Operation "Horseback Riding". Drvar, May 1944
Translation of “Operation Roesselsprung. Drvar, Mai 1944 ”, published in the German-language version of the Croatian military history magazine“ Husar ”(Nos. 2, 3 for 2016).
Translator's notes.
According to the tradition existing in the German press and literature, all foreign proper names and geographical names are transmitted in their original spelling (in this case, in Croatian). Since I don’t speak the Serbo-Croatian language and I don’t know a specific pronunciation, I will write all these words, except well-known, in Latin letters, as in a journal.
Slug_BDMP, translator.
During the April War of 1941, the armed forces of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia were defeated within a few days. The kingdom fell apart, and its territory was divided into German, Italian, Hungarian and Bulgarian occupation zones. The Independent State of Croatia (Nezavisna Država Hrvatska, NDH) was formed on part of the German and Italian zones of occupation. A number of other, weak, puppet quasi-state entities also appeared.
Germany was interested only in strategically important resources - ore and oil, as well as free transport links with Greece and Romania. In this situation, smoldering interethnic conflicts escalated, and the "Balkan cauldron" began to boil. Fear of ethnic cleansing, part of the population sided with monarchist or communist rebel movements.
The Communist Party of Yugoslavia (CPY) was founded in Moscow in 1919 and since the establishment of the dictatorship in Yugoslavia in 1929 has existed in an illegal situation. After the defeat of Yugoslavia and the flight of the king and the government, the CPY used the discontent of the population to strengthen its position.
At first, the Communists expected orders from Moscow, since Stalin and Hitler were allies at that time. After the German attack on the USSR, Stalin ordered the head of the CPY, Joseph Broz Tito, to begin an armed struggle in order to divert the forces of the Wehrmacht from the Soviet-German front. In the summer of 1941, Tito began to unite disparate resistance groups, create new ones, organize them first into small, and then into ever larger armed groups. They called themselves partisans.
There was also a movement of monarchists (Chetniks) led by Colonel Drazhi Mikhailovich. The colonel did not flee abroad, but remained in the country and united the monarchists in the Ravna Gora region.
Communist partisans and Chetniks managed to create a “liberated region” in the west of Serbia.
Small and weak German garrisons concentrated mainly in cities to control transport routes and copper mines. Therefore, at first they did not pay attention to the slightly armed “gangs”. Also, the Germans did not trust the puppet regime of Serbia, and local authorities could not seriously oppose the rebels. The Germans did not understand the scale of the rebel movement and tried to intimidate the population with punitive actions. But the effect was the opposite - more and more people went into the woods.
At the end of September 1941, the partisans managed to seize the city of Užice (Uzice), where the largest weapons factory of Yugoslavia. For 67 days of the existence of the so-called. In the Uzhitsky republic, the factory produced 21041 Mauser rifles and carbines, 2,7 million rifle and 90 thousand pistol cartridges, 18 thousand hand grenades, 38 thousand shells and mines. In addition, 2 were repaired or manufactured tank, 3 guns, 200 easel and 3000 light machine guns. After the Germans became clear the scale of the uprising and managed to occupy the partisan territory again, it was too late. By this time, the partisans already had more weapons at their disposal than all puppet governments combined. After the fall of Uzice, the partisans retreated into the wooded mountains of eastern Bosnia. In this region as early as April 41st, four divisions of the royal army threw their weapons and equipment before heading home. According to eyewitnesses, all this for many days lay on the side of roads and in the fields, and local residents took what they wanted. People stored heaps of weapons at home, hoping to cash in later on.
Guerrilla war
In 1938, Germany in the bud bought from Yugoslavia the annual production of bauxite - raw materials for aluminum production. Large bauxite deposits are located in the Siroki Brieg area of Herzegovina. The most important railway from there to Germany passed right through East Bosnia, where the partisans who retreated from Serbia gathered.
The Croatian army (NDH) and local self-defense (domobran) were too weak and poorly armed and could not protect the railway from partisan sabotage. The Chetniks were still neutral. In winter, the Germans and Croats (NDH) managed to push the partisans away from the railway for some time, but after the departure of the main forces, the partisans returned. Ultimately, it was necessary to attract large forces and drive the partisans further into the mountains of Bosnia.
