Operation Southeast Croatia: Difference between revisions

* {{flagcountry|Kingdom ofFascist Italy (1922-1943)}}

* {{flagicon image|Yugoslav Partisans flag (1942-1945).svg}} [[Koča Popović|Konstantin Popović]]

* {{flagicon|KingdomFascist ofItaly Italy(1922-1943)}} one [[Alpini]] battalion, one infantry battalion, and two [[Blackshirts|Blackshirt]] battalions

* {{flagicon image|Yugoslav Partisans flag (1942-1945).svg}} 1,331–1,400 captured

* {{flagicon image|Yugoslav Partisans flag (1942-1945).svg}} 172 cases of frostbite

'''Operation Southeast Croatia''' ({{lang-de|Unternehmen Südost KroatienSüdostkroatien}}) was a large-scale [[Nazi Germany|German]]-led [[counter-insurgency]] operation conducted in the southeastern parts of the [[Independent State of Croatia]] ({{lang-hr|Nezavisna Država Hrvatska}}, NDH),; (modern-day [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]]) during [[World War II]]. It was the first of two German-led operations targeting mainly [[Yugoslav Partisans]] in eastern [[Bosnia (region)|Bosnia]] between 15 January and 4 February 1942. Several days after the conclusion of Operation Southeast Croatia, a follow-up operation known as '''Operation Ozren''' was carried out between the [[Bosna (river)|Bosna]] and [[Spreča]] rivers. Both operations also involved [[Croatian Home Guard (Independent State of Croatia)|Croatian Home Guard]] and [[Royal Italian Army|Italian]] troops and are associated with what is known as the '''Second Enemy Offensive''' ({{lang-sh-Latn|Druga neprijateljska ofenziva}}) in post-war [[Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia|Yugoslav]] historiography. The Second Enemy Offensive forms part of the [[Seven Enemy Offensives]] framework in Yugoslav historiography.

The orders from ''[[General of the Artillery (Germany)|General der Artillerie]]'' (Lieutenant General) [[Paul Bader]], the German Military Commander in Serbia who also had responsibility for operational matters in the NDH, directed that Operation Southeast Croatia was to be an [[encirclement]] operation. All persons encountered within the area of operations were to be treated as the enemy. The population within the area to be targeted by the operation were almost all either [[Serbian Orthodox Church|Orthodox]] Serbs or [[Bosniak|Bosnian Muslims]], although there was a small Catholic [[Bosnian Croat|Croat]] minority. Bader believed that the Partisans and Chetniks were using the area as [[Cantonment|winter quarters]], and that their presence there was a threat to major transport routes through eastern Bosnia.{{sfn|Shepherd|2012|p=162}} Time was a factor, as the [[342nd Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)|342nd Infantry Division]] was only available until 31 January, after which it was being withdrawn and sent to the [[Eastern Front (World War II)|Eastern Front]].{{sfn|Vuksanović|1981|p=31}}

The operation itself was led by the German [[342nd Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)|342nd Infantry Division]], which had been relieved of its occupation duties in the occupied territory of Serbia by Bulgarian troops. The commander of the 342nd Infantry Division, ''[[Generalmajor]]'' (Brigadier General) [[Paul Hoffman (soldier)|Paul Hoffman]], also had the [[118th Jäger Division (Wehrmacht)|718th Infantry Division]] of ''Generalmajor'' [[Johann Fortner]] under his command for the duration of the operation. The German force was assisted by Croatian Home Guard units including seven infantry [[battalion]]s and nine [[artillery]] [[Artillery battery|batteries]]. The Axis forces available for the operation were 30,000–35,000 troops in total.{{sfn|Shepherd|2012|p=162}}{{sfn|Kennedy|1989}} [[Luftwaffe]] support included [[reconnaissance aircraft]] and a combat [[Squadron (aviation)|squadron]].{{sfn|Shepherd|2012|p=163}} The offensive targeted areas held by the Romanija, Zvijezda, Birač, and Ozren Partisan detachments, between [[Sarajevo]], [[Tuzla]], Zvornik and Višegrad.{{sfn|HoareShepherd|20062012|ppp=185–186162}}{{sfn|ShepherdHoare|20122006|ppp=162185–186}} To the south, along the "Vienna Line" separating the German-occupied zone of the NDH from the Italian-occupied zone, the Italians placed a cordon. In total, the area targeted by the operation was estimated by the Germans to contain around 8,000 Partisans and 20,000 Bosnian Chetniks.{{sfn|Shepherd|2012|pp=162–163}}

