Plzeň, Škodovy závody
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Fog – the Germans’ aerial defence

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During World War 2, the Pilsen Škoda factory served as an arms facility for the Third Reich, and thus it became a prime target for Allied bombing. The Germans protected themselves against the bombing runs in various ways. Active defence included flak (anti-air cannons), which were deployed around the factory and the city (e.g. on the roof of the Škoda Research Institute on Huss Square, or on the hill in Litice) and which shot at incoming aircraft. Passive protection was based on masking the facility and confusing the pilots. The Germans built a wooden dummy of the Škoda Works near the village of Vochov to deceive pilots. Another defensive tool was a fog-making machine, which produced fog over the factory so that the bombers had trouble aiming properly. As a boy, Richard Smola used to go play in the old Goldscheidrovka brickyard, which stood close to the Škoda Works. He remembers that there were great big barrels placed there with a sign saying Nebelsäure – fog acid. During an air raid, the Germans would start up the machine and create an artificial fog which covered the factory. The vapour did not consist of water, however, but rather a weak acid – it was for this reason that the “fog” pinched the children’s skin and left tiny holes in their clothes.

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Richard Smola

Richard Smola

He was born in Pilsen in 1930. His father was Ing. Alois Smola, the owner of a turbogenerator company, Ferrotechna, and president of the Pilsen Society for Trade and Commerce, which became the target for communist persecution following 1948; Alois Smola was arrested and sentenced to one year of prison. In 1953, the whole family was forced to move out of Pilsen under Operation B - Bourgeoisie. In October 1951, Richard Smola had to join the Auxiliary Engineering Corps (abbr. PTP, forced labour units - transl.), where he remained until the PTP were disbanded in May 1954. He was stationed at Libavá, at the airport construction site in Přerov, in the mines at Ostrava and in Hájníky near Banská Bystrica. After his release he completed his university studies and gained employment as a mechanic at Energostroje, which later became part of the Škoda Works.

Plzeň, Škodovy závody

Available in: English | Česky

Podnik založil roku 1859 hrabě Valdštejn jako pobočku své slévárny a strojírny. Slavná éra firmy začala o sedm let později s nástupem inženýra Emila Škody, který brzy podnik odkoupil a rozšířil. Škodovy závody vyráběly široký sortiment strojírenských výrobků včetně zbraní. Po roce 1918 přibyly dopravní prostředky ‒ lokomotivy, automobily, letadla, lodě. Za druhé světové války se Škodovy závody staly součástí německé zbrojní výroby, a proto představovaly strategický cíl spojeneckých náletů. Bombardování na konci dubna 1945 zničilo 70 procent areálu závodu. Roku 1945 byla akciová společnost Škodovy závody zestátněna a některé její části, například automobilka v Mladé Boleslavi, byly odděleny. Za vlády komunistů se plzeňský podnik soustředil na výrobu zařízení pro těžký průmysl a energetiku zemí východního bloku. Po roce 1989 byly Škodovy závody privatizovány.

Plzeň, Škodovy závody

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Fog – the Germans’ aerial defence

Fog – the Germans’ aerial defence

Richard Smola
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