At this time, Tito, at the direction of Moscow, gathered and strengthened the rebel forces. Large mobile connections were created. At the end of 1941, the first partisan brigade of 1199 fighters was formed, which, according to the communist tradition, was called the proletarian. Tito became the commander in chief of the partisan army and the head of the Supreme Staff. At the same time, he remained the Secretary General of the Communist Party. Thus, Tito concentrated all military and political leadership posts in his hands. He kept them until his death in 1980.
Operations Weiss and Schwarz
In the second half of 1942, the German intelligence services seriously engaged in Tito. After several large but unsuccessful operations against the partisans threatening the transport arteries of the Germans, it became clear that the successes of the rebels are based on three factors:
- mobility;
- support of the local population;
- a capable leader.
Since the end of the 42nd guerrilla warfare, especially in the mountainous regions of western Yugoslavia, has become more intense. Along with Tito’s brigades, the first divisions were also formed — light infantry formations of up to 3000 men.
After the loss of North Africa, the Germans were very afraid of the landing of the Anglo-American forces in Greece, and the Wehrmacht faced the task of the complete elimination of the partisans. At a conference in Hitler’s headquarters “Wolf's Lair” near Rastenburg on December 18-19, 42, in which the foreign ministers of Germany, Italy and Croatia participated, it was decided to conduct large-scale operations in the winter of 42-43 with the participation of Italian Croatian troops. It was planned to carry them out in Bosnia, where partisan regions with headquarters, warehouses, rear units and hospitals were located in rugged mountain areas.
Operation Weiss began in January 1943. It involved 14 German, Italian and Croatian divisions with a total number of about 90000, as well as about 3000 Chetniks. Partisan forces included three corps of over 32000 fighters. After the partisans were surrounded on all sides, at the cost of heavy losses and with a large number of wounded, they managed to escape from the encirclement in its weakest place - on the Neretva River, held by the Chetniks.
After a breakthrough on the Neretva, about 16000 partisans with 4000 wounded retreated to the mountains of Montenegro.
At the end of the operation, the forces of the Axis countries were put in order and replenished up to 127000 people (70000 Germans, including a large number of foreign legionnaires, 43000 Italians, 2000 Bulgarians, 8000 Croats and 3000 Chetniks). On May 15, 1943, the operation began, codenamed "Schwarz".
The forces involved in the operation were supported by a tank battalion, eight artillery regiments and twelve aviation squadrons (Geschwader - as in the text; I suppose that means Staffel - squadron. - Approx. Per.).
The operation lasted until June 15, and Tito, with little strength, again managed to slip out of the encirclement.
Tito Hunt
During fierce battles on the Montenegrin Sutjeska River, scouts of the Lau group from the Brandenburg Special Purpose Division discovered the location of Tito and his headquarters and on June 4th received an order to destroy them. This did not succeed, but this was the first time that Tito personally became the target of the strike. A few months later, the Brandenburg division’s radio reconnaissance, after deciphering the intercepted radio messages of the Partisans’s Supreme Headquarters, reported that on November 12, 1943, Tito would take part in a political conference in the Bosnian town of Jajce. The division commander decided to destroy Tito and his headquarters with the blow of two paratrooper battalions. Seven days later, Tito received a telegram from Moscow warning of the impending attack. From that moment, Tito’s guards were assigned to the security battalion of the Supreme Headquarters. One company of the battalion was constantly with Tito, and the rest were nearby.
The German command shared the view that the destruction of Tito would significantly weaken the forces of the partisans, and planned to do this with the help of special forces. With this task, Kirchner's special unit, also from the Brandenburg division, was sent to the Bosnian Banja Luka. The German commandos tried in vain to find the partisan leader and on February 15, 1944 were returned to the division.
Then Hitler personally gave the order to destroy or capture Tito and assigned this task to the commander of German troops in the southeast, Maximilian von Weichs. At the same time, SS Hauptsturmfuhrer Otto Skorzeny, the most famous German commando, famous for the spectacular operation to free Mussolini, arrived in the Croatian capital Zagreb.
