German Forces

UNTERNEHMEN RÖSSELSPRUNG

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THE 7TH ENEMY OFFENSIVE – UNTERNEHMEN RÖSSELSPRUNG In the Spring of 1944, the Germans could've expected opening of the Second front in France and an inevitable Soviet Summer offensive. In Yugoslavia, growing ranks of TITO's Partisans tied ever more German troops, badly needed in the USSR. Since TITO and the Supreme HQ of the Peoples Liberation Army and Partisans Detachments of Yugoslavia evaded destruction in several big previous operations, the Germans judged that they are unable to mount another attack of that kind, but sought a way to compensate for the lack of resources, and, eventually, found it in the employment of vertical envelopment. A parachute-glider battalion was to spearhead the German land assault, hence the name – Operation Knight's Move. The point unit was 500th SS rifle battalion of some 900 men. They were to attack the town of Drvar, the military-political centre of the liberated Yugoslav soil. In Drvar were, besides TITO and the Supreme HQ, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia, Anti-Fascist Council for Liberation of Yugoslavia and other political institutions, as well as the American, British and the Soviet military missions to Yugoslavia. A bit after 0600hrs on 25 May 1944 the German bombers plastered targets in Drvar and around it for about quarter of an hour, and as soon as they departed, the first chuttes started to pop open in the skies above, and just a bit later gliders came in, carrying sticks of well-armed airlanding infantry. There were six groups of paras from 20 to 110 strong, each one with specific mission. Gliders of the first wave brought another two companies 300 soldiers strong. The Germans were fast to gather and attack. By 0900hrs they completed all missions except killing or taking TITO POW and destroying the Soviet military mission, it's members advanced toward the Partisan reinforcements under constant combat. By then, the Germans managed to pinpoint TITO's whereabouts, in the house near the cage a bit outside Drvar. As they formed to attack the first Partisan reinforcements arrived and caught them from behind, and by afternoon the Germans were forced to intrench in the Drvar's grave-yard. A suitable place, considering that out of starting 900, less than 300 remained. Just before the second drop, around noon, Tito and his entourage managed to escape out of the cave and up the hill, protected by the Supreme HQ security battalion. By night the high-ranking group put quite a distance between them and the assailants, and by 4 June they arrived on the field of Kupres, where the Russian-manned Dakotas picked and flown them to Bari, Italy. Fighting lasted until 4 June 1944 and then petered out. It was the last enemy take on TITO. Unsuccessful as ever before… taken from fb/History of WW2