Handschar Operations
Part five: Operation Maibaum.
This was a very large operation and the main goal was to destroy the entire third Partisan
Army Corps, and was controlled by SS-Obergruppenfuhrer Arthur Phleps who was given
command of all the SS troops in the area by Reichfuhrer Heinrich Himmler.
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Handschar with supplies pic3.jpg [ 22.6 KiB | Viewed 3442 times ]
Handschar troops with supplies prior to military operation.Certain units of the attacking force which included the Prinz Eugen and the Handschar
Divisions along with units of the Security forces including the SD and local Bosnian/Croatian
Police Units which were used to control the local population etc.
These units were put near the river Drina to prevent the enemies retreat into Serbia and
Zvornik, the main German units were to surround and take Tuzla and Vlasenica.
On April 25th 1944, Zvornik fell with few casualties then on April 27th the SS Divisions went
into Kladanj and the next day took Vlasenica.
On the 28th April 44 saw the most bitter fighting between the 13th Handschar Division and the
partisan forces which took place in and around the village of Sekovici, the battle lasted for
24 hours ending with a huge amount of human loss on both sides, as well as the German
forces capturing many enemy weapons and ammunition supplies.
(see related pic below)
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Arthur Phleps.jpg [ 136.67 KiB | Viewed 3484 times ]
SS-Obergruppenfuhrer Phleps viewing captured partisan Sten gunPeiper.