18th (Croatian) Eastern Bosnian brigade
Operation ZIETHEN
Soviet 236th Rifle Division
Hellgate: London
France Pirc (1899 - 1954)
Operation BRAUN
(Brown) / (Psunj-Papuk Operation)
Carried out by some 35,000 soldiers of German 187th Reserve Division and NDH units from March 20th to April 8th 1943 in order to push formations of 4th Croatian Division (12th Slavonian Division of NOVJ) away from Zagreb-Belgrade railway and from Požega valley. Despite heavy fighting's operation was unsuccessful.
On 16 April 1943, Partisans launched new attack. Slavonian Zdrug (brigade) was surrounded and completely destroyed in less then 3 hours, some 900 Home Defence soldiers and Ustasha were captured together with commander Bosnic.
Although planed by Germans it seems that NDH leader Ante Pavelić managed to persuade Germans to let NDH command run it hopping that victory would be easy (area is not far from Zagreb and away from main partisan group lead by Tito) and would boost morale of both troops and civilian population still loyal to NDH. It also seems that this was probably only operation in which Germans units come under control of NDH command, even Kampfgruppe (battle groups) got Croatian names: South, North, East and West. Operation was practically forgotten after the war, but it probably had huge impact on future events because of high losses of NDH units and complete failure to inflict significant losses on partisans.
Order of Battle:
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