Operation WOLKENBRUCH

Operation WOLKENBRUCH

(Unternehmen Wolkenbruch / Operation Cloudburst / Operacija Prolom oblaka)

Intro

Operation is often confused with operation ISTRIEN and merged into one probably beacuse they are locally known as Rommel's offensive (Romelova ofanziva) or October offensive.

History

With completion of operation ISTRIEN German focus shifted towards Dolenjsko and Notranjsko where large liberated territory was held by Slovenian Partisans under General Staff of Slovenia.

General Staff of Croatia expected new offensive to target liberated regions in Lika and moved 1st Brigade north directly into path of the German advance.

Operation was divided into four phases.

Phase I - 21 October to October

Phase II - 26 October to October

.

Phase III - 31 October to October

Taking control of KoÄevje and LaÅ¡ka valley.

Phase IV - October to 12 November

Clearing area south of Ljubljana.

Casualties

Yugoslav Partisans

Operational Staff for Istria - 2500 killed

13th Primosko-Goranska Division - 2300 (killed, wounded, missing)

14th Primosko-Goranska Brigade - 700 (killed, wounded, missing)

15th Slovenian Division - 120 killed, 148 wounded, around 1210 deserted

Order of Battle

Yugoslav Partisans (12-15,000 fighters)

General Staff of Slovenia

7th Corps

Axis Order of Battle

Aftermath

While newly formed Partisan brigades suffered heavy losses and several had to be disbanded most of the German divisions were quickly transferred to other fronts leaving once again large areas to Partisan forcing Germans to carry out several new anti-partisans operations in the same area.

Reference

Zapadna Hrvatska u Drugom svjetskom ratu

Vojna enciklopedija