Too Soon

Slowly and foggily, the news of a Czechoslovak disaster trickled out from the core of Europe. Almost unnoticed by the rest of the world, the Slovaks had risen in their mountainous country, had waged war for some two months. Now, said Berlin, they had been wiped out by seven German divisions. Apparently, like the Poles in Warsaw, they had started fighting too soon.

Slovakia, a communications keystone for the Germans in Poland, Hungary and Austria, had been governed from strategic Bratislava by puppet Dr. Josef Tiso. When the Balkans began to crack, the Germans prepared to move into Slovakia in force, occupy road and railway lines needed for their troops. At the end of August the Slovaks rose, hauled out arms from their hiding places, seized control of central Slovakia and the industrial town of Banska Bystrica (80 miles north of Budapest).

Shortly after, help came from outside. Two squadrons of British-trained Czechoslovak fighter pilots dropped into partisan-held airfields. Eight thousand Czechoslovak army men parachuted in from Russian-based planes. Some supplies were flown in from Italy. Under experienced 54-year-old General Rudolf Viest, all fighters were formed into the First Czechoslovak Army, won Allied recognition and belligerent status.

Two Russian armies were near, one in the Carpathian passes in the north, the other south in Hungary. But while the Russians bogged down, short of supplies, the Germans fell on the new army with all their might. Announced Berlin on November 4: the First Czechoslovak Army had been wiped out, lost 10,000 prisoners, 267 planes, 104 tanks, 309 guns. General Viest and his Chief of Staff. Brigadier General Karol Golian, had been captured.

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