Croatian Armed Forces
Encyclopedia
The Croatian Armed Forces were the armed forces of the Independent State of Croatia
which were formed in 1944 with the uniting of the Croatian Home Guard
and the Ustaše
militia forces.
The Army of the Independent State of Croatia
was reorganized in November 1944 to combine the units of the Ustaše and Croatian Home Guard into eighteen divisions, comprising 13 infantry, two mountain, two assault and one replacement Croatian divisions, each with its own organic artillery and other support units. There were also several armoured units. From early 1945, the Croatian divisions were allocated to various German corps and by March 1945 were holding the Southern Front. Securing the rear areas were some 32,000 men of the Croatian Gendarmerie
(Hrvatsko Oružništvo), organised into 5 police volunteer regiments plus 15 independent battalions, equipped with standard light infantry weapons, including mortars.
By the end of March, 1945, it was obvious to the Croatian Army command that, although the front remained intact, they would eventually be defeated by sheer lack of ammunition. For this reason, the decision was made to retreat into Austria
, in order to surrender to the British forces advancing north from Italy
. These forces remained in being until their surrender to the British Army
around Bleiburg
, Austria, in 1945.
Independent State of Croatia
The Independent State of Croatia was a World War II puppet state of Nazi Germany, established on a part of Axis-occupied Yugoslavia. The NDH was founded on 10 April 1941, after the invasion of Yugoslavia by the Axis powers. All of Bosnia and Herzegovina was annexed to NDH, together with some parts...
which were formed in 1944 with the uniting of the Croatian Home Guard
Croatian Home Guard
Croatian Home Guard or also, known as the "Homeland Defenders," was the name used for the armed forces of the Independent State of Croatia which existed during World War II.- Formation :...
and the Ustaše
Ustaše
The Ustaša - Croatian Revolutionary Movement was a Croatian fascist anti-Yugoslav separatist movement. The ideology of the movement was a blend of fascism, Nazism, and Croatian nationalism. The Ustaše supported the creation of a Greater Croatia that would span to the River Drina and to the border...
militia forces.
The Army of the Independent State of Croatia
Independent State of Croatia
The Independent State of Croatia was a World War II puppet state of Nazi Germany, established on a part of Axis-occupied Yugoslavia. The NDH was founded on 10 April 1941, after the invasion of Yugoslavia by the Axis powers. All of Bosnia and Herzegovina was annexed to NDH, together with some parts...
was reorganized in November 1944 to combine the units of the Ustaše and Croatian Home Guard into eighteen divisions, comprising 13 infantry, two mountain, two assault and one replacement Croatian divisions, each with its own organic artillery and other support units. There were also several armoured units. From early 1945, the Croatian divisions were allocated to various German corps and by March 1945 were holding the Southern Front. Securing the rear areas were some 32,000 men of the Croatian Gendarmerie
Gendarmerie
A gendarmerie or gendarmery is a military force charged with police duties among civilian populations. Members of such a force are typically called "gendarmes". The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary describes a gendarme as "a soldier who is employed on police duties" and a "gendarmery, -erie" as...
(Hrvatsko Oružništvo), organised into 5 police volunteer regiments plus 15 independent battalions, equipped with standard light infantry weapons, including mortars.
By the end of March, 1945, it was obvious to the Croatian Army command that, although the front remained intact, they would eventually be defeated by sheer lack of ammunition. For this reason, the decision was made to retreat into Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, in order to surrender to the British forces advancing north from Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. These forces remained in being until their surrender to the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
around Bleiburg
Bleiburg
Bleiburg is a small town in the south Austrian state of Carinthia , south-east of Klagenfurt , in the district of Völkermarkt, some four kilometres from the border with Slovenia....
, Austria, in 1945.
Marching order at end of 1944
- 1. Poglavnik Bodyguard Division
- 1. Croatian Assault Division
- Commander: General Ante Moškov
- Headquarters: ZagrebZagrebZagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
- 2. Croatian Infantry Division
- Commander: General Mirko Gregurić
- Headquarters: ZagrebZagrebZagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
- 3. Croatian Infantry Division
- Commander: General Stjepan Mifek
- Headquarters: VinkovciVinkovciVinkovci is a city in Croatia, in the Vukovar-Syrmia County. In the 2011 census, the total population of the city was 35,375, making it the largest town of the county...
- 4. Croatian Infantry Division
- Commander: General Antun Nardelli
- Headquarters: Dvor na UniDvorDvor is a town and a municipality in the Banovina region in central Croatia. Administratively it belongs to the Sisak-Moslavina County and is located across the Una River from Novi Grad in Bosnia and Herzegovina....
