such notice a credible insurgent army-in-waiting?

coolbert.

Partizani I.

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Partisan Ukraine? Unconventional warfare? The guerrilla threat as a deterrent?

From the Internet web site "Small Wars Journal" the article by Brian S. Petit.

"UKRAINE AND THE THREAT OF CITIZEN RESISTANCE"

"Ukraine is bracing for a Russian invasion. Under-matched, undersized, and militarily less capable, Ukraine will lose a conventional, combined arms fight, should it come. Facing this prospect, Ukraine is investing in and publicizing its hedging strategy: citizen resistance."

"Is this Ukrainian citizen resistance strategy a publicity-heavy bluff that offers more bark than bite? Or is this strategy – organized enough to be credible and opaque enough to produce surprises - exactly on point?"

The main points as elaborated on by the author:

* "Public Messaging That Triggers Public Mobilization"

* "Managing the Messy Margins of Militias"

* "Resistance Law and Policy"

* "Assessing Deterrence"

If and when the Russian invades Ukraine with a conventional attack that will overwhelm the Ukrainian defenses DO NOT think the fighting will end. Partisans in the ancient and venerable manner of the guerrilla will continue the battle. As it was in the Second World War as it will be in 2022?

From that era of WW2 the Ukrainian Insurgent Army a nationalist guerrilla army under the command of Stepan Bandera at various moments of the conflict causing a lot of aggravation for the Germans and the Soviets both. Rebellious nationalists CONTINUING the struggle beyond 1945 for a number of years roving bands of insurgents active.

Read additionally the CV [curriculum vitae] of Brian S Petit. Very impressive. If anyone would know about insurgency/guerrilla warfare it would be Mr. Brian.

coolbert.

Desperado.

This is coolbgert:

To be honest I am surprised that such film footage [in color] even exists.

The overland relief march to lift the siege of Dien Bien Phu. Partisan units of hill tribesmen loyal to the French during the First Indo-China War as commanded by Captain Jean Sassi. This was Operation Desperado.

Sasse at the time a relatively junior officer and initiating the overland relief operation to Dien Bien Phu on his own authority. A relief operation aborted, permission denied by higher authority, Jean Sassi and his forces in position, poised, ready. From the video settings you can turn on auto-translate to English or other languages.

IN ALL LIKELIHOOD THE RELIEF OPERATION TO DIEN BIEN PHU WOULD HAVE PROBABLY FAILED, SO DOOMED WAS THE FRENCH GARRISON! ABOUT ONE-HUNDRED FIFTY FRENCH ESCAPEES HOWEVER WERE REPATRIATED DUE TO THE EFFORTS OF JEAN SASSI AND HIS PARTISANS.

coolbert.

Auxiliary

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The Auxiliaries.

From the BBC:

"Churchill's 'secret army' against Nazi invasion"

"This Sunday, people across Britain will remember those who sacrificed their lives for the country in World War Two."

"And it will be a particularly poignant day for Winston Churchill's 'secret army', who will be parading at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday for the first time."

Those men of the secret army, 3,500 strong during the Second World War, organized into guerrilla units of about a dozen men each, existing during daytime in underground shelters, sallying forth during hours of darkness to wreak havoc on the German invader, IF AND WHEN AN ACTUAL INVASION OF BRITAIN HAD OCCURRED.

That the Auxiliary Force did exist is common knowledge and has been so for many decades. An expedient measure as adopted by the English in case of German invasion and conquest. A military force incognito able to continue the resistance to the German.

Men armed with dagger, pistol, grenades, and trained in explosives.

And troops too having had to sign THE OFFICIAL SECRETS ACT. That legal document binding on them TO THIS VERY DAY.

Men whose mission during the war was secret, regrettably some of them perceived as being slackers or shirkers. This NOT BEING SO!

One such commander of an auxiliary unit being the famous English actor Anthony Quayle. Always reticent about this WW2 activities, and obviously for good reason. A man who portrayed the partisan fighter in the movie "Guns of Navarone" and ideally suited for the role.

German invasion of England, 1940, as feared by many, probably not succeeding AS LONG AS THE LUFTWAFFE UNABLE TO ATTAIN AIR SUPREMACY.

coolbert.

Rail War & Concerto.

