Niš operation
Part of the Eastern and Yugoslav fronts of the European theatre of World War II
DateOctober 8–14, 1944
Location
Niš, Occupied Serbia
Result Allied victory
Belligerents

Nazi Germany Germany

Chetniks Chetniks
Commanders and leaders
 Nazi Germany Hans Felber
Government of National Salvation Milan Nedić
Chetniks Ljubo Patak
Units involved

Bulgaria

  • 2nd Bulgarian Army
    • 4th Division
    • 6th Division
    • 9th Division
    • 12th Division
    • 2nd Cavalry Division
    • 1st Sofia Guard Division
    • 4th Border Brigade
    • Armoured Brigade
    • others

Yugoslav Partisans National Liberation Army

  • 13th Corps
    • 22nd Division
    • 24th Division
    • 46th Division
    • 47th Division
  • 2nd Proletarian Division
  • 14th Corps
    • 45th Division
  • Partisan Detachments

 Soviet Union

Nazi Germany Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS

Government of National Salvation Serbian collaborators

Chetniks Chetniks

  • Chetnik bands
Strength
  • 80,000 men
  • 21,500 men
  • 154 guns
  • 164 mortars
  • 38 tanks
  • 18 airplanes
Casualties and losses
  • 1,545 dead or wounded[2]
  • 5,200 dead or wounded
  • 3,580 captured
  • 97 captured guns
  • 720 captured machine guns
  • 1,100 captured vehicles

Niš operation (Serbian: Нишка операција, Bulgarian: Нишка операция) was an offensive operation of the Bulgarian army, supported by Yugoslav Partisans against German Army Group E to secure the left flank of the Third Ukrainian Front of the Red Army.[3][4][5]

It was held from October 8–14, 1944. Second Bulgarian Army, in cooperation with Yugoslav People's Liberation Army and IX Air Corps of the Red Army was ordered to destroy the German troops and to seize Niš. Its enemy was 7th SS Volunteer Mountain Division Prinz Eugen, or about 21 500 people from 13 infantry battalions, featuring 154 guns, 164 mortars, 38 tanks and 18 aircraft. Their task was to cover the retreat of 300,000 German soldiers from the composition of the Army Group "E". Bulgarian troops entered the brunt along the River Southern Morava. On October 10, the Sofia armored brigade, consisting of about 150 tanks, most of which Panzer IV, and the rest Panzer 38(t) and Panzer 35(t), aided by ca. 40 Leichter Panzerspähwagen, and 50 Sturmgeschütz III,[6] penetrated in the defense of the Germans and forced them to retreat west of the Southern Morava. On October 12 and 13 Bulgarian troops continue pursuit. On October 14 parts of the VI Infantry Division, using the jab from the south of the armored brigade seized Niš and completely pushed the Nazis. Losses of the Wehrmacht amounted up to 5200 killed and 3850 prisoners of war, but they managed to hold its position in the Vardar corridor to the withdrawal of the remaining German troops.

Battle Order

Allied units

Bulgarian Army:

  • 2nd Army (Major General Kiril Stanchev) (on Oct. 1 - 79,079 men)
  • 4th Infantry Division
  • 6th Infantry Division
  • 9th Infantry Division
  • 12th Infantry Division
  • 2nd Cavalry Division
  • 1st Guards Infantry Division
  • Armored Brigade (had German equipment: 78 Maybach T-IV (= PzKw IV), 35 Skoda tanks (= PzKw 35(t)), 10 Prague tanks (= PzKw 38(t)), 23 Maybach T-III (= StuG III)
  • 4th Frontier Guard Brigade

NOVJ:

  • 13th Serbian Corps (Ljubo Vuckovic) (estimate based on average number of men per division, 35,000 - 45,000 men)
  • 22nd Serbian Division
  • 24th Serbian Division
  • 46th Serbian Division
  • 47th Serbian Division
  • 2nd Proletarian Division
  • 45th Serbian Division
  • Ten local partisan detachments

See also

Citations

  1. ↑ Nedev, Nedyo (2007). Три държавни преврата или Кимон Георгиев и неговото време. София: „Сиела". p. 651. ISBN 978-954-28-0163-4.
  2. ↑ Peychev, A.; et al. (1975). Bulgaria's participation in the defeat of Nazi Germany (1st ed.). Durzhavno Voenno Izdatelstvo. p. 65.
  3. ↑ Christopher Chant. The Encyclopedia of Codenames of World War II (Routledge Revivals; 2013); ISBN 1134647875, p. 209.
  4. ↑ Elisabeth Barker et al., British Political and Military Strategy in Central, Eastern and Southern Europe in 1944, Springer (1988); ISBN 1349193798, p. 249.
  5. ↑ Jozo Tomasevich. War and Revolution in Yugoslavia: 1941–1945, Volume 2, Stanford University Press (2001); ISBN 0804779244, p. 156.
  6. ↑ Матев, К. Бронетанкова техника 1935 – 1945, С., Анжела, 2000.

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