Meeting with Slovakian National Uprising veteran

[Marek Tucan]

Kladno branch of Community of Slovaks in Czech Republic organised a meeting with Col. Ján Fačko, veteran of WWII Slovakian uprising. I was there and though I didn't ask any questions, I did take notes eagerly:)

 

Col. Fačko was born in 1922. He was drafted to the army of Slovakian Republic in 1941 and after serving his compulsory service he signed up for military academy, passing first year in 1943-1944. On his summer leave, he was contacted by several persons (incl. his high school professor and one of his instructors from military academy) and he was briefed with rough outline of Slovakian uprising - ie to be prepared that he might be called on duty anytime if German troops begin occupying Slovakia or the frontline closes enough (NOTE: it seems that the level of informations varied from place to another, here he was briefed though he was very low on the chain of command, OTOH in two active divisions of Slovakian army only ranks from regimental staffs up were informed).

After the uprising begun, he was tasked with managing mobillisation of one mountain valley. Afterwards, he was attached to an infantry battalion as brevet lieutenant and commander of machinegun company.

His bn was tasked with defense of Rimavka river valley. Their defense wasn't too much prepared - antitank ditches were made but no large field fortifcations, just system of foxholes - and they lacked heavy weapons - only support was 100mm howitzer with 20 rounds. However initial German attacks on October 15th - or rather probes - were stopped. Germans then managed to get around the defense to several dominant hills and begun to dismantle the defense using artillery fire directed from these hills. The battalion, too weak to hold hills and valley initially and unable to conquer hills afterwards, had little more left than retreat, fighting a delaying battle to allow local people to run as well.

(He also mentioned that under heavy fire, several soldiers have "walked away" as he did put it - one of the meeting's hosts then answered with a disdain in her voice "You mean they deserted?"... Col. Fačko plainly explained her that he cannot blame them as being under accurate artillery fire they weren't able to counter was very hard.)

On October 29th, still retreating from Rimavka valley, orders from the uprising HQ were received to scatter and start partisan warfare (day before, the center of the uprising, Banská Bystrica, fell to German hands and the uprising was effectively crushed). The battalion did scatter into small groups, some went back home, some went into hiding, some went into fighting - however Col. Fačko spent just a month in mountains (he said Germans weren't coming up there, they were just holding and patrolling the valleys) when Russians came. The recon patrol commander immediately spotted him as officer and asked him to guide his patrol (after fighting as infantryman, he said he felt very vulnerable mounted on horse).

Afterwards, he and two of his companions who were in the same house as him were transported (by their demand) to Košice and there they joined 1st Czechoslovakian Army. Recruiting officer was delighted when Fačko told him of his experience with machinegun units and right on that day he was sent as replacement for fallen commander of MG company, 3rd Rifle Bn, 1st Rifle Brigade - one of his insurgent colleagues went the same way, just to Rifle comapny.

On December 6th, 1944, he was injured , but just a fleshwound, how did he put it. He then spent winter and spirng commanding MG company and successfully fought his way up to Kojetín (Moravia). There, in the middle of preparations for last big attack, peace broke out - atleast locally, Germans have retreated and let them know. However, on the same day the Prague uprising started so 1st Brigade was ordered to get to Prague by any means possible - meaning mostly horses and horse-drawn wagons (there was no shortage of horses, he said there were hundreds of beasts along the road, left behind by Wehrmacht). they managed to reach Prague on May 10th, ie just after fighting ended.

After war he remained with the army, served with mechanised units and was rising through ranks up to head of Operational dept. of tank division, then he went to ministry of defence. However, in 1968 he expressed his opinions concerning invasion of "allied armies" so he had to go in 1969 as Private.

After 1989 he was rehabilitated and reinstated to his rank, though he didn't rejoin active service due to high age. Today, he seemed still pretty agile and he was complaining his memory isn't so good when it took him ca. 15 seconds to recall name of his Bn commander from the uprising - I'd wish I had such memory now, let alone when 85 years old...

