Tightening of encirclement
15 May 1943
The Germans planed to surprise not only NOVJ but also the Italians and the Chetniks, so the latter couldn't hide in areas under the Italian control. The offensive completely surprised both the Italians and the chetniks. The Germans asked the Italians to participate but, according to German information, they declined any participation until further orders. The governor of Montenegro didn't answer immediately to the invitation to send his representatives to German Headquarters. Only after 22 May he received authorization from Mussolini to co-operate with Germans. Only the 1st Mountain Division 'Taurinense' offered co-operation immediately but the 19th Infantry (mountain) Division 'Venezia' also didn't stay passive, while troops of the Podgorica sector were already in action against Partisans around Bioča. The Chetniks caught up in the paths of advancing German units surrendered their weapons without resistance or dispersed. Weather on the first day was cloudy and rainy. Because of that, Luftwaffe (German Air Force) carried out only one reconnaissance mission. Regia Aeronautica (Italian Air Force) strafed and hit with smaller bombs Pipere where NOVJ units were in action, and observed German movements in the area of Nevesinje, Kalinovik and Gacko.
Section Foča, Čajniče, Pljevlja
369th Division: (without 2nd Battalion) advanced over Miljena into Čajniče where it arrived around 11.30 hours. The division reports don't mention any resistance, only that the main Partisan force retreated South-East. There couldn't be any resistance since the 3rd Battalion of the 6th Bosnian Brigade NOVJ retreated a day earlier south of Čajniče and the city has been evacuated. The 2nd Battalion of the 369th Regiment which was sent from Foča over Slatina, Krstaca (9 km South-West of Čajniča), Madžara and Krčevina towards Čajniče ran into strong resistance and reached the heights south of Čajniče. The german report doesn't specify where combat took place, but according to Partisan information it occured at the line Crni Vrh-Ilisija where the 1st and 2nd Battalions of 6th Bosnian Brigade NOVJ were deployed. After inflicting substantial losses on the Germans these battalions retreated to Ponikve. With it's reconnaissance sections 369th Regiment advanced to the Trojan (3 km south of Čajniče)-Metaljka line.
For the following day the 369th Regiment planned reconnaissance in force towards Pljevalja along both sides of the road. In the meantime the 369th Division continued to assemble in direction of Goražde. This day the Headquarters with the 2nd Company of the 369th Anti-tank Battalion left Doboj for Goražde for the purpose of securing the Goražde-Pljevalja road. Its tasks in Doboj have taken one company form the 2nd Battalion of the 370th Infantry Regiment.
1st Battalion of 61st Bulgarian Infantry Regiment arrived in Dobrun and 3rd Battalion into Priboj. The regiment was made part of the 369th Division.
When on the 14 of May the 1st Battalion of Majevica Brigade was thrown back from Crni Vrh towards Ifsar, the brigade sent another battalion from Krušica towards Ifsar by order of the Drina Operation Group. No information exist as to when did this battalion depart but if it departed before 2nd Battalion of the 369th Regiment it would have engaged it at Krstac. It seems that it really followed the 2nd Battalion trail and stooped in Krstac to connect with the 1st Battalion of Majevica Brigade and the 6th Bosnian Brigade. The battalion stayed in Krstac for a day and a half but didn`t connect with either of them.
A concentric attack by the 369th Regiment caught the 6th Bosnian Brigade NOVJ in awkward disposition. Having threatened both her flanks the brigade was forced to retreat South-East. It seems that the 2nd Battalion of the 369th Regiment partially surprised her. This would explain failure to save ammunition form Ifsar.
The 1st Battalion of the Majevica Brigade also withdrew, according to some sources together with the battalions of the 6th Brigade. When the 6th Brigade retreated towards Metaljka it lost contact with other units of Drina Operation Group. Along the front of the 2nd Proletarian Brigade at Crni Vrh and Ravnih Njiva there was minor fighting in the morning.
After learning about enemy breakthrough towards Čajniče, the Headquarters of the Drina Operation Group ordered the move of one company from the 4th Battalion of the 2nd Proletarian Brigade from Šćepan Polja to Zavajit and around 8 p.m. sent a battalion of the Majevica Brigade which was in Potpeći, towards Vikoču and further towards Plansko (6 km South-West from Čajniče). Now all three battalions of the Majevica Brigade were involved in different directions. But with this the Drina Operation Group, to some extent, plugged the large gap created between the 2nd Proletarian and the 6th Brigade when the former retreated to Ponikve.
Most of the 4th Battalion of the 2nd Proletarian was securing bridge over Tara river at Šćepan Polja and one of its companies held a position at the mouth of the river Sutjeska.
Heading Trnovo, Kalinovik, Foča
118th Division: at midnight the Reconnaissance battalion moved from Trnova to Kalinovik and at 5 a.m. the main force followed. At 10 a.m. the Division arrived in Kalinovik and continued movement towards Foča and Uloga. The Anaker Group (named after the commander of the 738th Infantry Regiment) moved at the same time from Konjic towards Kalinovik. During the day it probably arrived in the Glavatičevo area. The Germans reported that weak resistance was encountered from the Partisans and that they disarmed a large number of chetniks. Parts of the 118th Division in the Foča region performed reconnaissance and encountered Partisans 3 km South-East of Foča.
On that day the 4th Home Defense Jäger Brigade reached the Trnovo-Leletin Han-Jablanica area. The 1st Battalion was sent in sections over Igman and Bjelašnica for Kalinovik and Leletin Han. The 3rd Battalion of the 7th Regiment was temporarily kept back in Sarajevo.
Jevđević ordered the Chetniks in Kalinovik to retreat to Gacko, so that the planed cleaning of the Foča-Gacko area was drooped.
Section Gacko Nikšić
Section Prijepolje, Bijelo Polje, Kolašin
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