If you believe the stories of Skorzeny, then Hitler personally gave him the order to start the hunt for Tito, but most likely the order was received from the chief of SS Himmler or one of the lower-ranking leaders.
Skorzeny drove a 400 km passenger car from Zagreb to Belgrade, accompanied by only a driver and two fighters. The Belgrade commandant did not believe that on the way they did not see a single partisan.
During the interrogation of partisan defector Skorzeny, it became known that Tito was in one of the caves in the Drvar area under the protection of 6000 fighters, and additional forces could come to him in the shortest possible time. Skorzeny believed that the only way to capture Tito would be a raid by a small detachment disguised as partisan clothing. He suggested picking his best people from the training center in Fridental and "quietly and inconspicuously" neutralize Tito. General Randulich considered this venture too fantastic, with insignificant chances of success, and Skorzeny rejected the offer.
General situation at the beginning of 1944
After the surrender of Italy on September 8, 1943, Italian troops in the Balkans were disarmed. However, most of the weapons and equipment fell into the hands of the partisans. Since the coasts of Yugoslavia and Albania remained unprotected after that and together with Greece could become a springboard for the landing of the Western allies, the German command was forced to respond quickly. Immediately after the capitulation of Italy, significant reinforcements were sent to the threat regions, and thus 14 divisions were received by Field Marshal von Weichs in less than a month. Until the end of November, their number increased to 20. The total number of German and Allied forces was 700000, of which 270000 were in Yugoslavia. On October 29, 1943, as part of measures to stabilize the situation in the Balkans, Hitler issued an order on "Uniformity in the fight against communism in the southeastern region."
When it became clear that the allied landings in Yugoslavia should not be expected until the spring of the 44th, von Weichs decided to use the winter of the 43rd to 44th to create a defensive belt on the coast and at the same time for offensive operations against partisans. Despite some successes of operations “Ball Lightning”, “Snow Storm”, “Eagle”, “Panther”, “Vainakhtsman” (“Santa Claus” with him.), The problem was not solved. The partisans continued to control large areas through which important transport communications passed. As a result of the defeat of the Wehrmacht on the Eastern Front, by the beginning of May of the 44th, the Red Army reached the Romanian border. In addition, signs of the impending invasion of the Western Allies in France multiplied.
No movement of troops in the mountains, where there were only goat paths, without specially trained horses was impossible. The advantage of the partisans was that they did not have large convoys and provided themselves to a large extent at the expense of the local population.
Preparing the landing operation
In such circumstances, von Weichs decided to suddenly invade the center of the “liberated area” in Bosnia with the goal of “disrupting the activities of the guerrilla movement and further destroying the scattered remnants of the rebels. In light of this, he issued a directive to the commander of the 2nd Tank Army, Colonel General Lothar Rendulic. At a conference in Vrnjacka Banja on May 17, this operation was codenamed “Horse Riding” (Roesselsprung).
The form adapted for action in the mountains had a different color on both sides: protective on one side and white on the other. This provided camouflage both on the background of rocks and on the background of snow.
Directly preparing the operation was carried out by the XV mountain corps of General Ernst von Leizer with headquarters in Knin. On May 19, the corps headquarters presented a plan of operation, which was adopted with minor changes. Involved in it were 20000 people. The plan was briefly like that.
1. In western Bosnia, the communist leadership organized its Headquarters - the General Headquarters of Tito and the Allied military missions. In the Bosanski Petrovac area there is an airfield and warehouses. There are about 12000 people with heavy weapons, artillery and anti-tank weapons and several tanks. Roads are blocked by ditches, minefields and prepared ambush positions. Strong resistance should be expected from the 1st proletarian division southeast of Mrkonjic-Grad and the 6th division in the upper reaches of the Unac River.
2. Our aircraft and airborne troops must destroy enemy command posts and key positions in Drvar. The success of this operation should have a decisive influence on the outcome of hostilities on the Adriatic coast and in the rear. Accurate planning, decisive command and the full exertion of the forces of all the soldiers involved will be of great importance.
