Speak, The Attack of the Lackovec Dam on the Power Station

From the arrival on Kozjak on September 22, 1944, to November 1944, fighters from Lack's unit made bold attacks against the occupying forces on Kozjaku. Among the most significant and successful raids was an attack on Fala Hydroelectric Plant in the evening of September 28. The raid on Fala was a combined partisan and military operation because the plant was protected as a war-industrial facility.

The guard that safeguarded the hydroelectric plant lost 34 armed men during the attack.

In preparation for the raid on the false hydroelectric plant, the unit's headquarters established connections with some employees at the plant who were sympathetic to the Office of Strategic Services (OSS). Based on information gathered, the unit's headquarters prepared a plan of the assault and designated the first battalion, then led by Franc Prelog-Vito, for the mission. The battalion was divided into four attack groups. The headquarters supported the raid with ambushes in the direction of Maribor and Dravograd. At about 9:30 PM, three fighters, starting their attack without a shot being fired at the gatehouse, disarmed the guards and civilian gatekeeper. The defenders were strongly taken aback by the arrival of the partisans. The first two groups of attackers quickly subdued seven armed guards and six rotational guards, while the fourth group disarmed the remaining garrison after a shorter skirmish in which one partisan was killed and another wounded. On the enemy side, five armed guards, two rotational guards, and two captives fell. Altogether, 13 people were killed on the opposing side, including an employee of the occupying force who worked at the plant—head of the Štajerska Farmers' Union block, plant's controller, and head of a local group of the Štajerska Farmers' Union. In total, 13 people died. Of the 34 armed guards in the plant, 21 were captured; some managed to escape, while others likely drowned in the Drava.

After taking control of the plant, partisans mined and disabled the electrical equipment. The attack on the hydroelectric plant ended around midnight. After completing the operation, units from Lack's unit gathered at a predetermined location and with their captives headed towards a new camp on Dvoršnikov Hill, where they arrived in the morning of September 29.

A special welcome was received for the successful action of Lack's unit against Fala Hydroelectric Plant. It strongly impacted the production of munitions in Maribor, Rusi, and other towns in occupied Slovenian Styria, significantly hampering the occupying force’s armed industry. The operation strengthened people’s resolve to resist; it left employees in Maribor and Drava deeply terrified and agitated.

The plaque was erected on September 15, 1985.

Source: Marjan Žnidarič, Memorial Monuments of Lack's Unit, Maribor, 2007, p. 45