Part of the Anti-Partisan Operations in Croatia series by H.L. deZeng IV

Dates: 9 – 15 May 1942. (1)

Objective: To engage and destroy Partisan concentrations in the Petrova gora (mountains) in the Kordun region between Vojnić and Topusko that were missed during Operation “Petrova gora I”.

Enemy Forces: 1st Kordun NOP Detachment, 2d Kordun NOP Detachment and a Proletarian Co. in a total strength of about 730 Partisans.

Axis Forces:
Croatian
I Lika Ustasha Bn. (550 men)
II Lika Ustasha Bn. (650 men)
V Ustasha Bn. (180 men)
X Ustasha Bn. (230 men)
XI Ustasha Bn. (220 men)
Two companies from the PTB (180 men)
Motorized Detachment/PTB (5 tankettes and 14 motorcycles with sidecar-mounted machine guns)
8th Ustasha Co. (170 men)
Ustasha Replacement Bn. (one company of 150 men)
Ustasha Recruit Co. (95 men)
Machine Gun Co./Lika Brigade (120 men)
Karlovac [Domobran] Recruit Bn. (550 men)
Gendarmerie Wing Vojnić (78 men)

Conduct of Operations and Results: The all-Croatian force under the command of the Utinjski Brigade advanced on 9 May from the east, southeast and south toward the center of the Petrova gora (mountains). The Partisans tried unsuccessfully to break through the encircling enemy forces during the night of 12/13 May, but during a second attempt on 14 May major elements managed to slip the through the cordon to the north in the direction of the Katić mountain range and Perna creek. During the operation, the Ustasha burned down more villages and killed or captured many women, children and old people who were later taken to the concentration camps. According to Croatian figures, they lost 37 killed, 19 wounded and 2 missing, while the Partisans had an estimated 650 – 700 killed.

Footnotes
1. [Vojnoistorijski institute] - Zbornik dokumenata i podataka o narodnooslobodilačkom ratu jugoslovenskih naroda, Tom V/32, pp.258-66; [Vojnoistorijski institute] - Hronologija oslobodilačke borbe naroda jugoslavije 1941-1945 (Belgrade, 1964), p.269; [Vojnoistorijski institute] - Oslobodilački rat naroda Juooslavije 1941-1945, 2 Vols (Belgrade: 1965), p.252.