The 392nd (Croatian) Infantry Division (german: 392. (Kroatische) Infanterie-Division, hr, 392. (hrvatska) pješačka divizija) was a so-called "legionnaire"
division
Division or divider may refer to:
Mathematics
*Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication
*Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division
Military
*Division (military), a formation typically consisting ...
of the
German Army
The German Army (, "army") is the land component of the armed forces of Germany. The present-day German Army was founded in 1955 as part of the newly formed West German ''Bundeswehr'' together with the ''Marine'' (German Navy) and the ''Luftwaf ...
during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. It was formed in August 1943 using
Croatian Home Guard soldiers with a German
cadre
Cadre may refer to:
*Cadre (military), a group of officers or NCOs around whom a unit is formed, or a training staff
*Cadre (politics), a politically controlled appointment to an institution in order to circumvent the state and bring control to th ...
. The division was commanded by Germans down to
battalion
A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions are ...
and even
company
A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of people, whether Natural person, natural, Legal person, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common p ...
level in nearly all cases. Originally formed with the intention of service on the
Eastern Front, this did not eventuate, and the division was used in anti-
Partisan
Partisan may refer to:
Military
* Partisan (weapon), a pole weapon
* Partisan (military), paramilitary forces engaged behind the front line
Films
* ''Partisan'' (film), a 2015 Australian film
* ''Hell River'', a 1974 Yugoslavian film also know ...
operations in the territory of the
Independent State of Croatia
The Independent State of Croatia ( sh, Nezavisna Država Hrvatska, NDH; german: Unabhängiger Staat Kroatien; it, Stato indipendente di Croazia) was a World War II-era puppet state of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy (1922–1943), Fascist It ...
(NDH) until the end of the war. It was commonly known as the Blue Division.
History
Formation
After the
Axis
An axis (plural ''axes'') is an imaginary line around which an object rotates or is symmetrical. Axis may also refer to:
Mathematics
* Axis of rotation: see rotation around a fixed axis
*Axis (mathematics), a designator for a Cartesian-coordinate ...
invasion of the Soviet Union
Operation Barbarossa (german: link=no, Unternehmen Barbarossa; ) was the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany and many of its Axis allies, starting on Sunday, 22 June 1941, during the Second World War. The operation, code-named afte ...
in June 1941,
Ante Pavelić
Ante Pavelić (; 14 July 1889 – 28 December 1959) was a Croatian politician who founded and headed the fascist ultranationalist organization known as the Ustaše in 1929 and served as dictator of the Independent State of Croatia ( hr, l ...
, the leader of the newly created Axis
puppet state
A puppet state, puppet régime, puppet government or dummy government, is a State (polity), state that is ''de jure'' independent but ''de facto'' completely dependent upon an outside Power (international relations), power and subject to its o ...
the
Independent State of Croatia
The Independent State of Croatia ( sh, Nezavisna Država Hrvatska, NDH; german: Unabhängiger Staat Kroatien; it, Stato indipendente di Croazia) was a World War II-era puppet state of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy (1922–1943), Fascist It ...
(NDH), offered
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...
volunteers to serve on the
Eastern Front. This offer soon resulted in the formation and deployment of army, air force and naval detachments which, after being trained and equipped by Germany, were committed to fighting the
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, after ...
. The largest element was the
369th Croatian Reinforced Infantry Regiment
The 369th (Croatian) Reinforced Infantry Regiment (, hr, 369. pojačana pješačka pukovnija) was a regiment of the German Army raised to fight on the Eastern Front during World War II. The regiment was formed in July 1941 by Croatian volunt ...
, which was part of the
100th Jäger Division
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...
, but was decimated at
Stalingrad
Volgograd ( rus, Волгогра́д, a=ru-Volgograd.ogg, p=vəɫɡɐˈɡrat), geographical renaming, formerly Tsaritsyn (russian: Цари́цын, Tsarítsyn, label=none; ) (1589–1925), and Stalingrad (russian: Сталингра́д, Stal ...
in January 1943. The Croatian forces performed creditably on the Eastern Front, and the Germans continued to support the development of NDH forces with the aim of raising several divisions to serve there. Due to the lack of trained leaders and staff, these divisions were raised using a German
cadre
Cadre may refer to:
*Cadre (military), a group of officers or NCOs around whom a unit is formed, or a training staff
*Cadre (politics), a politically controlled appointment to an institution in order to circumvent the state and bring control to th ...
.
