Operation Schneeflocke (1944)

Operation Schneeflocke

Unternehmen Schneeflocke / Operation Snowflake

Intro

German attack from Zenica and BusovaÄa carried out by 5th SS Mountain Corps against 4th Krajina Division from 9 to ? December 1944. Same codename was also used for attack of the 5th Panzer Division from 5 to 6 January 1945 near Lake Raspuda in East Prussia.

History

With Travnik in Partisans hands supply line Sarajevo - Zenica - Bosanski Brod become too narrow and easily threatened.

For the operation various collection of troops retreating from Serbia and Greece was used besides local Ustasha garrisons.

Operation

Assault began by around 500 soldiers of the 7th SS Prinz Eugen division advancing from BusovaÄa towards hill 513 held by 1st Battalion from 8th Krajina Brigade.

Order of battle

Axis

elements of 7th SS Division

Ustasha battalion

battalion from 5th Regiment of Russian Defense Corps

Yugoslav Partisans

8th Krajina Brigade

11th Krajina Brigade

Casualties

.

Axis losses

1 German ?

7 Ustasha wounded

Yugoslav Partisans

Aftermath

More ambitious operation LAWINE was planed and carried out at the end of the year.

Reference

Osma krajiÅ¡ka udarna brigada, pages 349-359

Prit Buttar: Battleground Prussia: The Assault on Germany's Eastern Front 1944-45, pages 107-108