I'm very happy to let you all know about a great addition to the site provided by Larry D: Anti-Partisan Operations in the Independent State of Croatia
/Marcus
Anti-Partisan Operations in the Independent State of Croatia
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Marcus
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Miha Grcar
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Der Weisse Wolf
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Kim Sung
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streljko1
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Larry, great work!
“...A word or two must be said about the casualties and loss figures found in most of the operations described. Wherever possible, German figures have been used because they are believed to be more accurate...”
I agree that some Yugoslav authors inflate enemy losses and disregard existing German reports, some even give different enemy losses (about Šolta operation I found in 3 different books different casualties, in one number of German casualties was 250 + 52 POW, second 150 + 52 POW, and in Yugoslav Naval encyclopedia are given the most accurate German losses as 31 KIA 76 WIA and 52 POW- maybe from German sources?).
Both sides tended to justify their own losses by inflating those of enemy.
Best way to learn actuall casualties is to compare(when is possible) German casualties from German reports with Yugoslav casualties from Yugoslav reports.
Some Yugoslav authors used that aproach, for example Mate Šalov in his article “U Drvarskoj operaciji” (In Drvar operation) from the book “Treća dalmatinska brigada” (III Dalmatian brigade) described battle between 9. Dalmatian division and 1. Brandenburg regiment strengtened with Četniks and some units of 373 ID that happened 28.05.1944.
Šalov mentioned casualties from both reports for this action:
German report: German losses:1 KIA/21WIA(Četnik losses not mentioned) Yugoslav losses: 47 counted killed.
Yugoslav report:Yugoslav losses:3 KIA/12 WIA(with names for each killed from 3DB) German/Četnik losses 130 KIA/150 WIA.
No side achived control over battlefield, and battle was fought in mountains. Šalov`s book have list with names of soldiers killed and that lists, that I held almost 100% accurate,confirms Yugoslav reports. Yugoslav books dedicated to certain units(brigades, detachments, coastal sectors) usually have list with names of soldiers(usually those killed) and that lists that I held for almost 100% accurate,confirm Yugoslav reports.
Also Šalov didn`t mentioned any kind of crime against civilian population that could led to 47 counted killed, if we know the fact that Yugoslav authors usually misuse civilian victims only posible solution is that German commander had problem with mathematics.
I could find more examples of “inflating” phenomen and I think that term “counted kill” is not reliable at all, it doesn`t matter is it used for civilians or for combatants, its only purpose is to claim some action as sucessfull.
Also, I hope that you will write something on operation Achse (1st German attempt to capture Split in september 1943. I got some info about partisan units engaged, but no master plan.
Ciao!
“...A word or two must be said about the casualties and loss figures found in most of the operations described. Wherever possible, German figures have been used because they are believed to be more accurate...”
I agree that some Yugoslav authors inflate enemy losses and disregard existing German reports, some even give different enemy losses (about Šolta operation I found in 3 different books different casualties, in one number of German casualties was 250 + 52 POW, second 150 + 52 POW, and in Yugoslav Naval encyclopedia are given the most accurate German losses as 31 KIA 76 WIA and 52 POW- maybe from German sources?).
Both sides tended to justify their own losses by inflating those of enemy.
Best way to learn actuall casualties is to compare(when is possible) German casualties from German reports with Yugoslav casualties from Yugoslav reports.
Some Yugoslav authors used that aproach, for example Mate Šalov in his article “U Drvarskoj operaciji” (In Drvar operation) from the book “Treća dalmatinska brigada” (III Dalmatian brigade) described battle between 9. Dalmatian division and 1. Brandenburg regiment strengtened with Četniks and some units of 373 ID that happened 28.05.1944.
Šalov mentioned casualties from both reports for this action:
German report: German losses:1 KIA/21WIA(Četnik losses not mentioned) Yugoslav losses: 47 counted killed.
Yugoslav report:Yugoslav losses:3 KIA/12 WIA(with names for each killed from 3DB) German/Četnik losses 130 KIA/150 WIA.
No side achived control over battlefield, and battle was fought in mountains. Šalov`s book have list with names of soldiers killed and that lists, that I held almost 100% accurate,confirms Yugoslav reports. Yugoslav books dedicated to certain units(brigades, detachments, coastal sectors) usually have list with names of soldiers(usually those killed) and that lists that I held for almost 100% accurate,confirm Yugoslav reports.
Also Šalov didn`t mentioned any kind of crime against civilian population that could led to 47 counted killed, if we know the fact that Yugoslav authors usually misuse civilian victims only posible solution is that German commander had problem with mathematics.
I could find more examples of “inflating” phenomen and I think that term “counted kill” is not reliable at all, it doesn`t matter is it used for civilians or for combatants, its only purpose is to claim some action as sucessfull.
Also, I hope that you will write something on operation Achse (1st German attempt to capture Split in september 1943. I got some info about partisan units engaged, but no master plan.
Ciao!
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G. Trifkovic
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Outstanding work,Mister D.! Thank you very much indeed!
I have a question: In the "Operation Ziethen" section,you wrote about a "A mass grave of 1,200 people who had been executed by the Partisans was uncovered in Livno." May I ask where have you found this information? Is it perhaps the original German after-action report? If yes,is there any post-war source (which can be trusted) which could confirm this?
Thanks again,
Gaj
I have a question: In the "Operation Ziethen" section,you wrote about a "A mass grave of 1,200 people who had been executed by the Partisans was uncovered in Livno." May I ask where have you found this information? Is it perhaps the original German after-action report? If yes,is there any post-war source (which can be trusted) which could confirm this?
Thanks again,
Gaj
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Kim Sung
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