Description
Book SynopsisThis volume describes, lists, and illustrates the several combatant forces raised in Yugoslavia during World War II.
In March 1941, an anti-German coup in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia prompted Hitler to order an invasion using allied Italian, Hungarian, Bulgarian. and Romanian forces. Operation Marita was an invasion of Yugoslavia and simultaneously Greece. At the same time, the constituent region of Croatia broke away from Yugoslavia and joined the Axis powers. Royal Yugoslav armed forces, despite advancing against the Italians in Albania were forced to surrender after 11 days'' fighting and some 1,000 soldiers, airmen, and sailors escaped to British-occupied Egypt to form Free Yugoslav units. From there, guerrilla resistance to the Axis occupiers broke out and continued with increasing strength until the end of the war under Mihailovic''s royalist ''Chetniks'' and Tito''s Communist ''Partisans'' (both supported by Britain). However, hostilities between the two mo
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION -Birth of the Yugoslav state -Inter-war developments THE YUGOSLAV ARMY IN 1941 -Army Groups -Uniforms -Branch-specific items -Rank titles & service-uniform insignia THE APRIL WAR, 6–18 APRIL, 1941 -Order of battle & anticipated plans -Campaigns ROYAL YUGOSLAV FORCES IN THE MIDDLE EAST, 1941–45 -Royal Guards Battalion - Uniforms & insignia -7 (Yugoslavian) Troop, No. 10 (Inter-Allied) Commando -Yugoslav Air Force YUGOSLAV ARMY IN THE HOMELAND, 1941–45 -1941: Formation of the Chetniks -1942: Establishment -1943: Civil war -1944: The defence of Serbia -1945: Defeat -Uniforms & insignia YUGOSLAV PEOPLE’S LIBERATION ARMY, 1941–45 -1941: Organization -1942: Organization -1943: Organization -1944: Campaigns -1945: Campaigns -Uniforms & insignia SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY PLATE COMMENTARIES INDEX