Operation PRIJEDOR

Operation PRIJEDOR

(Unternehmen Prijedor / Akcija Prijedor)

History

By 1942, Partisan stronghold of Kozara mountain started to pose serious threat to surrounding Axis garrisons. Several attempts by NDH forces failed to pacify Kozara with Partisans destroying railroad Banja Luka - Bosanski Novi - Prijedor in several places making mission of the 923rd LandesschÃ¼tzen Battalion guarding nearby Ljubija iron mine pointless resulting in need to safely withdraw battalion as well as dozens of Volksdeutsche families living there to Bosanska Dubica 32 kilometers north of Prijedor.

Operation

In his instructions for operation 718th Division commander Johann Fortner ordered that entire male Serb population should be treated as if carrying weapons and all Serb villages should be torched once they were no longer needed for housing of German troops.

Germans begun their advance from Dubica on 17 February but already on 19 February, LtColonel Wutte reported that forces used were insufficient to carry out the mission. Partisans had few forces present from 2nd Krajina partisan detachment so on the first day only one section at KruÅ¡kovac stooped German advance. It was reinforced to platoon strength under command of Ljuban AÄ‡imoviÄ‡ and managed to hold Germans for two days and night forcing them to bring reinforcements. Partisan 2nd Company of the 2nd Battalion also arrived at the evening of the second day from action at Kozarac.

On third day from frontal combat Partisans switched to ambushes and flanking and rear attacks forcing Germans to sweep terrain along the road 6-8 kilometers in depth. Partisans made two very successful ambushes, first near church in village Uremovci killing entire German reconnaissance 15 soldiers strong and second in Brekinje by platoon under command of Milan Muharem.

German reinforcements were sent on 20 March while 718th division commander personally arrived to Dubica on 23 February and took over command of the operation. Forward elements of Wutte detachment arrived at Prijedor on 26 February around 19:30 while remaining forces took over security of Dubica - Prijedor road. 923rd LandesschÃ¼tzen Battalion was escorted by Wutte detachment to Dubica on 10 March 1942. Before retreating Germans set off central warehouses of Ljubija mine containing 50 000 kilograms of explosives besides demolishing mine installations.

By 23 February, general Bader sent changed order for captured rebels to be sent to Å abac concentration camp, later Zemun form where they would be sent as workforce but by this time most of the population has fled.

Commander of NDH garrison in Prijedor, colonel Mario Zlobec refused German offer to retreat with them which was approved by NDH command in Banja Luka.

Orders of Battle

Axis order of battle

718th Infantry Division

1st and 2nd Battalion of the 750th Regiment

1st Battalion of the 724th Regiment from 704th Infantry Division

Mountain gun platoon of the 688th Artillery Battalion

Platoon of the 688th Artillery Battalion

two platoons of the 718th Engineer Company

Croatian 65mm mountain gun platoon

reinforcements on 20 February

1st and 2nd Battalion of the 738th Regiment, major Anacker

two batteries of the 688th Artillery Battalion, LtColonel Humell

ustasha defense battalion from Jasenovac concentration camp, 2nd lt. Vjekoslav Ile

NDH garrison in Prijedor while also offered to withdraw wasn't involved in the fightings

11th Home Defense Infantry Regiment, colonel Mario Zlobec

Yugoslav partisans - 2nd Krajina Partisan detachment

Day 1 - section at KruÅ¡kovac

Day 2 - platoon at KruÅ¡kovac

Day 2 evening - 2nd Company of the 2nd Battalion at KruÅ¡kovac and 2nd Company of the 1st Battalion at Grabovac

Losses

German reported casualties

34 killed

48 wounded

15 missing

49 sick

Partisan casualties claimed by Germans but these also include civilians shot in reprisals:

189 killed

13 wounded

16 captured

Also reported by 718th Division commander was confiscation of livestock:

53 horses

558 cattle

5 calf

235 sheep

1 goat

85 pigs

932 total

Partisans reported only a dozen casualties and claimed to have captured:

11 machine guns MG-34

110 rifles

6 submachine guns

12 pistols

Aftermath

German withdrawal was negatively received by Ustasha authorities, combat success against feared Germans have given Partisans additional morale boost and harsh German reprisals further fueled uprising in Kozara region increasing Partisan attacks on axis garrison.

This would culminate in Partisan attack on Prijedor on the night of 15/16 May 1942. Joint attack by 1st and 2nd Krajina Partisan detachment resulted in annihilation of the garrison with around 100 NDH soldiers killed including commander colonel Zlobec and around 1300 NDH soldiers taken prisoners.

Reference

DuÅ¡an D. SamardÅ¾ija: BosanskodubiÄko podruÄje u NOR-u i socijalistiÄkoj revoluciji 1941-1945, 1984