Siege of Rogatica (1941)

This article is about the 1941 siege of the town. For the 1942 siege, see Operation Trio.
Siege of Rogatica
Part of World War II in Yugoslavia
Date13 – 24 October 1941
LocationRogatica, Independent State of Croatia (modern-day Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Result Partisan and Chetnik forces captured Rogatica
Belligerents

Rebels:

Axis:

Commanders and leaders

Chetniks:

Partisans:

Garrison in Rogatica:

  • Independent State of Croatia Marko Vrkljan

Relief forces from Sarajevo:

Units involved
Chetniks
Battalion
Company
Partisans
1st Romanija company
Sočić company
Gučeska company
Seljanska company
Rogatica battalion

Garrison in Rogatica:

Relief forces from Sarajevo:

  • Six battalions
Casualties and losses
more than 15 dead and 90 wounded[1] two airplanes and unknown number of dead and wounded
A number of Muslim and Serb civilians
Rogatica
Location of Rogatica in the eastern NDH

The Siege of Rogatica was a joint attack of Partisan and Chetnik rebel forces on Rogatica held by the Independent State of Croatia (modern-day in Bosnia and Herzegovina) which lasted between 13 and 24 October 1941.

Background

At the beginning of the World War II in Yugoslavia, Rogatica and all of eastern Bosnia along with Sandžak in Serbia, became part of the Independent State of Croatia. The military units of the Independent State of Croatia in eastern Bosnia consisted of regular units of the Croatian Home Guard and members of the local Muslim population who were recruited into units of Ustaše militia which distinguished itself in persecution of Serbs already at the very beginning of the war.[2]

During the World War II Rogatica was recaptured many times by different belligerents. The first capture by combined Chetnik-Partisan forces occurred on 6 September 1941.[3] The rebel forces that attacked Rogatica had totally around 400 men, consisting of 240 Partisans and 160 Chetnik forces commanded by Aćim Babić.[4] The rebels forced the town's garrison consisting of Croatian Home Guard, Ustaše and local Muslim Militia to flee toward Mesići.[5] On the same afternoon the Muslim Militia forces commanded by Zulfo Dumandžić recruited reinforcement in Višegrad and with support of Ustaše and Croatian Home Guard returned to recapture Rogatica, burning village Zagorice along the way and committing massacre of its population.[6] Total number of civilians who were killed during this recapture of Rogatica is estimated at one hundred.[7] The Ustaše commander Marko Vrkljan began taking Serb men and women as hostages.[8] Some of them were immediatelly killed, while most of them survived until rebels captured the town in October 1941.[9]

One of the most important consequences of this first attack was additional fortification, both in the town and around it.[10] The main aim of the Chetnik-Partisan offensive on Rogatica, Knežina and Žepa in October 1941 was to connect rebel-controlled territories in eastern Bosnia and western Serbia.[11] Muslims from Rogatica were evacuated to Sarajevo against an order issued on 11 October.[12] In mid October 1941 Rogatica was completely surrounded by Partisan and Chetnik forces, so its garrrison had to be supplied by ariplains that quickly became an easy target for besieging forces.[13]

Forces

According to the plan for the capture of Rogatica, the Partisan-Chetnik forces were composed of the following units:[14]

The town's garrison consisted of 1,000 troops of Croatian Home Guard and Ustaše forces commanded by Marko Vrkljan.[15] According to some sources their total number was 2,000.[16] The Croatian Home Guard units included 2nd battalion of Vojna Krajina (Vojkra).[17]

Battle

The rebels first cleansed surrounding villages from Ustaše Militia units and attacked the town on 13 October 1941.[18] The Chetnik company commanded by Žarko Mitrović was first to successfully break into the surrounded town, but they had to retreat after counterattack of towns garrison, leaving 6 or 8 dead.[19] The next attack was commanded by Boško Todorović who collected volunteers from all attacking units to attack forces of town's garrison fortified in the local school, but also without success.[20]

