In March 1944, a group of underground fighters spent some time at the farmsteads of Dušan Malešev and Sava Pajić in Korektovo. By mid-March, joined by several more activists, they set out for Fruška Gora.
On their journey, they spent the first day in well-organized and secure partisan bases in Vranjevo (Novo Selo). Five members of the group stayed in an underground shelter at the home of Luka Vadilov, while the others stayed with Pera Krompić.
In the late afternoon, as dusk fell, the partisans moved toward Melenačko Island and the well-known Nonin farmstead. This site served as a refuge for North Banat fighters traveling to Srem. Besides the Nonin farmstead, many other farmsteads around the island were used for this purpose, accommodating dozens of underground fighters at any time.
“One day in late March,” recalls Avakum Popov, a veteran fighter, “about 50 of us underground fighters set out at dusk from Melenačko Island, heading south. No one asked, nor did anyone want to explain, where we were going—so many of us unarmed, accompanied by just two couriers.
Between Elemir and Aradac, we got lost. We didn’t know the way to the first base designated and secured for our handover. Dawn caught up with us as we searched for the path, and the leadership decided we should rest at an abandoned farmstead near Aradac.
Tired, we gladly accepted this decision. In a small room at the farmstead, we spread straw on the floor and soon settled down, worn out from walking through the muddy fields.
It was already quite bright when the farmstead’s owner arrived. Seeing us unexpectedly and noticing the few rifles carried by our leaders, he became very frightened. He tried to run, but we stopped him, fearing he might betray us.
A little later, the leadership of this ‘transport’ went to the village to make contact and organize food for the day. In the meantime, a debate arose among the group about how to handle the farmstead owner, whom we had forcibly detained. Since he kept lamenting about wasting his time, insisting he wouldn’t betray us because he was ‘one of us,’ most were convinced and decided to let him go. This was a fatal mistake, as the owner reported us to the police as soon as he reached the village.”
Around 4 PM, a fascist field guard reinforced by a unit from Bečkerek appeared.
Using the farmstead as cover, the underground fighters retreated toward the canal overgrown with reeds. The fascists spotted this and opened rifle fire on the farmstead from a distance. Panic ensued as the group clustered around the few rifles they had.
When they realized the farmstead was empty, the Germans formed a chain and advanced toward the canal, firing as they moved with rifles and submachine guns.
Dusk began to fall over the open field. The attackers fired flares to prevent the partisans from scattering and escaping under cover of darkness.
Despite this, several partisan rifles managed to hold the fascists back, keeping them at a distance from the group. Their fire was far from effective.
Only after nightfall did the group begin to scatter, trying to escape the immediate gunfire and potential encirclement. Some succeeded, while many were captured by the police.
During this operation, Špiler’s agents—officially known as the “Stoßtrupp”—managed to capture several individuals, including the Sivčev sisters from Kikinda, who belonged to a group of underground fighters from Dragutinovo on this ill-fated journey to Srem.
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