Operation LAWINE (1944/45)

Operation LAWINE

Unternehmen Lawine / Operation Avalanche / Operacija Lavina

Intro

After success of Second Banja Luka operation, Yugoslav Partisan 5th Corps by orders from Supreme Headquarters carried out Travnik operation during October 1944 in which it overran axis garrisons in LaÅ¡va valley all the way to Zenica with ultimate goal of capturing Sarajevo. This put Partisans in position to threaten Bosna river valley which after Belgrade operation become main retreat route for German Army Group E. During November, Partisan 5th Corps carried out 134 attacks with further 144 attacks in December against axis garrisons along this vital communication.

With 118th Jager Division being hard pressed in Syrmia, Army Group E feared breakthrough in Slavonia with Partisans advancing to Vinkovci and Slavonski Brod cutting off German troops in Sarajevo and Mostar area. Initially it was planed to open secondary retreat route through Travnik and Banja Luka toward Una river valley since request to pull out of Bosnia completely was rejected by Adolf Hitler. After Soviet 68th Rifle Corps was replaced by poorly prepared 1st Bulgarian Army and with Yugoslav Partisan divisions exhausted offensive operations in Syrmia come to a halt allowing Germans to bring in reinforcements and stabilize frontline, this change in situation resulted in operation LAWINE being scaled down to only capture of Travnik in order to secure flank of German forces which were moving through Sarajevo to Slavonski Brod.

History

Operation was carried out by 5th SS Mountain Corps against Yugoslav Partisans 5th Corps. Operation can be divided into two phases.

Phase I

Attack began on 29 December simultaneously on four main directions:

from BusovaÄa towards Rovno village - 4th Regiment of Russian Defense Corps, 920th LandesschÃ¼tzen Battalion, one company from 505th Reconnaissance Battalion, 5th Air Force Security Battalion with 12 guns and 2 tanks

from Kopaonik along road towards Han-Kompanija - most of 505th Reconnaissance Battalion, 843rd Security Battalion with 4 guns, 5 tanks and 2 armored cars

from Zenica towards ÄŒajdraÅ¡ village - 1st Battalion of the 11th Ustasha Brigade, Replacement Battalion of the 7th SS Division with 2 armored cars

from Gradina village towards Stranjani village - 5th Regiment of Russian Defense Corps, 4th Battalion of the 11th Ustasha Brigade, Pioneer Battalion of 369th Division

Attempting to take most direct road route to Travnik but only minor advance were made on the first day and Partisan 4th Division thanks to artillery support managed to hold the line. On 30 December, Germans switched main attack to flanks in hopes of enveloping 4th Divisions and on 1 January managed to reach GuÄa Gora on Partisan left flank opening direct route to Travnik. Partisan 5th Corps immediately ordered transfer of 6th Brigade from right flank to cover GuÄa Gora which resulted in KG Eberlein being attacked from front by 6th and from flanks by 8th and 11th brigades. On 5 January, 5th Corps order all units to attack KG Eberlein which retreated back to Zenica.

Phase II

Failure of KG Eberlein forced Army Group E to transfer its operational reserve, 104th Jager Division, from Sarajevo to Zenica. 104th Division took over defense of Zenica and command of KG Eberlein and began planing fresh attack towards Travnik. Preparations would take 12 days because Phase II which was planed for 10 January was postponed after 14th Brigade of 53rd Division cut railroad between Å½epÄa, Maglaja and Doboj in multiple place preventing departure of numerous staff units of 5th SS Corps which were suppose to move safely to Zagreb. 104th Division was given immediate task of securing passage of these units delaying the operation.

New assault began on 19 January at 4:00 with main attack coming at GuÄa Gora and village of Malina, GuÄa Gora was lost recaptured by 4th Division several times.

...

Travnik was secured by Germans on 22 January.

