Operation MIRKO

Operation MIRKO

Podhvat Mirko

History

NDH anti-partisan operation carried out by 1st Home Defense Division from 27 February to 8 March 1943 in area of Kalnik and Bilo Gora mountains on both sides of KriÅ¾evac - Koprivnica railroad against 400 strong Kalnik partisan detachment.

Attacking force was divided into two groups A and B, made of improvised battalions which combined various smaller units from different formations including using artillerymen as infantry. Group B task was closing south-east side of Bilo Gora to prevent escape of Partisans in direction of GrubiÅ¡no Polje region.

Partisans received warning about operation day earlier, this only reinforced previous decision for detachment to temporarily leave Kalnik mountain and link up with Moslavina partisan detachment. Based on information received several ambushes were set up, at KameÅ¡nica some unit was ambushed but it is not listed in NDH report and probably wasn't part of the operation.

Battalion Ivan which was suppose to arrive at 3 a.m. on 27 February by rail to KriÅ¾evci from Zagreb was 90 minutes late which resulted in its failure to caught up with Partisan rear guard which had time to retreat. On the following day battalion commander Ustasha Major JosiÄ‡ made little effort to make up for the time lost on the previous day and battalion failed to catch up with Partisans.

In the afternoon of 28 February ambush was set near village of Gornji Tkalec for German motorized company which was sent to intercept them and prevent their escape. After successful ambush Kalnik detachment withdraw once night fell moving towards Gradec destroying telegraph equipment at railroad station along the way.

Realizing lack of mobility of NDH troops in pursuit of Partisans, 2nd Bicycle Company was sent back to Koprivnica for their bicycles and moved to KriÅ¾evci reinforcing German motorized company as right group of pursing column. On 1 March from Zagreb 1st Armored Car Company from Poglavnik Bodyguard Brigade arrived as reinforcement and would prove vital in encirclement.

Detachment rested near Bojana village where a peasant from MikluÅ¡evo warned them of arriving NDH reinforcement with tanks and trucks forcing it to retreat. Fleeing into forest called Pijesak (Sand) finally Kalnik detachment was surrounded and broken Staff with 1st and 2nd Battalion after failed breakthrough attempt managed to slip out during the night in direction of Å amarica - PodgariÄ‡ while contact with 3rd Battalion was lost and it escaped towards Bilo Gora. Wagons carrying wounded were captured by NDH troops.

With Kalnik clear of Partisans, sweeping operation was carried out from 5 to 8 March in attempt to eliminate any remaining smaller groups. German motorized company didn't participate in these operations instead another combined Battalion Zvonimir was used. Sweep failed to produce any result.

Orders of Battle

Axis ORBAT - 2179 soldiers

Group A - commander Colonel Antun Nardeli

Staff of Group A - Operational staff of 11th Infantry Regiment

Battalion Ivan - commander Ustasha Major JosiÄ‡, forming in Zagreb

1st Mobile Company of 2nd Infantry Regiment

1st Recruit Squadron of the Calvary Regiment (formed as a rifle company)

1st Battery of the 2nd Artillery Battalion (formed as a infantry company)

Battalion Josip - commander Senior Captain Josip HorÅ¾iÄ‡

Bicycle Battalion

1st Battery of the 1st Artillery Battalion (formed as a infantry company in VaraÅ¾din)

2nd Battery of the 2nd Artillery Battalion with 2 horse drawn mountain howitzers 10cm M16/19 (formed in VaraÅ¾din)

Battalion Antun - commander Infantry Major Miroslav Å tampar

Legionary Company

1st Battery of the 1st Artillery Battalion (formed as a infantry company in VaraÅ¾din)

Assault company of the 1st Calvary Battalion

1 Ustasha company

1 German Motorized company - Oberleutnant LÃ¼dtke

One Support Company of Antun - formed in Sisak

half-platoon of 37mm guns

half-platoon of 80mm mortars

Engineer Squad from 1st Engineer Battalion in Sisak

all ustasha, gendarmerie and armed finance forces in area of Group A

Group B - commander Infantry LtColonel Josip Trupac

2nd Mobile Company of 1st Infantry Regiment

14th Company of 1st Infantry Regiment

1 gendarmerie company 200 strong from Gendarmerie school in Bjelovar

1 anti-tank guns platoon

1 machine-guns platoon

all ustasha, gendarmerie and armed finance forces in area of Group B

1st Armored Car Company of the Mobile Battalion from Poglavnik Bodyguard Brigade - Ustasha Major OreÅ¡koviÄ‡, arriving on 1 March

NOVJ ORBAT

Kalnik partisan detachment - Izidor Å trok

Casualties

On 27 Feburary in Kalnik:

1 Partisan sympathizer killed

2 Partisan sympathizers wounded

On 28 February in combat near village Gornji Tkalec:

3 German soldiers killed

12 Germans soldiers wounded

1 Partisans killed (12 claimed by NDH report)

5 Partisans wounded (6 claimed by NDH report)

On 2 March in combat near village Bojana and Pijesak forest Partisans estimate their losses at around 20 while NDH report claims:

35 Partisans killed

12 Partisans wounded

7 Partisans captured

On 6 March on Bilo Gora:

1 Partisan shot by firing squad

9 persons arrested

Captured from Partisans were 6 rifles, 600 rounds, 5 hand grandees, 3 kg of dynamite, medical station with drugs and both Staff and medical archive, 600 cigarettes and 6 wagons used to transport wounded.

Also liberated from Partisan captivity were one German officer, one German gefreiter, one Croatian legionnaire and one Home Defense soldier.
Aftermath

While Kalnik was cleared NDH troops found no cooperation from local population which continued to provided support for the Partisans. Narrow escape pointed errors in tactics for both sides.