Commencing on 17 August 1943, the 392nd (Croatian) Infantry Division was assembled and trained in
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
as the third and last Croatian division raised for service in the
Wehrmacht
The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previous ...
, following its sister divisions the
369th (Croatian) Infantry Division
The 369th (Croatian) Infantry Division (german: 369. (Kroatische) Infanterie-Division, hr, 369. (hrvatska) pješačka divizija) was a legionary division of the German Army (Wehrmacht) during World War II.
It was formed with Croat volunteers from ...
and
373rd (Croatian) Infantry Division
The 373rd (Croatian) Infantry Division (german: 373. (Kroatische) Infanterie-Division, hr, 373. (hrvatska) pješačka divizija) was a division of the German Army during World War II. It was formed in June 1943 using a brigade from the Home Guar ...
. One infantry regiment and the divisional artillery regiment were formed in
Döllersheim
Döllersheim is an abandoned village in the Austrian state of Lower Austria, located in the rural Waldviertel region about northwest of Vienna. It was evacuated in 1938 to make way for a Wehrmacht training ground. Since 1 January 1964 it has been ...
, the other infantry regiment in
Zwettl
__NOTOC__
Zwettl (; Central Bavarian: ''Zwedl''; Czech: ''Světlá'') is a town and district capital of the Austrian state of Lower Austria. It is chiefly known as the location of Zwettl Abbey, first mentioned in October 1139.
History
The n ...
, the signals battalion in
Stockerau
Stockerau () is a town in the district of Korneuburg (district), Korneuburg in Lower Austria, Austria. Stockerau has 15,921 inhabitants, which makes it the largest town in the Weinviertel.https://statistik.at/wcm/idc/idcplg?IdcService=GET_PDF_FILE ...
and the pioneer battalion in
Krems. It was built around 3,500 German cadre troops, and 8,500 soldiers of the
Croatian Home Guard, the regular army of the NDH. It was formed under the command of ''
Generalmajor
is the Germanic variant of major general, used in a number of Central and Northern European countries.
Austria
Belgium
Denmark
is the second lowest general officer rank in the Royal Danish Army and Royal Danish Air Force. As a two-star ...
''
Johann Mickl
Johann Mickl (18 April 1893 – 10 April 1945) was an Austrian-born army officer and division commander who served Nazi Germany during World War II. Reaching the rank of general (''Generalleutnant''), he was one of only 882 recipients of the ...
who remained its commander until the last weeks of the war. Mickl was an Austrian who had served under
Erwin Rommel
Johannes Erwin Eugen Rommel () (15 November 1891 – 14 October 1944) was a German field marshal during World War II. Popularly known as the Desert Fox (, ), he served in the ''Wehrmacht'' (armed forces) of Nazi Germany, as well as servi ...
in
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
and
North Africa
North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...
, where he had been awarded the
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (german: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes), or simply the Knight's Cross (), and its variants, were the highest awards in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II.
The Knight' ...
. He had also commanded the
11th Panzer Division
The 11th Panzer Division ( en, 11th Tank Division) was an armoured division in the German Army during World War II, established in 1940.
The division saw action on the Eastern and Western Fronts during the Second World War. The 11th Panzer Div ...
on the Eastern Front, where he had received the
Oak Leaves to his Knight's Cross. The division wore Wehrmacht uniform with the coat-of-arms of the NDH on the right sleeve. Although originally intended for use on the Eastern Front, not long after its formation the Germans decided that the division would not be utilised outside the NDH. The division was deployed to the NDH in January 1944 to combat the
Partisans in the territory of the puppet state. It was known as the "Blue Division" (german: Blaue Division, hr, Plava divizija).
Anti-Partisan operations
Initial deployment
The first task of the division after its arrival in the western part of the NDH was to secure the
Adriatic
The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) ...
coastline along the
Croatian Littoral
Croatian Littoral ( hr, Hrvatsko primorje) is a historical name for the region of Croatia comprising mostly the coastal areas between traditional Dalmatia to the south, Mountainous Croatia to the north, Istria and the Kvarner Gulf of the Adriat ...
between
Rijeka
Rijeka ( , , ; also known as Fiume hu, Fiume, it, Fiume ; local Chakavian: ''Reka''; german: Sankt Veit am Flaum; sl, Reka) is the principal seaport and the third-largest city in Croatia (after Zagreb and Split). It is located in Primor ...
and
Karlobag
Karlobag ( it, Carlopago, links=no) is a seaside municipality on the Adriatic coast in Croatia, located underneath the Velebit mountains overlooking the island of Pag, west of Gospić and south of Senj. The Gacka river also runs through the area. ...
