Bridge Hunt

A day after the attack on Yugoslavia commenced, von Kleist’s 1st Panzer Group found many of the bridges across the Nisava River to be blown or in flames, holding up his vital armored forces. The German 23rd Infantry Regiment was …

1941-04-07

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A day after the attack on Yugoslavia commenced, von Kleist’s 1st Panzer Group found many of the bridges across the Nisava River to be blown or in flames, holding up his vital armored forces. The German 23rd Infantry Regiment was thus one of several battle groups sent forth ahead of the armored spearhead in order to secure bridges over the otherwise unfordable river obstacle. One German detachment found such a bridge, apparently unguarded, near the town of Bela Pelanka. Its supporting tanks set to refuel, the infantry casually advanced across empty fields to secure the crossing. A sudden burst of machine-gun fire from the low hills opposite the river, however, indicated to the grenadiers that this bridge may be heavily defended after all.

Nisava River, Yugoslavia

The Invasion of Yugoslavia, also known as the April War or Operation 25, was a German-led attack on the Kingdom of Yugoslavia by the Axis powers which began on 6 April 1941 during World War II. The order for the invasion was put forward in "Führer Directive No. 25", which Adolf Hitler issued on 27 March 1941, following a Yugoslav coup d'état that overthrew the pro-Axis government. The invasion commenced with an overwhelming air attack on Belgrade and facilities of the Royal Yugoslav Air Force (VVKJ) by the Luftwaffe (German Air Force) and attacks by German land forces from southwestern Bulgaria. These attacks were followed by German thrusts from Romania, Hungary and the Ostmark. Italian forces were limited to air and artillery attacks until 11 April, when the Italian army attacked towards Ljubljana (in modern-day Slovenia) and through Istria and Lika and down the Dalmatian coast. On the same day, Hungarian forces entered Yugoslav Bačka and Baranya, but like the Italians they faced practically no Resistance. A Yugoslav attack into the northern parts of the Italian protectorate of Albania met with initial success, but was inconsequential due to the collapse of the rest of the Yugoslav forces.

Wikipedia: Invasion of Yugoslavia

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