European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)

Later the passion began. It’s when some get weapons into their hands

and also deem themselves as having the power to decide who is the enemy and who to take revenge upon.

Of course things then happen which cause a shadow to fall over even those few ideal

and idealistic aspects of anti-fascism, across everything that occurred between 1941 and 1945.

First combat with German forces

I was so eager to exchange blows with the enemy.

I was in a battalion, equipped with only three machine-guns and rifles, very poorly armed.

The Germans surrounded us with tanks during the night.

It was their mighty army against ours. They waited until morning to attack.

I immediately offered to go, and three more men were equally enthusiastic to go with me up against the German tanks with hand grenades.

We imagined it was just a matter of throwing the grenades, we would simply kill the Germans

and blast everything to ruins. Older and more experienced Partisans told us to calm down.

There would be many more opportunities to fight. They clarified that it’s not that simple to destroy a tank.

They’re not made of paper, rather of steel, and also the Germans were not sleeping.

We were atop this hill. There was also a bit of forest around.

The Germans approached in a dense line of ‘shooters’ followed by a display of tanks, slowly advancing in the rear.

We then recognized the horror.

We were all novices, it was our first fight, except for a few leading cadres.

On the basis of my four grades of high schooling, I was named right off as the Political Commissary of a unit;

without any previous fighting experience. I had to take care of my men.