the soviet partisan movement 1941-1944 by edgar m. howell

114 THE SOVIET PARTISAN MOVEMENT
During the agricultural year 1941-1942-the agricultural year ran
from June through the following May-losses of quotas set for meat,
grain, and lard were heavy due to partisan action:
Meat
Grain
Lard
Product
White Russia
Percentage
65
60
55
Tons
16,000
55,000
1,700
Baltic States and Northwest
Russia
Percentage
40
40
16
Tons
1,200
20,000
*340
. *Para. 11 of rpt, "Partisan Effect" in Geschichte des Wirtschaftstabes Ost. This
report is not further identifiable at source. It was apparently compiled in late 1944
or 1945 from a number of reports over the period 1941-45. This was the personal
copy of a Dr. Barth. Wi/ID 2.1345,
Even considering the possibility that the Germans had set the quota so
high as to be impossible to achieve without any interference, partisan
or other, and the probability that all losses were not caused by the bands,
although so reported to Berlin, the figures are significant in that they
reveal the extent of the development of the partisan movement in the
central sector and the intent of the Soviets to strike at all aspects of the
German war effort. In striking at the state and collective farms and
at the dairies, the partisans not only denied a source of food to the
Germans and at the same time built up ration stocks for themselves, but
they created a food shortage among the civilian population which the
Germans were unable to solve.
Even harder hit than food production at this early date was the timber
industry. Lumbering was a perfect target for the bands because it was
very difficult to protect and because an adequate supply of rough-finished
lumber was essential to the armies for the construction and maintenance
of bridges over the many Russian rivers and logs were needed for corduroy
roads through the extensive swamps. The forests were the natural
haunts of the bands, and from such cover they easily interrupted cutting
and milling operations. In August of 1941 only some 10 percent of
the forests were partisan-infested. By April 1942 this figure had risen to
40 percent, by October to 75 percent." Numbers of forestry officials,
both Russian and German, were murdered on the job, and the natives
became so terrified of the partisans that they had to be forced to work.
As a result, often only narrow strips along the rail lines that were pro-
72 "Effects of Partisan Activity on Forestry," Anl. 4 r. Anl. 52 z. KTB, Wirtschaftsinspektion
Mitte, I .IV.-30.VI.43; "Report on the Effects of the Partisan Situation,"
30 Jun 43. Wi/ID 2.53.