World War II in Yugoslavia

- 28th October 1941 - “STARO SAJMIŠTE” CONCETRATION CAMP IS OPEN - One of the most notorious concentration camps over the whole war in Yugoslavia “Staro Sajmište” located on the banks of the Sava river (right across the Belgrade) which was under the jurisdiction of the Independent State of Croatia and run by the German troops becomes active on 28th October 1941. Until the end of its existence in July 1944, camp will be used for mass gatherings and killings of the Jews from Serbia, as well as the large groups of Serbs, Roma and other anti fascists rebels. Camp already had finished infrastructure which suits Germans perfectly because it was located on the site of the former Yugoslav Fair, which before the war was one of the most modern Fair facility built in a whole Europe. Unfortunately, Nazis will use these magnificent facilities as killing machines for the innocent people in the future period where death will found more then a 30.000 people until the end of the occupation.

- 31th October 1941 - “FINAL FAIL OF KRALJEVO SIEGE / START OF CIVIL WAR” - The last joint attack of the Chetniks and Partizans on Kraljevo and a desperate attempt to take the city after almost a month of siege and heavy fighting with the Germans. Rebels with the help of tank managed to break almost through the center of the city but the Germans repel the attack with a heavy artillery, machine guns and pre-made barricades, forcing both rebels troops into full retreat and final split of their forces.

Meanwhile Draža Mihailović orders a complete withdrawal of his troops from Kraljevo area on the same day and preparation for the following attack on the Partisans. British Colonel Duane Tyrell “Bill” Hudson hearing for the upcoming attack demanded an explanation from Mihailović who told him:

“This attack on Partisans that I will report and my relations with them are exclusively an inner Yugoslav stuff, and I am a legitimate representative of my government on that matter.”

Also in his report about the upcoming attack to the Yugoslav Government in exile:

“Peace cannot last long, because they will not give us Čačak and Užice. The weapons factory in Užice is of great importance for our detachments. I’m afraid we’ll have to take that place by force as soon as possible. We must not allow the communist movement to grow stronger.”"

Mihailović sent envoys with a direct message to the German General Walter Hinghofer who was leading advancing 342nd Wehrmacht Infantry Division informing him about upcoming action against Partisans, also threatening to Germans not to attacking his troops or the local people in area:

Upcoming actions are not directed against the German units unless they attack Chetniks and other local people

In addition to the German forces that were now informed about the upcoming Mihailović operation in these areas, it is assumed that Mihailović also sent envoys to the National Salvation Government leader Milan Nedić once again in Belgrade and their units in order to coordinate the following attack (to whome he already sent envoys before, although they had many disagreements and disliking each others from a days of Yugoslav Army before the war). Main goal of an all out Chetniks offensive was capturing the city of Užice, important factories as well gaining complete control over the Čačak town with surrounding area (and whole western Serbia) which had divided power between Chetniks and Partisans with conflicts over taking the town going on recently. Meanwhile Tito was inform about this and expected attack focusing on capturing Požega due to its airport and strategic importance.

The main idea was to capture important point locations with a quick strike, but Mihailović will soon encounter strong resistance from some Chetnik commanders who refused to carry out attacks.

NOTE: Regarding Mihailović - Nedić relations scroll up for the 5th of September event when Mihailović Representatives had direct meeting with Milan Nedić in which there was a bitter argument between Aleksandar Mišić and Nedić himself on the current Chetnik situations.

- 2nd November 1941 - “Battle of Trešnjica - Chetniks vs Partisans - Civil War” - Although plan to strike on Partisans from all sides with sharp attacks on the very first day of November specifically focusing on capturing Užice and Čačak, this did not happen in full intense because Mihailović got wide rejections from some commanders especially those who were recently fighting together with Partisans in the Kraljevo Siege. Many Chetnik units received the order totally unprepared for actions.

Chetnik Major Radoslav Đurić at first ignored Mihailović’s order to attack Partisans and instead continued joint actions against Germans for couple of days more in the vicinity of Kraljevo reporting afterwards: “It was not possible to allow one side to be attacked during the fight with the occupier, because the fighters of both sides were for cooperation.” On the other hand, the main forces that were supposed to strike at Čačak were three days late, many Chetnik commanders announced that their men were exhausted after the fight with Germans and that further attacks were simply not possible at the moment. In other areas local Chetniks and Partisans started negotiations on their own in order to bring some kind of mutual agreements without their headquarters which all affected offensive plans.

Despite all the organizational problems, the first major direct conflict took place in Trešnjica on November 2nd, where Chetniks tried to give a hit to large group of Partisans who cut them in the middle of the road, however due to the slow movement and postponement of the attack, Partisans knew direction from which main attack was coming from and in Užice they sounded alert sirens picking up large amount of fighters and weapons that comes as reinforcements in the middle of clashes taking the lead and forcing Chetniks to withdraw in direction of Požega. Taking the initiative, Partisans previously took all Chetnik positions and brought them into chaos taking more war materials and starting to advance. Chetniks formed a new line of defense near Požega, defending the most important strategic point for them and whole Užice republic. After consultations with Tito, attack was ordered on Požega, which was crucial for both movements due to the close improvised rebel airport Tatojevica.

- 3rd November 1941 - “Battle of Požega - Partisans Capture the Town” - After marching in three regrouped columns, Partisans reached Požega, since Chetniks had already established themselves in front of the area. Tito’s order was that Požega must be occupied at any costs. Soon a general all out assault from the Partisans side was launched on the town in which after several bloody hours of fighting, about 50 fighters were killed on each side. Among the dead was the commander of the Dragačevo battalion of the Čačak NOP detachment, Bogdan Kapelan while on Chetnik sides many experienced fighters lost their lives as well. Rest of the Chetniks withdrew, some were arrested taken hostage, while others were executed on the spot. Speaking about battle itself Partisan Commander Dragojlo Dudić horrified by the sight in front of him wrote a following report in his notebook:

“Our people liquidated the Chetniks in Požega. In that fight, our Partisans had terrible losses. Battalion commander Comrade Kapelan, two company commanders and many other Partisans were killed. It happened that instead of fighting against fascist bandits, we were fighting with our brothers; instead of shedding enemy blood, we bleeding each others.”

More info about Partisans Commander Bogdan Kapelan on Wikipedia (Serbian language):

- 5th November 1941 - “Mass Arrests of Serbian intellectuals in Belgrade” Germans made mass arrests throughout whole November specifically focusing on targeted Serbian intellectuals all over the Belgrade under the pretext of working for resistance, of being traitors to the people and of undermining the German troops. Most of them ended up in concentration camp Banjica, from where many are after killed at the shooting ground in Jajinci together with Jews and Roma people not so far away from the camp itself and where executions are already taken place on a daily basis without stopping.

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