Biographies - Home Defense Army
A-M
| AJANOVIĆ, Junuz
(1890 - 1945) |
| Rank: |
General |
| Assignments: |
3rd Croatian Mountain Brigade
12th "Imotski" Division |
| Executed: |
|
| Notes: |
|
| ALABANDA, Hinko
(1882 - 1959) |
| Rank: |
unconfirmed General of the Armed Forces in May,
1945 |
| Assignments: |
|
| Died: |
|
| Note: |
Survived war |
| ALIKADIĆ, Salko
(1896 - 1941) |
| Rank: |
Posthumously promotion to General |
| Assignments: |
|
| Died: |
KIA as part of 2nd Croatian Infantry Regiment |
| Note: |
|
| BADER, Kosta (1874
- 1944) |
| Rank: |
Promotion to General in August, 1943 |
| Assignments: |
Commands the Supply Section of the Ministry of
the Armed Forces |
| Died: |
Retires in 1944, and dies shortly thereafter |
| Note: |
|
| BEGIĆ, Vilko
(Vilim) (1874 - ????) |
| Rank: |
General in April, 1945 |
| Assignments: |
Advisor to Ante Pavelic |
| Died: |
Final fate unknown |
| Notes: |
Carried honorary title "Vitez" |
| BLAŠKOVIĆ, Pero
(1883 - 1945) |
| Rank: |
|
| Assignments: |
Commander of Bosnian Divisional region
April-August, 1941 |
| Died: |
Supported Vokic-Lorkovic coup attempt in 1944,
and died in jail after its failure |
| Notes: |
Retired due to anti-Ustasa political position |
| BROZOVIĆ, Ivan
(1891 - ????) |
| Rank: |
Promoted to General in July, 1942 |
| Assignments: |
Commander of Zagreb Military District |
| Died: |
|
| Notes: |
Survived Bleiburg, and lived in Austria post
war. |
| BUNIĆ, Eduard
(Bona) (1894 - 1944) |
| Rank: |
Posthumously promoted to General |
| Assignments: |
As Colonel commanded the defense of Travnik in
October, 1944 |
| Killed: |
Surrounded and out of ammunition, he led a
bayonet charge on the Partisans by his surviving men, and was killed in action |
| Notes: |
|
| CESARIĆ, Slavko (1897
- ????) |
| Rank: |
Inspector-General of the Artillery |
| Assignments: |
Commander of the 12th Division from December,
1944 |
| Killed: |
|
|
|
| Notes: |
Survived Bleiburg and lived in Argentina |
| CANIĆ, Matija
(???? - ????) |
| Rank: |
Promoted to General in August, 1943 |
| Assignments: |
Commander of the Armed Forces in 1944 |
|
|
| Notes: |
Survived the war and lived in Argentina |
| CUS, Oton (1902 -
1949) |
| Rank: |
|
| Assignments: |
Commander of the Travnik Military District |
| Executed: |
Extradited from Austria in 1948, and executed |
| Notes: |
Later transferred to the Ustase. Retired in
March, 1944 |
| DANDA, Ciril (1893
- ????) |
| Rank: |
|
| Assignments: |
Commander of the Technical(?) Troops of the NDH |
|
|
| Notes: |
Missing in May, 1945, fate unknown. |
| DESOVIĆ, Milan
(1895 - ????). |
| Rank: |
|
| Assignments: |
Commander of the Petrinja Brigade September 1942
- January 1943
Military Attaché in Berlin, 1943 - end of war. |
|
|
| Notes: |
|
| DOLAÄŒKI, Franjo
(1884 - 1950) |
| Rank: |
|
| Assignments: |
commander of the artillery in the Osijek
Divisional Area: 1941-1943
deputy commander of Zagreb Military District |
|
|
| Notes: |
|
| DOLLEZIL, Stjepan
(1888 - 1945) |
| Rank: |
Cavalry General |
| Assignments: |
|
| Executed: |
1945 |
| Notes: |
|
| DOMANIK, Roman
(1891 - ????) |
| Rank: |
|
| Assignments: |
Commander of the 8th Division
17th Division |
| Died: |
unknown |
| Notes: |
|
| DRAGIČEVIĆ, Djuro
(1890 - ????) |
| Rank: |
|
| Assignments: |
From July, 1944, stationed in Berlin, as
liaison for the procurement of arms and equipment |
| Died: |
|
| Notes: |
Captured by Soviet Red Army in April, 1945,
spent 9 years in Soviet prison camp |
| DRAGOJLOV, Fedor
(1881 - 1961) |
| Rank: |
Promoted to Colonel-General in February, 1944 |
| Assignments: |
Served in the Army High Command in Zagreb |
| Died: |
|
| Notes: |
Croatian General of the Orthodox faith
Survives Bleiburg, and lived in Argentina |
| DJUJIĆ, Djuro (1887-1945) |
| Rank: |
General |
| Assignments: |
At the end of 1944 he became Chief of Staff of
NDH Army. |
| Died: |
Yugoslav authorities sentenced him to death by
firing squad. |
| Notes: |
Brigade General in Royal Yugoslav Army. He
escorted Pavelic on his visit to Hitler in the middle of ? 1944 |
| FRITZ, Julije (1900
- 1945) |
