3rd Infantry Regiment, later known as the 3rd Infantry Regiment of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Vytautas () was a

Lithuanian Army The Lithuanian Armed Forces () are the military of Lithuania. The Lithuanian Armed Forces consist of the Lithuanian Land Forces, the Lithuanian Navy, the Lithuanian Air Force and the Lithuanian Special Operations Force. In wartime, the Lithuan ...

infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, military service, service, or administrative corps, specialisation. In Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of l ...

that saw combat in the

Lithuanian Wars of Independence The Lithuanian Wars of Independence, also known as the Freedom Struggles (), refer to three wars Lithuania fought defending its independence at the end of World War I: with Bolshevik forces (December 1918 – August 1919), Bermontians (October ...

. It existed from 1919 to 1926 and from 1935 to 1940.

Formation

The regiment began forming on 4 May 1919. In

Raseiniai Raseiniai (; Samogitian dialect, Samogitian: ''Raseinē'') is a city in Lithuania. It is located on the south eastern foothills of the Samogitians highland, some north from the A1 highway (Lithuania), Kaunas–Klaipėda highway. History Grand ...

, the regiment was formed on the basis of the Šauliai Battalion under the guidance of the commander of the 1st Brigade Pranas Liatukas. On 26 February 1920, the regiment was given the name of the

Grand Duke of Lithuania This is a list of Lithuanian monarchs who ruled Lithuania from its inception until the fall of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in 1795. The Lithuanian monarch bore the title of Grand duke, Grand Duke, with the exception of Mindaugas, who was crown ...

Vytautas Vytautas the Great (; 27 October 1430) was a ruler of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. He was also the prince of Grodno (1370–1382), prince of Lutsk (1387–1389), and the postulated king of the Hussites. In modern Lithuania, Vytautas is revere ...

Lithuanian Wars of Independence

Since August 1919, the regiment fought against the Bolsheviks near Daugpilis. In 1920, the regiment defended Lithuania against the invading Polish forces near Suvalkai, Kalvarija, distinguishing itself in the battles near

Varėna Varėna () is a city in Dzūkija, southern Lithuania. It is the capital of the district of Varėna. Currently, there are 7,794 residents. The Varėna district is the largest and most forested municipality of Lithuania as more than 50% of the di ...

Lentvaris Lentvaris (; ) is a city in eastern Lithuania, 9 km east of Trakai. It is a transportation hub, as several road and rail routes cross here. Lake Lentvaris is nearby. History The town is situated in ethnographically Baltic Lithuanian ...

Vievis Vievis () is a small city in Elektrėnai municipality, Lithuania. It is located 14 km east of Elektrėnai, on Lake Vievis. History Its alternate names include Anastasevskaya, Jewie (Polish), Vevis, Viyevis, V’yevis, and Yev’ye. Vievis ...

. Thereafter, the 3rd Regiment guarded the demarcation line Vievis– Dubingiai–

Zarasai Zarasai () is a city in northeastern Lithuania, surrounded by many lakes and rivers: to the southwest of the city is Lake Zarasas, to the northLake Zarasaitis, to the southeastLake Baltas, and the eastLake Griežtas. Lakes Zarasaitis and Griežtas ...

Interwar

On 1 October 1926, the regiment was disbanded, but it was reformed in 1935. The regiment's HQ was in

Kėdainiai Kėdainiai () is one of the oldest List of cities in Lithuania, cities in Lithuania. It is located north of Lithuania's second largest city Kaunas on the banks of the Nevėžis River. Kėdainiai were first mentioned in the 1372 Livonian Chronicle ...

, and the regiments garrisoned

and

Seredžius Seredžius is a town in Lithuania on the right bank of the Nemunas River near its confluence with the Dubysa River. According to the 2011 census, it had a population of 590. Names The Yiddish name for the city was סרעדניק (''Srednik''), ...

. When Soviet Union occupied Lithuania, the 3rd Regiment was disbanded. Most of the men were reassigned to the 256th Rifle Regiment of the

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...

Commanders

* 1919 officer Pranas Liatukas * 1919 officer Ignas Musteikis * 1920 Major Jonas Gricius * 1922–1924 Major Aleksandras Jakaitis * 1925–1926 Colonel Vincas Šaudzis * 1935–1939 Staff colonel Viktoras Giedrys * 1939–1940 Colonel Petras Genys

References

* http://www.archyvai.lt/lt/fondai/kariuomene/lcva_f516.html * {{DEFAULTSORT:3rd Infantry Regiment (Lithuania) Military units and formations established in 1919 Military units and formations disestablished in 1940 Infantry regiments of Lithuania 1919 establishments in Lithuania 1940 disestablishments in Lithuania