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In the first days of the operation, the 697th Regiment of the 342nd Infantry Division, supported by NDHthe Croatian 3rd Home Guard Regiment and four batteries of unitsartillery, thrust out of their bridgehead over the Drina at Zvornik and cleared the high ground southwest and south of that town, and south along the Drina valley road, hindered by roadblocks and destroyed bridges. It then followed up the retreating insurgents, mopping up the [[Drinjača|Drinjača River]] valley, before pushing southwest through the mountains and reaching Vlasenica on 18 January.{{sfn|Vuksanović|1981|p=31}}{{sfn|Hehn|1979|pp=84—85}} Parts of the 698th Regiment of the 342nd Infantry Division fought southwest from Višegrad along the upper Drina valley to [[Međeđa (Višegrad)|Međeđa]], while other elements pushed west towards Rogatica, followedreinforced by an [[Royal Italian Army|Italian]] [[Alpini]] battalion from the [[5th Alpine Division Pusteria]]. The 699th Regiment of the 342nd Infantry Division, reinforced by I. Battalion of the 202nd Panzer Regiment, advanced along the Drina valley past the confluence with the Drinjača to the area west of [[Ljubovija]], clearing roadblocks as they went. In the area of [[Milići, Republika Srpska|Milići]], they captured about 400 insurgents, mostly Chetniks loyal to [[Jezdimir Dangić]], along with a tank, two machine guns, about 160 rifles and a large amount of ammunition. The regiment then mopped up the area west to Vlasenica and one battalion cleared the route to Srebrenica.{{sfn|Vuksanović|1981|p=31}}{{sfn|Hehn|1979|p=85}}

The 738th Regiment of the 718th Infantry Division (less its II. Battalion) was reinforced by two battalions of the Croatian 13th Home Guard Regiment, [[assault pioneers|pioneers]], four NDH battalions, four NDH artillery batteries and two-and-a-half German [[mountain gun]] batteries. It pushed east from Sarajevo along the [[Pale-Prača|Prača]] valley then through the Romanija mountains towards Rogatica.{{sfn|Vuksanović|1981|p=31}}{{sfn|Shepherd|2012|p=163}}{{sfn|Hehn|1979|p=86}} Fighting in very difficult terrain, it captured 240 insurgents and significant amounts of weapons and ammunition. It also freed 10 Italian and 57 NDH soldiers.{{sfn|Hehn|1979|p=86}} The other regiment of the 718th Infantry Division, the 750th Regiment, was reinforced by a German artillery battery, anI. NDHBattalion infantryof battalionthe Croatian Home Guard Regiment and ana NDHCroatian Home Guard mountain battery. It moved south from an assembly area southwest of Tuzla towards Olovo.{{sfn|Vuksanović|1981|p=31}}{{sfn|Shepherd|2012|p=163}} It reached [[Kladanj]] on 16 January, and spent the following days clearing both sides of the road west towards Vlasenica.{{sfn|Hehn|1979|p=86}} It had been planned that the Italian [[3rd Mountain Infantry Division Ravenna|3rd Mountain Infantry Division ''Ravenna'']] would provide a cordon to the south, blocking any southerly withdrawal by the insurgents. This did not occur, as the Italians claimed the railroad near [[Mostar]] had been damaged, resulting in several weeks delay.{{sfn|Hehn|1979|p=85}} A scratch force, consisting of two battalions of Croatian border guards, II. Battalion of the Croatian 7th Home Guard Regiment, and one battalion of [[Ustaše Militia]], was deployed along the line Vijaka–[[Vareš]]–[[Visoko]] to prevent insurgents from crossing the [[Bosna (river)|Bosna River]].{{sfn|Vuksanović|1981|p=31}}

The insurgents in the area of operations destroyed villages to deny supplies and shelter to the Germans who were operating in mountainous terrain with snow up to {{convert|1|m|ft|spell=in}} deep and facing extreme temperatures approaching {{convert|-30|°C|°F}}. The Partisans proved very difficult to pin down, aided by excellent communication and supported by the local populace. During the operation, the decisive engagements with the Partisans were mainly in the Romanija region.{{sfn|ShepherdHehn|20121979|p=16786}}{{sfn|HehnShepherd|19792012|p=86167}} The Romanija Detachment made up forty percent of all Partisans in eastern Bosnia and bore the brunt of most of the fighting during the operation.{{sfn|Hoare|2006|pp=185–186}}