(including all islands except
Krk
Krk (; it, Veglia; ruo, Krk; dlm, label= Vegliot Dalmatian, Vikla; la, Curicta; grc-gre, Κύρικον, Kyrikon) is a Croatian island in the northern Adriatic Sea, located near Rijeka in the Bay of Kvarner and part of Primorje-Gorski Kota ...
) and about inland, and was a critical task due to German fears of an Anglo-American landing on the Adriatic coast. This operation included securing the crucial supply route between
Karlovac
Karlovac () is a city in central Croatia. According to the 2011 census, its population was 55,705.
Karlovac is the administrative centre of Karlovac County. The city is located on the Zagreb- Rijeka highway and railway line, south-west of Zagre ...
and
Senj
Senj (; it, Segna, la, Senia, Hungarian language, Hungarian and german: Zengg) is a town on the upper Adriatic coast in Croatia, in the foothills of the Mala Kapela and Velebit mountains.
The symbol of the town is the Nehaj Fortress ( hr, Tvr ...
. These areas had been largely dominated by the Partisans since the
Italian capitulation
The Armistice of Cassibile was an armistice signed on 3 September 1943 and made public on 8 September between the Kingdom of Italy and the Allies during World War II.
It was signed by Major General Walter Bedell Smith for the Allies and Brig ...
in autumn 1943, in particular the port of Senj. The division was placed under the command of the
XV Mountain Corps as part of the
2nd Panzer Army
The 2nd Panzer Army (german: 2. Panzerarmee) was a German armoured formation during World War II, formed from the 2nd Panzer Group on October 5, 1941.
Organisation
Panzer Group Guderian (german: Panzergruppe Guderian) was formed on 5 June 1940 ...
, and was initially headquartered in Karlovac. The division also took over responsibility for the security of the
Zagreb
Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slop ...
-Karlovac railway line from the
1st Cossack Division
The 1st Cossack Cavalry Division (german: 1. Kosaken-Kavallerie-Division) was a Russian Cossack division of the German Army that served during World War II. It was created on the Eastern Front mostly out of Don Cossacks already serving in the We ...
. The division was engaged by the Partisans from the first night in their garrison areas. Before the division had completed its initial deployment, it was called upon to relieve the NDH garrison of
Ogulin
Ogulin () is a town in north-western Croatia, in Karlovac County. It has a population of 7,389 (2021) (it was 8,216 in 2011), and a total municipal population of 12,251 (2021). Ogulin is known for its historic stone castle, known as Kula, and the ...
. This involved a drive southwest from Karlovac between 13 and 16 January 1944 initially led by the 847th Infantry Regiment. In the first engagements with Partisan units, the Croatian soldiers panicked and their German leaders were quickly wounded or killed. When the bodies of those that had been killed were recovered, they were often found stripped of equipment and some were even found naked. On 16 January, Ogulin was relieved, but the advance was continued south to
Skradnik, and villages in that area were also secured.
Operational history
This was followed by Operation Drežnica, a push through to the coast, forcing passes through the
Velika Kapela
The Velika Kapela (; lit. ''Great Chapel'') is a large mountain range in the east of Gorski Kotar, Croatia.
The highest peak is Bjelolasica-Kula at 1533 m.a.s.l. It overlooks Velebit, Plješivica, islands Krk, Cres, Lošinj, and the Kvarner Gul ...
mountain range, part of the
Dinaric Alps
The Dinaric Alps (), also Dinarides, are a mountain range in Southern and Southcentral Europe, separating the continental Balkan Peninsula from the Adriatic Sea. They stretch from Italy in the northwest through Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herz ...
. Both passes were more than above sea level and the snow was often knee or thigh-deep. Delayed by mines and roadblocks, the division captured the
Kapela and Vratnik passes with minimal casualties. This was followed by a series of engagements along the road to the coast, and after some close quarter fighting with the Partisan
13th Assault Division, they captured and destroyed most of that division's supply dump northwest of
Lokve and secured Senj. The 847th Infantry Regiment was then allocated the task of securing the coastline and the 846th Infantry Regiment was directed to secure the divisional main supply route from Senj to
Generalski Stol
Generalski Stol is a municipality in Karlovac County, Croatia. There are 2,642 inhabitants, 99% of whom are Croats
The Croats (; hr, Hrvati ) are a South Slavic ethnic group who share a common Croatian ancestry, culture, history and lang ...
