Defence Minister Naď pays tribute to Battle of Dukla Pass heroes at “Freedom Gate“
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- Date: 06.10.2021
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The SVK MOD leadership and service chiefs gathered for a commemoration ceremony to mark the 77th anniversary of the Battle of the Dukla Pass. Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď, too, was at the 1st Czechoslovak Army Corps Memorial for the event to pay tribute to the selfless deeds of the heroes who died in one of the bloodiest operations in the Second World War, as well as visiting other places of remembrance in Svidník.
In his media statement after the ceremony, Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď said: “Even 77 years on, the casualty figures from this battle still send shivers down the spine. May their thwarted lives serve as a lasting reminder of today's threat posed by terrorism, racism and other forms of hatred. Back then, the Slovak soil was drenched in the blood of the heroes who stood up against evil – all that for us.”
The poignant atmosphere of the event was reinforced with a flypast of SVK Air Force aircraft over the 1st Czechoslovak Army Corps Memorial.
On the occasion of the 77th anniversary of the Battle of the Dukla Pass, Minister Naď awarded the SVK Minister of Defence Memorial Medal in Silver (2nd Grade) to František Orlovský, who joined a partisan group as a sixteen-year old and served with the Capt Jozef Trojan Upper Nitra Partisan Brigade throughout WW2. “Thanks to acts of bravery by men like him, today we can live in peace and freedom. Out of respect for their actions and for the sake of future generations, we must preserve their values,” added the Minister.
Being part of the East Carpathian Offensive, the Battle of the Dukla Pass unfolded between 8 September and 28 October 1944. It was aimed at crushing the Nazi forces operating in the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains and getting troops quickly across the ridges of the Carpathians to support the Slovak National Uprising. The military units fighting on the right flank of the 1st Guard Army were the first to have reached the Slovak border on 20 September 1944. They were soon followed by units of the 1st Czechoslovak Army Corps, which crossed into Slovakia on 6 October 1944. However, after penetrating the enemy area south of the Dukla Pass, their advance came to a standstill.
This was the most challenging operation to have taken place in Slovakia in WW2. Both sides of the front recorded high scores of casualties – the 38th Soviet Army put the number of fallen, dead and missing at 13,264. Stranded in difficult terrain, harsh climate, and poor field hygiene conditions, another 48,750 soldiers were either wounded or unfit to fight due to illnesses. The 1st Czechoslovak Army Corps, led by Brig Svoboda, reported 1,630 fallen, dead and missing. Another 4,069 Corps members were reported wounded. The enemy losses were estimated at 52,000 fallen and wounded.
After the commemoration event at Dukla, Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď participated in wreath-laying ceremonies at the Army General Ludvík Svoboda Statue and at the Soviet Army Memorial in Svidník.
In his media statement after the ceremony, Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď said: “Even 77 years on, the casualty figures from this battle still send shivers down the spine. May their thwarted lives serve as a lasting reminder of today's threat posed by terrorism, racism and other forms of hatred. Back then, the Slovak soil was drenched in the blood of the heroes who stood up against evil – all that for us.”
The poignant atmosphere of the event was reinforced with a flypast of SVK Air Force aircraft over the 1st Czechoslovak Army Corps Memorial.
On the occasion of the 77th anniversary of the Battle of the Dukla Pass, Minister Naď awarded the SVK Minister of Defence Memorial Medal in Silver (2nd Grade) to František Orlovský, who joined a partisan group as a sixteen-year old and served with the Capt Jozef Trojan Upper Nitra Partisan Brigade throughout WW2. “Thanks to acts of bravery by men like him, today we can live in peace and freedom. Out of respect for their actions and for the sake of future generations, we must preserve their values,” added the Minister.
Being part of the East Carpathian Offensive, the Battle of the Dukla Pass unfolded between 8 September and 28 October 1944. It was aimed at crushing the Nazi forces operating in the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains and getting troops quickly across the ridges of the Carpathians to support the Slovak National Uprising. The military units fighting on the right flank of the 1st Guard Army were the first to have reached the Slovak border on 20 September 1944. They were soon followed by units of the 1st Czechoslovak Army Corps, which crossed into Slovakia on 6 October 1944. However, after penetrating the enemy area south of the Dukla Pass, their advance came to a standstill.
This was the most challenging operation to have taken place in Slovakia in WW2. Both sides of the front recorded high scores of casualties – the 38th Soviet Army put the number of fallen, dead and missing at 13,264. Stranded in difficult terrain, harsh climate, and poor field hygiene conditions, another 48,750 soldiers were either wounded or unfit to fight due to illnesses. The 1st Czechoslovak Army Corps, led by Brig Svoboda, reported 1,630 fallen, dead and missing. Another 4,069 Corps members were reported wounded. The enemy losses were estimated at 52,000 fallen and wounded.
After the commemoration event at Dukla, Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď participated in wreath-laying ceremonies at the Army General Ludvík Svoboda Statue and at the Soviet Army Memorial in Svidník.
