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The 369th (Croatian) Infantry Division (, ) was a legionary division of the
German Army The German Army (, 'army') is the land component of the armed forces of Federal Republic of Germany, Germany. The present-day German Army was founded in 1955 as part of the newly formed West German together with the German Navy, ''Marine'' (G ...
(
Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the German Army (1935–1945), ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmac ...
) during
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. It was formed with Croat volunteers from the
Independent State of Croatia The Independent State of Croatia (, NDH) was a World War II–era puppet state of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy (1922–1943), Fascist Italy. It was established in parts of Axis occupation of Yugoslavia, occupied Yugoslavia on 10 April 1941, ...
(NDH), a puppet state of Nazi Germany in occupied Yugoslavia, and with surviving members of the 369th Croatian Reinforced Infantry Regiment annihilated during the
battle of Stalingrad The Battle of Stalingrad ; see . rus, links=on, Сталинградская битва, r=Stalingradskaya bitva, p=stəlʲɪnˈɡratskəjə ˈbʲitvə. (17 July 19422 February 1943) was a major battle on the Eastern Front of World War II, ...
, in honour of which it received its ordinal. It adopted the nickname of (Devil’s Division) as a tribute to the
42nd Landwehr Division The 42nd Home Guard Infantry Division (, also ), nicknamed the Devil's Division (), was an infantry division of the Royal Croatian Home Guard within the Austro-Hungarian Army during World War I. Composed primarily of Croatian troops, the divisi ...
of
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, a Croatian unit of the
Austro-Hungarian Army The Austro-Hungarian Army, also known as the Imperial and Royal Army,; was the principal ground force of Austria-Hungary from 1867 to 1918. It consisted of three organisations: the Common Army (, recruited from all parts of Austria-Hungary), ...
. Numbering 14,000 troops and organised into two infantry regiments, the division was commanded by about 3,500 German officers,
non-commissioned officers A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is an enlisted rank, enlisted leader, petty officer, or in some cases warrant officer, who does not hold a Commission (document), commission. Non-commissioned officers usually earn their position of authority b ...
, and specialists. By December 1942, the German High Command chose to deploy the division in the Balkans to fight
Tito Josip Broz ( sh-Cyrl, Јосип Броз, ; 7 May 1892 – 4 May 1980), commonly known as Tito ( ; , ), was a Yugoslav communist revolutionary and politician who served in various positions of national leadership from 1943 until his death ...
's Communist Partisans. Its first major combat operation took place during Operation Weiss in northern Bosnia, it then participated in Operation Schwartz from 15 May to 16 June 1943, the two largest anti-guerrilla operations conducted by the Wehrmacht during the war. After the capitulation of Italy, the division operated alongside another Croatian Legion, the 373rd (Croatian) Infantry Division as well as the Waffen-SS Division “Prinz Eugen”, a division consisting mainly of
Volksdeutsche In Nazi Germany, Nazi German terminology, () were "people whose language and culture had Germans, German origins but who did not hold German citizenship." The term is the nominalised plural of ''wikt:volksdeutsch, volksdeutsch'', with denoting ...
from the NDH and the
Banat Banat ( , ; ; ; ) is a geographical and Historical regions of Central Europe, historical region located in the Pannonian Basin that straddles Central Europe, Central and Eastern Europe. It is divided among three countries: the eastern part lie ...
, and other German and Croatian units. On 11 September 1944, under orders from its commandant, the 369th division destroyed two villages near
Stolac Stolac ( sr-Cyrl, Столац) is an ancient city located in Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located in the region of Herzegovina. Stolac is one of the oldest cit ...
, hanging all the men and driving away all the women and children. According to British historian Ben H. Shepherd the only way in which this division distinguished itself was in the number of civilians it killed. The last remaining personnel of the 369th formally surrendered to the
British forces The British Armed Forces are the unified military forces responsible for the defence of the United Kingdom, its Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies. They also promote the UK's wider interests, support international peacekeeping ef ...
in May 1945. Following the
Nuremberg Trial #REDIRECT Nuremberg trials #REDIRECT Nuremberg trials {{redirect category shell, {{R from other capitalisation{{R from move ...
{{redirect category shell, {{R from other capitalisation{{R from move ...
, General Neidholt, commandant of the division, was found guilty of
war crimes A war crime is a violation of the laws of war that gives rise to individual criminal responsibility for actions by combatants in action, such as intentionally killing civilians or intentionally killing prisoners of war, torture, taking hos ...
; he was executed by hanging on 27 February 1947.


