Out distance

Out distance


Members : Adolf Opálka, Karel Čurda, Ivan Kolařík
Day of landing: from 27-28.3.1942
Place of landing : Ořechov u Telče
Task : sabotage action and radio beacon switching
Area of operation : Prague, Lázně Bělohrad
Radio code name: -


Fate of paratroopers:
Adolf Opalka shot himself on 18.6.1942 in the Church of St. Cyril and Methodius in Resslova Street in Prague.
Karel Čurda was executed for collaboration after the war.
Ivan Kolařík poisoned himself on 1.4.1942

Participants: lieutenant Adolf Opalka- suicide in the church of Cyril and Methodius in Prague18.6.1942
Staff Sergeant Karel Čurda- executed 29.4.1947
Entered training: 19.9.1941
Participants: corporal aspirant Ivan Kolařík- suicide 1.4.1942
Entered training: 15.8.1941
Group: sabotage
Úkol: 1/. Sabotage the gas plant in Prague-Michli (postponed for Intransitive).
2/. Deliver the radio and supplies to the Home Resistance.
3/. Arrange bombing of the Skoda plant in Pilsen.
Material: explosive microphone inserts, destruction material, telegraph keys, antenna, 12V battery, BEACON radio beacon, MARK III radio, voltmeter, 8 crystals for the radio, backup station for the resistance
Operation success:partial
Codenames: AO=Adolf King
KC=Karel Vrbas
IK=Jan Krátký
Plan of landing: 25.3.1942 near Kopidln and near Kovářov in Písek
Landing: 28.3.1942 at Ořechov near Telč
Two hours after midnight on 28.3.192, Out Distance was dropped from Halifax with a Polish crew. With the Zinc group, which was dropped the same night, it shared a very similar fate.
A package containing 336 pounds of destruction material was left in England and at the last minute the group was equipped with a Beacon radio beacon.
Out Distance was dropped with a navigational error, and to add insult to injury they failed to locate one magazine of operational material. Opalka was injured during the jump and Ivan Kolařík lost his fake documents with a photo of his girlfriend Milada Hrušáková with a dedication. So the group left the radio beacon on the area and parted after agreeing to meet by means of an advertisement in National Politics.
Opálka went to his aunt's in Rešice, where he treated his injured leg, Čurda to Jindřichův Hradec and Kolařík to his parents in Valašské Meziříčí, where he also visited the Hrušák family.
However, the parachute jump was observed and reported. The gendarmes found operational material left on the area. The Gestapo located Milada Hrušáková according to the photo and documents and announced a search for Kolařík. After considering the circumstances, on 1.4.1942, near Zlín, he preferred to poison himself in order to save his loved ones from reprisals. Thus he became the first dead ZS-D.
Opálka went to the address in Lázně Bělohrad, where he got the address of Bartoš, whom he met and was sent to Prague, where he also assisted in the assassination of Heydrich. Čurda took the same route to Prague.
Silver-A informed London on 14.4.1942 about the capture of Out Distance.
Out Distance began to plan and prepare a mission to secure the bombing of the Skoda Works. After planning, Opalka discovered the loss of the radio beacon and decided to guide the planes using lighted objects. The action required the help of Gabčík, Kubiš, Valčík, Opálka, Čurda and the help of illegal organizations from Prague. The bombs were dropped outside the factory (the bombing was chosen from Saturday to Sunday to spare the lives of Czech workers).
After the assassination, Opalka took refuge in the crypt of the church in Resslova Street, where he committed suicide on 18 June 1942 after a heroic struggle. Čurda was hiding in Prague and on the day of the assassination in Kolín. He hid in a skylight before the search and then went to his mother in Nová Hlína. On 13 June 1942, he sent an anonymous letter to the gendarmerie station in Benešov, in which he identified Kubiš and Gabčík as the culprits of the assassination, and on 146 June 1942 he reported to the Gestapo in Prague. Thanks to his testimony, the Gestapo penetrated the Silver-A network, virtually eliminating the groups that had been planted. After the arrest and interrogation of the paratroopers' helpers, he was also discovered hiding in a church, where the paratroopers were forced to fight an unequal duel on 18.6.1942.
Dick became very useful to the Gestapo and his betrayal is a real example compared to Gerik's. He caused the arrest of many people, even as a parachutist-confidant.

Karel Čurda přijal nové jméno Jerhot.
Adolf Opálka zpáchal sebevraždu pomocí jedu a zároveň použil pistole.

Výsadek byl shozen spolu se skupinou Zinc z letounu Handley Page Halifax Mk.II L9618/NF-W, patřícího 138. peruti . Posádku tvořili piloti F/Sgt Julian Pieniążek a F/Sgt Stanisław Kłosowski, navigátor F/O Marian Wodzicki, radiooperátor P/O Ignacy Bator, palubní mechanik Sgt Czesław Kozłowski, dispečer F/Sgt Tadeusz Madejski a střelci F/Sgt Zdzisław Nowiński a F/O Michał Tajchman. Stroj odstartoval v 19:55 ze základny Tempsford, kde také v 7:30 přistál po 11:35 hodinách letu.


zdroj:
K. Bieniecki - Polski załogi nad Europą, Bellona, Warszawa 2005, ISBN 83-11-10235-X