Carpatho-Dukla Operation
The Battle of Dukla Pass, officially known as the “Carpathian Operation” by the battle commanders is perhaps the largest battle you may never have heard about. It was the largest battle (In terms of casualties) ever fought on Slovakia soil. Casualties were immense, suffering over 138,000 in 50 days. Putting it into perspective:
•Casualties (Killed, Missing and Wounded)
•138,000 - Dukla Pass in 50 days
•160,000 - Battle of the Bulge in 40 days
•200,000 – Battle of Budapest in 47 days
•400,000 - Battle of Normandy in 80 days
•1.6 million - Battle of Stalingrad in 150 days
The Dukla pass is located in the Outer West Carpathian Mountains. The Western Carpathian Mountains run east-west serving as a natural and political border for Slovakia, Poland, Czech Republic and Ukraine. The mountains are of generally low altitude, 1,300 to 1,600 feet, with the occasional high peak of 5,600 feet. A considerable portion resembles a hilly plateau. The region as we see it today includes fields and pastureland which were formed centuries ago after the wood was harvested. Until the 1940s sheep grazed in large numbers in these hills. Additionally, the forests served as a significant source of timber for the region.
By August 1944, the Slovak National Uprising was well underway. The Soviets had many intelligence resources in Slovakia, most of them being Slovak partisans, who would slip through the mountainous borders in Ukraine to facilitate communications with the coordinated uprising, as well as to provide enemy troop location and information. They became an important element in the Stavka (Soviet Army High Command) decision to assist the uprising.
During the period of 1943 and 1944 the Soviet Union had provided considerable assistance to the partisans, both in terms of arms smuggled and airlifted in, as well as key leadership.
While the partisan had planned a coordinated uprising for a later date (to be known as the Slovak National Uprising or Slovenské národné povstanie / SNP), the activities of the partisans escalated to such a level that by August the uprising had occurred spontaneously. On August 29th, the uprising began in Banska Bystrica, becoming the uprising's focal point.
The original Stavka battle plan was for the First Ukrainian front to continue its westward advance through Poland towards Berlin, and the Second Ukrainian front to advance towards Budapest and Vienna. Fighting in the mountainous regions was to be avoided, being too difficult and too slow. There was no plan to attack across any of the mountain passes.
Welcome in the Military Museum.
The museum came into existence in 1965 and its original name was The Dukelske Museum. The exposition documents periods of the First World War to the end of the Second World War in Eastern Slovakia. The exposition is called “The history of military in Eastern Slovakia during the years 1914-1945”. Special part is taken by documentation of the fights at Dukla Pass during winter 1914-1915 and the Carpathian-Dukla Operation in autumn 1944. <?XML:NAMESPACE PREFIX = O /><O:P></O:P>
The Memorial to the Red army in Svidník was revealed in 1954. It became the National Cultural Memorial in 1964. The memorial is 37m high (height of its star is 3,5m). There is 4m high brassy statue of Soviet sergeant in front of the memorial. In four common graves, which are in complex of the memorial, are buried about 9000 Soviet soldiers.<O:P> </O:P>
The Open – air Museum is situated among the road Svidník-Dukla. The last place where you can stop on your way is the Lookout tower. It is close to Slovak-Polish border and from the top of the tower you can see the field ground, where the fighting of troops of the First Czechoslovak Army Corps and the Red Army against the German troops took part during The Carpathian-Dukla Operation in autumn 1944.
vladimir
The Battle of Dukla Pass, officially known as the “Carpathian Operation” by the battle commanders is perhaps the largest battle you may never have heard about. It was the largest battle (In terms of casualties) ever fought on Slovakia soil. Casualties were immense, suffering over 138,000 in 50 days. Putting it into perspective:
•Casualties (Killed, Missing and Wounded)
•138,000 - Dukla Pass in 50 days
•160,000 - Battle of the Bulge in 40 days
•200,000 – Battle of Budapest in 47 days
•400,000 - Battle of Normandy in 80 days
•1.6 million - Battle of Stalingrad in 150 days
The Dukla pass is located in the Outer West Carpathian Mountains. The Western Carpathian Mountains run east-west serving as a natural and political border for Slovakia, Poland, Czech Republic and Ukraine. The mountains are of generally low altitude, 1,300 to 1,600 feet, with the occasional high peak of 5,600 feet. A considerable portion resembles a hilly plateau. The region as we see it today includes fields and pastureland which were formed centuries ago after the wood was harvested. Until the 1940s sheep grazed in large numbers in these hills. Additionally, the forests served as a significant source of timber for the region.
By August 1944, the Slovak National Uprising was well underway. The Soviets had many intelligence resources in Slovakia, most of them being Slovak partisans, who would slip through the mountainous borders in Ukraine to facilitate communications with the coordinated uprising, as well as to provide enemy troop location and information. They became an important element in the Stavka (Soviet Army High Command) decision to assist the uprising.
During the period of 1943 and 1944 the Soviet Union had provided considerable assistance to the partisans, both in terms of arms smuggled and airlifted in, as well as key leadership.
While the partisan had planned a coordinated uprising for a later date (to be known as the Slovak National Uprising or Slovenské národné povstanie / SNP), the activities of the partisans escalated to such a level that by August the uprising had occurred spontaneously. On August 29th, the uprising began in Banska Bystrica, becoming the uprising's focal point.
The original Stavka battle plan was for the First Ukrainian front to continue its westward advance through Poland towards Berlin, and the Second Ukrainian front to advance towards Budapest and Vienna. Fighting in the mountainous regions was to be avoided, being too difficult and too slow. There was no plan to attack across any of the mountain passes.
Welcome in the Military Museum.
The museum came into existence in 1965 and its original name was The Dukelske Museum. The exposition documents periods of the First World War to the end of the Second World War in Eastern Slovakia. The exposition is called “The history of military in Eastern Slovakia during the years 1914-1945”. Special part is taken by documentation of the fights at Dukla Pass during winter 1914-1915 and the Carpathian-Dukla Operation in autumn 1944. <?XML:NAMESPACE PREFIX = O /><O:P></O:P>
The Memorial to the Red army in Svidník was revealed in 1954. It became the National Cultural Memorial in 1964. The memorial is 37m high (height of its star is 3,5m). There is 4m high brassy statue of Soviet sergeant in front of the memorial. In four common graves, which are in complex of the memorial, are buried about 9000 Soviet soldiers.<O:P> </O:P>
The Open – air Museum is situated among the road Svidník-Dukla. The last place where you can stop on your way is the Lookout tower. It is close to Slovak-Polish border and from the top of the tower you can see the field ground, where the fighting of troops of the First Czechoslovak Army Corps and the Red Army against the German troops took part during The Carpathian-Dukla Operation in autumn 1944.
vladimir
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