History


Formation

The 369th Infantry Division was a Croatian legionary division of the
German Army (Wehrmacht) The German Army (, 'army') is the land component of the armed forces of Federal Republic of Germany, Germany. The present-day German Army was founded in 1955 as part of the newly formed West German together with the German Navy, ''Marine'' (G ...
formed on 21 August 1942. Its forerunner, the 369th (Croatian) Infantry Regiment, had been attached to the
100th Jäger Division 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, Numeral (linguistics), numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest Positive number, positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in o ...
and virtually destroyed with it at the
Battle of Stalingrad The Battle of Stalingrad ; see . rus, links=on, Сталинградская битва, r=Stalingradskaya bitva, p=stəlʲɪnˈɡratskəjə ˈbʲitvə. (17 July 19422 February 1943) was a major battle on the Eastern Front of World War II, ...
. The division was assembled and trained at
Stockerau Stockerau () is a town in the district of Korneuburg (district), Korneuburg in Lower Austria, Austria. Stockerau has 16,974 inhabitants, which makes it the largest town in the Weinviertel. Stockerau is also called "Lenaustadt" (Lenau Town) because ...
and Dollersheim in Austria. The division attempted to cultivate the heritage of the
42nd Landwehr Division The 42nd Home Guard Infantry Division (, also ), nicknamed the Devil's Division (), was an infantry division of the Royal Croatian Home Guard within the Austro-Hungarian Army during World War I. Composed primarily of Croatian troops, the divisi ...
, a
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
Croatian unit of the
Austro-Hungarian Army The Austro-Hungarian Army, also known as the Imperial and Royal Army,; was the principal ground force of Austria-Hungary from 1867 to 1918. It consisted of three organisations: the Common Army (, recruited from all parts of Austria-Hungary), ...
, which had been known as the "Devil's Division" (, ). The division was organized into two infantry regiments, the 369th and the 370th. Two more Croatian legionary infantry divisions were formed the following year, the 373rd and the 392nd, nicknamed respectively "Tiger" and "Blue" Divisions. In contrast to other Wehrmacht divisions in the region, the three divisions had the particularity to be composed of Croat volunteers, commanded by German (or Austrian) officers. Following its return from training in Austria, desertions began with an average of 25 men absent without leave from each company. There were a range of factors encouraging desertion, including reverses suffered by Axis forces in
North Africa North Africa (sometimes Northern Africa) is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region. However, it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of t ...
and at
Stalingrad Volgograd,. geographical renaming, formerly Tsaritsyn. (1589–1925) and Stalingrad. (1925–1961), is the largest city and the administrative centre of Volgograd Oblast, Russia. The city lies on the western bank of the Volga, covering an area o ...
and elsewhere on the Eastern Front, Partisan propaganda and infiltration, and the work of politicians of the
Croatian Peasant Party The Croatian Peasant Party (, HSS) is an agrarianism, agrarian List of political parties in Croatia, political party in Croatia founded on 22 December 1904 by Antun Radić, Antun and Stjepan Radić as Croatian Peoples' Peasant Party (HPSS). The ...
. Although originally intended for use on the Russian Front, the division did not deploy there and was returned to the
Independent State of Croatia The Independent State of Croatia (, NDH) was a World War II–era puppet state of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy (1922–1943), Fascist Italy. It was established in parts of Axis occupation of Yugoslavia, occupied Yugoslavia on 10 April 1941, ...
(NDH) in January 1943 due to the need to combat the
Partisans Partisan(s) or The Partisan(s) may refer to: Military * Partisan (military), paramilitary forces engaged behind the front line ** Francs-tireurs et partisans, communist-led French anti-fascist resistance against Nazi Germany during WWII ** Itali ...
. The division had low combat value in anti-Partisan fighting but distinguished itself with indiscriminate brutality.