3. The regimental group of the 7th SS division “Prince Eugen”, with the support of the assault panzer-grenadier battalion of the 2nd Panzer Army, must break through the enemy’s defenses east of the Sana River and advance to the north between the Sana and Unac rivers. The panzer-grenadier campaign group with a dowry of a tank company of the 202nd tank battalion should advance from Banja Luka and take the Key. The second regimental camp group of the 7th SS division is to advance along the railway line from Jajce and take possession of Mlinista, where, among other things, the power station is located. The 105th SS reconnaissance battalion, reinforced by a tank company (ten Italian M15 / 42 tanks), must defeat the enemy on the Livanjsko pole, seize the partisan warehouses located there and attack through the Bosansko Grahovo on Drvar to prevent the retreat of the "partisan gangs", headquarters and allied missions to south. The reconnaissance battalion of the 369th Croatian division, subordinate to the 105th reconnaissance battalion of the SS, should advance through Livno to Glamocko Polje and cut off the enemy’s southeast escape route. Livno defense must be ensured in any case.
4. On X-day, the 373rd Croatian division, together with the battle group "William", should advance from the Srb area to Drvar and, on the same day, unite at all costs with the 500th SS airborne battalion. All command structures of partisans and allied missions must be destroyed. After Drvar’s occupation, the offensive continues in the direction of Bosanski Petrovac. The battle group “Lapac” advances through Kulen Vakuf to Vrtoce and takes control of the Bihac-Vrtoce road.
5. On X-day, the 92nd Motorized Grenadier Regiment with the 54th Mountain Reconnaissance Battalion of the 1st Mountain Division and the 2nd Jaeger Battalion of the 1st Self-Defense Regiment of Bihac, subordinate to it, should attack Bosanski Petrovac from the southeast with a task the most rapid capture of warehouses and airdrome. The actions of this group are crucial. Also part of the forces of this group is advancing on Drvar to join the 500th SS airborne battalion and the battle group "William" in order to cut off the enemy’s retreat to the north.
6. The 1st regiment of the Brandenburg division, with the Chetniks subordinate to it, advances from Knin in the direction of Bosansko Grahovo to carry out sabotage on the Drvar-Prekaja line.
7. In the early morning hours of the X-day, dive bombers strike enemy positions, command posts and anti-aircraft weapons, after which the 500th battalion is parachuted and landed on Drvar and destroys Tito’s main headquarters.
8, 9, 10. Supply, communication, etc.
11. On the day of "X" headquarters XV. The mountain corps is located in Bihac.
In the archive XV. The mountain corps preserved the order of the commander of the air forces in Croatia, General Walter Hagen of May 24, 1944. It lists the air forces allocated for Operation Horse Riding:
- 4th, 5th and 6th Squadron II. groups of the 151st assault squadron (4., 5., 6./SG151) and the 13th separate squadron of the same squadron (13./SG151). Only the 13th squadron is known - 6 Ju-87 aircraft;
- IV. Group of the 27th Fighter Squadron (IV./27JG) - 26 Messerschmitt Bf-109G;
- Three squadrons (headquarters, 1st and 2nd) of the 7th night bomber group (Stab. 1., 2./NSGr.7). The composition of the group is mixed: Heinkel He-46 (19 pieces), Henschel Hs-126 (11 pieces). The 3rd squadron, which has 19 Fiat CR-42 fighters, was formed in April 1944 and was officially declared combat ready only in August, but its CR-42 took part in Operation Horse Riding;
- the headquarters and 2nd squadrons of the 12th short-range reconnaissance group with nine Bf 109G-6 and Bf 109G-8 (Stabs-, 2./NAGr. 12);
- Close-Range Squadron “Croatia” (NASt.Kroatien) - 9 Henschel Hs-126B-2 and 4 Dornier Do17P-2.
