Operation FrÃ¼hlingsgewitter (1944)

Operation FrÃ¼hlingsgewitter

Unternehmen FrÃ¼hlingsgewitter / Operation Spring Storm

Intro

German anti-operation area of Knin-Kistanje carried out by 15th Mountain Corps from 25-26 January 1944.

History

Yugoslav Partisans 8th Dalmatian Corps issued ordered on 21 January clearing Cetina and Kosovo valleys and Promina from Ustasha and Chetniks garrisons. Staff of 19th Dalmatian Division didn't have intelligence about German motorized units in Knin or DrniÅ¡ and decided to attack Promina directly counting on surprise. Division concerted in Kistanje and surrounding villages before the attack.

Operation

German column entered Kistanje around 16:00 at the time when majority of Partisans were attacking Promina surprising Staff and 19th Division rear area units including Replacement Battalion, Acting group and Divisional music. Germans captured part of divisional archive, supplies and few musical instruments.

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Order of battle

Axis

264th Infantry Division

92nd Motorized Regiment

3rd Battalion/98th Regiment from 1st Mountain Division

Chetniks

Yugoslav Partisans

19th Dalmatian Division

5th Brigade

Northern Dalmatian Partisan detachment

Knin Partisan detachment

Casualties

Partisans report only for combat on 24 October:

Axis

1 German killed

3 German wounded

1 Chetnik killed

Yugoslav Partisans

killed (66 confirmed plus 60-70 killed or wounded reported by Germans)

wounded

35 captured (wearing British supplied style khaki uniforms)

1 machine gun

3 light machine guns

42 submachine guns

2 anti-tank rifles

1 light mortar

46 carbines

30 British land mines

1 telephone

60 mortar shells

10.000 rounds of ammo

Loot captured by Partisans:

Aftermath

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Reference

95-99