Anti-partisan operations


1943

The division participated in the first and in the second phase of Operation Weiss in late February and early March 1943. The division was attacked during disembarkment in
Banija Banovina or Banija is a geographical region in central Croatia, between the Sava, Una, Kupa and Glina rivers. The main towns in the region include Petrinja, Glina, Kostajnica, and Dvor. There is no clear geographical border of the region tow ...
, even before it was fully developed for fight. Parts of 7th Banija Division attacked its reconnaissance battalion near Kostajnica on 28 December 1942. On 3 January Partisans destroyed two trains near Blinjski Kut, one of which was carrying elements of 369th Division. On 15 January reinforced anti-tank battalion was engaged in fierce combat at
Blinja Blinja is a village in central Croatia, in the Town of Petrinja, Sisak-Moslavina County. It is connected by the D30 highway. History Petar Keglević obtained the medieval fortification in Blinja in the 16th century. In 1559 Ivan Lenković propos ...
. Even before Operation Weiss started on 20 January, the division already had suffered 51 dead, 99 wounded and 8 missing. In Operation Weiss I 369th Division, reinforced with elements of the 187th Reserve Division and with 3rd Mountain Brigade of the
NDH The Independent State of Croatia (, NDH) was a World War II–era puppet state of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. It was established in parts of occupied Yugoslavia on 10 April 1941, after the invasion by the Axis powers. Its territory cons ...
, had a task to advance from
Petrinja Petrinja () is a town in central Croatia near Sisak in the historic region of Banija, Banovina. It is administratively located in Sisak-Moslavina County. On December 29, 2020, the town was 2020 Petrinja earthquake, hit by a strong earthquake wit ...
area towards the road
Slunj Slunj is a town in the mountainous part of Central Croatia, located along the important North-South route to the Adriatic Sea between Karlovac and Plitvice Lakes National Park, on the meeting of the rivers Korana and Slunjčica. Slunj has a popu ...
-
Bihać Bihać is a city and the administrative centre of Una-Sana Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated on the banks of river Una (Sava), Una in northwestern Bosnia and Herzegovina, in th ...
, to "comb" the terrain, and to destroy partisan groups and deport the population. First it had to overcome the stiff resistance of the 7th Banija Division. Division reached
Bosanska Krupa Bosanska Krupa ( sr-cyrl, Босанска Крупа) is a city located in the Una-Sana Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. As of 2013, it has a population of 29,659 inhabitants. It is situat ...
on 1 February, when 7th SS division had already taken Bihać, and partisan 7th Banija Division had to redeploy its main forces to block the advancement of the SS troops. 369th Division then continued with the operation, proceeded with circling
Grmeč Grmeč ( sr-cyrl, Грмеч) is a mountain of Dinaric Alps in north-western Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Ba ...
in close connection with 7th SS and 717th Division. After the encirclement of Grmeč was completed, 369. Division had a task to "comb" northern slopes of the mountain. After partisans and the mass of the population succeeded to break out of the encirclement, Weiss I was finished with 15 February. In the operation, 369th Division lost 110 dead, 188 wounded, and 54 missing. Operation Weiss II started on 25 February, and 369th Division with 7th SS Division constituted the southern attack group. Division advanced through
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 ...
and
Šipovo Šipovo ( sr-cyrl, Шипово) is a town and municipality in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated in the southern part of the Bosanska Krajina region. As of 2013, it has a population of 10,293 inhabitants, while the town of ...
, and with its reconnaissance battalion captured
Livno Livno ( Serbo-Croatian Cyrillic: ''Ливно'', ) is a town and the administrative center of the Township of Livno and Canton 10 of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated on the river Bis ...
