Sava Kovačević
Sava Kovačević | |
---|---|
Born | Nudo, Montenegro | 25 January 1905
Died | 13 June 1943 Krekovi, Independent State of Croatia (now Bosnia and Herzegovina) | (aged 38)
Allegiance | Yugoslav Partisans |
Years of service | 1941–1943 |
Rank | Colonel |
Commands held | Nikšić Partisan Detachment 5th Montenegrin Brigade 3rd Shock Division |
Battles/wars | World War II
|
Awards | Order of the People's Hero Order of Kutuzov |
Sava Kovačević (Serbian Cyrillic: Сава Ковачевић; 25 January 1905 – 13 June 1943)[1] was a Yugoslav Partisan divisional commander during World War II, and one of the heroes of the communist Partisan movement.
Early life
Kovačević was born in the village of Nudo near
World War II
After the
In June 1942 he became the first commander of the 5th Montenegrin (Sandzak) Brigade of the YPLA. His unit took part in 1942 Bosanska Krajina Campaign (Bosnian Frontier Campaign) - operation against
Owing to his humble background and habit of disdain for the privileges of rank, Kovačević was one of the most popular Partisan commanders. He was famous for his personal courage: one of the well known episodes happened on 20 February 1943 in Ostrožac on the Neretva river when he, with his brigade commissar Dragiša Ivanović, in an unexpected encounter with a group of Italian tanks, managed to climb onto two tanks, Sava on the second and Dragiša on the third of three tanks, to kill their crews and to capture one tank each. His heroic death made him into one of the Partisan icons.[1]
He was posthumously proclaimed
According to
Legacy
In honour of Kovačević, numerous streets were named after him, as well as urban neighbourhoods in
In popular culture
In the 1973 film
Several songs have been written in memorization of Kovačević, singing about his heroism and death on Sutjeska. The most popular include "Što to huči Sutjeska" (What is Sutjeska up to)[a][4] "Sivi Sokole" (Peregrine Falcon)[b][6] and "Kraj Sutjeske hladne vode" (By Sutjeska, the cold water).[7]
Notes
References
- ^ a b c d e f Kovačević Blagoja Sava, Heroji Jugoslavenske narodnooslobodilačke borbe 1941. - 1945., Slobodna Jugoslavija.
- ^ The Great Soviet Encyclopedia(1979)
- ISBN 9788639101060.
- ^ "Što to huči Sutjeska". www.yugopapir.com. c. 1973.
- ^ "Sivi sokole". Antifašistički vjesnik. 20 April 2016. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
- ^ "Za Jugoslaviju: Sivi Sokole - pjesma Savi Kovačeviću". 5 May 2011.
- ^ "Kraj Sutjeske hladne vode". Antifašistički vjesnik. 13 June 2017. Retrieved 10 March 2023.