Partisans in Yugoslavia

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#1

The Yugoslav Partisans were the main resistance movement engaged in the fight against the Axis forces in the Balkans during World War II.

They went under the official name of People’s Liberation Army and Partisan Detachments of Yugoslavia (Narodno-oslobodilačka vojska i partizanski odredi Jugoslavije), and were under the direct command of Marshall Tito and the Yugoslav Communist Party Politburo.

The occupying forces instituted such severe burdens on the local populace (e.g. the army of Nazi Germany would hang or shoot indiscriminately, including: children, womenfolk, and the old, up to 100 local inhabitants for every one Wehrmacht soldier killed) that the Partisans came not only to enjoy widespread support but for many they were the only option for survival.

The PLA & PDY (NOV i POJ) was established in 1942 from Yugoslav partisan bands, and eventually evolved into a regular force, the Yugoslav People’s Army, on March 1, 1945.

The Partisans and the People’s Liberation Army staged a guerrilla campaign widely supported by the sufering population. There were people’s committees organized to act as civilian governments in liberated areas of the country, and even limited arms industries were set-up.

During this stage great pressure was made by the occupying and quisling forces as seven major anti-partisan Offensives atest. The biggest being by combined Wehrmacht, the SS, Fascist Italy, Ustaše, Chetniks and Bulgarian forces, the so called Fall Weiss (Plan White) and Operation Schwarz (Operation Black), or as they were known in the Yugoslav annals: the 4th (Battle of Neretva) and 5th (Battle of Sutjeska) Offensives.

Later in the conflict the Partisans were able to win the moral, as well as limited material support of the Allies, who until then had supported General Dragoljub “Drazha” Mihailovich’s Royalist Chetnik Forces, but were finally convinced of who was doing the fighting against the Axis in the region by many military missions dispatched to both sides during the course of the war.

After the Teheran Conference in 1943 they received official recongnition as the legitimate national liberation force by the Allies, who sunsequently set-up the RAF Balkan Air Force under the influence and suggestion of Brigadier-General Fitzroy MacLean, and with the aim to provide increased supplies and tactical air support for Tito’s forces.

Towards the end of war, in 1945, the Red Army facilitated the liberation of the Capital, Belgrade. However, the country is considered to be the only one in WWII which was liberated by it’s own forces, with the assistance and active participation of the populus.

#2

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you our latest Wikipedia cut & paster!!! :roll:

#3

I await much more of the same…

sigh

#4

Yes this is wrom wikipedia :lol: :lol: :lol:

#5

See previous threads about doing this - in short, don’t. We can all use wikipedia. If you think something’s interesting, post a link to it.

Certainly don’t post whole tracts like this unreferenced!

#6

:stuck_out_tongue:

#7

Ok I only want to help I think then you don’t know nothing about partisans and becuse this I send that post Sorry :oops:

#8

Ok I only want to help I think then you don’t know nothing about partisans and becuse this I send that post Sorry :oops:[/quote]
You don´t have nothing to sorry my friend,you have to do that in the future.

thank you mate,and continue posting :wink:

#9

Ok :lol: :lol: :stuck_out_tongue:

