Danielius Vaitelis

Danielius Vaitelis, also known by the codenames Atamanas and Briedis (5 August 1913 – 13 May 1948) was an anti-Soviet Lithuanian partisan and the commander of the Vytis military district.

Biography Early life and service Danielius Vaitelis was born on 5 August 1913 in the village of Geležiai, then part of the Russian Empire. His parents, Petras Vaitelis (1866–1941) and Marcijona Vaitelienė née Šlikaitė (1884–1963) were peasants. Vaitelis was the youngest of two brothers and two sisters. Vaitelis attended the Pagiriai primary school. He graduated from the Šėta middle school (progymnasium) in 1932. Vaitelis also briefly attended school in Kėdainiai. In 1933 he moved to Kaunas and began working at the publishing house. After graduating from a teachers' union gymnasium, in 1935 he enrolled in the War School of Kaunas, from which he graduated in 1938 with the rank of artillery lieutenant. Vaitelis personally knew Jonas Žemaitis as they both served in the same regiment. In 1939 Vaitelis completed aviation reconnaissance courses.

Occupation

After the Soviet occupation of Lithuania in 1940, Vaitelis was moved to the 29th Rifle Corps 179th Rifle Division. Juozas Lukša notes that Vaitelis and his group of partisans were involved in multiple attacks against an NKVD institution in 1945 in Kaunas, while his substitute commander Petras Blieka attacked Panevėžys. Vaitelis and his substitutes Juozas Survila and Petras Blieka would visit subordinate partisans and give verbal orders rather than printed directives.

In 1946, Vaitelis was contacted by Juozas Markulis (whom he knew in independent Lithuania), a secret MGB agent who had gained the trust of the partisans. Vaitelis and his contingent of partisans were surrounded on 13 May 1948 near the village of . Vaitelis's companions died, while Vaitelis shot himself. It is believed they were buried near a school in Taujėnai. After the death of Vaitelis, the Vytis military district was headed by Alfonsas Smetona. The Briedis detachment was named after him in 1949.

Remembrance An iron cross was built at his death site in 1997. In 1998, Vaitelis was awarded the Order of the Cross of Vytis, 3rd degree.