The order also added two more groups by hand:
- I group of the 2nd squadron of direct support for the Immelman troops (I./SG 2) - 32 Ju-87D. The base location is the Pleso airfield in the Zagreb area. However in stories squadron such an airfield does not appear. From January to August 1944, it was based at the Husi airport in Hungary and, apparently, was a reserve and could be involved in operations if necessary;
- II group of the 51st fighter squadron "Melders" (II./51 JG) - 40 Bf 109G fighters. In the period from May 27 to May 31, she was transferred from Sofia to the Serbian Nis. Most likely, she was also in reserve, but it cannot be ruled out that she was involved in blocking the area of the Horse Riding operation.
The aircraft was supposed to attack targets in the areas of Drvar and Bosanski Petrovac in the early morning of May 25th and continue to support the advance of ground forces on Drvar. In total, General Hagen allocated 44 vehicles for the operation.
The following aviation forces were intended for landing, towing airborne gliders and further supplying troops:
- III group of the 1st landing squadron (III./LLG 1), transferred from Nancy. The group included 17 “bundles” (airplane + glider). Two squadrons (7th and 8th) were equipped with Hs-126 towers and DFS-230 gliders, and 9th with Heinkel He-111 towers and Gotha Go-242 gliders;
- 4th squadron of group II (4.II./LLG 1) of the same squadron with eight Ju-87 and eight DFS-230. She was transferred from Strasbourg to the Luchko airfield near Zagreb. One of the documents noted that 5. and 6th squadron II were also in Luchko. groups. On the remaining German aerial photograph of the airfield, 41 landing gliders are visible. This may be evidence that more than one squadron was stationed in Luchko;
- II group of the 4th transport squadron (II./TG 4) with 37 transport aircraft Junkers Ju-52.
Cossacks were mostly dressed in Soviet uniforms and armed with Soviet weapons. In Yugoslavia there was one battalion of Cossacks - the Alexander battalion, named after its commander, Captain Alexander. The battalion included two companies: “white”, composed of immigrants from Ukraine and Belarus, and “black”, from immigrants from the Caucasus. Their Soviet weapons, uniforms and the Russian language often misled the partisans.
The soldiers of the special forces division were trained for reconnaissance and sabotage. They could impersonate partisans and therefore were especially dangerous. Only a small number of them did not allow them to especially influence the course of the war with the partisans.
Operational Plans for the 500th SS Airborne Battalion
Based on the information available to German intelligence and aerial photography by the headquarters of the 2nd Tank Army under the leadership of Colonel von Warnbüller, a plan of attack for the 500th SS airborne battalion (reinforced with two companies of the 1st parachute regiment of the 1st parachute) was developed in detail Airborne Division). Due to the lack of aircraft, the simultaneous landing of all forces was impossible. Therefore, two waves of parachute and landing (from airborne gliders) landing were planned. According to the plan, in the first wave in Drvar, 654 paratroopers landed. Of these, 314 - with parachutes, from Ju-52 aircraft, the remaining 340 - from DFS-230 and Do-242 gliders. Landing landing was divided into six groups having the following tasks:
- the Panther combat group (110 people in six subgroups) must master the citadel. The battalion commander, SS Hauptsturmfuhrer Kurt Rybka, in his order described the area from the old market to Sobica Glavica as the most likely location of Tito and his headquarters. In aerial photographs, this zone is marked in white and is designated as a “citadel”;
- the group "Greifer" (grabbing, 40 people in three subgroups) must capture or destroy representatives of the British military mission;
- the Stuermer group (attack aircraft, 50 people in two subgroups) must capture or destroy representatives of the Soviet military mission;
- the “Brecher” group (breaking, 50 people in four subgroups) must capture or destroy representatives of the American military mission;
- the “Draufgaenger” group (daredevils, 70 people in three subgroups) is supposed to capture the central intersection and the radio station. 20 people in this group were communications specialists, cryptographers, and translators. Their task was to capture partisan ciphers;
- the group “Beisser” (biting, 20 people) must seize and search the buildings in Jaruge.
