"Drava" Monitor Ship Sinking Commemorated
Wednesday, 12.4.2023 | Culture and traditions
Members of the Serbian Armed Forces have commemorated today the anniversary of sinking of the monitor ship "Drava", which took place in the April War 1941 following a heroic battle against the far more powerful Nazi aggressor.
As part of the 82nd anniversary, a SAF delegation, descendants of the glorious "Drava" Commander, Battleship Lieutenant 1st Class Aleksandar Berić, representatives of the local government and Association “Navy Veterans” laid flowers at the memorial-bust to this April War hero, at the local cemetery in Belegiš.
As a tribute to the fallen crewmembers, a commemoration ceremony was held at the site of the ship’s sinking, the Danube River’s 1287th navigable km near Čelarevo. To the sound of ships’ horns and guard’s honorary salute, the SAF delegation laid wreaths into the Danube from a River Flotilla ship.
It was an unfair battle against German aviation in which the heroic Drava crew fought courageously to the very end, inflicting significant losses on the enemy. Finally, at the dawn of 12 April, the ship sank carrying its commander and 76 crewmembers to the bottom of the Danube.
