Reconnaissance expedition of the commander of the 8th company of the 1st Liepāja Infantry Regiment of the Latvian Army, September 5, 1919

The task was very difficult. Between our and the enemy's lines was Lake Lubana, which at this point was 8 kilometers wide and about 15 long, and, according to the statements of those who came, on the other side, i.e. the side of the village of Ivdiņi, there were about 100 men from the 5th Red Rifle Battalion, with 2 machine guns and 2 mortars. To complete the task, I decided to act as follows:

To procure 12 boats from local fishermen, cross the lake and land on its southern shore between the Malta River and Idvini, securing themselves against a possible enemy bypass from the side of the village of Nagļi, where at that time two companies from the aforementioned 5th Latvian Rifle Battalion and one squadron - 40 cavalrymen were stationed.

On September 5, at 8:00 p.m., I was informed that the boats were in order. I selected 33 of the most reliable volunteer soldiers from the company and, having explained the combat mission to them in detail, ordered them to arrive at the company headquarters in Āboliņi at 10:00 p.m. in full combat readiness, wearing German helmets. At the appointed time, I checked the soldiers' weapons and ammunition.

Everything was in perfect order, and at 10:15 p.m. we set off for the previously designated departure point. I placed the soldiers in boats and gave each one a special number so that in case of disappearance, I would be able to find them later.

easier overview. I gave the command: «Count in turn!» It sounded: «First, second, third» etc., up to twelve.

I sat down in the first boat and, moving forward, ordered to pull out in one line. Soon after, we entered the lake from the narrow channel. The night was very bright. The moon poured its soft, silver rays over the still water. A solemn peace hung over the sky and one did not want to believe that our land had not yet rested. Only now and then the hollow sound of shots rang out in the distance and quickly subsided again. These sounds were now the only ones that reminded us of the cruel civil war. To our left stretched like a thin, barely visible strip the swamp of Lake Lubana. These "White Clans", as the locals call them, in their time, when the first line stretched along them, had brought us a lot of harm. Almost impregnable even in the middle of summer, these swamps did not allow us to post the necessary security on a huge area. Communist spies, even entire gangs of terrorists, with all their weapons and proclamations, passed through these natural gates unhindered.

Both for us and for the Bolsheviks, these "White Clans" gave the best chances for various outflanking movements; only our opponents never used this opportunity, because, as usual, they lacked the necessary courage and initiative. The long-awaited hour of the liberation of Latgale had not yet struck, and we still had to endure this treacherous gap in our tight front for a long time. Approaching the coast, we remained more careful, because Ivdiņi was on a hill, from which there was a wide view of the enemy's positions. Not wanting to be discovered in the bright night, we turned slightly to the right.

At 2:00 a.m. on September 6, having arrived at the mouth of the Malta River, we left the boats. The moon had set. Towards morning a thick fog came in, which made it impossible to find our bearings. At this moment I could not undertake anything, so I called all the soldiers together and, having posted the field guards, allowed the rest to rest. We soon found a haystack, around which we huddled tightly together. In this way we were able to protect ourselves for a while from the cold and damp. The posts were frequently changed to give them as much rest as possible. With the dawn of morning light the unpleasant fog began to thin out ...

It was about 6 kilometers from our location to Ivdiņi. It would have been very difficult to walk this distance on foot, given the very marshy area: we got into the boats again and moved along the shore to the east for about 3 kilometers, where we got out of the boat. Once again I explained to the soldiers all the details and our serious situation. From their faces I could see that everyone had complete trust and confidence in the success of the operation. I left one sergeant with two soldiers to guard the boats and, having placed four people at an observation post on the Nag|i road, I went with the rest to Ivdiņi.

We had about 3 kilometers to go. This tiny stretch of road in itself was infinitely difficult. We waded up to our knees, and in many places up to our waists, through the murky swamp water: the long grass reached over our heads; there were times when one or the other soldier got stuck so deeply that he lacked the strength to crawl out; then others came to help and with great effort pulled him out.

At about 8:00 a.m. we heard dogs barking on the right. After a short thought, I took this direction. We soon came to the road, which apparently connected Nagly with Ivdiņi. The swamp ended here and a mountainous area began. Having climbed a hillock, I saw cows grazing nearby; a shepherdess girl and an old man were also there. Despite all my efforts, I could not find out anything about the enemy's position (it seemed that they took us for the Reds). I only learned that we were about 400 paces from Ivdiņi. Time was precious. The people formed a chain and, adapting to the local natural defenses, we approached the village from the west. 100 paces from Ivdiņi I deployed 20 people in a chain on a hill, which was very convenient for shelling the village, and with the remaining 6 soldiers, armed with hand grenades, I went straight into the village. A few moments later we captured 2 Red Army soldiers. The enemy recovered from the first surprise and, having grouped in the northern part of the village, opened heavy mortar, machine gun and rifle fire on us. It was unthinkable to resist such a superior force for a long time, and it would also be pointless, since the task of taking prisoners had been accomplished. In addition, I already observed the Reds' bypass movement. I gave the order to retreat in order. Returning along the already traveled path, we again endured all the difficulties described earlier. At 13.00 we reached the boats. I fired three times in the air, which was a signal for the observation post set up on Nagļi Road to come.

to the boats. After his arrival, I counted the soldiers, and it turned out that one was missing. The Reds were already following us. We got into the boats and set out on the lake. We left one boat aside so that the missing soldier, if he managed to reach this place, could be saved. The soldiers came to our landing site and from there sent us their last greetings, wasting cartridges in vain. Without any delays or losses, at 16.00 we returned, completely exhausted, back to our company in Āboliņi.