Major Dragutin Gavrilovic and defenders of Belgrade
During the first year of the Great War, Belgrade was bombarded from across the Sava and Danube rivers day and night without stop. The city was in ruins, civilian casualties were immense, while the survivors were trying to hide in shelters. The city resisted the attacks despite the enormous efforts of the enemy to cross the rivers and finally conquer the Serbian capital. In September of 1915, the enemy started to intensify its attacks which culminated on the 5th of October. Belgrade was under artillery fire that can only be described as hell released on earth. According to some estimates, 30,000 artillery shells were fired on Belgrade that day. Despite the situation defenders didn’t even think to move from their trenches, they stayed protecting their city until their last, dying breath. The first line of defense consisted of the members of the 10th and 7th Regiment, and the remnants of the Srem and Gendarmerie Regiments. They had only one objective: to fight for Belgrade at all cost.