KOPA / BOPA (dat.) Or Kommunistiske / Borgerlige Partisaner ( KOPA / BOPA or Communist / Civil Partisans ) was one of the most active and largest sabotage groups of the Resistance Movement in Denmark . It was created in the summer of 1941 after the German attack on the Soviet Union, the ban of the Communist Party of Denmark and the arrest of many of its members. Among the founders of the group was Eigil "Horse" Larsen ( Eigil "Hesten" Larsen ), who wrote and published a rebel notebook (called "Cookbook " ), which received its nickname for outstanding strength and dynamic appearance. The first experiments of the group in the field of sabotage did not have much success and were isolated, as the participants of the Resistance did not yet have sufficient experience in working with explosives, but skillfully dismantled railway tracks. However, by 1942 the necessary experience had been gained.
In the period before 1943, the group was called KOPA (Communist Partisans), consisting of former volunteers from the teams of the Spanish Civil War, communists and sympathizers. The group initially spoke not only against the occupiers, but also against the collaborationist actions of the Danish government, however, its actions were not directed against the authorities. With the beginning of the occupation in Denmark, more and more new small resistance groups constantly appeared, scattered, but united by the common goal of defeating the Germans. Over time, the struggle demanded strengthening the organization of the entire Resistance, which needed a qualitative change, and it was then that in April 1943 an essentially new large group emerged by including illegal groups of both bourgeois and communist views, primarily representing students, in its composition. After the reception of an active student anti-fascist group, the former name was changed to BOPA (Civilian, or Bourgeois, partisans). At various times, from 125 to 175 members permanently acted at BOPA. In total, the group has more than 1,000 successful transactions. BOPA also took direct action against German military installations. The Resistance fighters were active during the secondary operations - theft of weapons and ammunition, the release of arrested comrades, supplies, etc. The list of successfully implemented sabotage actions of the group includes about 400 operations, mostly in Copenhagen and the surrounding area. Unofficial data speak about the group’s involvement in the liquidation of approximately 20 informants.
The structure and system of functioning of BOPA turned out to be incredibly effective, for example, the group managed to collect large quantities of explosives, which made it possible to write down one of the largest sabotage campaigns during the entire occupation - on January 2, 1945, the Torotor radio factory in Ordrup literally exploded . Along with less well-known enterprises, whose products Germany needed, the group’s shares touched such factories as Always, Ambi, Atlas, Burmeister & Wain, Dan, General Motors, Glud & Marstrand, Globus, Nordwerk, Neutrofon and Riffelsyndikatet (arms factory "Rifle Syndicate"). After the Folk Strike of 1944 ( Folkestrejken ), BOPA changed tactics and, in part of sabotage, chose smaller radio-industrial factories as targets for its actions.
The BOPA combat groups consisted of an average of 5-6 branches in each of 6-7 people. The fluidity of the composition was very high. Most of the fighters were engaged in practical work for only 3-4 months, after which they either escaped to Sweden or were arrested. Approximately 400 people passed through combat groups, of which 38 died (were either executed or killed during a combat mission). BOPA also had and enjoyed the support of a large number of assistants, who made legitimate maps, weapons permits, and provided accommodation for the fighters and their supply. The group had its own weapons factory for the manufacture of Sten Mk II machine guns, as well as had channels for the illegal import of explosives from Berlin. BOPA participated in the formation of the sleeping groups and controlled the sectors of responsibility assigned to it, into which the country was divided. The group was disbanded in 1945.