Split operation 1944

Split operation 1944

(Splitska operacija 1944)

Intro

Split operation covers series of battles carried out by Yugoslav Partisans 8th Corps with goal of liberating Dalmatian port city of Split from 18th to 26th October 1944. Operation is sometimes consider as first phase of Knin operation in Yugoslav literature based on a general offensive plan in Directive No.3 of the 8th Corps which was issued only after city was already liberated.

History

Unlike Split operation previous year which was response to Italian surrender, 1944 operation was reaction to German withdrawal plan from Adriatic coast.

Early withdrawal of 118th JÃ¤ger Division from OmiÅ¡ area on 17/18 October instead of 30 October left opened flank of 264th Division with coastline from StobreÄ to Neretva being opened to landing of 26th Dalmatian Division on mainland but only two brigades 1500 strong 12th Dalmatian on BraÄ and 700 strong 3rd Overseas on Vis were immediately available to exploit this opportunity. 1st and 11th Dalmatian brigades were engaged in combat in area of Neum - Ston - Vukov klanac, also available naval transport capacity was insufficient for simultaneous landings of both brigades to be carried out.

Staff of 12th Dalmatian bde immediately decided to land 3rd battalion in sector BaÅ¡ka Voda - Donja Brela and 1st bat near OmiÅ¡ to form bridgehead and sent request to division for landing crafts which arrived on time to carry out successful landings in the evening of 18th October. Battalion landing at Mali Rat started its advance towards Split, while second landing in Donja Brela advanced towards BaÅ¡ka Voda capturing 30 ustasha and encountering German rear guard of the 738th Regiment at Dubci blocking road to Zadvaraje.

During night 19/20 October from BraÄ to Krilo harbor Partisan Navy landed 2nd and 4th battalions of the 12th Brigade together with two Stuart tanks of the 1st Tank Brigade and mountain gun battery with one battalion sent towards Split and second kept in reserve.

First two battalions of the 3rd Overseas brigade landed in the morning of 21 October at Rogoznica in Pisak cove. With Zavadarje being already liberated one battalion was sent towards Makarska which was abandoned by Germans and Ustasha on 19 October demolishing harbor but left bigger amount of military equipment.

With 26th Division being widely dispersed, 12th Brigade alone failed to make progress through German main defense line in front of Split between StobreÄ and Å½rnovica.

...

Attack of the 20th Dalmatian Division on area of Sinj do to favorable circumstances begun 2 days before directive was given. Withdrawal of parts of 264th Infantry Division on 5/6 October from Sinj to Klis left only NDH Battle Group 'Cetina', 1700 strong in area of Sinj which give 20th Division opportunity to encircle and destroy it before it also could withdraw. Destruction of Cetina group further speed up German withdrawal from Split before Partisan could cut them off.

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Orders of Battle

Axis 150-200 guns

Battle Group MÃ¼ller (Kampfgruppe MÃ¼ller)

892th Infantry Regiment - Klis

1st Battalion - Trogir

1st Company - Vranjica

2nd Company - above Seget

3rd Company - Trogir

4th Company - above Divulje

2nd Battalion - Klis and Å½rnovica

5th Company - KuÄine

6th Company - Klis-Grlo

7th Company - Å½rnovica

8th Company - Marin

3rd Battalion - KaÅ¡teli

9th Company - KaÅ¡tel-Å tafiliÄ‡

10th Company - KaÅ¡tel-LukÅ¡iÄ‡

11th Company - KaÅ¡tel-SuÄ‡urac

12th Company - Sv. Kajo-Solin

Artillery Battery from 2nd Battalion of the 264th Artillery Regiment - Klis

10. Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battery of the 264th Artillery Regiment - Trogir

3rd Company of the 264th Engineer Battalion

944th Coastal Artillery Regiment

948th Coastal Naval Artillery Regiment

26th Ustasha Battalion of the 6th Ustasha brigade - Perun/StroÅ¾anac

Battle Group Cetina (Podhvatno zapovjedniÄtvo Cetina)

27th Ustasha Battalion

3rd Battalion of the 7th Ustasha Brigade

6th Battalion and artillery battery of the 9th Garrison Brigade

Casualties

Battle Group Cetina was completely destroyed with 30 officers including commander, 103 NCO's and 1547 being captured, many of them would join Partisan formations later. 20th Dalmatian division had only 9 killed and 31 wounded.

Around 700 Croatian Home Defense soldiers and sailors remained in Split preventing Germans to carry out demolition and surrendered to arrving Partisans. Later many joined their ranks.

When he was about to leave the city Ustasha commander major Zlatko Bednjanec was assassinated in the morning of 26 October near church DuÅ¡ice by TonÄi SenjanoviÄ‡.

Aftermath

Although Kampfgruppe MÃ¼ller managed to carry out textbook withdrawal with minimal casualties failure to carry out signification demolition resulted, besides political, also in a huge strategic victory for Yugoslav Partisans who gained valuable logistical base for future operation. This is even more important considering that Zadar port which was badly damaged by allied bombing was further destroyed by German demolition.

Reference

Split u NarodnooslobodilaÄkoj borbi i socijalistiÄkoj revoluciji 1941.-1945.

Dr. KaÅ¾imir PribiloviÄ‡: ÄŒetvrti pomorski obalski sektor Mornarice NOVJ

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