5th Infantry Regiment (Lithuania)

The regiment was founded on 2 March 1919.[2] The regiment began to be organized in Kaunas by the Commandant Officer of Kaunas, Kazys Škirpa, by the order of the Minister of National Defense in Kaunas. Initially, it was called the Separate Kaunas Battalion. The 5th and 6th Infantry Companies and the 2nd Hussar Squadron were separated from the Kaunas Kommandantur. The infantry companies became the 1st and 2nd companies, which were soon joined by new volunteers.

On March 23, 20 soldiers from the Kaunas city Kommandantur training team and 16 soldiers from the grenadier team arrived. On March 28, these were joined by the Kaunas' training team's soldiers of the 1st and 4th Company, in addition to several volunteer machine gunners from Vilnius. The newly arrived 1st company was renamed as the 1st Company, the 4th Company as the 2nd Company, while the former 1st Company was renamed as the 3rd Company, the 2nd Company - the 4th. On 20 June 1919, this battalion was named the Vilnius Battalion with the Commander-in-Chief's Order No. 12. On 10 November 1919, by the order of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, the Vilnius Battalion was renamed to the 5th Infantry Regiment. Battalions I and II were formed from the existing companies and one Kommandantur company from Seinai. Battalion III was formed in January 1920 from the Pasvalys Kommandantur and from the recruits of Telšiai County. On 7 February 1920, by the No. 239 Order to the Lithuanian Army, the 5th Infantry Regiment was given the name of the Grand Duke of Lithuania Kęstutis.

The regiment fought against the Bolshevikis at Pajautiškės, Stašiūnai, Zarasai, Imbradas. At the end of 1919, the regiment fought against the Bermontians near Šiauliai. In 1920, the regiment fought against the Polish army near Seinai, Augustavas and fought in the Battle of Beržininkai. In November 1920, the regiment guarded the demarcation line at the sector of Dubingiai-Zarasai. From 1922, the regiment was stationed in Upper Panemunė.[3] The regiment was part of the 2nd Infantry Division.[4]

• 1919 – Officer Kazys Škirpa
• 1920 – Captain Antanas Zubrys
• 1920 – Lieutenant colonel Mykolas Velykis
• 1921 – Lieutenant colonel Pranas Kaunas
• 1922 – Colonel Juozas Vidugiris
• 1925–1927 – General Staff Colonel Stasys Pundzevičius
• 1933 – General Staff Colonel Stasys Raštikis
• 1936–1940 – General Staff Colonel Albinas Čepas
• 1940 – Lieutenant colonel Juozas Listopadskis

• Ruzgas, V., ed. (1932). Visa Lietuva (in Lithuanian). Kaunas: Spaudos Fondas.
• Steponaitis, Vytautas (1934). 5 pėstininkų Didžiojo Lietuvos kunigaikščio Kęstučio pulkas, 1919-1934 (in Lithuanian). Kaunas: Žaibas.