The Croatian 1st Infantry Division ( hr, 1. pješačka divizija) was an

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and mar ...

unit in the Army of the Independent State of Croatia 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 opposing ...

. The 1st Infantry Division was formed on or around August 1, 1941, with

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...

(''Pukovnik'' in the

Croatian Army The Croatian Army ( hr, Hrvatska kopnena vojska or HKoV) is the largest and most significant component of the Croatian Armed Forces (CAF). Role and deployment The fundamental role and purpose of the Croatian Army is to protect vital national i ...

rank) Emanuel Balley in command with its headquarters located at

Zagreb Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital and largest city of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb stands near the international border between Croatia and Slov ...

. In its order of battle on October 21, 1941, the 1st Infantry Division included the 1st,

2nd A second is the base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI). Second, Seconds or 2nd may also refer to: Mathematics * 2 (number), as an ordinal (also written as ''2nd'' or ''2d'') * Second of arc, an angular measurement unit, ...

, and 11th Infantry Regiments and the I and II Artillery Groups. The 1st Infantry Division was under the subordination of the I Territorial Corps from November 1941 to July 1943. By April 1942 the divisional headquarters had been moved to

Bjelovar Bjelovar ( hu, Belovár, german: Bellowar, Kajkavian: ''Belovar'') is a city in central Croatia. It is the administrative centre of Bjelovar-Bilogora County. At the 2021 census, there were 36,433 inhabitants, of whom 93.06% were Croats. Histor ...

, east-northeast of Zagreb, where it was still located by February 1943. Divisional garrison responsibilities and tactical operations were carried out by sector commands at Koprivnica, Ludbreg,

Križevci Križevci (; la, Crisium; hu, Kőrös ; german: Kreutz ) is a city in central Croatia with a total population of 21,122 and with 11,231 in the city itself (2011), the oldest city in its county, the Koprivnica-Križevci County. History The f ...

Lepavina The Lepavina Monastery ( sr, Манастир Лепавина, Manastir Lepavina) is a Serbian Orthodox monastery dedicated to the Presentation of Mary and located at the village of Sokolovac, near the town of Koprivnica in Croatia. From the B ...

, and

Varaždinske Toplice Varaždinske Toplice ( hu, Varasdfürdő; german: Warasdin-Töplitz or ; Kajkavian: ) is a small town in northern part of Croatia in Varaždin County. The town has been well known throughout the centuries for its hot springs as well as a medical c ...

. The divisional headquarters and staff were disbanded around August 1, 1943.

Commanders

''(Dates are uncertain)'' * Colonel Emanuel Balley (August 1941 - April 1942) * Colonel

Ivan Pavić Ivan () is a Slavic male given name, connected with the variant of the Greek name (English: John) from Hebrew meaning 'God is gracious'. It is associated worldwide with Slavic countries. The earliest person known to bear the name was Bulgari ...

(? - August 1942) * Colonel

Matija Murković Matija is a South Slavic masculine and feminine given name, a variant of Matthew. Notable people with the name include: * Matija Ahacel (1779–1845), Carinthian Slovene philologist, publicist, and collector of folk songs * Matija Antun Relković ...

(? - December 1942) * Colonel

Stjepan Peričić Stjepan is a Croatian masculine given name, variant of Stephen, used by ijekavian speakers. In Croatia, the name Stjepan was among the top ten most common masculine given names in the decades up to 1969. Notable people with the name include: * S ...

(? - July 1943)

References

{{Reflist Croatian Home Guard (World War II) Infantry divisions of World War II