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The archetypes of the successful guerrilla/partisan operation that target and mission of which the interdiction of the enemy Main Supply Route [MSR] during wartime the Soviet partisan in action: "Rail War" and "Concerto":

Guerrilla/partisans sabotage and destruction of German military rail transport most successful, GUERRILLA/PARTISAN OPERATIONS DURING WARTIME MOST EFFECTIVE WHEN DONE IN FURTHERANCE OF AND COORDINATED WITH CONVENTIONAL MILITARY OPERATIONS.

1. Rail War.

"On the night of August 3, 1943 167 guerrillas [bands of guerrillas?] Belarus, Kalinin, Leningrad, Smolensk and Orel regions, as well as part of the Ukrainian guerrillas simultaneously launched an operation 'rail war' . . . Only during the first hours of the operation was blown up at least 42,000 tracks. History has never seen this magnitude - of sabotage were carried out on the front at 1000 km and from the front line to the western border of the USSR (depth up to 750 km)."

2. Concerto.

"On 19 September 1943, an operation by Soviet partisans began under the code name “Concert.” It was one of the largest operations of World War II in its effects on the incapacitation of railroad communications in the logistics of the enemy rear . . . and was coordinated with the forthcoming offensive of the Soviet troops in the Smolensk Offensive operation . . . as part of the Summer-Autumn Campaign of 1943 . . . The operation included participation of 193 partisan detachments and groups totalling more than 210,000 men, women, and children."

Damn partisans. Thanks to the web site "Some of the best partisane-miners" for this image. The results of such sabotage words not needed to express further.

"Rail War" and "Concerto" NOT stopping the forward flow of supplies, that interdiction not 100 % effective but greatly slowing down logistics, complicating an already bad situation and doing so at the worst possible moment.

AND counter-measures often taken to secure a MSR often draconian and harsh, prodigious numbers of troops needed merely for guard duty, a further drain on resources.

coolbert.

Phantom!

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Again, from the cast of the famous war movie: "The Guns of Navarone", we have another famous British actor playing a part for which he was ideally suited.

David Niven, playing the role the English commando Corporal Miller [an explosive expert with a very irreverent attitude toward the military], joins the English behind-the-lines mission to destroy the German coastal artillery guns of Navarone.

Niven, as was Anthony Quayle, totally familiar with the military and dangerous duty - - serving with panache during the Second World War [WW2]!

"pa·nache  - – noun 1. a grand or flamboyant manner; verve; style; flair"

"James David Graham Niven . . . known as David Niven, was a British actor and novelist, best known for his roles as Phileas Fogg in Around the World in 80 Days and Sir Charles Lytton, a.k.a. 'the Phantom,' in The Pink Panther."

"Niven joined what became known as the Hollywood Raj, a group of British actors in Hollywood." [this in the period of the 1930's, prior to the outbreak of WW2!]

David Niven - - serving in the British Army unit known as "Phantom"! Better known as GHQ Liaison Regiment!

"GHQ Liaison Regiment (known as Phantom) was a special reconnaissance unit first formed in 1939 during the early stages of World War II"

"It had its origins as the No 3 British Air Mission in France, 1939 . . . its role was to report back information about the allied forward positions . . . to the Advanced Air Striking Force HQ so as to pinpoint the changing locations of 'bomb lines'. These were the battle areas not occupied by Allied troops, and therefore suitable targets for bombs and shells."

"Phantom" - - locating and marking enemy targets suitable for air bombardment. And also marking the locations of friendly units as well. Preventing "friendly fire" incidents!

The "skill-sets" of troops and officers assigned to "Phantom" being eclectic.

"ec·lec·tic  - – adjective 1. selecting or choosing from various sources. 2. made up of what is selected from different sources."

"Phantom recruited men with various skill-sets – linguists, drivers and mechanics and undertook rigorous training in wireless communication and cipher"

Officers of "Phantom" drawn in large measure from the upper-crust of English society. Men of education, bearing, nobility, etc.

"Famous Phantom officers included actors Major David Niven (who initially commanded A Squadron) and Tam Williams; MPs Jakie and Michael Astor, Sir Hugh Fraser, Sir Carol Mather, Peregrine Worsthorne, Maurice Macmillan and Christopher Mayhew. Sir Robert Mark became Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police whilst others excelled in other arenas – academia, athletics, horseracing (Sir Gordon Richards and John Hislop)."

[It is worth noting that the English upper-class does not eschew military service. Serve proudly and with even flair when called upon! David Niven obviously being one such person!!]

