27th 27th infantry division infantry formation formed german led axis invasion april raised military district large formation entirely reliant animal transport mobility largely manned troops saw germans potential serbian oppression interwar period division lacked modern arms sufficient ammunition rest 27th infantry division began april engaged process days later germans began air campaign series preliminary operations yugoslav attacks ignited rebellion troops division chief staff division involved orders sabotage bridge river division briefly established defensive line yugoslav river german troops began crossing april forcing division begin withdrawing planned counterattack delayed germans day division began fifth column actions rebellion german 14th broke april 27th infantry division numbered men serbs single day german overwhelming air support brushed aside remnants division captured covering nearly kilometres meeting little resistance day divisional headquarters captured division effectively ceased exist background formed world war army kingdom country created december defend new kingdom army formed nucleus victorious combined armed formations raised parts austro hungarian empire joined form new state austro hungarian officers soldiers members new army beginning army like aspects public life new kingdom dominated ethnic serbs saw army means secure new kingdom development army hampered poor economy kingdom continued 1920s king alexander changed country time army army budget remained tight tensions rose europe 1930s hard secure weapons munitions countries consequently time world war broke september weaknesses included reliance draught animals transport large size formations example yugoslav infantry divisions twice number men contemporary british infantry divisions characteristics resulted slow formations inadequate supply arms munitions meant large yugoslav formations low firepower older generals better suited trench warfare world war combined army equipped trained resist fast moving combined arms approach germans poland france weaknesses strategy structure equipment mobility supply exacerbated significant degree lack unity yugoslavia resulted decades attendant lack political legitimacy achieved central government attempts address lack unity came late ensure cohesive force fifth column activity concern croatian nationalist ethnic german minorities country structure peacetime organisation according regulations issued divisional district headquartered peacetime control 4th army district headquartered division named river tributary danube flows northern border modern day peacetime divisional district included based 36th based 53rd infantry regiment based 14th artillery regiment based 30th based wartime organisation wartime organisation laid regulations issued strength infantry division men total horses pack draught animals required provide mobility infantry division theoretical wartime organisation fully yugoslav infantry division headquarters divisional infantry headquarters infantry regiments divisional artillery headquarters artillery regiments cavalry battalion squadrons bicycle squadron machine gun platoon pioneer battalion companies anti tank company equipped anti tank guns machine gun company anti aircraft machine gun company signals company logistics units infantry regiment consist infantry battalions machine gun company divisional artillery regiments animal drawn largely equipped world war vintage pieces artillery regiment consisted battalions light mountain guns field guns 14th 30th artillery regiments administered divisional district peacetime join formations division brought wartime strength 27th artillery regiment planned deployment 27th infantry division component responsible defence northwestern yugoslavia event deploy western sector hungarian border 27th positioned opposite hungarian village confluence disposition divisional headquarters planned located north left flank division planned positioned opposite hungarian city right flank establish opposite hungarian town border guard units division area responsibility consist operations axis invasion began 27th infantry division commenced largely centres moving concentration areas april commander reported division hours lack vehicles small proportion division planned positions april divisional commander august headquarters staff 35th infantry regiment marching 53rd infantry regiment percent troops percent animals moving rail centre marching centre battalions 27th artillery regiment position near rest 27th artillery regiment divisional cavalry battalion horses divisional machine gun battalion animal transport remainder divisional units centres april early april german launched preliminary attacks area 27th infantry division intention securing crossings river unsuccessful evening german successes hungarian border clear germans resisting frontier ordered begin seizing bridges right 4th army including near local attacks sufficient dissent largely refused resist germans considered serbian oppression interwar period continuing concentration division hampered escalating fifth column activities propaganda croatian nationalist units stopped began returning centres concentration areas day yugoslav sabotage units attempted destroy bridge attempt partially successful influence propaganda demolition orders chief staff 27th infantry division major yugoslav radio network linking division flanking divisions april radio communications remained poor fighting april april battalions commenced crossing attacked response german crossing 53rd infantry regiment withdrew took defensive positions series villages including order stop german penetration gain time concentration division elements 27th artillery regiment sent support defensive line near placed command division commanding officer infantry commander met ordered prepare counterattack