the advance of polish (blue arrows), lithuanian/german (dark purple arrows), latvian/german (white arrows west), , estonian/latvian (white arrows north) forces. blue line shows polish front in may 1920.
northern lithuania (samogitia) overtaken soviet international division (about 3,000 men). objective reach baltic sea , cut off german supplies latvians in war against soviets. local communists more active in northern lithuania shortest route russian prisoners return russia through samogitia. biggest achievement formation of 1,000-man samogitian regiment, commanded feliksas baltušis-Žemaitis, in city of Šiauliai. regiment included russian pows, german deserters, , criminals. there no units of regular lithuanian army in samogitia except partisans in skuodas, rallied povilas plechavičius , brother aleksandras, , in joniškėlis.
the movement of bolsheviks towards east prussia worried germany, , sent volunteers (brigade schaulen) commanded general rudiger von der goltz free section of libau–romny railway line linking liepāja, mažeikiai, radviliškis, , kėdainiai. part of larger counter-offensive in latvia. @ end of february lithuanian partisans, supported german artillery, took mažeikiai , seda, , pursued bolsheviks kuršėnai. on february 27, 1919, german volunteers supported plechavičius partisans , joniškėlis partisans, defeated samogitian regiment in battle near luokė. regiment disbanded. before mid-march germans took kuršėnai, Šiauliai, radviliškis, Šeduva, joniškis , stopped. on few occasions aided lithuanian partisans , regular units. joniškėlis partisans continued guard front along mūša river. later incorporated regular lithuanian military.
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