Lazar (Lazo) Radakovich ( Serb. Lazar Radakoviћ , April 12, 1913 , Mogorich , Austria-Hungary - March 23, 2014 , Belgrade , Serbia ) - Yugoslav commander, participant in the People's Liberation War , lieutenant colonel general of the Yugoslav People’s Army, People’s Hero of Yugoslavia. One of the few participants in the People's Liberation War is centenarians.
| Lazo Radakovich | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Serb. Lazar Stoјana Radakovi | |||||||||
| Nickname | Lazo | ||||||||
| Date of Birth | April 12, 1913 | ||||||||
| Place of Birth | Mogorich , Austria-Hungary | ||||||||
| Date of death | March 23, 2014 (aged 100) | ||||||||
| Place of death | Belgrade , Serbia | ||||||||
| Affiliation |  Kingdom of Yugoslavia Yugoslavia Serbia | ||||||||
| Type of army |  Yugoslav People's Liberation Army and Yugoslav People's Army : Ground Forces | ||||||||
| Years of service | 1934-1971 | ||||||||
| Rank | lieutenant general | ||||||||
| Part |
| ||||||||
| Commanded |
| ||||||||
| Battles / wars | April war The People's Liberation War of Yugoslavia | ||||||||
| Awards and prizes |
| ||||||||
| Retired | retiree | ||||||||
Biography
Pre-war years
Born in Mogorich (near Gospich) in a peasant family. He graduated from elementary school in his native village and six classes of a gymnasium in Gospic. In 1934 he graduated from the Artillery School of Officers.
During the war years
Radakovich met the April war with the rank of sergeant in Smederevo. Near Dugov-Sel, his detachment was surrounded, but Lazarus broke through the encirclement and fled to his native village. After the start of the guerrilla war, Lazarus began to form the Mogorich company, leading it. In early August, he received a baptism of fire with a company, attacking the Ustasha near Plocha and Mark. In October 1941 he was admitted to the Communist Party.
In the fall of 1941, the 1st battalion was formed as part of the 1st Lik partisan detachment "Velebit", where the natives of Mogorich, Ploce and Raduch served. Radakovich led a battalion that liberated villages from Ustash and Italian invaders and even blew up the railway between Gospic and Gracac. At the beginning of January 1942, the Radakovich battalion attacked the Italian column in Ploce and started fighting with the Italians during the breakthrough from Lichkov Field to Udbin. On April 12, 1942, the battalion detachments, together with the shock company of the 1st Liks detachment “Velebit,” repelled the attack on Mogorich, which was led by 4 thousand Italians with the support of artillery. In the silt of the same year, the battalion fought with the Ustashas for Podlapacha northwest of Gospic.
In mid-August 1942, Lazar took the post of deputy commander of the 2nd partisan brigade of Croatia, which participated in the battles for Kosin , Pazariste and Pereyasitsa . October 17, 1942 he was wounded. In early January 1943, he led the 1st brigade of the 6th proletarian Lyc division , which repelled an attack by the Italian forces on the Grachac-Kulen-Vakuf line during the battle of Neretva . In the spring of 1943, the brigade waged successful battles against the Chetniks in Dalmatia and against the Ustasha in Gospic.
Since the beginning of 1944, Radakovich served as an operational officer in the headquarters of the 19th North Dalmatian and 6th Lik proletarian divisions. In June 1944, he led the 3rd brigade of the 6th division. After a series of successful battles on the Livno-Shujitsa line, the brigade led by Radakovich made a march to Serbia. During the crossing of Bosnia in late July 1944, Radakovich with one battalion reached the 11th Krai division and quickly crossed over Drina. After the liberation of Valevo on September 24, 1944, he participated in the battles for Belgrade with his brigade.
At the end of 1944, Lazarus was appointed chief of staff of the 6th Lyc division, holding this position until the end of the war. He organized the work of the division’s headquarters for the management of hostilities, and provided significant assistance to lower-level headquarters on the Srems front and in Slavonia. In the battle of Slavonski Brod, he was seriously injured.
After the war
Lazar Radakovich graduated from the Higher Military Academy and the Military School of the JNA. He commanded a division and a corps, taught at the Higher Military Academy. Member of the Croatian Association of Veterans of the People's Liberation War. He retired in 1971 with the rank of lieutenant colonel. Honorary member of the association of veterans of the 6th proletarian Lyc division named after Nikola Tesla [1] and the 35th Lyc division and their descendants.
Until the end of his days he lived in Belgrade. He died on March 23, 2014, not having lived three weeks before his 101st birthday.
Rewards
Lazar Radakovich was awarded a number of awards: the Order of the People's Hero (decree of December 20, 1951), three Orders of Courage, the Order of the Partisan Star with a silver wreath and the Order of Merit for the People and the Brotherhood and Unity with gold wreaths, as well as the 1941 partisan memory medal years and other awards [2] .
Notes
Literature
- Gospodlosvensky savremenitsy: ko e ko u Gugoslavia. “Sedma Strength,” Beograd 1957. Godina.
- War of the Encyclopedia (Kiga Sedma) . Beograd 1974. Godina.
- Folk Heroes of Ugoslavia . Љubљana - Beograd - Titograd: Partizanska kњiga - People’s kњiga - Pobeda. 1982.