. They started improved bases along the road, including Italian forts that had been established in the Kapela and Vratnik passes. The 847th Infantry Regiment spread out along the coastline between Karlobag and
Crikvenica
Crikvenica () is a city in Croatia, located on the Adriatic in the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County.
Names
The names of the town in various languages include:
* la, Ad Turres
* it, Cirquenizza
* hu, Cirkvenica, Cirkvenicza, Czirkvenicza, Czirkweni ...
, and supported by elements of the divisional artillery and pioneers they began building fortifications against a feared
Allied
An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...
invasion. The troops in Karlobag linked up with the
264th Infantry Division which was responsible for the coast further to the southeast. The supply situation quickly became difficult due to Partisan interdiction of the route from Karlovac and Allied bombing of coastal shipping and Senj harbour. In late February or early March the 847th Regiment, supported by an
Ustaše
The Ustaše (), also known by anglicised versions Ustasha or Ustashe, was a Croats, Croatian Fascism, fascist and ultranationalism, ultranationalist organization active, as one organization, between 1929 and 1945, formally known as the Ustaš ...
battalion, advanced on
Plaški
Plaški ( sr-Cyrl, Плашки) is a village and a municipality in Karlovac County, Croatia. It is part of Lika.
Geography
Plaški is situated in the lower part of the Ogulin-Plaški valley. Together with Gorski kotar and Lika, the Ogulin-Pla ...
(south of Ogulin) when they were stopped by deep snow. Partisans then attacked their supply lines, killing 30 soldiers. Some of the bodies of the dead soldiers were looted or mutilated. After Plaški was captured, the Ustaše battalion independently pursued the Partisans and returned to Plaški with many of the looted items.
In March, the 847th Regiment occupied the Adriatic islands of
Rab
Rab âːb( dlm, Arba, la, Arba, it, Arbe, german: Arbey) is an island in the northern Dalmatia region in Croatia, located just off the northern Croatian coast in the Adriatic Sea.
The island is long, has an area of and 9,328 inhabitants (2 ...
and
Pag without encountering any Partisan resistance. In the same month, the 846th Regiment conducted an operation in the
Gacka
Gacka is a river located in the Lika region in central Croatia. Because for a large part of its course it is a subterranean river, estimates on its length vary. The overground part has undergone substantial human intervention - before it was long; ...
river valley around
Otočac
Otočac () is a town in Croatia, former bishopric and present Latin Catholic titular see. It lies in the northwestern part of Lika region, in the Gacka river valley. The population of the administrative area of the Town of Otočac was 9,778 in 2 ...
, and assisted the Croatian Home Guard in enforcing conscription orders on their own population in the divisional area. Through the spring of 1944, the 846th Regiment used ''jadgkommandos'', lightly armed and mobile "hunter teams" of company or battalion strength, to conduct follow-up of sightings of Partisans, and transport moving through the Kapela Pass had to travel in convoy for security. The division was able to restore a land connection with the NDH garrison of
Gospić
Gospić () is a town in the mountainous and sparsely populated region of Lika, Croatia. It is the administrative centre of Lika-Senj County. Gospić is located near the Lika River in the middle of a karst field ( Ličko Polje).
Gospić is the ...
which had been reliant on supply from the sea since the Italian surrender, and drove three Partisan battalions out of the outskirts of Otočac. One of the difficulties faced by the division in fighting in the mountains was the lack of mountain artillery which could accompany the battalions in the field. The divisional artillery was equipped with field howitzers with a range of which seriously limited the artillery cover that could be provided during mobile operations.
![Krbavsko polje](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c5/Krbavsko_polje.JPG)
In April 1944, Mickl was promoted to ''
Generalleutnant
is the Germanic variant of lieutenant general, used in some German speaking countries.
Austria
Generalleutnant is the second highest general officer rank in the Austrian Armed Forces (''Bundesheer''), roughly equivalent to the NATO rank of O ...
''. The Germans identified that the Partisan 13th Assault Division was using the Drežnica valley as a huge armoury, hiding captured Italian arms and ammunition in villages, basements, and even in fake graves in cemeteries. This was of major concern if the feared Allied landing eventuated. In mid-April, Mickl ordered Operation Keulenschlag (Mace Blow) to clear the area, using the 846th Infantry Regiment and parts of the 847th Infantry Regiment, supported by the divisional artillery and flak battalion. Over the next two weeks, the division pushed the 13th Assault Division north to the area of
Mrkopalj
Mrkopalj () is a village and a municipality in the mountainous part of Croatia in the region of Gorski Kotar, located south-east of Delnice and some 50 km east of Rijeka and 831 meters above sea level. In 2011 the municipality had 1,214 inh ...
and
Delnice
Delnice () is a town in western Croatia, the largest settlement in the mountainous region of Gorski Kotar, in the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County. The town has a population of 4,379, and total municipality population is 5,952 (2011). Delnice is Go ...
