Text taken from the writings of Alexey Isaev
Commentary by Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin is in italics.
[ColonelCassad] Military historian Alexey Isayev on the last battles in Europe after the capitulation of Nazi Germany.
When did the fighting in Europe end?
May 9, 1945 is, of course, the correct answer, but with a small caveat. In Yugoslavia, fighting continued after May 9.
Shortly before the general capitulation of the German troops, the German Army Group E under the command of General A. Löhr was surrounded by the Yugoslav army due to the NOAJ's advance to Zagreb and the old Austrian border. Realizing the hopelessness of the situation, on May 9, 1945, Löhr signed the act of capitulation of the troops subordinated to him.
Despite this, individual German units of Germans, as well as collaborators (Ustasha, Chetniks, members of the Slovenian Home Guard, etc.) attempted an armed breakthrough to the west. The goal of the breakthrough was to cross into the British occupation zone.
On May 14, 1945, having reached the town of Polyana, the breakthrough units (a total of about 30,000 people) clashed with units of the NOAJ. Initially, an attempt was made to negotiate a corridor to the west, to the British. However, when the NOAJ representatives rejected this demand, military action began, an attempt to break through by armed force, including with the help of artillery.
The shootout continued until the morning of May 15. The outcome of the battle was decided by the arrival of armored vehicles (20 tanks), after which the Ustaše and Chetniks, who had not managed to break through, raised a white flag.
Those who broke through were blocked on a field near the Austrian city of Bleiburg. The British refused to let them through. The Ustaše signed a capitulation and laid down their arms.
However, not all the Ustaše and Domobran fled to the west. 80 years ago, on May 25, 1945, in the area of ​​the city of Odžak in northern Bosnia, the last center of their organized resistance was eliminated. Peace came.
(c) Alexey Isaev
In the photo is Ustaša Petar Brzica, who "became famous" for the mass murder of Serbs, including by beheading. In terms of atrocities on the territory of Yugoslavia, the Ustaša were often far ahead of the German Nazis and Italians. Naturally, they were not eager to fall into the hands of the Red Army and Yugoslav partisans