The First Proletarian Division of the NOVJ was formed on November 1, 1942 from the First Proletarian Brigade, the Third Proletarian Brigade and the Third Krajina Brigade in

Bosanski Petrovac Bosanski Petrovac ( sr-cyrl, Босански Петровац) is a town and municipality located in the Una-Sana Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. As of 2013 census, the municipality has a p ...

, under command of

Koča Popović Konstantin "Koča" Popović ( sr-cyrl, Константин "Коча" Поповић; 14 March 1908 – 20 October 1992) was a Serbia, Serbian and Yugoslavs, Yugoslav politician and communist volunteer in the Spanish Civil War, 1937–1939 and D ...

. It was considered one of the elite units of the NOVJ.

The combat path of the First Proletarian Division

After its establishment, it undertook operations in central Bosnia. From November 19 to December 4, 1942, it destroyed the garrisons in Sitnica, Čađavica,

Mrkonjić Grad Mrkonjić Grad ( sr-cyrl, Мркоњић Град, ) is a town and municipality in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located in the Bosanska Krajina region, between Banja Luka and Jajce. As of 2013, the municipality has a populatio ...

Jajce Jajce ( sr-Cyrl, Јајце) is a town and municipality in the Central Bosnia Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. According to the 2013 census, the town has a population of 7,172 inhabitants, wi ...

(in cooperation with the 3rd Division),

Skender Vakuf Skender () ({{langx, bs, Skender) is a masculine first name, commonly found in Albania and Kosovo and among people of Bosniak ethnicity in present-day Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro. Skender is also used as a surname and there are ...

and

Kotor Varoš Kotor Varoš ( sr-cyrl, Котор Варош) is a town and municipality in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. As of 2013 census, the municipality has a population of 19,710 inhabitants, while the town of Kotor Varoš has a population o ...

. During January 1943, it captured

Teslić Teslić ( sr-cyrl, Теслић) is a town in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated in the central part of Republika Srpska, on the banks of the Usora (river), Usora River. As of 2013, the town has a population of 7,518 inhabita ...

and Prnjavor. During the

Battle of the Neretva Case White (), also known as the Fourth Enemy Offensive (), was a combined Axis strategic offensive launched against the Yugoslav Partisans throughout occupied Yugoslavia during World War II. It was one of the most significant confrontations o ...

in the Neretva delta, it represented the left attack column, and took part in the counterattack near Gornji Vakuf and the fighting against the Chetniks near

Nevesinje Nevesinje ( sr-cyrl, Невесиње) is a town and municipality in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. As of 2013, the town has a population of 5,162 inhabitants, while the municipality has 12,961 inhabitants. Geography The municipality o ...

and

Kalinovik Kalinovik ( sr-cyrl, Калиновик) is a town and municipality in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. As of 2013, the town has a population of 1,093 inhabitants, while the municipality has 2,029 inhabitants. The municipality adjoins th ...

. During the

Battle of Sutjeska Case Black (), also known as the Fifth Enemy Offensive ( sh-Latn, Peta neprijateljska ofanziva) in Yugoslav historiography and often identified with its final phase, the Battle of the Sutjeska ( sh-Latn, Bitka na Sutjesci ) was a joint attack ...

, it took part in the attack in the Foča area at the end of May 1943, and played a major role in breaking through the encirclement at

Zelengora Zelengora (Зеленгора) is a mountain range in the Sutjeska National Park of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It has a highest altitude of .Ljubljani & Slovenije, p. 194 Topography Geologically, the Zelengora range is part of the Dinaric Alps ...

, inflicting a heavy blow against the

369th (Croatian) Infantry Division The 369th (Croatian) Infantry Division (, ) was a legionary division of the German Army (Wehrmacht) during World War II. It was formed with Croat volunteers from the Independent State of Croatia (NDH), a puppet state of Nazi Germany in occupied Y ...

. In June 1943, the 3rd Sandzak Brigade left the division, and in November 1943, the 13th Proletarian Brigade joined the Division. From September 1, 1943, the First Proletarian Division was part of the 1st Proletarian Corps. The division also included the Seventh Krajina Brigade from mid-July to mid-August 1943, the Eighth Montenegrin Brigade from November 6, 1944 to February 7, 1945, the "Italy" Brigade (composed of Italian volunteers) from October 29, 1944, and the Artillery Brigade of November 21, 1944. Since November 1943, the Thirteenth Proletarian Strike Brigade "Rade Končar" has been included in its composition, with which it went through fierce fighting during the winter operations of 1944, known as Operation Reselšprung, the Durmitor Operation, the offensive in western Serbia in September 1944, the Belgrade offensive and the

Syrmian Front The Syrmian Front () was an Axis powers, Axis line of defense during World War II. It was established as part of the Eastern Front (World War II), Eastern Front in late October 1944 in Syrmia and east Slavonia, northwest of Belgrade. After the ...

. At the end of 1944, the First Proletarian Division had 12,367 fighters, and on April 15, 1945, 11,775 fighters. Since January 1, 1945, it was part of the First Yugoslav Army.
The First Proletarian Division ended the War on May 20, 1945, stationed in the area around

Trieste Trieste ( , ; ) is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is the capital and largest city of the Regions of Italy#Autonomous regions with special statute, autonomous region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, as well as of the Province of Trieste, ...

and

Gorizia Gorizia (; ; , ; ; ) is a town and (municipality) in northeastern Italy, in the autonomous region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia. It is located at the foot of the Julian Alps, bordering Slovenia. It is the capital of the Province of Gorizia, Region ...

Sources

vojska.net
{{Yugoslav Partisans military units Divisions of the Yugoslav Partisans Military units and formations established in 1942