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Title
The Professionals
Description
On April 8th, the Wehrmacht erupted across the Yugoslavian borders. Von Kleist's armor, striking along the River Nisava out of Bulgaria, swiftly drove a wedge between the enemy "Troplica" and "Drina" divisions. The Yugoslavs repeatedly performed individual acts of heroism …
Subject
Source
Publisher
Date
1941-04-09
Scenario#
A5
Scenario Description
On April 8th, the Wehrmacht erupted across the Yugoslavian borders. Von Kleist's armor, striking along the River Nisava out of Bulgaria, swiftly drove a wedge between the enemy "Troplica" and "Drina" divisions. The Yugoslavs repeatedly performed individual acts of heroism attacking the panzers with grenades and Molotov cocktails-but collectively the Yugoslavian army was outclassed and scattered, its actions haphazard and disorganized. However, along the Nisava, the wooden bridges were invariably in flames that first day when German troops reached them. Desperate for bridges to link his divided command, von Kleist formed an armored advance detachment consisting of a battalion of the 15th Panzer Regiment and two battalions of the 23rd Infantry Regiment. He ordered this ad hoc battle group to fan out ahead of the main force and seize bridges along the river. Early the next morning, after driving through the darkness, an element under command of Major Teege reached Pirot to find the bridge there still standing. With infantry dismounted from the tanks, he swept forward to capture it.
Location
Pirot, Yugoslavia
Battle Narrative
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.
Narrative Source
Combatants
German
Yugoslavian

Geolocation