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20th Serbian Assault brigade
(Dvadeseta srpska udarna brigada - niÅ¡ko-timoÄka)
History
Forming took place from 14 to 21 August 1944 in VaÅ¡ariÅ¡te near village BuÄje in Knjaževac region as part of 23rd Serbian Division. On 25 August it come under temporary command of 25th Serbian Division
Brigade first task was attack on Chetniks, 2nd and 3rd Battalion attacked Chetnik Boljevac brigade in Valakonje while 1st Battalion Chetniks in Timok village of Planinica. Chetniks abandoned Planinica before Partisan arrival while attack on Valakonje resulted in 8 Chetniks killed and forcing others to retreat ending brigades first action.
Soon reorganized Chetniks together with elements of Serbian State Guard and Serbian Volunteer Corps launched a counter attack forcing brigade after two hour combat to retreat in disarray suffering 6 killed and 8 wounded, Chetniks also captured brigade doctor Vladimir Gulejmino.
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On 2 September 20th Brigade was ordered to move into area of Trgovište village in Sokobanja region where it was to join 45th Serbian Division with which it would remain until end of the war. On arrival brigade strength was 370 soldiers, arrival of new recruits from Niš region raised it to 400 by 4 September and by 9 September it reached 700 allowing for formation of 4th Battalion. Brigade firepower was around 700 rifles, 20 automatic weapons and 5 mortars all which with exception of 10 light-machine guns air dropped by the British was captured from the enemy. Brigade also received its share of veteran officers transferred from Proletarian divisions arriving in Serbia.
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After Bulgarian capitulation, on 6 September brigade blocked retreat of Bulgarian 24th Division, 15000 strong, from Niš to Bulgaria demanding that it either join Partisans and fight against Germans or surrender their weapons. Bulgarian commander general Simov instead chose to surrender his division to Germans. On the following day parts of the Bulgarian 22nd Infantry Division whose staff was already disarmed by Germans in Niš arrived in front of brigade position. Unwilling to be disarmed Bulgarians prolonged negotiations until they were completely surrounded during night and brigade forcefully disarmed around 3000 soldiers and officers. Total lot come to 2000 rifles, 45 light machine-guns, 4 heavy machine-guns, 80 submachine-guns, 160 pistols, 4 heavy mortars, 5 smaller mortars, 23 trucks, car, 5 motorcycles, 6 bicycle and 400 horses allowing entire 45th Division to be fully equipped.
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Staff
- Brigade Commander
- Žarko KovaÄić LjubuÅ¡ka
- Vojin Vidović
- Political Commissar
- Radojica Burović Radojko
- Lazar Nićić
- Deputy Commander
- Radomir JoviÄić Bucko
- Marinko Iković
- Savo Matijašević
- Deputy Political Commissar
- Chief of Staff
- VukaÅ¡in RadiÄević Vule
- Petronije JovanÄić
- Intelligence officer
- MomÄilo MitoÅ¡ević Sibirac
- Savo Baković Vidak
- Operational officer
- Slobodan Drinjaković
- Mortar Company
- Commander
- Vidoje Veljković
- Marko Gavrić
- Milutin Petrović
- Ica Ninković
- Political Commissar
- Miodrag Vukota
- Miodrag Birić
- 1st Battalion
- Commander
- Dobrivoje Božić Ratko
- Dragoslav Jakovljević DrakÄe
- Vladimir Cankić
- Branistav Bumbović
- Rusomir Radosavljević Ruso
- Political Commissar
- Branko Mitrović
- Dragoljub MirÄetić DuÅ¡ko
- 2nd Battalion
- 3rd Battalion
- 4th Battalion
Battles & Campaigns
References