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After temporarily improving the Partisan defences against the German and NDH forces, the [[Partisan Supreme Headquarters]] under [[Josip Broz Tito]] and the [[1st Proletarian Brigade]] commanded by [[Koča Popović]] were unable to salvage the situation and retreated south towards Foča.{{sfn|Tomasevich|1975|p=160}} The 1st Proletarian Brigade, less two battalions that were accompanying the Supreme Headquarters, crossed the [[Igman]] mountain plateau near Sarajevo with temperatures reaching {{convert|-32|°C|°F}}.{{sfn|Hoare|2006|pp=185–186}} According to the commander of the 1st Proletarian Brigade, [[Koča Popović]], 172 Partisans suffered severe [[hypothermic]] injury and six died.{{sfn|Popović|1988|p=27}} When they approached the German-Italian demarcation line south of Sarajevo, the Partisans were able to infiltrate through the weak Italian cordon.{{sfn|Shepherd|2012|p=168}} Montenegrin Partisans crossed into the NDH to attack the Chetniks, capturing Foča on 20 January and Goražde on 22 January. The German and NDH forces were successful in recapturing Sokolac, Rogatica, Bratunac, Srebrenica, Vlasenica, Han Pijesak, Olovo, [[Bosansko Petrovo Selo]], and some smaller settlements,{{sfn|Hoare|2006|pp=185–186}} and inflicted significant losses on the Partisans.{{sfn|Tomasevich|2001|p=413}}

However, facedFaced with overly ambitious objectives and atrocious weather,{{sfn|Shepherd|2012|p=166}} the combined operation failed to destroy the Partisan forces and was called off on 23 January 1942,{{sfn|Shepherd|2012|p=163}} with the Germans having suffered casualties of 25 dead, 131 wounded, and one missing,{{sfn|Hoare|2006|p=186}} as well as around 300 cases of frostbite. The NDH forces lost 50 soldiers killed or seriously wounded.{{sfn|Hehn|1979|p=86}} The Germans captured 855 rifles, 22 machine guns and four artillery pieces, along with livestock and draft animals.{{sfn|Kennedy|1989}} The Partisans had lost 531 killed and between 1,331{{sfn|Kennedy|1989}} and 1,400 captured,{{sfn|Hehn|1979|p=86}} in addition to the frostbite casualties suffered by the 1st Proletarian Brigade while crossing Mt. Igman.{{sfn|Popović|1988|p=27}} A total of 168 NDH and 104 Italian troops that had been captured by the Partisans were freed during the operation.{{sfn|Hehn|1979|p=87}} The Supreme Headquarters entered Foča on 25 January and stayed there for three-and-a-half months.{{sfn|Hoare|2006|pp=185–186}}

|commander1 = {{flagicon|Nazi Germany}} [[Johann Fortner]]<br />{{flagicon|Independent State of Croatia}} Artur Gustović<br />{{flagicon|Independent State of Croatia}} [[Jure Francetić]]

Operation Ozren ({{lang-de|links=no|Unternehmen Ozren}}) was aimed at clearing an estimated 2,000 Partisans from the area between the [[Bosna (river)|Bosna]] and [[Spreča]] riversRivers, and was effectively an extension of Operation Southeast Croatia employing elements of the force used in that operation. The main force used was Fortner's 718th Infantry Division reinforced by a regiment of the 342nd Infantry Division, supported by a number of NDH units, (including a battalion of the [[Ustaše]] [[Black Legion (Ustaše militia)|Black Legion]]). The force was also supported by five tank platoons and an [[armoured train]]. Around 20,000 Axis troops were committed to the operation. It commenced several days after Operation Southeast Croatia ended on 23 January 1942.{{sfn|Shepherd|2012|p=163}}

The Germans advanced north and west from [[Kladanj]] towards a cordon established by ten Croatian Home Guard battalions supported by their own artillery.{{sfn|Shepherd|2012|p=163}} The Germans believed they had thoroughly sealed off the area, and checked the Croatian cordon every night, but the majority of Partisans were able to evade the cordon and escape by breaking up into small groups and infiltrating through the cordon via seemingly impassable terrain. The Germans also believed that some Partisans merely withdrew into the mountains, concealing their numbers by walking in each other's snowprintsfootprints in the snow, in order to return to the valleys when the Axis forces left.{{sfn|Shepherd|2012|p=168}} The operation concluded on 4 February 1942.{{sfn|Shepherd|2012|p=163}}

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| authorlinkauthor-link = Marko Attila Hoare

| authorlinkauthor-link = Stevan K. Pavlowitch

| language = Serbo-Croatiansh

| authorlinkauthor-link = Enver Redžić

| authorlinkauthor-link = Jozo Tomasevich

[[Category:Seven Enemy Offensives|Southeast Croatia]]

[[Category:Battles involving the Yugoslav Partisans|Southeast Croatia]]

[[Category:Yugoslavia in World War II|Southeast Croatia]]

[[Category:Conflicts in 1942|Southeast Croatia]]