"Niven took part in the Invasion of Normandy, arriving several days after D-Day. He served in the 'Phantom Signals Unit', which located and reported enemy positions, and kept rear commanders up to date on changing battle lines"

I was vaguely aware that David Niven had performed admirable military service during WW2. Thought to be however NOT a combat veteran and man of valor.

I STAND CORRECTED!! Excuse me David Niven!

coolbert.

Quayle.

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Those of you who have seen the outstanding movie: "The Guns of Navarone" will remember the character of Major Franklin. British army officer tasked with an impossible but essential war-time mission, World War Two [WW2]:

"Small group of British and Greek commandos, led by Major Franklin (played by Anthony Quayle) is sent to land on the island, contact the local partisans and, using their help, sabotage the guns before the evacuation convoy gets near Kheros."




Major Franklin, the partisan fighter, as played in the movie by the excellent English actor, director, thespian of the highest order, Anthony Quayle.

Anthony Quayle playing a part in a movie for which he was most suited, the man having fought during WW2 as a partisan, as a member of the British Special Operations Executive [SOE]!

"Anthony Quayle, whose real life WW2 adventures actually resembled those of his character [Major Franklin]"

Quayle, having fought in Albania during the war, hesitant to speak of his war-time exploits

"During the Second World War he was an Army Officer . . . he joined the Special Operations Executive and served as a liaison officer with the partisans in Albania (reportedly, his service with the SOE seriously affected him, and he never felt comfortable talking about it). He described his experiences in a fictionalised form in 'Eight Hours from England'."

[I can recall very well an interview Quayle had on American TV during which he was asked about his WW2 exploits. The man was hesitant to speak and totally down-played his mission, his role, his war-time adventures. Anthony WAS NOT comfortable in talking about the war!]

Originally trained as a partisan and would have commanded English guerrilla units in case of a German invasion of England!

"Auxiliary Units were the 'stay-behind forces' put in place in UK in case of a German invasion"

In the case of Anthony Quayle, art imitated life, and not the other way around.

coolbert.

Partizane

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Here thanks to PG monster and his web site: "War is Over"

Photographs and a tally sheet of World War Two [WW2] Soviet partisans [partizane] "mining" railroad tracks, bridges, etc. German railway lines of communications [LOC's] being sabotaged by Soviet guerrillas!!



["mining" in the Soviet sense meaning - - according to what I read, NOT just merely laying land mines as is understood in a western army - - but DEMOLITIONS!!]

The Soviet partisan campaign of WW2 is generally accepted by the "experts" to have been highly successful. An archetype to be emulated when possible.

GUERRILLA WARFARE IS MOST EFFECTIVE WHEN DONE IN CONJUNCTION WITH AND SUPPORTING CONVENTIONAL MILITARY OPERATIONS!! As was with the Soviet partisan campaign of WW2.

That tally sheet is most interesting! A list of trains destroyed. NOT just sections of rail track blown up! Trains ACTUALLY DERAILED!!
The "leader-board" for the "miners" shows:

"Some of the best partisane-miners":

* Grigoriy A. Tokuyev destroyed 19 trains.
* Vasiliy Kononov : 14 trains.
* Vladimir V. Pavlov : 13 trains.
* Dmitriy M. Rezuto : 13 trains.
* Mihail Illarionovich Petrov : 12 trains.
* Nikolay M. Frolov : 10 trains.
* Ivan A. Bondarchuk : 9 trains + 12 cars + 4 bridges.
* T.G. Dmitriev : 8 trains (inc. 1 armoured train) + 25 cars + 1 bridge.



[above photo is of T.G. Dmitriev himself]

Some of those persons shown in the photos and listed in the tally sheet are "guards minelayers"?? NOT NECESSARILY PARTISANS! Soviet active duty military men, demolitions experts, proficient at all aspects of unconventional warfare!

Persons ["guards minelayers"] skilled in demolitions of all sorts, trained and experienced in the handling and employment of the latest explosives and detonating devices, parachuted behind German lines. Persons, if necessary, able to concoct explosives from common household products, McGyver-style!

Troops ["guards minelayers"] who WERE THE PREDECESSORS OF THE MODERN SOVIET/RUSSIAN SPETSNAZ [SPECIAL PURPOSE] UNITS!!
From Suvorov:

"The operations carried out by the 'minelayers' were distinguished by their daring character and their effectiveness . . . Sometimes they operated independently, at others they combined their operations with the partisans . . . The minelayers taught the partisans the most difficult aspects of minelaying, the most complicated technique technology and the most advanced tactics"

Right! Special purpose troops, analogous to American Special Forces, able to parachute behind enemy lines, NOT ONLY to perform missions independently, but ALSO able to organize, train, plan, lead guerrillas into combat!!

coolbert.

