Operation Anthropoid & the Parachutists Church Prague Czech Republic

Operation Anthropoid and the Church

Czechoslovak Resistance WW II,

The Operation Anthropoid Memorial commemorates the parachutists. It's in the triangular shape of the Czech flag. Three figures on top represent English and Czech soldiers and a civilian.

The attack was near the bend in the road where Heydrich's car slowed. Gabčík attacked the moving car. But his machine gun failed--a bullet jammed in the chamber. When Heydrich ordered the driver to stop, Kubiš threw a hand grenade towards the car. It exploded near the right rear wheel, injuring Heydrich with its fragments and pieces of the car’s body. The explosion shattered the windows of the nearby tram. Both attackers escaped.

Operation Anthropoid was a daring and historic mission carried out by the Czechoslovak resistance during World War II. The operation aimed to assassinate Reinhard Heydrich, a high-ranking Nazi official and one of the main architects of the Holocaust. Heydrich was also the acting governor of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, where he enforced brutal policies and repressive measures against the Czech population.

The operation was meticulously planned by the British Special Operations Executive (SOE) and approved by the Czechoslovak government-in-exile. Two Czechoslovak soldiers, Jozef Gabčík and Jan Kubiš, were selected and trained for the mis-sion. On May 27, 1942, they ambushed Heydrich's car in Prague and threw an anti-tank grenade at his vehicle. Heydrich was severely wounded and died of his injuries on 4 June, 1942.

The parachutists hid beneath the Cathedral of Saints Cyril and Methodius in Prague. In the crypt below is a memorial which commemorates the Czechoslovak parachutists.

 The small but attractive church built in 1730 to 1739 was given to the Orthodox Church in 1934-1935. It's known as the Parachutists' Church for its role in World War II.

Storyboards in a small church museum tell the story -- Here's a sample--

The men hid in the church after the attack but were betrayed. After three hours of fighting, they committed suicide rather than be captured.

The heroes are remembered in the crypt below the church.

Jan Kubis and Josef Gabcik 

Outside you can see bullet holes from the Nazi attack.

Close up showing the bullet holes.

The assassination of Heydrich was a significant blow to the Nazi regime and marked the only successful government-sponsored assassination of a senior Nazi leader during the war. However, it also led to severe reprisals by the Nazis, including the destruction of the villages of Lidice and Ležáky, where many civilians were executed or imprisoned.

Operation Anthropoid remains a symbol of resistance and courage, commemorated through various memorials and films that highlight the bravery of the operatives and the tragic consequences of the mission.

A translation of the memorial board pictured at the top of the page reads:

‘At this place, on May 27, 1942, at 10:35 am, the heroic Czechoslovak parachutists Jan Kubiš and Josef Gabčík carried out one of the most significant acts of resistance in World War II – the assassination of the acting Reich Protector Reinhard Heydrich. They could never have accomplished their mission without the help of hundreds of Czech patriots, who paid for their bravery with their own lives.’

LINK TO -->> THE NAZI TRAIL OF TERROR

Notes

The photos are from 15 October 2024.

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Geoffrey W. Sutton has a PhD in psychology and writes about psychology and culture.

Website: https://www.suttong.com/

Amazon Author: https://author.amazon.com/home

ResearchGate page: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Geoffrey-Sutton-2

Academia Page: https://evangel.academia.edu/GeoffSutton

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