There is an open-air museum on the road between Svidnik and Dukla Pass, located in a place known as the "Valley of Death." It commemorates one of the hardest-fought tank battles of World War II in autumn 1944, immediately after Soviet and Czechoslovak troops crossed the frontier. This memorial is exceptional not only for Slovakia but for all Europe.

The fighting took place between October 25-27. In the early hours of the 25th, rainfall which had impeded the Allied advance began to subside. At 10 a.m. the Soviet side made artillery preparations for the action which followed. After 80 minutes of artillery and air attacks, the 305th Soviet Rifle Division and the 12th Guards Tank Brigade began moving ahead. The latter only had at its disposal 28 tanks. Advancing through a narrow mountain valley, they were unable to develop any coordinated line. Yet they entered the village of Nizna Pisama and engaged the German Mark IV tanks successfully. Breaking the enemy's resistance, the 12th Guards Tank Brigade moved 1.5 kilometers south of the village. Here it came up against the German artillery and the land mines. When night fell, the illumination of the sky caused by German artillery fire enabled Soviet engineers to destroy the mines planted in the road. The advancing Soviet infantry captured two German artillery pieces and five tanks.

On the morning of the 26th, Soviet aircraft struck hard at the enemy's artillery and mine battalions. Soviet infantry and tanks advanced once again. Yet in the area between the villages of Kapisova and Dobroslava the Germans were particularly well entrenched. Their artillery batteries hurtled an estimated 75,000 shells against the Soviets. Consequently, all the Soviet tanks committed to the Valley of Death were destroyed.

Courtesy of JOZEF RODAK, Ph.D.
Director of VOJENSKE MUZEUM (MILITARY MUSEUM)
SVIDNIK, SLOVAKIA