Monument in the memory of Finnish jaegers-sappers
Memorial site
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Located in Engure municipality, on the side of the A10 highway near the Smārde tavern.
The memorial is located in the field opposite the Smårde pub, where the Battle of Smårde took place in 1916 during World War I. A Finnish Jaeger engineer company (~200 men) participated in the fighting as part of the German army. "Smårde Day" has become the official holiday of the military engineers of the Finnish army, which is still celebrated today.
The Finnish Jaegers were a unit of the German Army formed during World War I. They consisted mainly of nationally minded Finnish volunteers from the Russian Empire and Finland. The Battle of Smårde was one of the most significant offensive battles of the Finnish Jaegers, where new tactics were used at the time.
A month after this event, the Russian army attacked the German army near Smārde. Latvian combat units conducted reconnaissance of the Smārde area, built a supply road “Latvian Road” across the swamp, and participated in the fighting. About 300 Latvian fighters fell in the battles. Like the Finnish jaegers in the German army, the Latvian riflemen in the Russian army were the founders of their own national states and armies.
Used sources and references:
Official website of the "Museo Militaria". Available: https://www.museomilitaria.fi/smardes-kauja [accessed 15.03.2021.].
Hartmanis, J. Latvian Riflemen in the Battle of Smārde. Available: http://latviesustrelniekusaraksts.lv/Kaujas_darbiba/Book_5.html [accessed:15.03.2021.].
source:visittukums.lv
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