Sparnuotas sūduvis – Antanas Gustaitis

ENToday, not many people know that during the interwar period Lithuania was famous for its aviation in Europe and was able to construct excellent aircrafts. One of the most famous, or perhaps the only most famous, constructor of Lithuanian airplanes was the Sūduva region son, Lithuanian Aviation General Antanas Gustaitis. ANBO airplanes constructed by Antanas Gustaitis were built by local engineers, mechanics and workers, in his own workshop under his personal direction. All this was done during the short period of Lithuania‘s independence in the interwar period. The wings of the ANBO aircrafts scraped the skies of the capitals of Lithuania and many European countries. On June 15, 1940, when the Russians occupied Lithuania, the liquidation of the Lithuanian Armed Forces began. The pride of A. Gustaitis, the ANBO-VIII, straight from the aviation workshop was loaded onto the railway platform and exported in an unknown direction. The Soviet Commissioners tried to „tame“ Antanas Gustaitis. They tried to persuade him to go to Russia to build airplanes. Antanas refused. Since then, his every step was tracked, and on June 27, 1941 he was charged with spying for the German Intelligence. On October 16, 1941 he was shot in Butyrka prison.