The 83rd anniversary of the Battle of Sutjeska will be commemorated today at Tjentište. The Battle of Sutjeska, also known as the Fifth Enemy Offensive, was the name given to Operation Schwarz, launched by German forces in the summer of 1943.
The operation was aimed at destroying the Partisan resistance movement of the National Liberation Army and disarming and neutralizing the Yugoslav Army in the Homeland.
The program at Tjentište begins with the laying of wreaths and flowers at the Memorial Ossuary, the Ministry of Labor and Veterans’ and Disability Protection announced.
The Battle of Sutjeska lasted from May 15 to June 15, 1943, and remains remembered as one of the largest enemy offensives of World War II in Yugoslavia. Against 127,000 German troops, armored vehicles, and 300 aircraft, only 18,000 Partisans took part in the fighting. During a month of fierce battles, 7,543 Partisans were killed (6,946 men and 597 women), representing roughly one-third of all Partisan fighters involved.
Despite facing overwhelming military superiority, the bulk of the Partisan forces managed to break out of the encirclement on June 15, 1943, by advancing into eastern Bosnia. Among the fallen heroes were commander Sava Kovačević and AVNOJ vice president Nurija Pozderac.
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According to historical data cited by the organizers, Serbs made up 53.5 percent of all Partisans at Sutjeska, accounting for 11,851 of the 22,148 fighters involved, making them the largest national group. Figures regarding the national composition of the Partisan movement at the end of 1943 indicate that Serbs comprised 45 percent, Croats 30 percent, Slovenes 10 percent, Montenegrins 4 percent, Muslims 2.5 percent, and Macedonians 2.5 percent.
Historian Marko Hoare is quoted as stating: “Serbs responded massively to the Partisan call for uprising.” In 1944, Josip Broz Tito told The Times: “Serbs made up 45 percent of the Partisans, Croats 30 percent,” emphasizing the scale of their contribution and sacrifice in the struggle for liberation.
The Memorial Ossuary at Tjentište holds the remains of 3,301 fighters whose lives were woven into the foundations of free Yugoslavia. The walls of the Memorial House at Tjentište bear the names of 43 National Heroes who lost their lives in the battle.
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Source: Trebinje Danas/ wikipedia Foto: Screenshot Nezavisne novine