LATVIAN FLOTILLA FIGHTING FOR THE
ALLIES UNDER LATVIAN FLAG IN 1940-1945 By Andrew Andersen According to official history, Latvia did not participate in World War
2. Placed, along with Many of those who are interested in the events of
World War 2, know that quite a few Latvians got involved in the darkest
chapters of European history: collaboration with the Nazis and the Soviets
(much less than with the Soviets than with the Nazis though) and
participation in war crimes against various peoples of the area including
their own. However, and that is
quite unfortunate, not too many people even in Latvia, are aware of the fact
that a small Latvian fleet (8 ships altogether) participated in combat
actions in the Atlantic Ocean side by side with the Allies. And all the
above-mentioned ships were fighting under Latvian flag and were subordinate
to the Latvian Embassy in All those Latvian
sailors and officers were approached by the official representatives of the
USSR and its secret service, and threatened that their families in annexed
Latvia would end up in concentration camps if the seamen refused to put down
Latvian flags and surrender to the nearest Soviet port together with their
ships. However, not a single Latvian seaman in Below please find
the pictures of some of the Latvian vessels who fought their own «Latvian
war» against the Nazis and the list of names of some of their crew members.
Please note that the below list is far from being full. If by any chance you
know any other names that should be added to the below list, please get in
touch with us. INCOMPLETE LIST OF THE SAILORS AND
OFFICERS OF THE LATVIAN FLEET THAT FOUGHT TOGEHTER WITH THE US NAVY IN THE
ATLANTIC OCEAN FROM 1941 TO 1945. Some of the below
heroes were citizens of other countries ( |
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Mikelis (Michael) Perkons Sergei Boll (Bolshakov) Jan
Martinson Valdemar Volkovics Gregory Kotov Vladimir Kotov Rudolf Peksens Rudolf
Musts Hencis Zalitis Konstantin Marinin
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Captain Rudolf Peksens in 1941
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Captain Rudolf Peksens today
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Captain
Nickolas Jakimovicz (Jakims) |
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Andreas van den Broek (Ciltvaira / 1941) |
THE SHIPS OF FREE LATVIAN FLEET:
“Regent”
/ Torpedoed in the
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“Abgara” / Torpedoed by an Italian submarine
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“Ciltvaira” / 3779 tons displacement
/ torpedoed on January 19, 1942 near |
“Everagra” (previous name “Couronia”)
/ Survived the war and was out in the sea until 1957 under the flag of
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“Everelza” / 4520 tons displacement /
torpedoed on August 13, 1942 in
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“Everalda” / 3951 tons displacement / torpedoed on June 29, 1942, by a German submarine of U-158 type near the Bermudas
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“Kegums” (till 1939 called “Everest”)/ survived the war and was out in the sea until 1948
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This
street in the town of The remnants of the Latvian ship are still there, on the bed of the ocean. |
Link to more information (in
Russian only): http://www.chas-daily.com/win/online.html?tagsa=12244&&r=130