| Rank: |
|
| Assignments: |
Commander of the 3rd Jaeger Brigade
10th Division |
| Executed: |
1945 |
| Notes: |
|
| GREGURIĆ, Mirko
(1897 - 1945) |
| Rank: |
Generals rank attained in February, 1944 |
| Assignments: |
Commander of the 2nd Division |
| Executed: |
1945 |
| Notes: |
|
| GRLIĆ, Stjepan
(1894 - ????) |
| Rank: |
|
| Assignments: |
Commander of the 4th Croatian Mountain Brigade
9th Croatian Mountain Division |
| Died: |
unknown |
| Notes: |
|
| GRUIĆ, Djuro (1887
- 1945) |
| Rank: |
|
| Assignments: |
Member of the Croatian High Command |
| Executed: |
1945 |
| Notes: |
Carried the honorary title "Vitez" |
| GUSTOVIĆ, August (1889
- 1945) |
| Rank: |
General |
| Assignments: |
9th Infantry Regiment
4th Infantry Division
1st Mountain Division
Inspector-General of the Infantry in 1944
Commander of all Croatian forces on the Srijem Front |
| Executed: |
1945 |
| Notes: |
|
| Halla, Ferdo (Ferdinand) (1877-1949) |
| Rank: |
Colonel |
| Assignments: |
He worked for the NDH government in the capacity
of State Labor Leader (a civilian sub-ministry). He received the rank of Colonel of the
Home Defense in July of 1943, when he was transferred to the High Command of the Home
Defense. |
| Died: |
Halla committed suicide in Austria in May,
rather than face extradition to Yugoslavia. |
| Notes: |
|
| Herceg, Rudolf, M.D. (1877-1949) |
| Rank: |
General |
| Assignments: |
Head of the Health Section of the Ministry of
the Home Defense: April, 1941 - December, 1941, when he retires. |
| Died: |
|
| Notes: |
Doctor of Medicine |
| Hocevar, Ante M.D. (1880-?) |
| Rank: |
General |
| Assignments: |
From May, 1941-March, 1944 (retirement date)
commander of the Central Military Hospital of the NDH |
| Died: |
fate unknown |
| Notes: |
Doctor of Medicine |
| Hromic, Muhamed (1893-1945) |
| Rank: |
|
| Assignments: |
Liaison between the 13th Croatian volunteer
Waffen SS Division "Handschar" and the Croatian High Command |
| Executed: |
1945 |
| Notes: |
Arrested post war in Austria by the British,
extradited to Yugoslavia and executed |
| Iser, Djuro (Juraj) (1887-1963) |
| Rank: |
General |
| Assignments: |
Commanded the Adriatic Divisional Area April,
1941-October, 1941.
Commander of the Military District II till January 5, 1944, when he retires |
| Died: |
|
| Notes: |
Spent 2 years in Yugoslav jail post war |
| Iskric, Jovan (1884-1961) |
| Rank: |
|
| Assignments: |
From April, 1941 - December, 1944 (retirement
date) commander of the Personell Department of the Ministry of the Armed Forces of the NDH |
| Died: |
|
| Notes: |
Stays in Croatia post-war, and appears not to
have been prosecuted |
| Klaic, Karlo (Dragan) (1889-1976) |
| Rank: |
General |
| Assignments: |
Commander of all NDH military schools from May,
1941-September, 1942. From then, till his retirement in May, 1943, he serves with the High
Command of the Ministry of the Armed Forces. |
| Died: |
|
| Notes: |
Appears not to have been prosecuted in post-war
Yugoslavia |
| Kopacin, Josip (1898-1943) |
| Rank: |
Posthumously promoted to Generals rank. |
| Assignments: |
As a Colonel of the Domobranstvo, he commands
the 15th Infantry Regiment. |
| Died: |
Killed in action on June 26, 1943 in a battle
with Chetnik bandits in eastern Bosnia. |
| Notes: |
|
| Kosak, Kresimir (1884-?) |
| Rank: |
General |
| Assignments: |
worked in the Command of the Zagreb City
Garrison. Retired in July, 1944. |
| Died: |
Final fate unknown. |
| Notes: |
|
| Kvaternik, Slavko (1878-1947) |
| Rank: |
The only Field-Marshall in the military of the
NDH. Doglavnik. |
| Assignments: |
Second man of the NDH, Minister of the Home
Defense. |
| Died: |
Sentenced to death, but it is unclear whether he
was executed, or died during "interrogation". |
| Notes: |
Austrian- Hungarian Colonel in WW1. Declared the
Independent State of Croatia on April 10, 1941. Emigrated in Slovakia because he had some
problem with Ustasha movement. Formally withdrew from his political and military positions
on January 4th, 1943, due to a conflict with Poglavnik Ante Pavelic. Retired to Austria.