on 5 March. In April 1943, the 369th Division participated in Operation Teufel III against the
Chetniks The Chetniks,, ; formally the Chetnik Detachments of the Yugoslav Army, and also the Yugoslav Army in the Homeland; and informally colloquially the Ravna Gora Movement, was a Kingdom of Yugoslavia, Yugoslav royalist and Serbian nationalist m ...
on the Ozren mountain in eastern Bosnia. Although the Ozren Chetniks collaborated with the Axis since 1942, there were several Chetnik sabotages and attacks carried out in late 1942 and early 1943, which prompted the command of the 369th Division to organize an offensive against them. Reinforced with elements of the Croatian Home Guard, the division inflicted heavy casualties on the Chetniks. The Ozren and Zenica Chetnik groups were forced to surrender most of their weapons and allow undisturbed passage through their territory to the German and NDH troops. The 369th Division had 16 killed and 34 wounded soldiers in the operation. The division also participated in Operation Schwartz. During the preparatory actions for taking starting positions, the division on 6 May pushed partisans back and unblocked Italian Battalion Aosta and Chetniks, who were under partisan siege in Foča. During the final stage of the operation, the division was holding the part of the encirclement on the northern slopes of
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 ...
, but the 1st Proletarian Brigade on 10 June successfully broke out through the division's positions, followed by other partisan units. Total reported losses of the divisions were 92 dead, 263 wounded, and 233 missing. After the Operation Schwarz, strong Partisan battle group penetrated into eastern Bosnia, destroying Ustasha garrisons
Vlasenica Vlasenica ( sr-Cyrl, Власеница) is a town and municipality in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. As of 2013, it has a population of 11,467 inhabitants, while the town of Vlasenica has a population of 7,228 inhabitants. Etymology ...
,
Srebrenica Srebrenica ( sr-cyrl, Сребреница, ) is a town and municipality in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is a small mountain town, with its main industry being salt mining and a nearby spa. During the Bosnian War in 1995, Srebr ...
,
Olovo Olovo ( sr-cyrl, Олово) is a town and municipality located in the Zenica-Doboj Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated about 50 kilometers northeast of the capital city of Sara ...
,
Kladanj Kladanj ( sr-cyrl, Кладањ) is a town and municipality located in the Tuzla Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Kladanj is located on the road from Tuzla to Sarajevo along the river Drinja ...
and
Zvornik Zvornik ( sr-cyrl, Зворник, ) is a city in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. In 2013, it had a population of 58,856 inhabitants. Zvornik is located on the Drina River, on the eastern slopes of Majevica mountain, at the altitude of ...
on its way. 7th SS and 369th Division were tasked with fighting this forces. 369th Division had a number of clashes with the Partisans, especially in the area of
Zvornik Zvornik ( sr-cyrl, Зворник, ) is a city in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. In 2013, it had a population of 58,856 inhabitants. Zvornik is located on the Drina River, on the eastern slopes of Majevica mountain, at the altitude of ...
in early July. In September 1943, total strength of the division was 12.883 men, 3.701 of which were Germans.2nd Panzer Army Headquarters, Personnel Department Report to Operational Officer, on 19 September 1943
, National Archive Washington, T313, roll 482, frame 156 During September, after the capitulation of Italy, the Partisans gained the momentum. Most of German reinforcements were engaged in operations aimed to seize positions on the Adriatic coast. 369th Div participated in the ensuing major operations alongside 373rd Croatian Inf Div and 7th SS Div Prinz Eugen as well as other Croatian and German troops with the goal of disarmaming Italian garrisons in Dalmatia and Herzegovina. 7th SS Division was used for the attack on Split, by which the zone of responsibility of the 369th Division was expanded. On 10 September Partisans took