Skydivers were divided into the following groups with the following tasks:
- the “Blau” group (blue, 100 people in three subgroups) takes control of the approaches to Drvar from Mokronoge and Shipovlyan and, together with the “green” group, cuts off the retreat of the partisans in these directions;
- the “Gruen” group (green, 95 people in four subgroups) was supposed to occupy the north-eastern part of Drvar and the bridge over Unac and together with the “blue” group hold these positions;
- the “Rot” group (red, reserve of the battalion commander, 85 people in three subgroups) was to take up positions in Šobić-Glavitsa (“stronghold”) and establish contact with the groups “green”, “blue”, “panther” and “stormtroopers” "
The battalion command with a reserve of 19 men landed with the Reds group.
The second wave of 171 paratroopers was supposed to fly from the Zaluzani airfield at the command of the battalion commander and land with parachutes southwest of Šobić-Glavits, unless otherwise ordered.
NOUA Regulation
The supreme headquarters of the NLAU was located in a cave at the foot of Mount Gradine (Gradina) northeast of the Mandica Most bridge across the Unac River.
The security battalion of the Supreme Headquarters was responsible for the direct protection of the Supreme Headquarters, foreign military missions and other headquarters institutions. It included four companies, a cavalry squadron and a company of anti-aircraft machine guns - a total of 400 people. In the village of Trninich - Breg, there was a tank platoon of the 1st Proletarian Corps, which had three captured Italian tanks (two L6 / 40 and one CV L3) and an armored car AB-41. In Drvar itself, there were numerous institutions of the Supreme Headquarters, local authorities and the administration of the “liberated territory”. There were also a hospital, various warehouses, educational units, a theater, a printing house, etc.
In the village of Shipovlyany, 2 kilometers from Drvar, there was an officer school (127 cadets). In total, there were about 1000 armed fighters in Drvar and its environs.
In the area of Drvar, in the zone of the future operation "Horseback Riding" there were large partisan formations:
- 1st proletarian corps - 1st and 6th divisions;
- parts of the 5th assault corps - 4th and part of the 39th division, partisan detachments: Lebanese-Duvan, Glamochsky and Drvarsko-Petrovatsky;
- parts of the 8th corps - 9th division and partisan detachment Grahovsko-Peuljski.
The command of the NOAA, based on previous experience, suggested that the German offensive would develop along the roads. Therefore, the forces of the 1st Proletarian and 5th Corps blocked the path to Drvar.
The forces of the 1st Proletarian Division were located as follows:
- The 1st Proletarian Brigade blocked the roads in Mlinishte;
- 13th brigade “Rade Konchar” - on the Key.
Both brigades sent patrols on communications between Bugoyno and Mrkonich-Grad.
The 3rd Krainskaya Proletarian Brigade blocked the Livno-Glamoch route.
The forces of the 6th Lika Proletarian Division “Nikola Tesla” performed the following tasks:
—1st brigade blocked the direction to Martin Brod;
- 2nd brigade - Srb - Drvar;
- 3rd brigade - Gracac - Resanovci - Drvar.
Their scouts watched the Bihac - Lapac - Knin roads.
The 4th “Krainskaya” division included three brigades, but only two took part in the battles for Drvar: the 6th and 8th. Both covered the direction to Bosansky Petrovac: 6th - from Bihac, and 8th - from Bosanska Krupa.
The 9th Dalmatian division also included three brigades - 3,4 and 13th assault. They defended the following areas:
- 3rd brigade - Knin - Bosansko Grahovo;
- 4th - Vrlika - Crni Lug;
- 13th - Livno - Bosansko Grahovo.
Specifications:
• Engine power: 3 × 725 hp
• Maximum speed: 275 km / h
• Practical range: 1300 km
• Empty weight: 5750 kg
• Normal take-off weight: 10500 kg
• Crew: 2-3 people.
• Passenger capacity: 20 people. (or 13 paratroopers with full arms).
• Length: 18,9 m.
• Wingspan: 29,3 m.
• Height: 5,55 m.
Specifications:
- maximum speed: 280 km / h;
- towing speed: 180 km / h;
- empty weight: 680 kg;
- maximum weight: 2100 kg;
- crew: 1 pilot;
- passenger capacity: 8 paratroopers;
- armament: up to 3 cal machine guns. 7,92 mm.
Plan of the operation “Horseback Riding” on 25.5.1944/XNUMX/XNUMX:
The ending should ...
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