This voluntary German mountain division was named after Francois Eugene de Savoie-Carignan born in Paris in 1663 and who led the Austrian Army against the Turks to capture Belgrade in 1717.
The 39 month German Occupation of Yugoslavia
From mid-June 1941 to 4 October 1944 when the Balkan theatre merged with the Eastern Front, German forces and their Italian, Bulgarian, Croatian and Serbian allies undertook 13 major operations. These were against Serbian Chetnik and Partisan guerrillas, however following the Italian Armistice of 8 September 1943 they fought against Italian and Bulgarian forces after their defection of 10 September 1944.
In 1943 2nd Panzer Army arrived on 8 September to disarm the Italian Army and oppose and anticipated Allied landing. By 4 October 1944, 24 German divisions had served in Yugoslavia: 13 Infantry, one light infantry and two reserve; three Croatian Ustachi legion infantry; one mountain; one Cossack; two SS mountain (Prinz Eugen) and one SS mechanised.
Formation and Training of 7 SS Freiwilligen Gebirgs Division Prinz Eugen
Formed in March 1942, it was initially a volunteer unit until manpower resources proved inadequate, suitable personnel were conscripted. By September 1942 the division had completed basic training and were equipped with obsolete German and captured foreign weapons and equipment.
Anti-Partisan Operations in Yugoslavia
7 SS Freiwilligen Gebirgs Division Prinz Eugen were sent into battle against Tito's partisans in occupied Yugoslavia in the border between Serbia and Montenegro where they gained a reputation for brutality. Both sides fought with equal savagery, prisoners were not taken.
The Muslims, Croats and Serbs had their own allegiances and factions during the German invasion and occupation of Yugoslavia. Croat Ustachis were fascist and allied with the Germans, Serb Chetniks were allied with communist Russia with the Muslims mostly left to their own devices.
The Planned and Prepared Air and Land Offensive against Tito's Drvar HQ
The Prinz Eugen Mountain Division was placed under Brigadefuhrer Carl Reichsritter von Oberkamp to effect an operation against the 16th, 17th and 36th Proletarian Brigades of Marshal Tito at his Drvar HQ in present day Bosnia Hercegovinia. The fighting centred on the Dinaric Alps to the northwest of Sarajevo between 26 April and 5 May 1944. The soldier in the accompanying photograph was from 8th Company, 13th Regiment, Prinz Eugen Division.
The German Operation Rosselssprung (Knight's Move) was well planned and executed with 7 SS Freiwilligen Gebirgs Division Prinz Eugen moving in from north and west through the rough mountainous terrain and 500 SS-Fallschirmjaeger Battalion landing by glider and parachute onto Tito's HQ. The Proletarian Brigades though initially surprised fought back and drove off the attackers.
Sources, including wikipedia, are not reliable. The Proletarian Brigades were caught off guard yet they were able to rescue Tito who was evacuated by train to a nearby town. Tito's birthday was the start date chosen and the operation lasted 10 days with heavy casualties suffered by both sides. Milovan Djilas, whom this writer met, described the battle as continuing with the crossing of the Neretva River to avoid being surrounded by German troops.
German Operations End in Yugoslavia
The Prinz Eugen Division encountered Red Army units as well as Toto's Partisans and suffered badly. At war's end the division surrendered to a partisan unit wich immediately extracted its revenge, executing many of Prinz Eugen's soldiers.
Sources
- Milovan Djilas,Tito's second in command
- Soldats Allemands de la Seconde Guerre Mondiale by Jean de Lagrande, Histoire et Collections, 2000
- The German Army 1939-45 North Africa & Balkans by Nigel Thomas Osprey Military, 2000
- German security and Police Soldier 1939-45 by Gordon Williamson Osprey Publishing, 2002
- Fallschirmjaeger 1935-45 by Bruce Quarrie, Osprey Publishing, 2001
- Operation Rosselssprung-Knight's Move-Raid on Tito's Drvar HQ
- Former Headquarters Josep Tito Drvar
Michael Manning - ' The best lack all conviction while the worst are full of passionate intensity' W.B.Yeats
