Operation DELPHIN (1943)

Operation DELPHIN

Unternehmen Delphin / Operation Dolphin

Intro

German anti-partisan operation carried out by 15th Mountain Corps on island around Zadar with goal opening PaÅ¡man channel to German naval traffic.

History

Once 71st Infantry Division secured Krk, LoÅ¡inj and Cres islands (operation ?) focus turned to Ugljan, PaÅ¡man and other Northern Dalmatian islands which were threat to safety of German naval traffic south of Zadar.

Earlier attempts on 15 and 30 September to make surprise landing on Ugljan resulted in disasters so for this operation training landings were carried out at OÅ¡tro cape (Puna Mika) and Arbanasi. Also on 30 October landing was carried out near Zaton in order to capture Nin and Privlaka.

Operation

On 19 November three boats for harbor protection left Zadar towards Rivanj and then sailed along coast of Ugljan to Kukljica to test island defenses. German troops advance from Zadar and Benkovac to PakoÅ¡tane and Biograd on 21 November and opened fire from coast on lager settlements on PaÅ¡man island.

Landing on Ugljan island was carried out at dawn on 22 November at Kukljica and Ugljan town, defense was task of Partisan 1st Battalion which was spread out and pushed to southern part of the island, by 14:00 Germans reached SutomiÅ¡Ä‡ice, while southern landing was being contained at peninsula at Kukljica. By 16:00 German pressure increased and artillery from Zadar began to shell positions and station at Sveti Mihovil (Fortezza di San Michele, old Venetian fort above Preko, perfect observation point for surrounding sea lanes). Commander of Partisan detachment around 17:00 concluded that defense was no longer possible and ordered evacuation from Ugljan. Partisans gathered at Svitla bay from where they transferred to IÅ¾ island by 22:00 and from there to Luka on Dugi otok island. Only group of 30 fighters with Political Commissar and deputy commander of the 3rd POS remained until 23 November when they too were evacuated to Dugi Otok.

On 23 November, Germans carried out landings on PaÅ¡man, Rivanj and Sestrunj islands. Landing on PaÅ¡man was carried out unopposed at Å½drelac since staff of 3rd POS decided it wasn't possible to effectively defended the island and has withdrawn during 19/20 November, 2nd Battalion was withdraw during night of 23 November to Dugi otok. Partisan command in meeting on IÅ¾ island on 22 November decided to set up their defense on Dugi otok with troops movement completed by 01:00 on 23 November.

Next day, 24 November, Germans began landing on, now abandoned, IÅ¾ island at three places on eastern coast and one on western coast with cruiser Niobe and destroy patrolling to prevent Partisan escape.

Partisans now decided to abandoned Dugi otok as well and withdraw to Vis island leaving only small group in interior of Dugi otok. This was carried out during night of 26/27 November with 20 boats, leaving only commander of the 3rd POS at Lunga island in Kornati archipelago, single patrol boat and 30 fighters with deputy commander of Partisan detachment.

German completed operation with unopposed landings on Dugi otok, Å½ut, Kornat and Murter.

Order of battle

Axis

Yugoslav Partisans

Staff of the 3rd Maritime Coastal Sectors (POS) - Å½drelac, PaÅ¡man island

Partisan detachment of 3rd Maritime Coastal Sectors (POS)

1st Battalion - 200+ fighters, Ugljan island

14 machine-guns

6 light machine-guns

1 anti-aircraft machine-gun

2nd Battalion - 110+ fighters, NeviÄ‘ani, PaÅ¡man island

1st Company - PaÅ¡man, PaÅ¡man island

2nd Company - Å½drelac, PaÅ¡man island

Casualties

.

Aftermath

After clearing of the islands was completed German units withdrew back to Zadar leaving garrisons only in Preko on Ugljan and Tkon on PaÅ¡man island securing their naval communications but leaving other islands open to Partisan infiltration.

Partisan detachment was returned from Vis island to Kornati archipelago already on 5/6 December, numbering 338 fighters armed with 4 anti-tank guns, 44 submachine-guns, 6 MG-34 and 1000 hand grandees it was moved to mainland to join Group of Northern Dalmatian partisan detachments while one section was moved to Olib island.

Reference

Zadar i zadarsko podruÄje u NOB i socijalistiÄkoj izgradnji, zbornik 2, Zadar, 1986, pages 146-147