German Antiguerrilla Operations in the Balkans (1941-1944)

German Antiguerrilla Operations in the Balkans (1941-1944) (1954)
by Robert M. Kennedy
25011German Antiguerrilla Operations in the Balkans (1941-1944)1954Robert M. Kennedy
DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY PAMPHLET
NO. 20–243

HISTORICAL STUDY

GERMAN
ANTIGUERRILLA
OPERATIONS IN
THE BALKANS
(1941–1944)


DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
AUGUST 1954

page

Department of the Army Pamphlets Published
in the
GERMAN REPORT SERIES
No. Title Publication date
20–201 Military Improvisations During the Russian Campaign Aug 51
20–202 German Tank Maintenance in World War II June 54
20–230 Russian Combat Methods in World War II Nov 50
20–231 Combat in Russian Forests and Swamps Jul 51
20–232 Airborne Operations: A German Appraisal Oct 51
20–233 German Defense Tactics Against Russian Break-Throughs Oct 51
20–234 Operations of Encircled Force—German Experience in Russia Jan 52
20–236 Night Combat Jun 53
20–240 Rear Area Security in Russia—The Soviet Second Front Behind the German Lines Jul 51
20–242 German Armored Traffic Control During the Russian Campaign Jun 52
20–260 The German Campaigns in the Balkans (Spring 1941) Nov 53
20–269 Small Unit Actions During the Campaign in Russia Jul 53
20–290 Terrain Factors in the Russian Campaign Jul 51
20–291 Effects of Climate on Combat in European Russia Feb 52
20–292 Warfare in the Far North Oct 51

page

DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY PAMPHLET
NO. 20–243

GERMAN
ANTIGUERRILLA
OPERATIONS
IN THE
BALKANS
(1941–1944)


DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
AUGUST 1954

page

DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
Washington 25, D. C., 5 August 1954

Department of the Army Pamphlet 20–243 is published for the information and use of all concerned.

[AG 385 (1 Jun 54)]

By order of the Secretary of the Army:

M. B. RIDGWAY,
General, United States Army,
Chief of Staff.


Official:

JOHN A. KLEIN,
Major General, United States Army,
The Adjutant General.

Distribution:

Active Army:

Gen Staff, DA (5)
SS, DA (5)
Tec Svc, DA (25)
Admin & Tee Svc Bd (10)
AFF (10)
OS Maj Comd (50)
Armies (10)
Corps (10)
Div (8)
Brig (3)
Regt (3)
Gen & Br Svc Sch (25)
PMST ROTC Units (1)
T/O & E 30–500A, Teams AA through AE (1)
T/O & E 30–510, Teams A–1 through A–5 (1)
T/O & E 30–600, Teams AA through AE (1)

NG: Special.
USAR: Special.
Unless otherwise noted, distribution applies to ConUS and Oversea.
For explanation of abbreviations used, see SR 320–50–1.

FOREWORD

The purpose of this study is to describe briefly the German campaign against the guerrillas in the Balkans during the period of the European Axis occupation, from the end of hostilities against Greece and Yugoslavia in April 1941 to the capture of Belgrade by the Soviet forces and the Partisans in October 1944. The activities of Germany's Italian, Bulgarian, Croatian, and other allies, as well as the British, Soviet, and United States forces in the area, are treated only to the extent that they affected German operations. In sequence of time, this study is a continuation of Department of the Army Pamphlet 20–260, The German Campaigns in the Balkans (Spring 1941), of November 1953.

The material for this study was obtained from German military records now in the custody of The Adjutant General, Department of the Army. In addition to these official records, monographs by former German officers who participated in these operations furnished considerable general information and were of assistance in supplementing the terse official reports of specific actions. The authors of these monographs, prepared for the Historical Division, United States Army, Europe, include General der Gebirgstruppen (Lieutenant General) Hubert Lanz, former commander of the XXII Mountain Corps, and Polizeioberst (Colonel of Police) Karl Gaisser, German technical adviser to the Croatian Police.

The work of preparing this study was done by Major Robert M. Kennedy of the Office of the Chief of Military History. In its presentation, every effort was made to give an accurate account of the protracted attempt by the German occupation forces to destroy their elusive guerrilla enemy in this secondary theater of war from 1941 through 1944.

CONTENTS

Page
Part One THE BALKAN AREA AND ITS PEOPLES 1
Chapter 1. Physical Geography
I. Topography 2
II. Climate 3
2. National States
I. General 4
II. Greece 4
III. Yugoslavia 5
IV. Albania 6
V. Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, and Turkey 7
3. Transportation and Communications
I. General 8
II. Main Rail Lines 8
III. Principal Highways 9
IV. Waterways, Airfields, and Signal Facilities 9
Part Two. THE OCCUPATION OF THE BALKANS AND THE RISE OF THE GUERRILLA MOVEMENT (1941–42) 10
Chapter 4. The Occupation Zones and Force
I. Division and Dismemberment 13
II. The Italians 13
III. The Germans 15
IV. The Bulgarians and Hungarians 17
V. The Puppet Governments 18
5. The Early Movement and Axis Countermeasures
I. Yugoslavia 20
II. Greece 27
6. Organization of Guerrilla Units
I. Unit and Command Structure 31
II. Communications and Supply 32
III. Training and Tactics 33
Part Three. THE GUERRILLA MOVEMENT IN GREECE, YUGOSLAVIA, AND ALBANIA (1943–44) 35
Chapter 7. Operations (January–August 1943)
I. Yugoslavia 36
II. Greece 38
III. The German Situation by Mid-1943 40
8. The Defection of Italy and Its Effects
I. General 44
II. Yugoslavia and Albania 44
III. Greece 45
Chapter 9. Operations to the End of 1943
I. General 47
II. Yugoslavia and Albania 50
III. Greece 52
10. Operations in 1944
I. General 53
II. The Area of Army Group E 54
III. The Area of Army Group F 64
11. GEMSBOCK and STEINADLER 70
Part Four. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS 73
Appendix I. Chronology of Events 79
II. Bibliographical Note 82

MAPS

No.
1. General Reference Map
Facing 1
2. The Partition of Greece 12
3. The Partition of Yugoslavia 14
4. German Dispositions in the Balkans as of Mid-August 1944
Facing 53
5. German Estimate of Guerrilla Strength and Dispositions in Greece as of Mid-August 1944 61
6. German Estimate of Guerrilla Strength and Dispositions in Yugoslavia and Albania as of Mid-August 1944
Facing 67
7. Operation GEMSBOCK
Facing 70
8. Operation STEINADLER
Facing 72

CHARTS

No.
1. German Ground Forces in Occupied Greece and Yugoslavia as of July 1941 17
2. German Ground Forces in Occupied Greece and Yugoslavia as of 1 December 1942 27
3. German and Bulgarian Ground Forces in Occupied Greece, Yugoslavia and Albania as of 26 December 1943 51
4. German Ground Forces in Occupied Yugoslavia and Albania as of the Fall of Belgrade 20 October 1944 68

Map 1. General reference map.


This work is in the public domain in the United States because it is a work of the United States federal government (see 17 U.S.C. 105).

Public domainPublic domainfalsefalse