Order of Battle - Phase I

Axis ORBAT - around 14174 soldiers, 50 artillery pieces, 8 tanks, 4 armored cars

Kampfgruppe Eberlein, colonel August von Eberlein

639th Security Regiment - 2500 soldiers

273rd Security Battalion - 600 soldiers

845th German-Arab Security Battalion - 900 soldiers

516th Security Battalion - 650 soldiers

803rd Security Battalion - 650 soldiers

920th LandesschÃ¼tzen Battalion - 950 soldiers

4th and 5th Regiment of Russian Defense Corps - 3000 soldiers

505th Reconnaissance Battalion of the 5th SS Corps - 700 soldiers

Replacement Battalion of the 7th SS Division - 1026 soldiers

1st and 4th Battalion of the 11th Ustasha Brigade - 1500 soldiers

5th Air Force Security Battalion - 800 soldiers

two batteries of Italian 75mm guns - 300 soldiers

819th Artillery Battalion - 600 soldiers, 4 batteries of 105mm guns

Yugoslav Partisans ORBAT

5th Corps

4th Krajina Division - 6000 soldiers

7th Brigade of 10th Krajina division - on line BusovaÄa - Kiseljak

6th Krajina Brigade - on left bank of LaÅ¡va river

8th Krajina Brigade - on left bank of LaÅ¡va river

11th Krajina Brigade -

Artillery Battalion

Artillery Battalion of the 5th Corps

Order of Battle - Phase II

Axis ORBAT - around 28000 soldiers

104th Jager Division - 18000 soldiers

Kampfgruppe Wecker - advancing from hill 800 and village SuÅ¡anj, towards VraniÄ‡i and Suhi Do with task of enveloping Travnik from North

734th Jager Regiment

845th German-Arab Security Battalion

Kampfgruppe Mayer, advancing from GrahovÄiÄ‡i - KonjeviÄ‡i towards village BrajkoviÄ‡i - GuÄa Gora

724th Jager Regiment

5th Air Force Security Battalion

Kampfgruppe Dorner, guarding south flank of 724th Regiment and advance by PeÄarnice towards river Bila near village of Klaci and then to LaÅ¡va river near village of NeviÄ‡ Polje

104th Reconnaissance Battalion

Kampfgruppe Eberlein, colonel August von Eberlein, advancing by road BusovaÄa - Travnik

639th Security Regiment

273rd Security Battalion

516th Security Battalion

522nd LandschÃ¼tz Battalion

1st and 2nd Regiment of Russian Defense Corps

two batteries of Italian guns

Yugoslav Partisans ORBAT

5th Corps

4th Krajina Division - 7400 soldiers

7th Brigade of 10th Krajina division - on line BusovaÄa - Kiseljak

6th Krajina Brigade - on left bank of LaÅ¡va river

8th Krajina Brigade - on left bank of LaÅ¡va river

11th Krajina Brigade -

Artillery Battalion

Artillery Battalion of the 5th Corps

Casualties - Phase I

Germans (reported on 1 January 1945)

6 killed

67 wounded

11 pack animals

2 vehicles

Yugoslav Partisans

84 killed

337 wounded

.

Casualties - Phase II

Germans

258 casualties in 104th Jager Division

34 killed

134 wounded

87 suffering from frostbites

4 missing

Yugoslav Partisans

72 killed

188 wounded

21 missing

8th Brigade

20 killed

90 wounded

Partisans equipment captured by Germans.

1 heavy machine-guns

17 light machine-guns (part of them destroyed)

2 anti-tank guns (destroyed)

48 rifles

hand grandees, various ammo and dug up land mines

Aftermath

At the end of January, 104th Division was transferred to Doboj for attack towards GraÄanica and from BrÄko and Bijeljina towards Zvornik to help 22nd Division which was advancing through Drina river valley towards BrÄko. This left only KG Eberlein reinforced with tanks and artillery for defense of Travnik which was ordered to dug in hold LaÅ¡va valley against Partisan 5th Corps. Partisan attack began on 15 February with Travnik liberated on 19 February and Germans pushed back to Zenica by 25 February. Reinforcements in form of 359th Regiment of 181st Division proved insufficient to stabilize situation and 7th SS Division had to be rushed which resulted in operation SEITENSPRUNG.

Reference

Drago KarasijeviÄ‡: Peti korpus NOVJ, 1985, Belgrade