Gacko Gacko ( sr-cyrl, Гацко) is a town and municipality in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated in the region of East Herzegovina (Bosnia and Herzegovina), East Herzegovina. As of 2013, the town has a population of 5,784 inh ...
, on 11 September Vlasenica, on 24 September Gračanica, on 29 September Zvornik, and in the neighbouring zones Partisans took
Modriča Modriča ( sr-cyrl, Модрича) is a town and municipality in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. As of 2013 census, the town has a population of 10,137 inhabitants, while the municipality has a population of 25,720 inhabitants. Hist ...
,
Šamac Šamac or SAMAC can refer to: * Šamac, Bosnia and Herzegovina, a town on the right bank of the river Sava, in Bosnia ** FK Borac Šamac, an association football club * Slavonski Šamac, a town on the left bank of the river Sava, in Croatia * S ...
,
Bijeljina Bijeljina ( sr-cyrl, Бијељина) is a city and municipality in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is the provincial center of Semberija, a geographic region in the country's northeast. As of 2013, it has a population of 107,715 ...
, and other towns. On 29 September Partisans attacked Tuzla, an important garrison held by 369th Division and Home Guard units. After four days of street fighting, Tuzla fell to Partisans, and the commander of the 369th Artillery Regiment lieutenant colonel Kuchtner saved himself by escaping to the Chetnik territory. Battle Group Fischer (main force of the 369th Infantry Regiment reinforced with artillery, 187th Reserve Division elements, and Home Guard formations) defended
Doboj Doboj ( sr-Cyrl, Добој, ) is a city in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated on the banks of the Bosna (river), Bosna river, in the northern region of Republika Srpska. As of 2013, it has a population of 71,441 inhabita ...
and sought to recapture Tuzla, in cooperation with the parts of the LXIX Corps from
Brčko Brčko ) is a city and the administrative seat of Brčko District, in northern Bosnia and Herzegovina. It lies on the banks of Sava river across from Croatia. As of 2013, it has a population of 39,893 inhabitants. De jure, the Brčko District b ...
. In early October 3 Battalion of the 370th Regiment in
Višegrad Višegrad ( sr-cyrl, Вишеград, ) is a town and municipality in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It rests at the confluence of the Drina and the Rzav (Drina), Rzav river. As of 2013, the municipality has a population of 10,668 in ...
fell under attack of the strong Chetnik battle group from Serbia. After Višegrad, the Chetniks took
Rogatica Rogatica ( sr-cyrl, Рогатица, ) is a town and municipality in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. As of 2013, the municipality has a population of 10,723 inhabitants, while the town of Rogatica itself has a population of 6,855 inh ...
on 13 October, but after 20 October their short-lived anti-German activity ceased. The division recaptured Tuzla from Partisans on 11 November. Desertions worsened particularly after the capitulation of Italy in September 1943. For example, during October 1943, 489 men deserted from the division. In October 1943, the Germans confirmed that the division would not be utilised on either the Western Front or the Russian Front, and would continue to serve in the NDH. For several months from early December 1943, elements of the division took part in series of operations by the V SS Mountain Corps against the Partisans in eastern
Bosnia Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...
known in the former Yugoslavia as the
Sixth Enemy Offensive Operation Kugelblitz () was a massive counter-insurgency operation by the German 2nd Panzer Army conjunction with collaborationist forces against the Yugoslav Partisans around the eastern Bosnian region of the Independent State of Croatia during ...
. However, the offensive failed to decisively engage the Partisans.


