LEAVING MAMULA
After part of the detainees from Mamula and Prevlaka were evacuated to northern Italy, to the Visco camp, many remained on Mamula, and new prisoners were brought in.
The fall of fascism in Italy was met with great enthusias. There was a noticeable unrest among the soldiers, who now openly expressed their desire for the war to end quickly so they could return home. At night, while keeping guard on Mamula’s walls, they would sing songs laced with nostalgia for home and loved ones. This was no longer an army, but people who felt betrayed, brought to a foreign land. They tried to get closer to us and inform us about what was happening outside. Life in the camp became a little easier, and we were allowed to be outside our cells throughout the day. This change allowed the Party organisation, communists, and members of the SKOJ (League of Communist Youth of Yugoslavia) to operate more freely, connect more closely, and prepare for the major events to come.
Soon, all the detainees were organised into platoons, with seasoned fighters of the Orjen Battalion chosen as platoon leaders, and Jugole Grakalić appointed as commander. However, this was only the easier part of our preparations. The more pressing questions were: How to leave Mamula? How to organise an escape? How to cut off the telephone line and underwater cable that served as the only link to the mainland?
There was talk of at least one prisoner escaping from Mamula. Krsto Vranković, a well-known swimmer and early resistance fighter, was chosen, but the attempt was ultimately abandoned because it carried many risks with little chance of success. It was impossible to leave the fortress walls undetected. Although this plan was shelved, the idea of escape was not.
To avoid being trapped in our cells by any sudden events, comrade Dušan Novaković crafted makeshift keys for each cell, allowing us to unlock them at night if the situation demanded.
Growing restless, we even sent a delegation (Miloš Bakočević and Erih Koš) to negotiate with the camp administration for our release. The surprised camp commander responded with “vederemo” (we’ll see), but took no further action, as he too was overwhelmed and defeated by the unfolding events.
In this atmosphere, we awaited Italy’s fall. The detainees celebrated and began to more insistently demand freedom, sending delegations to the commander and applying heavy pressure on the entire garrison to release us. This pressure intensified once we learned that the Germans had entered Boka, occupying the fortresses at Kobila, Prevlaka, and Oštro. This was merely the vanguard, but a firm decision was made not to wait for the Germans at the camp. The situation was highly unclear: the Italians still held Mamula and the fortifications at Arza, while at Prevlaka and Oštra the Italians and Germans were cooperating. Soon, however, an armed conflict broke out between the Italians and the Germans. An artillery duel began over Mamula, with the Germans on Oštra and the Italians on Arza exchanging fire. All day long, shells tore through the sky above Mamula. A small war had erupted between yesterday's allies.
Meanwhile, on Prevlaka, the Germans disarmed the Italians, who soon found themselves in the camp among their former prisoners.
The Italians on Mamula watched the artillery duel in fear, disheartened and unable to maintain control over the camp.
In this tense moment, a small boat approached Mamula. Realising that the decisive moment had arrived, the detainees broke through, overcoming any attempts by the Carabinieri to stop them, rushing out of the fortress walls and boarding the boat. The boat continuously transported detainees to the Luštica Peninsula. During the crossing, the Germans began firing on the boat to prevent the prisoners from escaping, but fortunately, no harm was done. The detainees reached freedom, rushing to the opposite side of the bay, towards Herceg Novi. They entered as an organised force, singing, and the next day, on 15 September 1943, they continued towards Orjen to resume their fight for their country’s freedom. Others headed towards Tivat, Kotor, and Grbalj to join the battles against the Germans in Lepetane.
