European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)
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As an example, it took us one and a half hours to blow up a bridge on road 63,
As an example, it took us one and a half hours to blow up a bridge on road 63,
Tant’è vero che per esempio un ponte sulla Statale 63 ci impiegavamo anche un’ora e mezza prima di farlo saltare -
as it was made of stones.
as it was made of stones.
perché erano tutti sassi ecc. -
We changed our method and were able to do it in fifteen minutes.
We changed our method and were able to do it in fifteen minutes.
Dopo noi riuscivamo, cambiando sistema, in un quarto d’ora facevamo saltare il ponte. -
In July, when the great mop-up took place,
In July, when the great mop-up took place,
Quando c’è stato il grande rastrellamento di luglio, -
there were just two or three of us sappers.
there were just two or three of us sappers.
lì succedeva che minatori c’eravamo in due o in tre, non di più, -
We were scattered around because the battle started at four in the morning,
We were scattered around because the battle started at four in the morning,
ma eravamo un po’ sparsi perché la battaglia è cominciata alle 4 del mattino, -
and by the evening the whole partisan area had been occupied by the Germans.
and by the evening the whole partisan area had been occupied by the Germans.
praticamente alla sera ormai tutta la zona partigiana era occupata dai tedeschi. -
We were in Carpineti and we reached Costabona.
We were in Carpineti and we reached Costabona.
E noi eravamo a Carpineti e avevamo raggiunto Costabona, -
The whole village was on fire.
The whole village was on fire.
e lì c’era il paese che bruciava, -
The Germans had set the village on fire as well as the crop and the wheat on the fields.
The Germans had set the village on fire as well as the crop and the wheat on the fields.
i tedeschi avevano bruciato tutto il paese e bruciato anche i raccolti, il grano sui campi, hanno bruciato anche quello lì… -
It was really a depressing view.
It was really a depressing view.
era una cosa desolante, proprio. -
There were around thirty of us of the Bedeschi detachment, yet unhurt.
There were around thirty of us of the Bedeschi detachment, yet unhurt.
E noi che eravamo ancora intatti, eravamo una trentina lì del distaccamento Bedeschi, -
There was also one of the detachments from Modena who had been joining forces with us at the beginning.
There was also one of the detachments from Modena who had been joining forces with us at the beginning.
poi c’era un distaccamento modenese che era uno di quelli che collaboravano con noi nei primi tempi. -
We gathered in Costabona,
We gathered in Costabona,
Ci siamo uniti lì a Costabona, -
determined to fight the Germans,
determined to fight the Germans,
decisi di affrontare i tedeschi, -
who had occupied the whole area. (I was looking at the map the other day).
who had occupied the whole area. (I was looking at the map the other day).
che oramai (guardavo anche la piantina l’altro giorno) i tedeschi avevano occupato tutta la zona. -
It was difficult for us to get moving during the night.
It was difficult for us to get moving during the night.
Però anche per noi era dura sganciarsi durante la notte. -
“Let’s stay here, we’ll carry out our resistance tomorrow”.
“Let’s stay here, we’ll carry out our resistance tomorrow”.
“Stiamo qui, domani facciamo resistenza”. -
We also had a mortar,
We also had a mortar,
Avevamo anche un mortaio, ecc. -
but before we could do anything we had to blow up the Secchiello Bridge.
but before we could do anything we had to blow up the Secchiello Bridge.
e infatti… Però prima di fare… dobbiamo far saltare il ponte del Secchiello.