Second Anti-partisan Offensive - Operation Southeast Croatia

Operation Southeast Croatia

Sokolac Rogatica Bratunac Srebrenica Vlasenica Rogatica Olovo Bosansko Petrovo Selo Foča Goražde Map of eastern Independent State of Croatia showing areas captured by German and NDH forces (red) and areas captured by the Partisans (blue)

This operation commenced on 15 January 1942. When the Chetnik leaders appointed by Draža Mihailović, Major's Boško Todorović and Jezdimir Dangić became aware of the commencement of Operation Southeast Croatia, they advised other Chetnik commanders that the operation was targeted at the Partisans, and there was no need for the Chetniks to get involved. Following this, their units withdrew from their positions on the frontline, let the Germans pass through their areas, or went home. Many withdrew across the Drina river into the Territory of the Military Commander in Serbia to avoid being engaged, which severely weakened the Partisan defences with the result that they suffered significant casualties and lost a great deal of territory. These actions severed any remaining cooperative links that remained between the Chetniks and Partisans in east Bosnia.

The insurgents in the area of operations destroyed villages to deny supplies and shelter to the Germans who were operating in mountainous terrain with snow up to 1 metre (3.3 ft) deep and facing extreme temperatures approaching −30 °C (−22 °F). The Partisans proved very difficult to pin down, aided by excellent communication supported by the local populace. During the operation, only one of the four German regiments involved in the operation was able to decisively engage the enemy. The Romanija Detachment comprised forty percent of all Partisans in eastern Bosnia and bore most of the burden in the operation.

On 21 January, Bader dramatically altered his previous orders regarding the treatment of those encountered in the area of operations, directing that those who did not resist and surrendered or merely had weapons in their houses, were to be treated as prisoners of war. It is likely that this change was intended to assist Chetniks in the area of operations to avoid destruction. By the end of January, Bader's chief of staff was attempting to negotiate a cooperation agreement with Dangić, and in turn Dangić ordered the 4,500–10,000 Chetniks under his command to avoid the Germans and surrender their weapons immediately if they were unable to avoid such contact.

After temporarily improving the Partisan defences against the German and NDH forces, the Partisan Supreme Staff and 1st Proletarian Brigade were unable to salvage the situation and retreated south towards Foča. The 1st Proletarian Brigade, less two battalions that were accompanying the Supreme Staff, crossed the Igman mountain near Sarajevo with temperatures reaching −32 °C (−26 °F). According to Koča Popović, 172 Partisans suffered severe hypothermic injury and six died. When they approached the German–Italian demarcation line south of Sarajevo, the Partisans were able to infiltrate through the weak Italian cordon. Montenegrin Partisans crossed into the NDH to attack the Chetniks, capturing Foča on 20 January and Goražde on 22 January. The German and NDH forces were successful in recapturing Sokolac, Rogatica, Bratunac, Srebrenica, Vlasenica, Han Pijesak, Olovo, Bosansko Petrovo Selo, and some smaller settlements, and inflicted significant losses on the Partisans.

After the Chetniks failed to cooperate and give any assistance to the Partisans in the battle, the Yugoslav Central Committee ceased all further attempts to cooperate with them and issued a declaration on 22 January to "Bosnians! Serbs, Muslims, Croats!" that Chetnik leaders Boško Todorović, Aćim Babić, and others were traitors. It further proclaimed that the Partisans fought alone "all across Bosnia and Herzegovina" and ended with "long live the united people's liberation struggle of all the peoples of Bosnia!". The Romanija Detachment's commander, Slaviša Vajner-Čiča, was killed in combat against the Germans. A member of the Supreme Staff of the Partisans, Svetozar Vukmanović-Tempo, reported that the detachment had completely collapsed.

However, faced with overly ambitious objectives and atrocious weather, the combined operation failed to destroy the Partisan forces and was called off on 23 January 1942. The Supreme Staff entered Foča on 25 January and stayed there for three and a half months.