, and captured sufficient material to equip two divisions, including of small arms ammunition and of artillery ammunition.
On 5 May, the Partisan
35th Lika Division attacked from the
Plitvice Lakes Plitvice or Plitvička jezera can refer to:
* Plitvice Lakes National Park, the largest and oldest national park in Croatia
* Plitvička Jezera
Plitvička Jezera ( or just ''Plitvice'' ; ''Plitvice Lakes'', in English) is a municipality (''općin ...
area and captured the village of Ramljane. Partisans also interdicted the Otočac-Gospić road. In response, Mickl planned Operation Morgenstern (Morning Star) to clear Partisan forces from the
Krbavsko Polje region around
Udbina
Udbina is a village and a municipality in historical Krbava, in the Lika region of Croatia. It is administratively a part of the Lika-Senj County.
Geography
Udbina is located in the large karst field called Krbava. It is approximately 45 kilomet ...
. From 7 to 16 May 1944, along with elements of the 373rd (Croatian) Infantry Division, the 92nd Motorised Regiment, a battalion of the 1st Regiment of the
Brandenburg Division
''Brandenburg Division'' (german: Division Brandenburg) is a 1960 West German war film directed by Harald Philipp and starring Hanns Ernst Jäger, Wolfgang Reichmann and Heinz Weiss.Giesen p.273 It depicts members of the German commando unit Brand ...
, and Ustaše units, the division was involved in Operation Morgenstern. According to German sources, Operation Morgenstern resulted in significant Partisan losses, including 438 killed, 56 captured, and 18 defectors, as well as capturing weapons, ammunition, vehicles, animals and large amounts of equipment. Also in May, the division received 500 German reinforcements, and formed a field replacement battalion. The division saw action against the Partisans until the end of the war, often fighting alongside a grouping of Ustaše units that numbered up to 12,000 troops.
Final months
During the last few months of the war, the division was engaged in the defence of the northern Adriatic coast and
Lika
Lika () is a traditional region of Croatia proper, roughly bound by the Velebit mountain from the southwest and the Plješevica mountain from the northeast. On the north-west end Lika is bounded by Ogulin-Plaški basin, and on the south-east by ...
. Mickl was shot in the head by Partisans near Senj on 9 April 1945, and died in hospital in Rijeka the following day. The task of the division was to fight the Partisan
4th Army advancing from the south-east, and to support the
LXXXXVII Army Corps, consisting of the
188th Mountain Division __NOTOC__
German Division Nr. 188 was raised in late 1939. It consisted of the 136th, 138th and 139th Mountain Replacement Regiments and the 112th Artillery Replacement Regiment, plus supporting units. It began the war on border guard duty in the m ...
and 237th Infantry Divisions, which were in danger of being enveloped near Rijeka. The division arrived in the area of Rijeka in mid-April 1945 after it suffered losses in the
Lika-Primorje operation
Lika-Primorje operation was a military operation carried out by the Yugoslav Partisan 4th Army against Wehrmacht units and the Croatian Armed Forces. It was conducted in the area of Lika and Western Bosnia from 20 March to 15 April 1945.
In ...
. However, by April 1945 the Croatian manpower of the division had been significantly reduced due to desertions or release. Around this time, about 3,000 Croats were released, leaving a small number of Croats remaining with the division.
Some of the released Croats apparently succeeded in travelling to the
Slovene Littoral
The Slovene Littoral ( sl, Primorska, ; it, Litorale; german: Küstenland) is one of the five traditional regions of Slovenia. Its name recalls the former Austrian Littoral (''Avstrijsko Primorje''), the Habsburg possessions on the upper Adria ...
in the closing days of the war. They were then organised as a separate unit of the largely illusory remnant of the
Armed Forces of the Independent State of Croatia
The Croatian Armed Forces were formed in 1944 with the uniting of the Croatian Home Guard (''Domobrani'') and the Ustaše militia in the Independent State of Croatia. It was established by the fascist regime of Ante Pavelić in the Independent S ...
under the command of General
Matija Parac, which was formally part of General
Draža Mihailović's Chetniks
The Chetniks ( sh-Cyrl-Latn, Четници, Četnici, ; sl, Četniki), formally the Chetnik Detachments of the Yugoslav Army, and also the Yugoslav Army in the Homeland and the Ravna Gora Movement, was a Yugoslav royalist and Serbian nationa ...
