Rocket & Missile Forces and Artillery Day below Trenčín Castle

Peace Square below Trenčín Castle along with the Trenčín Garrison Club became the venue for the 75th anniversary commemorations of the battle at Jaslo and Artillery, Rocket and Missile Forces Day on 15 January 2020. Representatives of all SVK Armed Forces artillery units and veteran associations (i.e. the CZE and SVK Artillery Community, Riflemen and Artillerymen Guild Bratislava, SVK Soldiers Union, SVK Generals Club) gathered in Peace Square for a commemoration ceremony, with combat systems on display. During the playing of the SVK national anthem an artillery gun salute was fired in the background from between the old and new railway embankments at the River Váh.

The MOD delegation led by Director General of the Human Resources Department (MOD) Brig Gen Boris Ďurkech, Armed Forces leaders represented by Deputy Commander of the SVK Army Brig Gen Martin Michalko, Trenčín region and city authorities, and partner artillery organizations from the Czech Republic commemorated the 75th anniversary of the decisive battle waged against Nazi troops at the town of Jaslo, Poland. This was Czechoslovak artillery’s most extensive and successful engagement throughout WW2.

According to Col Pavol Barančík, Artillery Fire Support Coordinator and Chief of Artillery at the SVK Defence Staff, there were 5 Artillery Regiments (1st Czechoslovak Army Corps), comprising 2,500 officers and soldiers with howitzers, guns and mortars, engaged in the battle at Jaslo on 15 January 1945. Their main task was to deliver artillery fire to support the offensive of the 38th Army (4th Ukrainian Front, Red Army) in the direction of Gorlice – Nowy Sacz, located between the River Visla and the River Oder at the town of Jaslo. Shortly after the midnight of 15 January 1945, artillerymen of the 1st Czechoslovak Army Corps received orders to open fire on Nazi positions at 8:45hrs Moscow time.

During the ceremony, representatives of SVK Armed Forces units, veterans and members of military associations were presented medals in Peace Square and later on at the Trenčín Garrison Club. In his speech at the Trenčín Garrison Club, CHOD Gen Daniel Zmeko underlined that 15 January is a day of great importance for artillerymen as they mark Rocket & Missile Forces and Artillery Day, a famed tradition whose today’s bearers are ex-servicemen and serving personnel – commanders, officers, artillery systems operators, technicians and armourers from gun, rocket and missile units. Speaking about artillerymen, the CHOD said: “I am pleased to see that you respect and keep traditions alive.” Finally, some of them were dubbed Knights of Artillery by Honorary Chairman of the Czech and Slovak Artillery Community Maj Gen (Rtd) Dušan Humený.