Partisans

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We have all seen the various movies and TV documentaries about the Nazi "Final Solution" to the "Jewish Problem".

Genocidal massacre on what can only be termed an apocalyptic scale.

Jews, civilians, not resisting, being herded naked into pits and shot.

Persons, docile, compliant to a fault, non-resisting, "sheep-like"! A very grim and disturbing scene.

NOT ALL Jews of eastern Europe, however, behaved in such a manner. Some fled to the forests, joined or formed guerrilla bands, and waged partisan warfare against the Germans.

Most notably among these bands and groups was the Bielski partisans.

"The Bielski partisans (the official name was changed several times) was the largest group of the Jewish partisans in the course of the World War II who fought against the Nazi German occupiers and their collaborators in the area of Navahrudak and Lida in present-day Belarus."

Jewish partisans fighting strictly as Jewish partisans, and not incorporated into the much larger Soviet-controlled partisan movement.

"The group's commander was . . . Tuvia Bielski (1906-1987), a Polish army veteran and graduate of a Zionist youth movement . . . Hundreds of men, women, and children eventually found their way to the Bielski camp, which ultimately numbered over a thousand inhabitants, both civilians and fighters."



[Tuvia Bielski: above]

This would include all men, women, children. Fighters and non-fighters. The number of the former being much less than one thousand. That one thousand inhabitants includes EVERYONE.

A guerrilla band MUCH MORE than merely combatants. A SOCIETY of persons, sometimes called "family camps"! Gave refuge to all Jews that escaped Nazi persecution! Refugees, all of which, to the best of their ability, contributed to the "guerrilla society" and the war effort, in some manner, in a variety of ways!!

A "family camp" and guerrilla base for combat operations that included:

* "a kitchen"
* "a mill"
* "a bakery"
* "a bathhouse"
* "a medical clinic"
* "a quarantine hut"
* "Herds of cows"

With regard to the "herds of cows": "The partisans operated under constant threat of starvation. In order to survive, Jews had to put aside traditional dietary restrictions."

Please recall, from a prior blog entry, the legal opinion of Rabbi Akiva from the time of the Bar Kochba rebellion: "during time of war, all laws maybe set aside, except for murder and apostasy!!'

Non-combatants [the majority] of those persons in the Bielski partisan group, earned their keep by working in a variety of workshops, all devoted to the military effort. Workshops, providing needed clothing, weapons, articles of life needed for a partisan unit to exist and thrive.

Workshops where could be found and included:

* "tailors". Patch uniforms and mend clothing needed by the partisans and those living with them.
* "shoemakers". Shoes and boots made and mended for the partisans and those living with them.
* "leather-workers". Horses were an important part of warfare on the eastern Front during World War Two. Bridles, reins, harnesses, saddles, all had to be made of leather.
* "A metal shop". Repair damaged or captured weapons. Assemble new weapons from parts taken from inoperable
* "A tannery". Provide raw material for the leather-workers and the shoemakers.

The Bielski partisan unit was MUCH MORE THAN JUST A GROUP OF GUERRILLA COMBATANTS. AN ENTIRE SOCIETY OF PERSONS DEVOTED SOLELY AND WHOLLY TO THE WAR EFFORT, LIFE, BODY, MIND, SOUL!!!

[the communists in Vietnam referred to this as "people's war, peoples' army"!]

Please do not think that all was a bed of roses for the Bielski partisans. It was undoubtedly a rough, hard life, often so in the extreme. Ruthlessness was a necessity for survival. If you ran afoul of the partisans, something very bad was going to happen to you. Such is the normal nature of partisan/guerrilla/irregular warfare!!

"As revealed, for example, by interviews . . . the Bielski Partisans felt it necessary for their survival to be ruthless."

Ruthless behavior to include:

* "Collaborators who turned in partisans to Nazi authorities were executed after cursory investigation."

* "A group of German soldiers who surrendered to the Bielskis were summarily executed"

* "In at least one instance, Zus Bielski executed one of his own officers for leaving a civilian behind"

C'est le guerre dude!! Hey, no one said this is going to be easy!!

coolbert.