- 5. Croatian Assault Division
- Commander: General Rafael BobanRafael BobanRafael "Ranko" Boban was a member of the Croatian World War II Ustaše regime, and the commander of the Black Legion....
- Headquarters: BjelovarBjelovarBjelovar is a city in central Croatia. It is the administrative centre of Bjelovar-Bilogora County. During the 2001 census, there were 41,869 inhabitants, 90.51% which are Croats....
- Commander: General Rafael Boban
- 6. Croatian Infantry Division
- Commander: General Vladimir MetikošVladimir MetikošVladimir Metikoš was a Croatian general in the then Independent State of Croatia .Metikoš was born in Banja Luka. During World War I, he was posted on the Italian front as a lieutenant of the Austro-Hungarian Army...
- Headquarters: Banja LukaBanja Luka-History:The name "Banja Luka" was first mentioned in a document dated February 6, 1494, but Banja Luka's history dates back to ancient times. There is a substantial evidence of the Roman presence in the region during the first few centuries A.D., including an old fort "Kastel" in the centre of...
- Commander: General Vladimir Metikoš
- 7. Croatian Mountain Division
- Commander: General Stjepan Perčić
- Headquarters: Nova KapelaNova KapelaNova Kapela is a municipality in Brod-Posavina County, Croatia. There are 5,118 inhabitants in which 98% declare themselves Croats. -References:...
, BatrinaBatrinaBatrina is a village in Slavonia region of Croatia. The settlement is administered as a part of Nova Kapela municipality, Brod-Posavina County. According to the 2001 census, the village has 1096 inhabitants. It is connected by the D49 state road....
- 8. Croatian Infantry Division
- Commander: General Roman Domanik
- Headquarters: SarajevoSarajevoSarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
- 9. Croatian Mountain Division
- Commander: General Božidar Zorn
- Headquarters: MostarMostarMostar is a city and municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the largest and one of the most important cities in the Herzegovina region and the center of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation. Mostar is situated on the Neretva river and is the fifth-largest city in the country...
- 10. Croatian Infantry Division
- Commander: General Ivan Tomašević
- Headquarters: BihaćBihacBihać is a city and municipality on the river Una in the north-western part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the Bosanska Krajina region. Bihać is located in the Una-Sana Canton in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.-History:...
- 11. Croatian Infantry Division
- Commander: Colonel Juraj Rukavina
- Headquarters: GospićGospicGospić is a town in the mountainous and sparsely populated region of Lika, Croatia. It is the administrative centre of Lika-Senj county. Gospić is located near the Lika River in the middle of a karst field....
- 12. Croatian Infantry Division
- Commander: Colonel Slavko Cesarić
- Headquarters: BrčkoBrcko (city)Brčko is a city in northern Bosnia and Herzegovina, administrative seat of the Brčko District. It lies on the country's border along the Sava river across from Gunja, Croatia...
- 13. Croatian Infantry Division
- Commander: General Tomislav Rolf
- Headquarters: KarlovacKarlovacKarlovac is a city and municipality in central Croatia. The city proper has a population of 49,082, while the municipality has a population of 59,395 inhabitants .Karlovac is the administrative centre of Karlovac County...
- 14. Croatian Infantry Division
- Commander: Colonel Jaroslav Šotola
- Headquarters: Brod na Savi
- 15. Croatian Infantry Division
- Commander: General Zorko Čudina
- Headquarters: DobojDobojDoboj is a city and a municipality in northern Bosnia and Herzegovina, situated in the northern part of the Republika Srpska entity on the river Bosna. Doboj is the largest national railway junction; as such, the seats of the Republika Srpska Railways, and the Railways Corporation of Bosnia and...
- 16. Croatian Replacement Division
- Commander: General Milivoj Durbešić
- Headquarters: ZagrebZagrebZagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
- 18. Croatian Infantry Division
Executed
- Ante Moškov
- Mirko Gregurić
- Stjepan Mifek
- Antun Nardelli
- Vladimir Metikoš
- Roman Domanik
- Božidar Zorn
- Ivan Tomašević
- Juraj Rukavina
- Zorko Čudina
Sources
- Shaw, L., Trial by Slander: A background to the Independent State of Croatia, Harp Books, Canberra, 1973. ISBN 0-909432-00-7
- Thomas, N., Mikulan, K. and Pavelic, D. Axis Forces in Yugoslavia 1941-45 Osprey, London, 1995. ISBN 1-85532-473-3