#10

Yugoslavia Partisan Air Force

The Yugoslav Partisan Air Force was never a single united organisation, but instead was made of three separate elements, equipped and trained in three different ways. The first element was made up of defectors from the Croatian Air Force, who flew enemy aircraft captured by the Partisans. The second element took the form of two Yugoslav manned fighter squadrons trained and equipped by the Royal Air Force for operations over the Balkans. The third element comprised a formation of fighter and assault aircraft trained and equipped by the Soviet AIr Force. At the end of the war all three elements were operating from secure bases within Yugoslavia, and these units formed the basis for the post-war Yugoslav Air Force.
Yugoslavia was invaded by Axis forces on 6 April 1941 and was forced to surrender on 17 April. Yugoslav territory was partitioned, with a new Croat State being established under Italian control, and the remainder occupied by Germany and Italy. However, much of Yugoslavia was ideal for guerrilla warfare, and within a few months rival Chetnik (Royalist) and Partisan (Communist) units were launching attacks on the occupying forces.
In late 1941, two attempts were made by Croatian Air Force personnel to defect to the guerrilla forces, but unfortunately both ended with fatal crashes. However, on 23 May 1942 aircrew flying a Breguet 19 and a Potez 25 successfully deserted from the Croatian Air Force and flew to the recently liberated town of Prijedor. These two aircraft were soon lost to enemy action, but the effect on local morale of the five air attacks they carried out was enormous.
Yugoslav guerrilla forces continued their attacks, but were unable to obtain any additional aircraft for more than a year. The surrender of Italy in September 1943 brought new opportunities, as partisan forces were able to capture the Italian airfield at Gorica in Slovenia, which held several aircraft. These aircraft were immediately pressed into service for reconnaissance and liaison duties. More defectors from the Croatian Air Force arrived in the following two months. Shortly afterwards the Allies formally agreed to support the Partisan army (called the NOVJ - Yugoslav National Liberation Army) instead of the Chetniks, (the Allies stopped their help to the Jugoslovenska vojska u otadzbini (JVuO)- the official name for the Chetniks - on 30th May 1944). Allied material support now allowed the operation of regular partisan air units to support ground forces. Defections of Croatian personnel continued to increase and by mid 1944 the Croatian Air Force no longer possessed any effective strength.
In October 1943 the Allied Supreme Headquarters appealed through the ‘Free Yugoslavia’ Radio Station for volunteers to join the Partisan Air Force. Basic flying training commenced at Bari in southern Italy in January 1944. Many of the volunteers were already experienced pilots and so in early March 1944 all personnel were transferred to North Africa. On 22 April 1944 at Benina airfield in Libya, the First Yugoslav Fighter Squadron was established (administered by the RAF as 352 Sqn). On 1 July 1944 the Second Yugoslav Fighter Squadron (351 Sqn RAF) was formed. Both units were assigned to the RAF Balkan Air Force for operations over Yugoslavia. 352 Squadron made its first operational sortie from Canne airfield in Italy on 18 August 1944. In the meantime, 351 Squadron under went special training in the use of rocket projectiles from its’s Hurricanes and made it’s first combat sortie on 13 October 1944.
In August 1944 the Adriatic Island of Vis was liberated by Partisan forces, and a new liaison squadron was formed there with captured aircraft. On 21 September 1944 a further new squadron was formed with captured aircraft at Zaluzani airfield near Banja Luka to support the 5th Corps of the NOVJ. The unit carried out 90 combat sorties against enemy ground forces, moving base several times, while being supplied with fuel and ammunition from partisan-held territory. This unit demonstrated that partisan aviation could work very successfully.
In October 1944, 351 & 352 Squadrons began to use Vis as an advanced base, allowing them to range deeper into Yugoslavia. In the middle of 1944 the Soviet Army arrived on the eastern borders of Yugoslavia. The 10th Assault Division and 236th Fighter Division of the Soviet Air Force were assigned to help with the liberation of Yugoslavia. In addition, the Soviets agreed to train and equip two new Yugoslav-manned units. In late November 1944 to Soviet Air Force began ground crew training for Yugoslav volunteers and on 10 December 1944 pilot training for volunteers commenced. In the middle of December three Assault and three Fighter Regiments were formed, making up 42 Assault Division and 11 Fighter Division respectively. Collectively, these two Divisions were called the Group of Air Divisions, which controlled 258 aircraft at it’s formation.

23 May 1942 First two aircraft acquired
4 June 1942 First combat sorties flown
early Sept 1943 Partisans capture former Italian airfield and it’s resident aircraft
22 April 1944 352 Sqn formed by RAF with Yugoslav personnel
16 October 1944 Agreement signed with Soviet Union on providing air support to the NOVJ
December 1944 Soviet instructors begin training of Yugoslav aircrews near Belgrade
5 January 1945 New Yugoslav Air Force (JRV) officially established
28 May 1945 War ends in Yugoslavia

#11

Stop posting other people’s stuff as your own!

that post comes from:

http://www.aeroflight.co.uk/waf/yugo/yugo-part-home.htm

#12

please clauss,stoatman is right,we want to make the rules applied.

thanks

#13

Ok ok ok ok ok ok :cry:

#14

excuse me please :frowning: ,they´re just the rules of the site.

#15

Ok but my post is public and from site anyone can post it wherever he want’s ,and I don’t know what Man OF Stoat have against me .Really

#16

It’s nothing against you personally, it’s called plagerism and is extremely bad etiquette - at least provide a URL to it. Nothing to do whether it’s public or not, & nothing to do with copyright. It’s also really rude to those of us who do take the time to write our own summaries, collations and other longer pieces. In addition, we all know how to use Wikipedia, so don’t need huge tracts cited from it - post a URL, give a brief summary, & people will click it if they want to read it.

#17

All right next time I do that do you happy now.

#18

ja genau!

#19

ja genau![/quote]Gracias mr Clauss,mr Stoat,podria decirme su ultima frase en un idioma mas comprensible?,muchas gracias

#20

Do enyone of you ever heard anything about Desant in Drvar.