Operation Rübezahl

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Operation Rübezahl
Part of WWII
Date12-30 August 1944
Location
Belligerents
Nazi Germany Nazi Germany
Montenegrin Volunteer Corps
Free Arabian Legion
Independent State of Croatia
Bulgaria Kingdom of Bulgaria
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Yugoslav Partisans
Commanders and leaders
Nazi Germany Artur Phleps
Casualties and losses
1000 injured

Operation Rübezahl was the beginning of a strategic retreat by Nazi German troops from Serbia after the front change of Romania and Bulgaria during World War II.[1]

History

In summer 1944, German soldiers were doing sweeps against Yugoslavian partisans led by communist Josip Broz Tito. But on 30 August, after Kingdom of Romania and Bulgaria split from their Nazi ally, Germany entered into a crisis on the Balkan front. While the forces of the National Liberation Army were moving to unite with the Soviet Red Army in Serbia, German troops tried to avoid defeat in that strategic area by implementing "Operation Rübezahl" to enable the organised retreat of Germans from Serbia. Among them there were:[2]

Between 20-22 August, German troops surrounded and destroyed a particularly huge partisan unit moving westwards from Croatia to Serbia. Only a few partisans survived thanks to Allied planes which managed to land on battered airstrips, air-lifting about a thousand injured to hospitals located in Italy.[3]

See also

References

  1. ^ Giorgi, Alessandro (26 August 2015). Cronaca della Seconda Guerra Mondiale 1939-1945. p. 374. ISBN 9786050408539.
  2. ^ "PRINZ EUGEN LA 7a DIVISIONE DA MONTAGNA DELLE WAFFEN SS – terza e ultima parte". Thule Italia (in Italian). Retrieved 19 November 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. ^ Afiero, Massimiliano. "PRINZ EUGEN". www.maxafiero.it (in Italian). Retrieved 19 November 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

Bibliography

  • Bambara, Gino (1988). La guerra di liberazione nazionale della Jugoslavia (1941-1943). Mursia.
  • Deakin, Frederick William (1972). La montagna più alta. L'epopea dell'esercito partigiano jugoslavo. Club degli editori.
  • Gobetti, Eric (2006). L'occupazione allegra. Gli italiani in Jugoslavia (1941-1943). Carocci.
  • Bauer, Eddy (1971). Storia controversa della seconda guerra mondiale. Vol. vol. VII. De Agostini. {{cite book}}: |volume= has extra text (help)
  • Gilas, Milovan (2011). La guerra rivoluzionaria jugoslava. 1941-1945. Ricordi e riflessioni. LEG. ISBN 978-88-6102-083-2.

External links