Čapek, Jan

Citace - And report 1/2004 :

Private Jan ČAPEK (lieutenant in memoriam)

national mountain rifle regiment in Italy - distinguished himself in the battles on the piave river

* 17. 6. 1876 †17. 6. 1918


After the mobilisation of the austro-Hungarian army fought on the Russian and Italian front. In October 1915 defected to the allies. Due to the authority, which had of the sokol organization, as a prominent representative of the czechoslovak. the prison movement in Italy became in January 1917 the founder of the czechoslovak. volunteer corps. Significantly contributed to the creation of the czechoslovak military units and their involvement in the foreign resistance.

In may, 1918, private John Capek volunteered to the front. He was posted to as Well. battalion 33. ms. mountain rifle regiment, which as the first of our forces intervened in the fighting on the Italian-austrian front. Although he at that time was already 42 years old and the other soldiers had immense authority, it was put on instead of the plain soldier.

The Fate Of The And. battalion 33. the regiment was tragic. Its rank-and-file members have not had sufficient training, the Italian commanders, moreover, have failed. The battalion got to the front totally inappropriately at a time when the Austrians launched the offensive on the lower reaches of the river Piavy. 15. June morning surprised by our soldiers of artillery and gas attack of the adversary. Italian troops while they were on the basis of the expected offensive been pulled back, but no one informed the czechoslovak group posted far ahead. Only a part of them came without the disasters of the ostřelovaných the trenches. Most of our soldiers had to heavily probíjet back from an impending encirclement. The banner in this action lost 25 men.

After the camp in Mestre was Even. the battalion deployed as a whole into the fighting in the area of San Dona. Our soldiers were assigned to the brigade of Catania and later Bisagno. The commander of this brigade, planted the banner of the first line. Czechoslovaks have followed along with elite "ardity" (shock troops), while the brigade Bisagno was waiting in the rear on the outcome of the fighting. Most of our soldiers were included in the czechoslovak army to 25. may 1918 from the last transport from the prison camp. The tactic of fighting from the days when they fell into captivity had changed considerably. And so in combat pauses were taught to treat with the Italian grenades and rifles. The banner went 17. June in attack in the shape of triangles. At the tip of the attacking in two waves, the second rota. Czechoslovaks after heavy fighting, survived, together with the "ardity" about five miles. The Italian commanders of the third and fourth column, however, reached the troops at all on the battlefield, the brigade Bisagno arrived at the positions captured by our soldiers after more than three hours already covered for nightfall.

Two days later, 19. June was the battalion deployed in the same direction to the attack again. Again, the whole situation was without the considerable hassle, part of the Italian infantry was zmasakrována own artillery. Yet in the end managed to occupy the austrian trenches. The opponent is not getting backups.

The losses were huge. In addition to the 29 dead soldiers were 117 men wounded and 14 of them fell into captivity. Those later the Austrians identified and executed. During these fights fell in the forefront of your units in a futile attack on the machine-gun position, and John Capek. About the disappointment of our troops from literally diletantského the manner of their deployment are best demonstrated by the words that shortly before his death, he uttered: "We are sold and betrayed."

Astringency remained despite the flood of oslavných articles in the Italian newspaper dedicated to the heroism of the Čechoslováků in these battles. Jan Čapkovi was posthumously awarded the Italian silver medal For bravery.

Prepared by -ma-
Photo: archive