Juozas Kasperavičius
Colonel Juozas Kasperavičius | |
|---|---|
Army officer, pilot, partisan leader Juozas Kasperavičius | |
| Commander of the Kęstutis military district | |
| In office 12 September 1946 – 9 April 1947 | |
| Succeeded by | Jonas Žemaitis |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 17 August 1912 Jokūbaičiai, Jurbarkas District Municipality, Republic of Lithuania |
| Died | 9 April 1947 (aged 34) Antegluonis, Tauragė District Municipality, Lithuanian SSR |
| Spouse | Birutė Razminaitė |
| Children | 1 |
| Alma mater | War School of Kaunas, Lithuanian military aviation school |
| Occupation | Lithuanian partisan, officer, pilot |
| Known for | Founder and first leader of the Kęstutis military district |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Lithuania |
| Years of service | 1933–1940 (Lithuanian Army) 1941 (Lithuanian Liberty Army) 1945-1946 (Lithuanian partisans) |
| Rank |
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Juozas Kasperavičius (codenames: Angis, Visvydas, Šilas; 17 August 1912 – 9 April 1947) was a Lithuanian partisan and pilot, founder of the partisan Kęstutis military district.
He was educated in the Kaunas War School as well as in the Lithuanian military aviation school, and served as a pilot both during interwar Lithuania and the first Soviet occupation. During Operation Barbarossa Kasperavičius stayed in Lithuania, where he was captured and interned by the German forces until 1941. After returning from capture he joined the Lithuanian Liberty Army. In 1945 he and his brother were detained - his brother was shot but Kasperavičius escaped, eventually being rescued by Lithuanian partisans from a military hospital. In 1946 he established the Kęstutis military district, becoming its leader. After the location of the headquarters was betrayed in 1947, Kasperavičius and his colleague blew themselves up to avoid capture in the ensuing firefight.