European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)
-
We had a hard time because a plane came to shoot at us,
We had a hard time because a plane came to shoot at us,
Abbiamo tribolato perché poi è venuto anche un aeroplano a mitragliarci sopra, -
so we got stuck in the ditch like frogs, surrounded by nettles.
so we got stuck in the ditch like frogs, surrounded by nettles.
in un fossettino c’erano le ortiche dentro lì ci siamo impantanati come le rane. -
Hard moments.
Hard moments.
Sono momenti difficili. -
I told my fellows that were 70-80 meters away and said:
I told my fellows that were 70-80 meters away and said:
Poi dopo si parlava con gli amici che erano a 70, 80 metri, gli ho detto -
"Shoot there, you shoot and we will walk under the shooting line!"
"Shoot there, you shoot and we will walk under the shooting line!"
“Sparate là, voi sparate e noi passiamo sotto” -
It was an operation for covering people we wanted to rescue.
It was an operation for covering people we wanted to rescue.
un’operazione del ritiro degli amici, tu spari sopra agli amici, l’amico ritira… -
They weren't experts, they shot like idiots with the machine guns, they shot a lot,
They weren't experts, they shot like idiots with the machine guns, they shot a lot,
Loro non erano esperti: due mitragliatori han sparato come i coglioni -
whereas they were supposed to fire two or three shots and then alternate them
whereas they were supposed to fire two or three shots and then alternate them
così poi fermi allora loro lo ripetono, invece la tattica era sparare due o tre colpi e alternarli -
in order to keep the enemy under pressure while we were passing underneath.
in order to keep the enemy under pressure while we were passing underneath.
così per tenerli schiavi mentre tu passavi sotto -
Instead, we turned up running with the bullets from machine guns in our back.. These moments ...
Instead, we turned up running with the bullets from machine guns in our back.. These moments ...
e invece siamo passati con le raffiche alle calcagna. Ah erano momenti… -
The enemies were experts in war, whereas our guys were there but didn't know anything.
The enemies were experts in war, whereas our guys were there but didn't know anything.
Perché loro erano esperti nella guerra invece i nostri erano lì ma non sapevano: -
For instance, there was "Jack", a friend of mine, who died some time ago,
For instance, there was "Jack", a friend of mine, who died some time ago,
ad esempio c’era "Gek", un mio amico morto tempo fa, -
whose machine gun got stuck one time. So I told one partisan colleague:
whose machine gun got stuck one time. So I told one partisan colleague:
si era inceppato il mitragliatore e allora ho detto con un partigiano -
"Drop the hand grenade!" and he dropped it without the safety catch, like a stone.
"Drop the hand grenade!" and he dropped it without the safety catch, like a stone.
“Tiraci la bomba!” e lui ha buttato la bomba senza la sicurezza, come una sassata, -
Throwing a hand grenade is not such an easy thing, you must count, you have to ...
Throwing a hand grenade is not such an easy thing, you must count, you have to ...
perché buttare una bomba non è una cosa facile, c’è l’esperienza che bisogna contare, bisogna… -
You have to be prepared to drop a hand grenade,
You have to be prepared to drop a hand grenade,
Per tirare una bomba intanto ti devi preparare, -
you throw it and then you have to get cover, you need protection,
you throw it and then you have to get cover, you need protection,
butti e poi ti butti sotto, non puoi buttarla in un prato così, -
you can't just throw it like that because it goes up like this.
you can't just throw it like that because it goes up like this.
devi avere qualcosa di protezione perché i raggi vanno così. -
And then you have to estimate the distance, the force you use,
And then you have to estimate the distance, the force you use,
E poi bisogna buttarsi a terra e poi guardare la distanza, la forza che hai -
you have to throw it at least twenty or ten meters away, otherwise you get hurt yourself, too.
you have to throw it at least twenty or ten meters away, otherwise you get hurt yourself, too.
se la butti a venti metri o dieci metri altrimenti ti fai male anche te.