21st Serbian Division

21st Serbian Division

(Dvadesetprva srpska divizija)

History

Twenty-first division of Yugoslav partisans was formed as First Serbian division on 19 May 1944 in the village of Gajtan, but the assembly of the 4th, 5th and 6th Serbian brigades did not take place until the next day on the Radan plateau, southwest from Leban. It was renamed as the 21st Serbian Division NOVJ on 13 June 1944 and received honorary title "assault".

6th Serbian Brigade was disbanded om 6 September 1944 replaced by the 2nd Proletarian Brigade until 18 December when it was replaced by 21st Brigade which left division on 13 January 1945. 31st Brigade joined division on 9 November 1944 and Artillery brigade with three battalion was formed on 20 December 1944.

Division strength from around 1000 soldiers at the time of the forming reached 5463 men in December 1944 and 9414 by 1 May 1945.

From 19 May 1944 to 13 August 1944, 21st Serbian division was part of Main HQ for Serbia then under HQ of the Operative Group of Divisions until 15 September when it joined first army group and on 1 January become part of 1st Army.

During the course of the war, the division operated in Southern Serbia, the Sumadija, Syrmia, Croatia and Slovenia. Together with 22nd Serbian division on 20 May it beaten Chetnik Jablanica, South Morava and Varadar Corps followed by heavy battles with parts of the Chetnik Juznomoravska and Rasinsko-Toplicka Group of corps. In July it fought around Brus, Kursumlija, Blac, and the Radan plateau and around Medvede.

It distinguished itself in the Toplicka-Jablanicka operation and the Belgrade operation, especially in battles around Bolec, where it fought some very hard battles with units of the German Battlegroup Wittmann and the German 1st Mountain Division from 18 to 20 October 1944. In November 1944 it took part in battles around Calma and in the middle of January 1945 it was engaged in fierce battles with units of the German 41st Division on the Bosut river and in the village of Nijemci.

During the battles for achieving a breakthrough on the Syrmian Front it operated as part of the Northern Operative Group and operated in the main direction of the attack, and after the breakthrough breakthrough was achieved it took part in the battles for Vinkovci on 13 April together with 48th Division followed by attack with 6th Proletarian division on German 47th and 65th Regiments from 22nd Division holding Dakovo which fell on 16 April 1945. Together with 1st Proletarian division captured Nova Gradiska and Nova Kapela on 23 April and Okucane on 25 April followed by Novska on 2 May. Then it took part in the pursuit of the retreating enemy and near Stara Vas and Kraljevica disarmed a part of the German 181st Division.

Battles & Campaigns

Operation TRUMPF

Belgrade operation

References

Vojni Leksikon

Vojna Enciklopedija

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