Arrested post-war and extradited to Yugoslavia. |
| Laxa, Vladimir (1869-1945). Army
General. |
| Rank: |
General |
| Assignments: |
Second in command of the ground forces of the
NDH in April, 1941. Commander of ground forces as of June, 1941. In October, 1941 he is
transferred to the High Command of the Croatian Armed Forces, where he remains till August,
1942, when he is removed by order of Marshall Slavko Kvaternik and retired. |
| Executed: |
1945 |
| Notes: |
Carried the honorary title "Vitez".
Captured at Bleiburg, he is extradited to Yugoslavia, and executed. |
| Lemesic, Josip (1875-1949) |
| Rank: |
|
| Assignments: |
From April, 1941 - June, 1944 (retirement date),
he is the commander of the 6th Department (Arms and Ammunitions) of the Ministry of the
Armed Forces. |
| Died: |
|
| Notes: |
Escapes to Austria at the end of the war, and
dies of natural causes. |
| Lukanc, Rudolf (1879-1948) |
| Rank: |
|
| Assignments: |
Assigned to the Ministry of the Armed Forces.
Retires in February, 1943. |
| Died: |
|
| Notes: |
Sentenced to 3 years in Yugoslav jail. |
| Lukic, Mihajlo (1886-1961). |
| Rank: |
|
| Assignments: |
Commander of the Osijek Divisional Area, later
Inspector-General of the Infantry. Liaison officer to the Italian II Armata for a short
period of time. In December, 1941, he is named the commander of the 3rd Sarajevo Military
Area, but remains in this position, again, for a very short period of time, as he is
forcibly retired in February, 1942 (due to his boisterous resistance to the government
allowing Croatians to volunteer for German units on the Eastern Front). |
| Died: |
|
| Notes: |
One of the few Croatian Generals of the Royal
Yugoslav Army prior to WW2. Sentenced to 10 years in Yugoslav prison post-war. |
| Lulić, Vilim (Vil) (?-1945) |
| Rank: |
Colonel. |
| Assignments: |
Deputy of Slavko Kvaternik in April 1941. |
| Died: |
Arrested after Vokić-Lorković coup and then
shot by Ustasha. |
| Notes: |
Before war Reserve Infantry Colonel of Royal
Yugoslav Army. |
| Majetic, Bogdan (1896-1945).
|
| Rank: |
|
| Assignments: |
Promoted to General in January, 1944, while
commanding the 2nd Croatian Mountain Brigade "Marshall Slavko Kvaternik". In
March, 1944, he is named commander of the 2nd Military District. |
| Executed: |
1945 |
| Notes: |
|
| Maric, August (1885-1957) |
| Rank: |
|
| Assignments: |
In the NDH, he is the head of the Croatian High
Command till mid-1942, when he is arrested for embezzlement. Forcibly retired. |
| Died: |
|
| Notes: |
Another of the few Croatian Generals of the
Royal Yugoslav Army. |
| Markulj, Ivan (born in Mostar,
Herzegovina on Feb 11th, 1889 - September, 1945). |
| Rank: |
|
| Assignments: |
His first command is in Pokupje, near Karlovac,
and soon thereafter he becomes the commander of the Varazdin Infantry Regiment. In June,
1941, he is transferred to command the 369th Reinforced (Croat) Infantry Regiment, a
"legionnaire" unit of Croatian volunteers in the Wehrmacht. He commands the unit
through its training, and then in their first battles on the Eastern Front as part of the
100th Jager Division. In July 21st, 1942, he is withdrawn from the 369th, and Colonel
Viktor "Vitez" Pavicic takes over the unit. In this way, Markulj avoids the
Stalingrad death trap, where most of the 369th Regiment perishes. Markulj is transferred
back to Croatia, promoted to General of the Domobranstvo, and given command of the City of
Zagreb. At the end of 1943, Markulj becomes the commander of the III Military Zone of the
NDH, based in Sarajevo. He remains here until April 1945, when he withdraws with his
troops towards Austria. |
| Executed: |
1945 |
| Notes: |
Officer in the Austro-Hungarian, later in the
Royal Yugoslav Army. Carried the rank of Colonel at the time of the Yugoslavian
capitulation in April, 1941. With the declaration of Croatian independence, April 10,
1941, Markulj joins the Croatian NDH Home Defense. The British captured him in May, 1945
in Austria, and extradited him to Yugoslavia. |
| Matagic, Ivan (1888-1941) |
| Rank: |
promoted to General posthumously |
| Assignments: |
Commander of the 11th Infantry Regiment (Sisak)
as a Colonel |
| Died: |
Killed in Bosnia in a Partisan ambush. |
| Notes: |
|
| Matasic, Ante (1862-1942) |
| Rank: |
Promoted to General of the Infantry in June,
1941. |
| Assignments: |
Worked in the Ministry of the Domobranstvo.