1944

In early March 1944 the division replaced the 7th SS Division in Herzegovina, with division headquarters seated in
Mostar Mostar () is a city and the administrative centre of Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the historical capital of Herzegovina. Mostar is situated on the Neretva Riv ...
. Towns and communications in eastern Herzegovina were defended together with local Chetnik units. While taking new positions, 1st Battalion of the 369th Regiment was on 6 March ambushed by Partisans at Zavala near
Trebinje Trebinje ( sr-Cyrl, Требиње, ) is a city and municipality in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is the southernmost city in Bosnia and Herzegovina and is situated on the banks of the Trebišnjica river in the region of East Her ...
, with losses of 58 dead. Over the following months the division, together with the NDH forces and the Chetniks, fought the Partisans without decisive success. On 26 and 28 March Anti-Tank Battalion with artillery elements, the NDH police unit, and Chetnik detachment, carried out an attack from
Stolac Stolac ( sr-Cyrl, Столац) is an ancient city located in Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located in the region of Herzegovina. Stolac is one of the oldest cit ...
towards
Ljubinje Ljubinje ( sr-cyrl, Љубиње) is a town and municipality in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated in southeastern part of Herzegovina. As of 2013, the town has a population of 2,744 inhabitants, while the municipality has 3 ...
. On 5 April an attack with similar forces was carried out towards Žegulja, and 13 May from Stolac to Hrgud. The reconnaissance battalion of the division was involved in
Operation Rösselsprung Rösselsprung (which refers to the Knight's Move in chess) was the code-name given to two German operations in World War II: * Operation Rösselsprung (1942) The planned attack by ''Tirpitz'' and other surface vessels against arctic convoy PQ 17 i ...
. From 13 to 31 July main forces of the division, reinforced with 3rd Battalion of the 4th Regiment Brandenburg, and with six Chetnik brigades and a battalion of the 9th Home Guard Brigade under the division's command, carried out operation ''Sonnenstich'' against the Partisan 29th Herzegovina Division in eastern Herzegovina. The operation was completed without significant results. During the operation, a mutiny occurred in 2nd Battalion of the 370th Grenadier Regiment. The battalion was withdrawn from the combat and disarmed, with a number of soldiers court-marshaled and shot. On 11 September 1944, under orders from General Fritz Neidhold, the division destroyed the villages of Zagniezde (Zagnježđe) and Udora (near Bjelojevići,
Burmazi Burmazi was an Albanian tribe which is attested in Herzegovina in the Middle Ages. Name The name ''Burmazi'' is a compound of the Albanian words ''burr'' (man) + ''madh'' (big or great). The form ''Burmazi'' instead of ''Burmadhi'' signifies ...
and Stolac), hanging all the men and driving away all the women and children. After
Tuzla Tuzla (, , ) is the List of cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, third-largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the administrative center of Tuzla Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. As of 2013, it has a population of 110,979 inha ...
was captured by the partisans on 17 September 1944, the 369th Infantry Division experienced a swell in desertions by its non-German members; among the ranks of II./370 battalion, German officers and liaisons were spontaneously murdered by some of their Croatian subordinates. On 21 September Trebinje garrison, consisting of the reinforced 1st Battalion of the 369th Grenadier Regiment, Italian Fascist Legion San Marco, and parts of the 9th Home Guard Brigade, came under an attack of the
Vojislav Lukačević Vojislav Lukačević ( sr-Cyrl, Војислав Лукачевић; 1908 – 14 August 1945) was a Serbs, Serbian Chetnik commander in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia during World War II. At the outbreak of war, he held the rank of Captain (arme ...
Chetnik group. At that time, Lukačević decided to start hostilities with the Germans, and assembled a formation of some 4.000 men. Since fortifications of outer defence of Trebinje were held by mixed German and Chetnik crews, the Chetniks used one routine crew change to disarm and capture German personnel. With outer positions secured, Lukačević issued an ultimatum, demanding garrison surrender. After the Chetnik assault on Trebinje that followed had failed, the Chetnik held Trebinje under the siege until 25 September. On that day, a reinforced battalion of the 118th Jäger Division attacked from
Dubrovnik Dubrovnik, historically known as Ragusa, is a city in southern Dalmatia, Croatia, by the Adriatic Sea. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean, a Port, seaport and the centre of the Dubrovni ...
, and pushed Chetniks away from Trebinje. After Chetniks left, outer defence zone of Trebinje remained unoccupied. Partisans took advantage of that to infiltrate into the void, and the position of the garrison became critical. The Partisan attack begun on 4 October, and only small groups from Trebinje garrison managed to evade death or capture. 18 men strong group of sergeant Teimer reached Dubrovnik, and sergeant Müller's group of twelve crossed over the mountains and reached Mostar. Some 350 soldiers from 369th Division, and around 80 soldiers of 9th Home Guard Brigade were killed or captured.


