Second anti-Partisan Offensive

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Second anti-Partisan Offensive
partof=the Yugoslav Front of World War II
date=January 17 – January 23, 1942
place=Eastern Bosnia
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combatant1=



combatant2=
commander1=
commander2=
strength1=
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The Second anti-Partisan Offensive, known in ex-Yugoslavia as the Second Enemy Offensive (Croatian, Serbian: "Druga neprijateljska ofenziva/ofanziva"), was a battle during World War II between the Yugoslav Partisans on one side, and German forces aided by a number of Ustaše and Italian troops on the other. It took place in eastern Bosnia between January 17 and January 23 1942. [ [http://www.vojska.net/eng/world-war-2/battles-and-operations/ Battles & Campaigns during World War 2 in Yugoslavia ] ]

Offensive

The main goal of the operation was surrounding and destroying Partisan forces in Romanija, Birač and Glasinac. From the south, using the line Kalinovik-Goražde-Višegrad it was planned that Italian forces close this area, but they could not, because they were occupied by protecting own garrisons.

During counter-offensive, a large territory was liberated, notably towns Foča on January 20th, and Goražde on January 26th.

In village Bijele Vode, on January 21, the Axis forces attacked 2nd Battalion of the 1st Proletarian Brigade who lost 14 members, and in a same day Germans in Pjenovac attacked a small railway station. During this battle, the 1st Proletarian Brigade and the Romanian Detachment suffered 59 additional loses, including the commander of Romanian Detachment Slaviša Vajner Čiča, the commander of Šumadija Battalion Milan Ilić and the political commissar of Šumadija Battalion Dragan Pavlović Šilja.

The Main Headquarters of the Partisans and a parts of the 1st Proletarian Brigade retreated across Glasinac and Jahorina and arrive to Foča. However, the majority of the brigade was hold in village Srednje so they had to choose another way. They choose the least expected way, very close to Sarajevo. The majority of the Partisan 1st Proletarian Brigade retreated by crossing Igman mountain near Sarajevo at temperatures as low as - 32°C. The Brigade suffered severe causalities due to cold, 172 of 600 soldiers who crossed the mountain were frozen, leading to large numbers of amputations. [Stvaranje Titove Jugoslavije, page 167]

ee also

* Yugoslav Partisans
* Yugoslav People's Liberation War
* Seven anti-Partisan offensives
* List of anti-Partisan operations in Yugoslavia
* Resistance during World War II

References