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AC -> January 26th, 1943 (1/25/2003 11:51:06 PM)
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Tomorrow 60 years have passed from the battle at Nikolajewka, where the Alpini of the "Tridentina" Division broke the last line of the Soviet encirclement.
Between late December 1942 and January 1943, the Soviet counter-offensive had achieved deep breakthroughs on both flanks of the Alpini Corps, deployed since November on the Don front. The Italian units, along with thousands of retreating German, Rumanian and Hungarian soldiers, had been trapped.
But the "Tridentina", which in spite of heavy fighting in their Don positions had preserved its strenght and readiness, was ordered to break the siege.
Beginning their march on January 16th, the Alpini managed to break six Soviet armored lines, always on top of a long column of retreating Axis soldiers.
In the morning of January 26th they reached Nikolajewka. From the top of a large slope they could clearly see the village, behind a railway line where the dug-in Soviets awaited them.
The fighting lasted for the whole day, and in the evening the Soviet resistance had still not been broken.
Considering that another night in the open would mean sure dead to many of the Alpini and to more of the almost 40,000 in the column, General Reverberi climbed on one of the two remaining German Sturmgeschuetze and cried out the famous "Tridentina avanti" to launch his Alpini in the final attack on the Soviet positions. The order bounced from row to row and pushed the whole unit forwards again. They went down the slope, pushed the Soviets out of their positions along the railway and gained the first houses of the village.
The Soviets, surprised by this last effort, withdrew leaving their heavy weapons behind.
Thus, the encirclement was finally broken, although many miles by feet still were waiting for the survisors; however, the brave attack of the Alpini saved many from death or Soviet POW camps.
The Alpini corps, originally sent to Russia for operations in the Caucasus with 57,000 men, had 34,170 KIA and 9,410 WIA in Russia; the "Tridentina" lost about 12,000 men and was awarded 25 Gold Medals for Military Action on the Field.
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