Operation OZREN

Operation OZREN

First operation

Partisan activities around communications forced chief of staff of Home Defence to issue following order on 2 November 1941:

"Because of threat to railway Doboj-Maglaj-Sarajevo I order: a) that commanders of II and III Corps evaluate situation and take measures to as best as possible secure traffic along this railway..."

At the same time commander of II Home Defence Corps General Iser received orders to prepare plan for offensive on Ozren partisan detachment. But since trains were being blown up daily there was no time to waste. With forces from Doboj and first arrived reinforcements attempt was made on 15 November to capture most critical point - village Lipac, situated at triangle between rivers Bosna, Spreca and communications Tuzla-Doboj and Maglaj-Doboj. After bitter two day fighting NDH troops were repulsed suffering 80 dead and 40 captured, amongst killed was commander LtColonel Alikadic.

By plan of General Iser Operation 'Ozren' was suppose to take three days. Most of Home Defence 4th Division was to be used in operation - 16 battalions, over 60 guns, several tanks, three armored trains and several aircraft - some 7000 soldiers. Ozren partisan detachment had around 1000 fighters at that time divided into four battalions. Fighting's lasted for nine days without a brake from 2 to 11? December (3 to 12?), after which Home Defence soldiers were forced to go over to defense. Only partisan area of Lipacka glavica and Bajica kamen near Trbuka have been captured.

Report of commander of 4th Home Defence Division Colonel Gostovic states that during operation: "373.998 rifle rounds have been fired, 3935 howitzer shells, 635 mountain and 1157 tank rounds, 1395 mortar mines, 2324 hand grandees..."

During these fighting's Partisans managed to capture one mountain gun, heavy machine-gun, 18 light machine guns and over 200 rifles. NDH units suffered over 350 dead and wounded while partisans losses were around 120 dead and wounded.

Second operation

As part of Second offensive (German codename ???) with goal of eliminating Tito and main partisan force it was decided to carry out Operation 'Ozren' and concentration of forces started on 24 January 1942.
Attack begun on 27 January with following Axis units:

German 718th Infantry Division reinforced by 697th Regiment of 342nd Infantry Division

units from II and III Home Defence Corps (mostly 4th Home Defence Division)

some Ustasha units, including Jure Francetic battalion

Supported by 60 guns, 3 armored trains and engineer units, total of 17000 soldiers against four battalions of Ozren partisan detachment with around 1200 men. Fighting's started in difficult winter conditions, deep snow and low temperatures.

Plan was that while one group would fortify in valley of Bosna and Sreca river near Doboj two other groups would advance from Tuzla and Zavidovica and try to push Ozren partisan detachment into triangle made by rivers and communications in front of Doboj and destroy it there. Operation was commanded by General Pfortner, commander of German 718th Infantry Division. Main part of operation was taken over by Germans while task of Home Defence units was to occupy and secure the areas that Germans have cleansed.

In initial attacks Germans managed to inflict around 150 dead and wounded until partisans returned to guerrilla tactics (before they were frontally fighting poorly equipped Home Defence units). Germans ended operation on 6 February by returning to Doboj. After the Germans have left Ozren partisans detachment started its counter-attack inflicting over 400 casualties on NDH forces.

Aftermath

Despite surviving these two operations Ozren partisan detachment existed for only two more months, on 18 April 1942 chetnik coup was carried out in detachment (and many other detachments in eastern Bosnia) eliminating its communist leadership and forcing survivors to hiding. On 28 May 1942, in Lipovac near Doboj, Ozren chetnik detachment, lead by Cvijetin Todic, Cvijetin Duric and Branko Stakic signed agreement with Ustasha authorities recognizing sovereignty of NDH and as her citizens expressed their loyalty to state and poglavnik Ante Pavelic!