The relief forces consisting of six battalions of Croatian Home Guard, commanded by Croatian Minister of Armed Forces Slavko Kvaternik and General Vladimir Laxa, were sent from Sarajevo to release besieged garrison and recapture Rogatica, but without success.[21] According to post-war communist sources, during the negotiations about the surrender of the besieged garrison three airplanes attacked besieging forces with bombs, but since they flew at very low height, two airplanes were shot down.[22]

The Partisan and Chetnik forces captured Rogatica on 24 October 1941.[23] The final assault of Partisan forces was under direct command of member of Partisan HQ Slobodan Princip Seljo and detachment commanded by Slaviša Vajner Čiča when Partisans used Molotov cocktail to attack town's garrison.[24][25]

The official Croatian report says that units of Croatian Home Guard left the town at 3 am on 24 October.[26] According to Zafirovski, both Chetniks and Partisans participated in the battle, but Partisans finally captured the town.[27] During the siege of Rogatica Chetnik forces killed many Muslims. Chetniks from Rogatica, including those whose all family members were killed by Ustaše, were particularly cruel during massacres of Muslims.[28] The Partisan and Chetnik forces captured 1,000 rifles, 10 machine guns and other equipment from the captured town's garrison forces.[29]

Aftermath

The events after Rogatica was taken by rebel forces are unclear.[30] According to some sources, both Chetniks and Partisans executed local Ustaše commander and continued to kill Muslims.[31]

The loss of Rogatica had very important consequences for Ustaša forces in the remaining territory of eastern Bosnia whose strategic positions were significantly weakened.[32] The Muslim refugees from Rogatica fled to other eastern Herzegovinian towns. According to the testimony of captured member of Croatian Home Guard, Chetniks from Rogatica particularly distinguished themselves during massacres of Muslims in Višegrad, especially targeting Muslims from Rogatica.[33]

See also

References

  1. ↑ (Mićanović 1971, p. 252)
  2. ↑ Зборник за историју Босне и Херцеговине. Академија. 1995. p. 254.
  3. ↑ (Muzej 1966, p. 371)
  4. ↑ (Branković 1966, p. 107)
  5. ↑ (Branković 1966, p. 107)
  6. ↑ (Branković 1966, p. 107)
  7. ↑ (Dulić 2005, p. 194)
  8. ↑ (Dulić 2005, p. 194)
  9. ↑ (Dulić 2005, p. 194)
  10. ↑ (Muzej 1966, p. 371)
  11. ↑ (Mićanović 1971, p. 250)
  12. ↑ (Hamović 1994, p. 262)
  13. ↑ (Muzej 1966, p. 371)
  14. ↑ (Mićanović 1971, p. 251)
  15. ↑ (Muzej 1966, p. 371)
  16. ↑ Mikeln, Miloš; Ravnikar, Tatjana; Sotošek, Brane (1981). Pekel 1941. Cankarjeva založba. p. 229.
  17. ↑ (Terzić 1957, p. 139)
  18. ↑ (Terzić 1957, p. 139)
  19. ↑ (Mićanović 1971, p. 252)
  20. ↑ (Mićanović 1971, p. 252)
  21. ↑ (Institut 1969, p. 242)
  22. ↑ Istorijski arhiv Komunističke partije Jugoslavije. 1949. p. 44.
  23. ↑ Sarajevo, Institut za istoriju radničkog pokreta (1969). Prilozi. p. 238.
  24. ↑ Istorijski glasnik: organ Društva istoričara SR Srbije. Društvo. 1971. p. 32.
  25. ↑ (Muzej 1966, p. 371)
  26. ↑ (Dulić 2005, p. 194)
  27. ↑ (Dulić 2005, p. 194)
  28. ↑ (Hamović 1994, p. 83)
  29. ↑ (Petovar & Trikić 1982, p. 51)
  30. ↑ (Dulić 2005, p. 194)
  31. ↑ (Dulić 2005, p. 194)
  32. ↑ (ВМ 1962, p. 256)
  33. ↑ (Hamović 1994, p. 83)

Sources

Further reading

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