[Detonable]

...

There, in the middle of preparations for last big attack, peace broke out - atleast locally, Germans have retreated and let them know. However, on the same day the Prague uprising started so 1st Brigade was ordered to get to Prague by any means possible - meaning mostly horses and horse-drawn wagons (there was no shortage of horses, he said there were hundreds of beasts along the road, left behind by Wehrmacht). they managed to reach Prague on May 10th, ie just after fighting ended...

 

It sounds like a headlong flight by the Wehrmacht. Were the horses left there because they left much of their heavy artillery and supplies behind? What else did the horses pull?

 

A report from a veteran gives a much better feel for the situation than an arrow on a map.

[Detonable]

Another question? Weren't their Slovak units serving with the German army during the period he was in the army? What did his compulsory service involve?

[Marek Tucan]

Another question? Weren't their Slovak units serving with the German army during the period he was in the army? What did his compulsory service involve?

 

Normal training and garrison duty. Slovakian units fought both in Poland and USSR in the latter case two divisions and one Staffel of JG 52. All the units got mauled pretty bad under Caucasus and there were also lots of desertions - bulk of 2nd Czechoslovakian Paratroop Brigade in USSR was from soldiers of Slovakian Fast Division.

After Caucasus, remains of units were used to form two new divisions, located in Eastern Slovakia and relatively well equipped, these divisions were the cornerstone of uprising preparations - they were counted upon to secure mountin passes in North-East of Slovakia and thus to let Soviet and Czechoslovakian units in, however Germans managed to rapidly disarm both divisions just before the beginning of uprising (mostly due to no knowledge of the plan among lower-ranking officers who weren't instructed what to do), this did lead to three things: uprising lost bulk of its combat-experienced soldiers (most of the reservists mobilised in area controlled by insurgents lacked experience), uprising lost large supply of heavy weapons and Czechoslovakian and Soviet troops had to undertake a long and bloody battle to seize fortified mountain passes.

The disarmed divisions were then (minus number of soldiers who managed to desert and join with the uprising or Czechoslovakian units in Red Army - there were several flyers who took their planes with them for example) sent to Austria and Italy as trench diggers, after Italy fell they were hastily reformed and armed by Allies (along with units of Protectorate "Governmental Army with the same fate) and soon after war they were sent to Czechoslovakia.

 

As for

It sounds like a headlong flight by the Wehrmacht. Were the horses left there because they left much of their heavy artillery and supplies behind? What else did the horses pull?

 

It was May 1945 - for sure Wehrmacht went to full retreat (it is rumored that in this specific sector, though ordinary soldiers did not know about it, higher ranking commanders from both sides have made a silent agreement concerning the beginning of the retreat). After all everybody wanted to be in POW camp in Florida rather than in Siberia Most heavy weapons were left behind, esp. by units located in Moravia - they had a long way to flee so they didn't want to bother with artillery and tanks served primarily as transports - after all this happened on many places, Prague uprising and comabt in Prague ended effectively with insurgent HQ signing treaty with Prague's military commander, gen. Toussaint, that German toops may pass the city unhindered providing they leave all heavy weapons on the outskirts, so when Russians reached Prague they met just few Hetzers of rearguard units and the city was already free.

[yak_v]

Interesting illustration to the speed with which the run to Prague was done. Here is a T-34/85 in Prague with two damaged road whees, most likely from running over a mine and not stopping to replace the wheels:

 

There are several other photos of the tanks in Prague with the similar damage to the wheels.

 

Vladimir

[Marek Tucan]

Yup, run to Prague was pretty quick, most likely helped by fact most of 'German soldiers cared already only about getting to the Demarcation line and into US custody. Maybe if they had to stop for some major fight en route, there would be enough time to repair the damage but as thiogs were the commanders just told to themselves "let's see how far we can drive with this"