Savigyna II WW2
Omakaitse (Home Guard, Selbstschutz auf Deutsch) war eine Organisation der inneren Sicherheit in Estland während der deutschen Besatzung von 1941 bis 1944.
Bis Juni 1941 war ein Jahr vergangen, seit Estland von der Sowjetunion gewaltsam besetzt worden war, was eine Welle von Verhaftungen, Deportationen und Sowjetisierungen nach sich zog. Als sie in den ersten Wochen des Einmarsches in die Sowjetunion die schnell herannahenden deutschen Streitkräfte sahen, versteckten sich Tausende von Esten als sogenannte Waldbrüder in den Wäldern, um einer Einberufung durch die Rote Armee zu entgehen und die sowjetischen Behörden zu untergraben. Während des vorübergehenden Machtvakuums nach dem Rückzug der Bolschewisten und vor der Ankunft der deutschen Streitkräfte wurden viele estnische Regierungsbehörden wiederhergestellt, wobei die Grundlagen für die Einrichtung einer Strafverfolgungsstruktur gelegt wurden, die später Omakaitse genannt wurde. Die hauptsächlich aus ehemaligen Mitgliedern des Verteidigungsbundes bestehende Organisation der inneren Sicherheit hatte die Aufgabe, Vernichtungsbataillone und Reste der Roten Armee zu bekämpfen und das Gesetz durchzusetzen. Personen, die der Kollaboration mit sowjetischen Behörden verdächtigt wurden, wurden festgenommen und einige sogar nach dem Pöbelgesetz getötet. Deutsche Behörden benutzten Mitglieder der Omakaitse, um ihre antisemitische Vernichtungspolitik durchzusetzen.
Nachdem die deutschen Streitkräfte Estland besetzt hatten, lösten die deutschen Militärbehörden Omakaitse auf und ließen die Waldbrüder, die am Sommerkrieg 1941 teilgenommen hatten, entlassen, nur damit die Organisation bald darauf vom Kommandeur der deutschen Heeresgruppe Nord Wilhelm Ritter wieder einberufen wurde von Leeb als Hilfsschutzmannschaft der estnischen Selbstverwaltung. Omakaitse war deutschen Militär- und Polizeiorganisationen unterstellt. Omakaitse bestand bis Oktober 1943 aus freiwilligen Milizionären, als es für alle Männer, die sich nicht für die Mobilisierung qualifizierten, obligatorisch wurde.
Omakaitse wurde mit der Aufrechterhaltung der inneren Sicherheit beauftragt und führte sowohl Polizei- als auch Nationalgardeaufgaben aus, einschließlich des Schutzes von Eisenbahnen und Autobahnen und der Abschreckung sowjetischer Fallschirmjäger, der Überwachung verschiedener Standorte, der Verfolgung entkommener Kriegsgefangener, der Küstenverteidigung und so weiter.
Susijusios vietos
Timmkanal battle site
On 4 July 1941, Forest Brothers stormed the executive committee in Häädemeeste. The group was led by Elmar Toomingas, the headmaster of Metsapoole Primary School and the head of the Häädemeeste regional unit of the Defence League.
On 6 July, a Red Army destruction battalion arrived: some of them were killed, others were taken prisoner.
On 7 July, a combined force of 400 men from Red Army infantry and destruction battalions attacked the local militia, which comprised 60 men. The defenders, with the help of two light tanks, were pushed back to Timmkanal, where they reorganised and took up positions again.
On 8 July, the destruction battalion burnt down 14 farmsteads and the schoolhouse in the village of Rannametsa and the church in Võiste. A battle ensued in Tahkuranna between the advancing Germans and the destruction battalion leaving Rannametsa, which suffered the loss of 57 men, with eight captured. Some sources claim the German unit was the 402nd Cyclist Battalion led by a Major Ullersperger. The Estonian and German units arrived in Pärnu that afternoon. The battle site is marked by a granite boulder adorned with a black tablet that reads: "On 8 July 1941 the destruction battalion of Pärnu burnt down 18 households and the schoolhouse in Rannametsa". The text is followed by a quote from a poem by Hando Runnel.
Defence Line "Walk"
The Valga defence line (Walk) was built along the Väike Emajõe-Koiva river line in early June 1944. The northern part of the line ended at Lake Võrtsjärv and ran from Pikasilla almost all the way to Ligaste Manor, located on the left bank of Väike Emajõgi. The defence line consisted of two defence belts, occasionally reaching a depth of 10-12 kilometres. The front line was covered with barbed wire and mine fields. All bridges on Väike Emajõgi and Koiva rivers were destroyed (though the Pikasilla and Jõgeveste bridges were only destroyed at noon on 26 August) and all bridges behind the defence line were ready to be destroyed. The second line ran along Õhne and Pedeli rivers and defence structures included the cities of Tõrva and Valga that were re-equipped to be points of resistance.
The main line of defence consisted of two sets of trenches, in the most important sections even three to four sets of well-developed trenches with connection systems. To build the defence line, the Germans used Russian prisoners of war and forcefully recruited the local population within Organisation Todt.
Trenches and fire trenches have been restored at the location. The area is used by the Valga Military Theme Park, which led the effort to restore the wartime appearance of the hill. The outdoor space was opened in 2015; the Valga Military Theme Park regularly organises laser weapon battles and other events on site.
The trenches and pillboxes have been restored in the former German fortified positions. The area is operated by the military theme park in Valga, which led the restoration work to revive the ridge's wartime look. The outdoor area, in which laser tag and special events are now held, was opened in 2015.
Pikasilla battle field
This is a part of the defence line Walk. The Valga defence line (Walk) was built along the Väike Emajõe-Koiva river line in early June 1944. The northern part of the line ended at Lake Võrtsjärv and ran from Pikasilla almost all the way to Ligaste Manor, located on the left bank of Väike Emajõgi. The defence line consisted of two defence belts, occasionally reaching a depth of 10-12 kilometres. The front line was covered with barbed wire and mine fields. All bridges on Väike Emajõgi and Koiva rivers were destroyed (though the Pikasilla and Jõgeveste bridges were only destroyed at noon on 26 August) and all bridges behind the defence line were ready to be destroyed.
The Red Army planned the liquidation of the German and Estonian forces located at the Narva front with an attack via Tartu from their back. To conduct the plan, the Red Army 3rd Baltic Front leadership sent four units to the Emajõgi line. Their task was to cross Emajõgi River and, with a circular movement over the northern bank of Lake Võrtsjärv, occupy Northern Estonia with the German 18th Army located at the Narva front. They also planned to break German resistance on the Pikasilla-Valga line and cut off the German path of retreat towards Riga.
In Southern Estonia, the defence consisted of six divisions and smaller units of Wehrmacht’s XXVIII and XXXVIII Army Corps, with the rear defended by the 207th Reinforcement Division. At the beginning of the operation, the Red Army had a numerical advantage in manpower and battle equipment. The German forces mostly consisted of different battle groups and smaller units. The Omakaitse units participating in the defence were poorly equipped and had low battle morale.
On 27 August, the Red Army managed to cross Väike Emajõgi River at Pikasilla and held a small bridge head there. Until 13 September, the German and Estonian Omakaitse division managed to stop the advancing Red Army units on the defence line Walk. On 14 September, the divisions of the 3rd Red Army Baltic Front began their assault, breaking through the line of defence on 17 September.
