The Primošten massacre was the mass murder of Croat civilians by Italian occupation forces on 16 November 1942, in the village of Primošten, in retaliation for an earlier Partisan attack.[1]

Primošten massacre
LocationPrimošten
Date16 November 1942
TargetCroats
Attack type
Mass murder, reprisals
Deaths80–150
PerpetratorsItalian army
A commemorative stone reminds visitors of the civilian deaths that occurred during the massacre.

Timeline

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On 13 November 1942, Partisans ambushed an Italian truck convoy near Primošten, fourteen Italian soldiers were killed, seven were wounded and six were taken prisoner.[2] Three days later, Italian forces ordered reprisals against the civilian population of Primošten.[3]

On 16 November 1942, Italian forces surrounded Primošten and indiscriminately shelled and bombed the village with artillery from land and sea and with three planes. The bombardment lasted for four hours,[1] causing a large number of civilian deaths and injuries and heavily damaged large parts of Primošten.[4]

After the artillery attack, Italian infantry entered the village, shooting or bayoneting a number of male civilians, who were separated from the women and children.[4] The remaining homes were torched and looted, others were booby-trapped with grenades, killing a number of civilians (including children) that tried to later return to their homes.[4]

Around 300 homes were destroyed or damaged during the attack.[4] Nearby villages were also burned and looted, 200 civilians were arrested[1] and were deported to the Vodice concentration camp.[4]

Aftermath

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Between 80[4] and 150[1] civilians were killed. 150 children were left without one or both of their parents.[3]

In 2007, a mass grave containing the remains of 50 victims of the Primošten massacre were found in the Digova cave, near the village of Široke.[5]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Tomasevich 2001, p. 135.
  2. ^ Tomasevich 2001, p. 134.
  3. ^ a b "ZAVJETNA MISA". Retrieved 7 July 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Dizdar, Zdravko (2005). "Italian Policies Toward Croatians In Occupied Territories During The Second World War". Hrvatski institut za povijest. p. 196.
  5. ^ "Dvoranu oltara našli ispod Primoštena". 25 February 2007. Retrieved 7 July 2022.

Books

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