Battle of Dražgoše

Coordinates: 46°15′7.61″N 14°10′38.02″E / 46.2521139°N 14.1772278°E / 46.2521139; 14.1772278

Battle of Dražgoše dražgoška bitka
Part of World War II
Date January 9 - January 11, 1942 Location Dražgoše, Slovenija Result victory of the Wehrmacht[citation needed]
Belligerents
NOVJ	Nazi Germany
Commanders and leaders
Jože Gregoričič	?
Strength
200 fighters	4000 policemen and soldiers
Casualties and losses
9 KIA, 11 wounded, 41 shot hostages, 81 villagers interned	27 casualties[1][Full citation needed]

The Battle of Dražgoše (Slovene: dražgoška bitka) was a Second World War battle between Slovene partisans (NOVJ) and Nazi Germany armed forces, which took place between January 9 and January 11, 1942, in the Slovenian village of Dražgoše. This battle was the first direct confrontation of the war between the two.

Fighting (both numerically and equipment-wise) vastly superior Germans the partisan Cankar's Battalion (numbering 240 combatants) suffered nine casualties throughout the entire battle, 5 of whom were machine gunners, the other 4 being their assistants. German forces suffered about 27 casualties.

After three days of fighting, the partisans were forced to flee the village. German troops executed 17 male civilians immediately upon having secured a portion of the village. During the evening of the following day, a further 18 male residents who had previously escaped, only to be apprehended as they returned were executed, houses were looted and the village was set on fire. When the fires died down, the Germans then demolished the entire village. The remaining villagers were then rounded up and sent to concentration camps.

Two days after this engagement, German troops attacked two partisan platoons on Mošenjska planina. During the 13 hour engagement some 12 Partisans were killed and 5 were wounded.

After the war Dražgoše was entirely rebuilt.

References

1. ^ Enciklopedija Slovenije

• nato.gov.si website
• Photos