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He was only 21 when the SNP broke out and he found himself more or less at the centre of events. However, he bravely joined the battle and, although he fought only for a short time, he became one of the best tank drivers in the army. Matej Buc was a boy from Orava who gave his life in the fight against fascism but, according to historians, has yet to be properly rewarded.
The rebels made the transition to Starekhori.
Photo: SNP Museum Archives
Although the Slovak army is equipped with tanks, unlike other countries, it does not have tank aces in its ranks, who have dozens of credits for destroying enemy armored vehicles. “Slovak tanks remain at the level of infantry support, auxiliary, security and guard services. This was also the case during the Slovak National Uprising, when rebel tanks directly engaged German armored vehicles only a few times,” explains Stanislav Mičev, who was the director of the Scottish National Party Museum for many years and is now the chairman of the Slovak anti-fascist movement.
The number of tanks that fought against German armored vehicles and successfully destroyed can easily be counted. “It can be mentioned that Lieutenant. Štefan Bodnár, who fought against German tanks several times, was also called Lieutenant. Štefan Oppl. On September 2, 1944, Alexander Oppl and his vz.38 tank crew destroyed a German reconnaissance armored vehicle. The most successful Slovak tank driver by far was a slovenly ASP. Matej Buc, who hit three German tanks in battles at the turn of August and September 1944. Unfortunately, this tanker has somehow been forgotten,” said the SNP history expert.
From the tanker notary
Matej Buc was born on February 12, 1923 in the village of Bobrovec, Namestovo District. Both parents were farmers, and besides Matej they had six children. Matej completed eight classes of grammar school and after graduation became a notary student. On December 1, 1943 he joined the military presence service of the Slovak Army, the Assault Vehicle Regiment in Turčianske Svät Martin, where he completed basic tank training, and later joined the Reserve Naval Officer School. It ended in early July 1944, with the formation of the PÚV Field Force or the PÚV Reserve Battalion, in July 1944, the aspiring Matej Buc was assigned to the Reserve Staff Company of the PÚV Reserve Battalion in Turčianske Svät Martin (now Martin).
It was this classification that led Matej Buc to find himself at the center of the uprising at the end of August 1944. “On the morning of August 31, 1944, the armored vehicles of the PÚV were included in the second defense zone of the insurgents in the area of Domasin-railway double tunnel-Janošikovo. The defense reserve consisted of a tank platoon of utv Lieutenant. Ján Lacka with three Lt vz.38 tanks and a platoon of utv Lieutenant. Pavel Buocik with two Mad III self-propelled guns. The commanders of the self-propelled guns were slob.asp. Matej Buc and slob.asp. Július Vojenčiak”, described by Stanislav Mičev.
The battle broke out that morning, and the Germans launched their offensive after 8:00. Tanks supported the defense of the lead element of Schleickart’s battalion. Ján Lacko was wounded, and Pavol Buocik commanded the armored vehicles.
First match and immediate promotion
“The tanks retreated to the bend in the road behind the French partisan positions. At the bend in the road, Matjic Buk’s self-propelled gun was in position. The second German attack was launched by four medium tanks along the road from the village of Strechno. Behind them were advanced armored personnel carriers and infantry. The German tanks were advancing towards the tunnel, and they had the possibility of breaking through the defenses of the Domasin meander. The rebels’ anti-tank guns hit one of the German tanks, and the other was hit by the anti-tank rifles of the French partisans. One of the damaged German tanks was then completely destroyed by engineering explosives. Matjic Buk’s self-propelled gun was also hit from a waiting position. He pushed the vehicle along the road to the tunnel and fired several shots at the German tanks. At least one shot. Then he quickly retreated to a position behind the bend in the road. Three destroyed or damaged tanks remained on the road from Strechno to the tunnel. In this way, the insurgents prevented an attempt to break through the Domasin defenses,” explained Stanislav Michev.
However, this was not the end. The command of the squad was taken over by Stefan Bodnar again, and the team took up a position at a sharp bend in the road above the tunnel. The guns of the tanks and self-propelled guns were aimed at the bend in the road. Matej Buc parked his vehicle next to the road near the retaining wall of the tunnel entrance, from where he had an excellent view and was also well covered. After the artillery fire was ready, two German tanks set off along the road. Matej Buc did not hesitate, and the first tank was hit under the tower. Before the insurgents could react, the second German tank quickly retreated. After dark, the insurgent tanks did not intervene in the battle.
The platoon’s new position was about 300m back from its original position. The command tank was the first to go on the road, and the other tanks were arranged behind it. Soon, another German tank came to the destroyed road and shelled the insurgent positions on the hill. Due to the terrain obstacles, the insurgent tank could not hit him. In order to get a better shot, the German tank moved further, which brought it into the range of fire of the Matji Buk self-propelled gun, which hit the tank without hesitation. For his merits, he was promoted to the rank of corporal by the assault vehicle regiment.
Sudden attack and deadly debris
On September 2, 1944, Matej Buc joined the newly formed tank platoon. Division Ján Lobík was transferred to Dubná Skala, where, in addition to the commander and gunner, the crew was probably supplemented with charger. Štefan Kováč and driver stk. Francisek Smolnicki. The post of the radio operator was not filled, and it is doubtful whether a radio station was installed on the vehicle. Stanislav Mičev gave the following description of the events:
“Behind the road bridge over the Dzuranovský River, vehicles were lined up in the direction of Strečnianská tisňava. On the morning of September 3, after the arrival of the reinforcements, the tanks were supposed to attack in conjunction with the infantry. On Sunday morning, the rebel tankers started the vehicles and waited for the order to attack. At this time, two German medium tanks appeared from the bend of the road. They immediately opened fire on the surprised rebels. The command tank was hit in the front of the hull. The tank was immediately hit by the turret, the shells penetrated the front and rear walls of the turret, and the tank exploded. At the same time, the other two tanks following were also destroyed by shells. The fourth tank was hit by several bullets from the anti-tank guns on the opposite bank of the Vakh while trying to escape. The fragments of the exploding grenade also killed part of the crew of the self-propelled gun, including the commander Matej Buco. The driver, stk. František Smolnicki, who was not injured, turned the car around and fled to save himself.”
On the same day, Matej Buco was buried in the Jahodníky cemetery in Turč. Siv. Martin. After the war, he was exhumed and reburied in the so-called Partisan Cemetery in Martin-Prikop. His grave is numbered 296. After the war in 1946, his family left Orava as colonists on the island of Laj and came to the village of Sokolce, Komarno District.
This article is based on professional documentation from Marian Uhrín, Director of the SNP Museum.
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