. The unit was under the direct command of General
Miodrag Damjanović
Miodrag Damjanović ( sr-Cyrl, Миодраг Дамјановић; 16 January 1893 – 4 August 1956) was a Serbs, Serbian brigadier general of the Royal Yugoslav Army. He was chief of staff of Prime Minister Milan Nedić, commander of the Ser ...
. Later the unit retreated to
British-occupied northern Italy.
The division, including its few remaining Croats were ordered to move north towards
Klagenfurt
Klagenfurt am WörtherseeLandesgesetzblatt 2008 vom 16. Jänner 2008, Stück 1, Nr. 1: ''Gesetz vom 25. Oktober 2007, mit dem die Kärntner Landesverfassung und das Klagenfurter Stadtrecht 1998 geändert werden.'/ref> (; ; sl, Celovec), usually ...
in Austria. Some of the remaining Croat members of the division were killed while the LXXXXVII Army Corps attempted to push through, but the formation lacked the strength to achieve its objective. As a result, on 5 May 1945, ''
Generaloberst
A ("colonel general") was the second-highest general officer rank in the German ''Reichswehr'' and ''Wehrmacht'', the Austro-Hungarian Common Army, the East Germany, East German National People's Army and in their respective police services. ...
''
Alexander Löhr
Alexander Löhr (20 May 1885 – 26 February 1947) was an Austrian Air Force commander during the 1930s and, after the annexation of Austria, he was a Luftwaffe commander. Löhr served in the Luftwaffe during World War II, rising to commander of ...
,
Commander-in-chief Southeast Europe, authorised the LXXXXVII Army Corps, including the 392nd Division, to surrender. The Partisans accepted the German surrender on 7 May in the area between Rijeka and
Ilirska Bistrica
Ilirska Bistrica (; german: Illyrisch Feistritz; it, Villa del Nevoso, before 1927: ''Bisterza,'' Hungarian: ''Illírbeszterce'') is a town in the Inner Carniola region of southwestern Slovenia. It is the administrative seat of the Municipality ...
, at which time all the remaining Croats and some Italian fascist troops still fighting alongside the Germans within the Corps were released. For several days the disarmed German troops of the Corps were allowed to travel towards Germany, but on 12 May the Partisans decided to make them
prisoners of war
A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held Captivity, captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610.
Belligerents hold priso ...
.
Order of battle
The division included the following principal units:
* 846th Infantry Regiment (I, II, III battalions)
* 847th Infantry Regiment (I, II, III battalions)
* 392nd Reconnaissance Battalion
* 392nd ''
Panzerjäger
''Panzerjäger'' (German language, German "armour-hunters" or "tank-hunters", abbreviated to ''Pz.Jg.'' in German) was a branch of service of the Nazi Germany, German Wehrmacht during the World War II, Second World War. It was an Anti-tank war ...
'' (Anti-tank) Battalion
* 392nd Artillery Regiment (I, II battalions)
* 392nd Pioneer Battalion
* 392nd Signals Battalion
Postscript
On 3 April 2009, the
Croatian Helsinki Committee for Human Rights announced that mass graves containing the remains of approximately 4,500 members of the division had been discovered near
Zaprešić
Zaprešić () is a town in Hrvatsko zagorje, Zagreb County in Croatia. It has a population of 19,644 inhabitants in the town proper, with 25,223 in the administrative area. The town's metropolitan area, which encompasses the seven neighbouring m ...
. Locals indicated that the Partisan
21st Serbian Division was responsible for the massacre.
"Rafali, rafali, rafali i vika, zatim čuješ samo tišinu"
(in Croatian). Jutarnji List. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
See also
* Resistance during World War II
Resistance movements during World War II occurred in every occupied country by a variety of means, ranging from non-cooperation to propaganda, hiding crashed pilots and even to outright warfare and the recapturing of towns. In many countries, r ...
* Anti-partisan operations in World War II
Axis forces were involved in counter-insurgency operations against the various resistance movements during World War II.
During the Second World War, resistance movements that bore any resemblance to irregular warfare were frequently dealt with ...
Notes
Footnotes
References
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{{Use dmy dates, date=June 2017
Military units and formations established in 1943
Infantry divisions of Germany during World War II
Foreign volunteer units of the Wehrmacht
Independent State of Croatia
Military units and formations disestablished in 1945
Military units and formations of Germany in Yugoslavia in World War II