The Battles of More
The Battle of Mores was one of the fiercest battles in the territory of Latvia during the Second World War. In them, the 19th Division of the Latvian Legion repulsed the Red Army's attempts to break into Riga, which allowed the withdrawal of German forces from Estonia. The fighting lasted from September 25, 1944 to October 6, 1944. The legionnaires, in heroic battles, repelled a tenfold defeat of the Red Army.
In the autumn of 1944, the Red Army had occupied all of Latgale, concentrated its troops on the Lubāna side and formed a spike in the direction of the Gulf of Riga with the aim of separating parts of the German army Nord in southern Estonia and splitting the 16th army. The Red Army was confronted by the 18th German Army, including the 19th Division of the Latvian Legion, beginning at Lake Lubāns, then retreating to the battles of Barkava, Aiviekste and Ranka, and reaching Veche through Vecpiebalga, Drusti, Sērmūkši, Skujeni and Nītauri.
On September 25, 1944, the 19th Division occupied the defense positions of Sigulda built in Mores Parish. There were five fierce battles. Nine Red Army battalions were sent to two ornamental positions in the center of Mores, with attacks supported by artillery, aviation and tanks. Legionnaires destroyed 4 tanks with anti-tank fists. Due to the lack of artillery shells, the Latvian legionnaires had to defend their positions for two days in continuous and extremely heavy melee.
On September 28, the Red Army managed to invade legionnaires near Kārtūži. The next day, with the support of six German strike cannons in the counterattack, the break was closed. Many of the Red Army and the commander of their regiment fell. The attacks of the following days became weaker and on September 30, the Battle of Mores was over. The Latvian legionnaires had fulfilled their task in their land - the opponent was stopped. On the night of October 5-6, the 19th Division left Sigulda's defensive positions by order, and on October 6, the Red Army occupied the empty Mores trenches with additional forces.
The number of Latvian soldiers killed was about 200, the number of wounded was about 650, while the Red Army lost about 2,700 people and 10,000 wounded, five T-34 tanks were destroyed and one IL-2 bomber was shot down. The Battle of Mores is a vivid example of the courage and heroism of a Latvian soldier that has been proven for centuries.
Daugiau informacijos šaltinių
1. Mores Battle Museum website. Available: http://www.moresmuzejs.lv/index.php?nod=21 [accessed 08.05.2021].
2. Website of the National Armed Forces. Available: https://www.mil.lv/lv/latvijas-neatkaribas-kars [accessed 08.05.2021].
Susijusi laiko juosta
Susijusios vietos
Mores Battle Memorial Park
The park was created in the former battle place in the Centre of More Parish where during the first two weeks of 1944 in the Second World War, major battles were held, holding thestrategically created defence line and preventing the Red Army from breaking through to Riga, thus affecting the further course of history.
You can see fragments of wartime relics and bunker sites here. A commemorative stone created by the sculptor H. Sprincis, as well as a Memorial Plaque with 186 soldiers names carved into the granite, are located in the Battles of More Memorial Park.
Brethren Cemetery of Latvian Legionnaires
Brothers’ Cemetery of Latvian Legionnaires of the Second World War is located on the side of Sigulda-More Road, where 117 soldiers killed during the battles of More from 25 September to 6 October, 1944, are buried.
Reburial, landscaping and other improvements were made from 1988 till 1995. The monument, made by the sculptor A. Jansons, was unveiled on November 11, 1990 A remembrance ceremony in honour of fallen soldiers takes place every year on the last Saturday of September.
Red Army Brethren Cemetery in More
The Red Army Military Cemetery is located on the side of the main road through More. It is the final resting place for approximately 2000 soldiers who were killed during the Battle of More. In 1974 the cemetery was landscaped and a monument by sculptor B. Grīsle was unveiled.
Museum of Battles in More
The museum is located in More, on the side of the V319 motorway. It is dedicated to the Battles of More between the Red Army and the Latvian Legion of the German Army in the autumn of 1944. The exhibit includes a mock-up of the battlefield, weapons, awards, soldiers’ uniforms and military equipment. The Battles of More Museum and Memorial Park was established by former soldiers of the Latvian Legion who participated in the Battles of More. The memorial park features trenches, dugouts and battlefields. The battles in the More area were only part of a large-scale operation of the Red Army Baltic Offensive involving a total of 900,000 soldiers and large numbers of military equipment units. A part of the German Army fortification system where Latvian legionnaires prevented the Red Army’s attempt to break out to Riga was located in the vicinity of More. This allowed the German Army to withdraw its forces from Estonia and avoid defeat. Red Army leaders expected the enemy’s resistance near More to be short-lived and stubbornly continued its unprepared and uncoordinated attacks, suffering heavy losses. Local advantages and the combat capabilities of the Latvian legionnaires played a significant role in the subsequent course of the war. More is home to the Latvian Legionnaires’ Brothers’ Cemetery and a Red Army Soldiers’ Cemetery.
Susijusi istorija
Unrecognized soldiers. The story of a battle officer.
The Battle of Mores is an episode of the end of the Second World War, which was of great importance in the further course of the war in the territory of Latvia. The Battle of Mores marks the war in the Sigulda line of defense in the territory of Mores Parish, which took place from September 25 to October 5, 1944. In the trenches of the Sigulda line of defense, about 12 km long, the soldiers of the 19th Division of the Latvian Legion, fighting heavy battles with 10 to 15 times the enemy's defeat for 10 days, stopped the Red / Soviet army units moving towards Riga.