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

Dates: 7 October – 6 November 1942. (1)

Objective: To mop up and destroy Partisan groups remaining in the Jajce – Jezero area/46 kilometers south of Banja Luka. with a special emphasis on the Vaganac Valley.

Enemy Forces: 5 Partisan brigades, including 2d Proletarian, 3d Sandžak and 4th Montenegrin NOU, 3d Krajiški NOP Detachment and elements of the 4th Krajiški NOP detachment.

Axis Forces:
German
718. Infanterie-Div.
7., 9., 10.Pz.Zug/Panzer-Kp.z.b.V. 12
Panzerzug 103 (Armored Train 103)
Feldgendarmerie-Abt. (mot.) 501 (elements)
Croatian
I and III Bn./5th Infantry Rgt.
I Bn./8th Infantry Rgt.
I and II Bn./15th Infantry Rgt.
IX Artillery Group
VII and XI Artillery Groups (elements)
3d Co./III Engineer Bn. (elements)
3d Co./IV Engineer Bn.
XVII Ustasha Bn.
Chetnik Auxiliaries

Conduct of Operations and Results: Most of the initial contact and skirmishes occurred along the valley of the Sana River in the vicinity of Vrhpolje, Ključ, Sitnica, Čadjavica and Mrkonjić-Grad to the northwest of Jajce and Jezero. The troops burned down abandoned villages and killed a large number of civilians suspected of being Partisans or Partisan sympathizers. On 26 October, the 718. Infanterie-Div. arrested 273 people in Mrkonjić-Grad and transported them to Jajce for processing. The Chetnik auxiliaries also destroyed a 3d Krajiški NOP Detachment field hospital, slaughtering the wounded and several of the doctors and medics. The totals losses for both “Jajce I” and “Jajce II” were give by the Germans as:
Germans and Croatians – 53 killed, 82 wounded, 4 missing;
Partisans – 747 killed and 106 captured.

Footnotes
1. [Vojnoistorijski institute] - Hronologija oslobodilačke borbe naroda jugoslavije 1941-1945 (Belgrade, 1964), pp.354-56; [Vojnoistorijski institute] - Oslobodilački rat naroda Juooslavije 1941-1945, 2 Vols (Belgrade: 1965), p.285; NARA WashDC: RG 242 (T-315 roll 2270/669ff).