Operation KORNBLUME

Operation KORNBLUME

Operation Cornflower / Operacija Å½itni cvijet/cvet

History

Operation was planed in four phases from 14 June to 6 August 1944 to eliminate Yugoslav Partisans forces in Syrmia because of constant attacks on communications and traffic on vital Belgrade - Vinkovci. Secondary objective was to secure and collect harvest. Blocking lines were organized around main Partisan area FruÅ¡ka Gora mountain, Bosut forest and south-east Syrmia.

Yugoslav Partisans General staff for Vojvodina through caught spy learned about attack against FruÅ¡ka gora and ordered 6th Vojvodina Brigade and 1st Syrmian partisan detachment to retreat south-west to Bosut forest and join 2nd Syrmian partisan detachment in order to carry out sabotages while at FruÅ¡ka gora single battalions of each until would remain to secure General staff infrastructure which was to be hidden underground.

Phase I

On 14 June, eastern group of around 5000 soldiers begun advancing towards FruÅ¡ka Gora along line Irig - Sremska Kamenica reaching line Vrdnik - Rakovac on the same day. Following day it reached line BeoÄin - Jazak and dug in to serve as blocking force while western group of around 4000 soldiers started from line Å id - Ilok and carefully advanced searching the terrain for Partisans until 22 June when it linked up with eastern group. Slow advance allowed most Partisans to easily withdraw and set up several ambushes losing only 6 men.

Despite Partisans careful preparations Germans managed to find several bases and capture around 80000 rounds of ammo, 2 mortars, some shells, several tents and archive. Prisoners included 62 recently mobilized soldiers from Sremska Mitrovica town command and 30 from Irig town command, also 7 from medical training camp while chief of medical section DuÅ¡an Dronjak Don and chief of medical gathering? Anaf Frida Dunja were killed. Also 2nd Battalion from 6th Brigade lost several soldiers in ambush.

Phase II

Was carried out from 1 to 12 July in northeastern Syrmia and Podunavlje (Danube river basin) where no Partisan unit was located so it was limited to looting of population which was suspected of supporting Partisans.

This period was used by Partisans to carry out raids from Bosut forests. On 2 July 7th Vojvodina Brigade was formed with Russian battalion formed from Red Army solider who where German prisoners used as slave labor. 2nd Battalion of 6th Brigade was order to return breakthrough German lines between Gibaraca - BaÄinici and return to FruÅ¡ka Gora. In this breakthrough German casualties were 3 wounded and 1 captured while Partisans suffered 1 killed and 1 captured and made Germans think that 2000-3000 Partisans attempted to reach FruÅ¡ka Gora but were repulsed.

Phase III

Begun around 6 July in south-eastern Syrmia.

From FruÅ¡ka Gora fresh attacks begun and during night of 10/11 July 6th Brigade attacked German garrison in ÄŒalma made of company from 812th Battalion of the 606th Security Regiment, Gestapo? and around 100 armed locals. Attack was repulsed at the coast of 19 killed, 8 wounded and 9 captured while Partisans losses were only 3 lightly wounded.

These attacks forced Germans to organize new clearing of FruÅ¡ka Gora since it become clear that Phase I was a failure. Two groups of 4000 and 2000 begun their surprise attack on 17 July but were defeated in several ambushes with Partisans claiming 250 killed and 270 wounded enemy soldiers and capturing (only) 4 heavy machine-guns, 2 submachine-guns, 8 rifles and 1 radio station while losing only 24 killed and 36 wounded. NDH report makes enemy causalities report even more ridicules claiming success with 398 bodies counted, 600 estimated and 22 captured.

In the background of combat operation another battle was fought, a battle for grain with both sides attempting to collect as much grain as possible or destory what was or could be collected by the enemy.

Phase IV

On 26 July German forces moved from FruÅ¡ka Gora towards south-west Syrmia, 7th Vojvodina Brigade together with 2nd Syrmian and Majevica (arrived from Eastern Bosnia) partisan detachment retreated to Slavonia and until 9 September fought as part of 6th Corps.

Order of Battle

Axis - 10000 to 15000 soldiers

parts of 13th SS Division

606th Security Regiment

7th Home Defense Garrison Brigade

1st Police Regiment Croatia (Polizei-Freiwillige-Rgt. Kroatien)

2nd Police Regiment Croatia

3rd Police Regiment Croatia

Air Force Training Regiment

1st Police Battalion

18th Police Battalion

6th Ustasha Battalion

Yugoslav Partisans

6th Vojvodina Brigade

7th Vojvodina Brigade

1st Syrmian Partisan detachment

2nd Syrmian Partisan detachment

Casualties

Aftermath

Germans managed to confiscated part of the harvest but failed to remove threat to communications Belgrade - Vinkovci and Belgrade - Novi Sad or to suppress resistance activities.

Reference

Å½ivan M. NinkoviÄ‡: Å esta vojvoÄ‘anska udarna brigada