Serbia Decoration/Plaque - Drvar

[wlodzimierz]

Gents,

text from wikipedia:

The Raid on Drvar (Croatian, Serbian: Desant na Drvar), codenamed Operation R?sselsprung (German for "knight's leap"), was an attack by the Waffen-SS and the Luftwaffe that aimed to disrupt the command structure of the Yugoslav Partisans by eliminating their Supreme Headquarters, and capturing their commander, Marshal Josip Broz Tito. The offensive took place in April and May, 1944.

The operation is generally known as the Seventh anti-Partisan Offensive, or the Seventh Enemy Offensive (Sedma neprijateljska ofenziva/ofanziva) in Yugoslav sources. Despite the name, "Raid on Drvar", the offensive was much wider than the airborne raid on the HQ, as it also included a combined Axis attack on Partisan positions in Bosnia designed to take advantage of the command disruption. This attack included local collaborationist forces, the Independent State of Croatia and the Chetnik movement.

The Partisan General Staff headquarters were in the hills near Drvar, Bosnia at the time (in today's Bosnia and Herzegovina). Representatives of the Allies were also present. Randolph Churchill (son of Winston Churchill) and Evelyn Waugh were at Tito's headquarters at the time of the attack.

Otto Skorzeny was involved in planning of the operation and was supposed to command it but gave up on it after his visit to Zagreb where he realized that the operation's secrecy was compromised. In addition to their own intricate network, the Partisans were provided with intelligence by the British, and knew that the Axis will launch an offensive operation around Tito's birthday. However, they did not know that it was going to be an airborne assault. Regardless, orders received by the Partisan units 48 hours before the air raid commenced, were to block all roads leading from towns Bosanski Petrovac, Ključ to Drvar and to stall or slow down any Axis movement coming from those areas. In addition, strong Partisan formations were positioned southeast of Drvar. Whole Partisan brigades and divisions were repositioned from areas of North Western Krajina and moved to Ključ and Bosanski Petrovac. On the other hand, only one Partisan company of Tito's Escort Battalion was actually defending the cave.

Operation

At 5:00am the parachute and glider German SS and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fallschirmjaeger" title="Fallschirmjaeger">paratroopers fought their way to Tito's cave HQ and exchanged heavy gunfire resulting in numerous casualties on both sides. In addition, Chetnik formations under Dra?a Mihailović flocked to the firefight in support of the Germans, also attempting to capture Marshal Tito. By the time German forces had penetrated to the cave, however, Tito had already fled the scene and escaped: a train was waiting for him that took him to Jajce town.

There were less then 100 Partisans in the town when the operation started. Most of the Partisan troops were dislocated in wider area. The students of the Partisan Officer's School, around 60 of them, joined in a fight,sometime taking arms from fallen German troops, prevented a flanking attempt by the German paratroopers. This proved to be crucial for saving the foreign guests (it gave them more time for escape) that were hosted by Tito. When elements of the Partisan 6th Lika Division arrived at the battlefield, the air raid was already a disaster and the brigade was ordered to wipe out the remaining Axis troops in the area and to evacuate the wounded and civilians, since it was already known that the Axis tanks and infantry were approaching Drvar from northwest.

It would appear that Tito and his staff were prepared for a quick escape. The commandos were only able to retrieve Tito's Marshal's uniform, which was later displayed in Vienna. After fierce fighting in and around the village cemetery, the Germans were able to link up with mountain troops. By that time, Tito, his British guests and Partisan staff were f?ted aboard the British Royal Navy destroyer HMS Blackmore and her captain Lt. Carson, RN.

Aftermath

According to German reports German casualties were 213 killed, 881 wounded, and 51 missing. The same reports, claimed that 6,000 Partisans were killed.The Partisans denied suffering such losses and reported they lost around 500 men and had over 1,000 wounded, mainly due to heavy bombing by the Luftwaffe. Moreover, Partisan reports claimed over 2,000 civilians were killed by German troops around Drvar, that were likely counted among the alleged 6,000 dead fighters reported by the SS. Also, it is certain that German losses were higher than the reported 213 since out of more than 800 Waffen SS paratroopers only a dozen survived, hiding in the Drvar cemetery. In fact, it has later been ascertained that the 500th SS Parachute Battalion was practically annihilated during this operation.

Plaque Drvar:

Edited June 29, 2008 by wlodzimierz

[wlodzimierz]

Award document and blue tube:

[Anatoly13]

Nice one!Especially povelja!

I like plagues too . :love:

Edited June 30, 2008 by Anatoly13

[Anatoly13]

Waldemar,why your pictures seems brown colour?

[Anatoly13]

...

[wlodzimierz]

Anatoly you are right images have not natural color. Your images are better.

This is the first time I see such "povelja" and it seems that this plaque was given like an award.

Blue color of tube is the color of police, securities, internal affairs I think.

Interesting anyway.

image from wikipedia: german paratroopers from that raid:

[Luka]

Award document says:

"As reward for 25 years of work, confirmation for merit in defending socialistic revolution ideas, protection of constitution, social estate and safety of citizens of S.F.R.J."

[SasaYU]

Here is mine, just in. Unfortunately without case.

[IrishGunner]

Interesting history and award... Hvala vam! :cheers:

[SasaYU]

Thank you IrishGunner

More about operation you can find on Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raid_on_Drvar

[bovec1313]

The opposite site...

Decree for Croatian Large Silver Medal for Bravery, for 3 German soldiers, members of ''Special units'' (Sonderformation) who took part on assault on Drvar. Document is signed by Croatian führer Ante Pavelic and Minister of war, Ustascha general Ante Vokic.

Large Medal for Bravery was quite a rare and high decoration, as only 744 medals were awarded to Croatian troops during WW2.

On decree it is written that decoration is awarded '' for brave conduct during the attack on ''Tito's'' HQ and capturing of Drvar from 25 until 29 of May 1944''