Kārlis Lobe
Kārlis Lobe | |
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| Born | "Janēni", Jaunpiebalga parish, Russian empire |
| Died | Stockholm, Sweden |
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| Rank | Colonel |
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Kārlis Lobe (26 March 1885 - 9 July 1985) was a Latvian officer in the Imperial Russian Army, Latvian Army and the Latvian Legion, recipient of the Order of the Three Stars.
Biography
Kārlis Lobe was born in "Janēni" homestead in Jaunpiebalga parish, Cēsis district. He graduated the Piebalga congregation school, and in 1914 an agrocultural school in the vicinity of Pskov.
World War I
In 1916 he graduates from military academy and joins the 2. Riga Latvian Riflemen Regiment, where he commands a company in the Christmas Battles of 1916/1917. In 1918, after the Bolshevik coup, Lobe joins the Army of Kolchak, and later commands the Latvian Imanta Regiment founded in Vladivostok, with which he intends to return to Latvia to join the War of Independence.
Latvian Army
Lobe return to Riga in 1920 and joins the Latvian Army. From 1921 he is a lecturer at the Military academy, at the rank of a captain. In 1932 Lobe graduates from the Higher Military Academy courses, and in 1935 is placed in command of the 12. Bauska Infantry Regiment of the 4. Zemgale Infantry Division. In April of 1938 he is transferred to the Military academy. In 1939 promoted to lieutenant colonel and appointed at chief of staff of 2. Ventspils Infantry Regiment of the 1. Kurzeme Infantry Division. During the year of Soviet occupation Lobe escapes repression and deportations.
World War II
After the German invasion of the USSR Lobe becomes the commander of the Ventspils self-defence force. There is conflicting information regarding Lobe's participation in the Holocaust, as of now his involvement is yet to be definitively proven[1]. At the end of 1941 Lobe is appointed head of the Latvian self-defence force. Later he is involved in anti-partisan operations against Soviet guerillas in Eastern Latvia and Belarus with the Latvian police batallions. In spring of 1943 Lobe becomes commander of the 2. (Imanta) Infantry Regiment of the 19th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS on the Volkhov Front. In 1944 Lobe is awarded the rank of colonel and commander of the infantry of the entire Division, participating in fighting in the Opochka district and in Vidzeme. At the end of 1944 he is appointed as commander of Latvian construction batallion in Germany, but to his Latvian nationalistic views is relieved of this command and placed before a German military tribunal. At the end of the war Lobe is interned in British zone of occupation for the period of a year.
Post-war
After the war Lobe actively participates in the commune of Latvians in exile in Germany, such as the Hawks of Daugava organization. He continues this involvement after moving to Sweden in 1950. Lobe is an active participant in the Central Council of Latvians in Sweden. Lobe passes away 9 July 1985 in Stockholm.