Final months

The division saw action against the
Partisans Partisan(s) or The Partisan(s) may refer to: Military * Partisan (military), paramilitary forces engaged behind the front line ** Francs-tireurs et partisans, communist-led French anti-fascist resistance against Nazi Germany during WWII ** Itali ...
until the end of the war. However, by April 1945 it was down to battlegroup strength having lost most of its German officers and with the Croatian manpower of the division numbering between 2,000 and 3,000 soldiers. During the last few weeks of the war, what was left of the division fought in north-west Bosnia and
Slavonia Slavonia (; ) is, with Dalmatia, Croatia proper, and Istria County, Istria, one of the four Regions of Croatia, historical regions of Croatia. Located in the Pannonian Plain and taking up the east of the country, it roughly corresponds with f ...
retreating towards Austria. After moving through northern Croatia, it broke up and various groups in the area of northern
Slovenia Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia, is a country in Central Europe. It borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the south and southeast, and a short (46.6 km) coastline within the Adriati ...
and Austria. On 11 May 1945 the division, less one company, was stopped and disarmed by Partisan forces. The remaining group attacked a brigade of Partisans near
Dravograd Dravograd (; ) is a small town in northern Slovenia, close to the border with Austria. It is the seat of the Municipality of Dravograd. It lies on the Drava River at the confluence with the Meža and the Mislinja. It is part of the traditional ...
as it tried to cross into Austria; on 15 May 1945 most of the
Croatian Armed Forces The Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia () are the national military forces of Croatia. The Croatian military consists of three service branches: the Croatian Army, the Croatian Navy and the Croatian Air Force. The OSRH is headed by the ...
survivors formally surrendered. In total 160 officers and 2,876 men from the 369th Croatian surrendered to the
British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
, they were then separated with the Germans members of the division assigned to a camp near Griffen in Austria and never sent back to Yugoslavia as prisoners of war. The Croatian soldiers were turned over to the Yugoslav Partisans who executed most of them. In 1946 Fritz Neidholt the commander of the division was extradited, tried for war crimes and executed by hanging on 27 February 1947.


Organisation

The composition of the division in September 1943 was as follow: * 369th (Croatian) Grenadier Regiment (I, II, III battalions) * 370th (Croatian) Grenadier Regiment (I, II, III battalions) * 369th (Croatian)
Panzerjäger ''Panzerjäger'' (German: literally "armor hunter", more broadly "anti-tank") is a term used for an anti-tank vehicle (self-propelled anti-tank gun), as well as anti-tank units. The term was first used in the Wehrmacht (German armed forces, 19 ...
Battalion * 369th
Reconnaissance In military operations, military reconnaissance () or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, the terrain, and civil activities in the area of operations. In military jargon, reconnai ...
Battalion * 369th (Croatian) Artillery Regiment (I, II, III battalions) * 369th
Pioneer Pioneer commonly refers to a person who is among the first at something that is new to a community. A pioneer as a settler is among the first settling at a place that is new to the settler community. A historic example are American pioneers, perso ...
Battalion * 369th (Croatian)
Signals A signal is both the process and the result of Signal transmission, transmission of data over some transmission media, media accomplished by embedding some variation. Signals are important in multiple subject fields including signal processin ...
Battalion * 369th Divisional Supply Troops On 28 December 1944 after reaching battle group strength, the division absorbed the 1001st and 1012th Fortress Infantry Battalions


Commanders

The commanders of the 369th (Croatian) Infantry Division were: * Fritz Neidholt (21 August 1942 – 5 October 1944) * Georg Reinicke (5 October 1944 – 8 May 1945)


See also

*
World War II in Yugoslavia World War II in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia began on 6 April 1941, when the country was Invasion of Yugoslavia, invaded and swiftly conquered by Axis powers, Axis forces and partitioned among Nazi Germany, Germany, Fascist Italy (1922–1943), It ...
*
Seven anti-Partisan offensives 7 (seven) is the natural number following 6 and preceding 8. It is the only prime number preceding a cube (algebra), cube. As an early prime number in the series of positive integers, the number seven has symbolic associations in religion, myt ...
*
Resistance during World War II During World War II, resistance movements operated in German-occupied Europe by a variety of means, ranging from non-cooperation to propaganda, hiding crashed pilots and even to outright warfare and the recapturing of towns. In many countries, r ...
* Anti-partisan operations in World War II


Notes


References


Sources


Books

* * * * * * * * * *


Journals

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:369th (Croatian) Infantry Division (Wehrmacht) Military units and formations established in 1942 Independent State of Croatia Military units and formations of Germany in Yugoslavia in World War II Croatian collaborators with Nazi Germany Foreign volunteer units of the Wehrmacht Infantry divisions of Germany during World War II Military units and formations disestablished in 1945