1st Yugoslav Brigade in Soviet Union

1st Yugoslav Brigade

in Soviet Union

History

Formed on 1 June 1944 in area of Kolomna, Soviet Union, from Yugoslav independent detachment which was formed in the same place on 23 January 1944. Brigade (and detachment which in period from January to May '44 was reinforced with new members) was made of Yugoslavs captured on Eastern Front - mostly Croats from Home Defense Croatian Legion destroyed at Stalingrad and other nationalities serving in Hungarian, Romanian, German and Italians units, then group of Serbs from Backa deported to Soviet Union by Germans to labor battalions and some 150 Yugoslav economical Ã©migrÃ©s from Iran (!? let me know if you got any info on this group, there presence could be explained by Russian occupation of Iran) and also certain number of prewar political Ã©migrÃ©s living in Soviet Union. At forming brigade had two battalions with some 1,500 men.

According to Colonel Vojmir KljakoviÄ‡ from Military history institute in Belgrade composition by nationality on 16 April 1944 was:

775 Croats
440 Slovenians
293 Serbs
14 Jews
10 Slovaks
5 Russians
3 Rutherian
2 Hungarian
1 Montenegrin

total of 1543 soldiers.

90% of officers cadre was made of Home Defense officers from Croatian Legion. Political Commissar become a Serb Dimitrije Georgijevic, volunteer from Spanish civil war, who lived in Soviet Union before brigade was formed. For propaganda purposes Marko Mesic, last commander of Croatian Legion was named brigade commander but I got no independent confirmation was he really the commander or was it someone else? Also Marko SrdiÄ‡ is named as brigade commander but exact date when he took over this duty is unknown.

Training and equipment was carried out completely with Soviet rules, indeed, considering conditions in Soviet Union in those days, it was very thoroughly and lengthen. At first Russian planed to engage brigade on Eastern Front and to use it up with little propaganda effect but instead it was decided to use it in Yugoslavia. Surpassingly, but brigade wasn't used much for propaganda purposes in Yugoslavia either.

After completing training brigade left Kolomna on 29 July 1944 and over Ukraine and Romania arrived from 6 to 10 October to liberated areas of eastern Serbia where it become part of 23rd Division of 14th Corps NOVJ. At the end of October it was transferred to area of Cacak where from 30 October to 2 November 1944 together with parts of 14th Serbian assault brigade from 23rd Assault Division of NOVJ and 93rd Infantry Division of Red Army assaulted German positions between village Prijevor and village Ljubic, near Cacak, with goal of eliminating German group on left bank of West Morava river. Although some German positions where taken attacked failed because of strong German resistance and brigade suffered 135 dead, 324 wounded and 88 missing soldiers.

For shorter time (10 - 17 November) brigade was under direct command of Supreme Headquarters of NOV i POJ since after heavy losses at Cacak it was planed to save brigade for fightings (and propaganda) in Croatia but this idea was soon drooped since brigade represented significant combat strength under command of experienced professional officers - naturally nobody asked officers where they got combat experience.

Brigade was transferred to 1st Proletarian Corps on Syrmian front, and from 12 December 1944 it become part of 5th Division. From 22 December 1944 to mid-March 1945 brigade is engaged on Syrmian front and participates in fightings near villages Miklusevac, Sid, Berkasov i Bapska.

On 10 April 1945 brigade forces crossing of river Sava near Brcko and on 11 April in area of village Drenovac links up with parts of 11th Assault Division of Yugoslav army after that brigade is transferred to eastern Bosnia where it participates in fighting's for liberation of Brcko after which participates in purist towards Brod with significant actions at villages Beravac and Jezevika.

At the end of April '45 brigade is transferred to area of river Ilova where it participated in breaking of enemy defense at villages Klokocevac, Hercegovci, Velika and Mala Trnovitica.

After the war Brigade was decorated with 'Ordenom zasluge za narod'.

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