"Operation Frühlingsfest - largest partisan battles" Topic

Operation "Spring Festival", it. Fruhlingsfest (April 11, 1944 – May 10, 1944) A punitive operation of the Nazi troops, carried out in occupied Belarus against the partisans and the civilian population of the Polotsk-Lepel partisan zone, located in the territories of the Ushachi region, part of the Polotsk region, liberated by the partisans in the rear of the invaders.

Partisan breakthrough of the blockade on the night of May 5, 1944
In Belarusian historiography, the events that unfolded at that time are known as the Battle of Polotsk-Lepel in 1944 ¨C one of the largest partisan battles of the Great Patriotic War with the Nazi troops.
The partisan brigades of the Polotsk-Lepel formation, blocked at the beginning of May west of the town of Ushachi, on the night of May 5, 1944, as a result of a heroic breakthrough of the Nazi encirclement, managed to break free, remove 15 thousand civilians from the encirclement and, retaining their organizational structures, continue the fight against the occupiers until connections with units of the Red Army.

Details on Germanic sources. It is noteworthy that virtually all residents of these territories are called partisans (combatants), which of course was not the case.

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According to Soviet and Belarusian sources (automatic translation):

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Partisans artillery is firing.

Partisans of the 4th battalion of the Smolensk partisan regiment are fighting with punishers in the Ushachsky district. April 1944

Another interesting moment of this battle was that among the partisans, against the Nazis, the "1st Anti-Fascist Brigade" fought. This partisan brigade in the recent past was the first Russian national SS brigade "Druzhina" (!), Which was created from the former Soviet prisoners of war. The brigade previously took an active part in punitive actions against the civilian population and in battles against the partisans, but then in almost full strength, including the command, went over to the side of the partisans, having previously killed the German personnel.

Fascinating item, thanks Cuprum2, I especially found interesting the comments on dropping in regular and NKVD officers to help with things like coordination. And equally the comments about regular army officers taking over command of partisan brigades.

The partisan detachments already included many regular officers – those who were surrounded in 1941 and went into the woods. Soldiers and officers who escaped from captivity also went to the partisans. These people formed the initial backbone of the partisan detachments, gave them a military organization (as far as was possible in those conditions, of course).
In Moscow, the main headquarters of the partisan movement was created, which was involved in organizing all the activities of patriots in the occupied territory. The NKVD was engaged in the targeted training of radio operators, saboteurs, scouts, who were sent to the partisan detachments to organize and coordinate their work, as well as to train local volunteers.
Large partisan detachments had constant contact with the main headquarters of the partisan movement, received regular military supplies by air. Before major offensive operations of the Red Army, the partisans delivered simultaneous strikes at the rear structures of the Nazis, significantly complicating their work and facilitating the actions of Soviet troops at the front. There were also special mobile partisan detachments of up to several thousand people who were in constant movement along the germans rear, heading from one "partisan area" to another, destroying the German garrisons on the way and disrupting the supply of Nazi troops.

Interesting text, thanks

those who were surrounded in 1941 and went into the woods. Soldiers and officers who escaped from captivity also went to the partisans.

Something similar happened with some of the US soldiers in the PI after the US surrender. A number evaded capture and linked up with the PI guerillas. And carried on an insurgency against the IJFs.