TheLithuanian TDA (Lithuanian:Tautinio darbo apsaugos;lit. 'National labor service'[nb 1])Battalion or simplyTDA,[1] was a paramilitary battalion organized in June–August 1941 by theProvisional Government of Lithuania at the onset ofOperation Barbarossa.[2] Members of the TDA were known by many names such as Lithuanian auxiliaries, policemen, white-armbands, nationalists, rebels, partisans, resistance fighters orSchutzmannschaften.[2] TDA was intended to be the basis for a future independentLithuanian Army, but it was taken over by Nazis and reorganized into theLithuanian Auxiliary Police Battalions.[3] The original TDA eventually became the 12th and the 13th Police Battalions. These two units took an active role inmass killings of the Jews in Lithuania and Belarus.[4] According to theJäger Report, the TDA battalion's members killed about 26,000 Jews between July and December 1941.[5]
AsNazi Germany declared war on theSoviet Union and invaded Lithuania, theProvisional Government of Lithuania declared independence on June 23, 1941. Lithuanians hoped to restore the independent Lithuania that existed before the Soviet occupation or at least gain some autonomy from Nazi Germany. In an effort to re-establish the Lithuanian Army, the Provisional Government announced the formation of the TDA inKaunas on June 28.[3] Plans for such a formation had been made as early as March 24, 1941. The TDA wore a white armband with TDA in black letters on their sleeves.[4]Andrius Butkūnas became the first commander of the newly formed battalion.[3]
The formation's original goals were to protect strategic objects like bridges or railways, guardSoviet prisoners of war, establish general order in Kaunas and its vicinity.[3] By July 4, 724 men, mostly former Lithuanian soldiers and partisans fighting in theJune Uprising against the retreating Soviets, responded to the announcement and signed up for the battalion. By the end of July, seven companies had formed.[3] At the time of its formation TDA was the only armed and organized group in Kaunas and Nazi authorities took advantage of it.[3]
According to a July 6 report byKarl Jäger, commander ofEinsatzgruppe A, two companies of TDA were assigned to duties related to mass murders of Jews: one was to guard and execute Jews at theSeventh Fort of theKaunas Fortress and another was assigned to theEinsatzkommando.[3] According to extensive post-war investigations by Soviet authorities, as executions of Jews grew in number, more companies of TDA were involved in the murders. In light of such developments TDA started losing members: between July 5 and July 11, 117 members resigned.[3] Captain Bronius Kirkila, commander of the 1st company, which was especially frequently involved in the executions, committed suicide on July 12.[2]p93, p132[3] The 3rd company was assigned to the notoriousRollkommando Hamann commanded byJoachim Hamann andBronius Norkus. The unit committed mass murders of Jews in the countryside.[3] On August 30, 1941, according to German records, they shot 662 people inAriogala; 207 men, 260 women and 195 children who were told they were being transported to Palestine.[6] Based on theJäger Report, members of TDA murdered about 26,000 Jews between July and December 1941.[5]
During the night between July 23 and 24, some members of the TDA were involved in an attempted coup against the Provisional Government. The coup, organized by members of theIron Wolf Association and supported by the GermanGestapo, succeeded in replacing the leadership of the TDA.[3] Iron Wolf now could promote or dismiss various members of TDA, and Commander Butkūnas was replaced by Kazys Šimkus.[3]
The Provisional Government dissolved itself on August 5, 1941.[clarification needed] The following dayFranz Lechthaler took command of all police units, including the TDA.[3] On August 7, when TDA had 703 members, Lechthaler ordered the battalion reorganized into two battalions of auxiliary police orHilfspolizei (Lithuanian:Pagalbinės policijos tarnyba or PPT) and renamed accordingly. During August three more battalions of PPT were formed. In October these five battalions were renamed to security battalions (Lithuanian:apsaugos batalionas).[3]
In December, the five battalions were reorganized again:
In 1942 the new 13th battalion was reassigned to combatSoviet partisans nearPskov andTver and retreated with the losingWehrmacht in 1944.[3] Its members were captured byRed Army, or hid in Lithuanian forests. Many members were persecuted by Soviet authorities for theiranti-Soviet activities. Some were executed, others imprisoned ingulags. Soviet investigations continued until 1979, when the last execution was carried out inMinsk.[3]