Operation Autumn Storm

Major anti-partisan operations conducted by V SS Corps in late 1943 included Operation Autumn Storm, which was supposed to lead to the destruction of the partisan units in eastern Bosnia. The German units had to comb an enormous area, so the bulk of Tito's men slipped through their narrowing ring. The partisans suffered 9000 casualties in the course of the operation, and were immediately pursued in Operation Snowstorm: twin drives to the west and northwest. Concluded by the end of December, these operations cost the partisans an additional 2000 men. The Prinz Eugen Division was in the thick of the action, alongside Wehrmacht units fighting under SS command. Terrible winter weather conditions took a heavy toll on German and partisan forces alike. Ferocious fighting took place in remote mountain regions, where troops had to carry all their supplies and ammunition on their backs or loaded onto mules. The German command of the air gave them some advantage, although the partisans' local knowledge meant they were usually one step ahead of their pursuers. Few prisoners were taken by either side and the Germans also dealt ruthlessly with any local civilians they suspected of giving succour to the partisans. This led to strong suspicions that the enemy casualty figures claimed by the Germans for their anti-partisan forces also included thousands of innocent civilians.

Though badly battered in these operations, the major partisan units retained their cohesion and Tito's troops were still an effective fighting force. The partisans were now operating in division-sized units, with around 20,000 troops concentrated in mountain bases, and were increasingly being supplied by air by British and American aircraft flying from bases in Italy. Time was running out for the Germans in the Balkans.

Operation Maypole

In April 1944, V SS Corps organized a major sweep against partisan units in northern Bosnia, under the codename Operation Maypole, which again failed to trap its prey. German intelligence discovered the location of Tito's mountain headquarters in the town of Drvar, in what is now western Bosnia, and German Army commanders in the Balkans organized a corps-sized operation to surround and then destroy the partisan base. As the ground operation got under way, the 500th SS Parachute Battalion was to land by glider around Tito's headquarters and capture the partisan leader, as well as British, Russian and American advisors working with him.

Operation Knight's Move

Operation Knight's Move was compromised from the start by partisan agents who spotted the movement of the ground troops towards Drvar, so when the first gliders started landing on 24 May 1944 they were met by fully alert defenders. The first wave of SS men was massacred by Yugoslav fire, allowing Tito to escape down a rope ladder. He was soon on his personal train and heading for safety. More paratroopers landed and soon they were fighting hand-to-hand with the partisans. By the time the ground column relieved the SS detachment, it was all but wiped out. More than 250 Germans were killed and 880 wounded in the operation.

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