Operation ILLUSION

Operation ILLUSION

Unternehmen Illusion / Operation Illusion

Intro

German occupation of Rab (Arbe) island.

History

2nd Panzer Army decided to included Pag and Rab island into its coastal defense system. Landing of units of 392nd Division together with 9th Ustasha Battalion (operation ?) secured Pag island. On 20 March 2nd Company of the 847th Grenadier Regiment was to land on Rab island from Senj by landing crafts of 771st Landing Pioneer Battalion. Escort was task of 11th Flotilla after carrying out Operation BIBER which after escorting landing crafts would take blocking position between cape Kalifront on Rab and cap Lun on Pag islands to prevent Partisans escaping in direction of Dugi otok island.

German intelligence lacked information that most units of Partisan 2nd Coastal Naval Sector and Jews which stayed on the island (from Italian concentration camp Kampor) left Rab island already on 3 March. Loss of TA-36 in operation BIBER prevented naval blockade forcing Germans to relay on air power based on Zadar airfield.

From 19 to 23 March German aircraft made numerous attack on Partisan ships in Kornati archipelago and coves of Dugi otok sinking motor sailing boats "Bog s nama", "Divna" and "Ilirija" and armed ships NB-1, NB-6 and patrol boat PČ-5.
Orders of Battle

Axis ORBAT

NOVJ ORBAT

Casualties

.

Aftermath

On 21 March took control and begun fortifying Rab island which would remain in Germans hands until April 1945.

Reference

Janez Tomšič: Narodnoosvobodilni boj na Jadranu in slovenski pomorščaki, page 364

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