Later became a member of the Parliament. |
| Died: |
Died of natural causes in 1942. |
| Notes: |
|
| Mesic, Marko (born in Bjelovar on
Deptember 30, 1901 - 1948?) |
| Rank: |
|
| Assignments: |
In the rank of Lt-Colonel, Mesic was appointed
the commander of the artillery detachment of the 369th (Croat) Reinforced Infantry
Regiment from its founding. Excellent officer, highly respected by both his soldiers and
the German command. Replaced Colonel Viktor Pavicic as commander of the Regiment in
Stalingrad when Pavicic disappeared on January 21, 1943. Fought to the very last with the
Croatian survivors in Stalingrad, and was captured with his few remaining men on February
2, 1943. |
| Died: |
Apparently (but unconfirmed) he was liquidated
in 1948 (?) by the Yugoslav Communist secret police. |
| Notes: |
Apparently awarded the EK1 in the last days of
the Stalingrad pocket. In absentia, promoted to full Colonel and received the title
"Vitez" in Croatia for his heroism. Walked with his men from Stalingrad to
Moscow, where he was placed in a POW camp, under horrible conditions. In order to receive
better treatment for his surviving men, Mesic agreed to have his photo taken in his German
uniform with Communist insignia for Soviet propaganda purposes. Extradited to Yugoslavia
post-war, where he lost both legs while trying to escape. |
| Metikos, Vladimir (1899-?) |
| Rank: |
|
| Assignments: |
Commander of the Croatian 7th Infantry-Jaeger
Division from mid 1942-June, 1944. From June, 1944-December, 1944 commander of the Banja
Luka Military District. Commander of the 6th Croatian Division from December 2, 1944. |
| Died: |
Executed post-war. |
| Notes: |
|
| Metzger, Josip (Josef) (1883-1945) |
| Rank: |
|
| Assignments: |
Commander of the NDH border security units in
Mostar, Livno and Glamoc. In 1944 commands the Sinj Military Sector. In early 1945
commands the IV Croatian Divisional Group. |
| Died: |
Executed post-war. |
| Notes: |
Carried the honorary title "Vitez". |
| Mifek, Stjepan (1899-1945) |
| Rank: |
|
| Assignments: |
Commander of the 8th Infantry Regiment
(1942/43), 3rd Croatian Jaeger Brigade (1943), 1st Croatian Cadet Regiment (1944),
Garrison of Sisak (late 1944), and finally the 3rd Croatian Division (end of December,
1944). |
| Died: |
Captured and murdered near Zagreb by Partisan
forces in the last days of the war. |
| Notes: |
|
| Milic, Lavoslav (1890-1964) |
| Rank: |
Promoted to Lt.-General on February 19, 1944. |
| Assignments: |
Member of the Croatian High Command. |
| Died: |
|
| Notes: |
Sentenced to 20 years in Yugoslav jail, served 5
years and released due to illness. |
| Mizler, Milan (1868-1944). |
| Rank: |
|
| Assignments: |
General and commander of the Gendarmerie |
| Died: |
Died of natural causes. |
| Notes: |
|
| Murkovic, Matija (1882-1944) |
| Rank: |
Promoted to General in June, 1943 |
| Assignments: |
Commander of the 1st Infantry Division. |
| Died: |
Apparently died of natural causes (?) |
| Notes: |
|
Researched by Ivan Bajlo and Allen Milcic
