The X Assault Brigade of the Albanian National Liberation Army was formed in Lushnja’s Karbunarë. It was formed by the “Riza Cerova”, “Tefik Lapani” and “Ajet Xindoli” battalions. On the day of formation there were 1,225 fighters organized into four battalions. Immediately after the organization, it was assigned to participate in the Tirana War. Its forces, on the march from Karbunarë to Tirana, on November 8, hit a German motorcade of 70 cars, 10 tanks and some armored vehicles, moving from Durrës to Elbasan, in Fatishë of Peqin, causing significant losses. By order of the headquarters of the 1st Assault Corps, the brigade was concentrated in Kashar, to keep the Tirana-Kashar road and the Tirana-Vorë road under attack. On November 11, it surprised the German forces that had occupied the line Yzberish-Yrshek-Kashar-Gjokaj-Vorë and on November 12 it captured this line, with the exception of the fortified enemy garrison of Vora. That same day, 3 battalions were ambushed on the Tirana-Vorë road, while the II battalion operated in the Shijak area. During 7 days of fighting, the forces of the X Assault Brigade inflicted heavy casualties on the enemy and captured a large amount of combat equipment. On November 16, the X Assault Brigade liberated Shijak and Durrës. On November 18, it joined the 1st Assault Division. The brigade was led by the headquarters with commander Koço Gjeçin and commissar Mane Nishova. (In the photo: Partisans of the Xth Brigade, Tirana, November 1944.)
Text: Albanian encyclopedic dictionary – Vol. 1 , Academy of Sciences of Albania, “Kristalina-KH”, Tirana, 2008, page 303-304.
Photo: © Central State Archives
Graphic processing: AHCF