commence counterattack plan unable carried necessary units reach positions germans reached defensive line near fighting began 4th attached survived early morning raid airfield previous day mounted attacks bridge germans reinforced battalions overcame yugoslav defenders suffered significant losses running low artillery ammunition 53rd infantry regiment withdrew artillery support remained town night bridge destroyed later day sabotage units following orders attack april costs issued orders counterattack carried early april april april german continued limited objective attacks expand 4th army including resistance offered flanking divisions limited concentrating district northwest transferred 27th infantry division attempt bolster left flank divisional sector morning april 27th infantry division deployed supported elements 27th artillery regiment deployed northeast town riding centre allocated 27th infantry division assist establishing forward defences deployed artillery batteries outskirts 53rd infantry regiment remnants totalling men 1st battery 27th artillery regiment located town arrived divisional cavalry squadron reached far majority army level troops road 1st squadron transported cars april deployed outpost line forward supporting 1st battalion 53rd infantry regiment divisional headquarters located kilometres southwest accordance orders undertake counterattack april supported batteries model mountain guns 27th artillery regiment attack consisted columns right column attacking area consist supported divisional machine gun company centre column consisting 53rd infantry regiment remnants directly supported 1st battery 27th artillery regiment attack left column attacking vicinity consist promised support army level artillery postponed counterattack noon scale revolt broken flanking resulting capture town large portion headquarters rebels afternoon attack eventually launched cavalry regiment remained contact germans south held area night april despite heavy german artillery fire units involved counterattack percent strength influenced sparked rebellion battalions 36th infantry regiment deserted day april april left flanking withdrew conform line held forward elements 27th infantry division german completed preparations scale offensive action expanding cavalry units continued fight germans left sector divisional line began commander right sector ordered troops hold positions went divisional headquarters ask approval discharge units inform headquarters idea went speak urge withdraw troops wanted fight line south according ordered tell consider troops continue hold positions line hills conduct fighting withdrawal german pressure great intent orders implemented fifth column elements changed wording orders issued discharge troops retreat fighting went ordered immediately return division continue resist germans return journey encountered division withdrawing exception cavalry units fighting north halted retreat established positions making headquarters dismissed troops retreated rest force commander discharged troops afternoon hard pressed cavalry units began withdraw 2nd cavalry regiment withdrew receiving hostile reception population continued 1st squadron cavalry regiment withdrew reaching rest division germans occupied resistance evening division numbered troops widely dispersed 53rd infantry regiment effectively ceased exist artillery regiment horses pull guns prior disbandment rebels telegraph station telephone exchange town issue false orders parts directing withdraw positions rebels contacted germans telephone sent representatives meet germans advise roads cleared obstacles rebels invited enter rebels began converge bringing officers soldiers soon filled town elements began withdraw southwards april evening april commander ready launch major offensive operations following day plan involved main spearheaded 14th division breaking drive second 8th break sector turn east attack belgrade night april remained units began desert turn commanders 40th infantry division right flank 27th infantry division remaining troops serbs increasing momentum revolt concluded longer effective formation resist germans fate early april head operations staff headquarters left post visited senior leader returned headquarters units cease operations deploy positions actions reduced eliminated armed resistance german advance day 14th division supported dive bombers crossed drove southwest snow covered roads extremely cold conditions initial air reconnaissance indicated large concentrations yugoslav troops divisional axis advance troops proved withdrawing degraded revolt fifth column activity 27th infantry division numbered german attack began 14th division vanguard reached positions range remnants division began withdrawing heavy air attack reached town quickly encircled german troops divisional headquarters staff escaped captured little road remnants fight way attacked german tanks outskirts captured detained 14th continued completely unopposed drive routes april went radio station proclaimed creation croatia croatian 35th infantry regiment 27th infantry division disbanded commander heard news proclamation april lead elements 14th division reached outskirts having covered nearly kilometres miles single day time entered met cheering crowds captured yugoslav troops including generals held conference german tanks entering city told longer hold positions despite ordered hold days enable withdrawal 7th army river replied longer army suggested officers men ordered form defensive line rivers refused consider ordered form defensive line corps encountered little resistance particularly 27th infantry division right evening april wanted dismiss commander 27th infantry division suspicions identify suitable replacement april staff headquarters captured rear area staff headquarters captured personnel headquarters soon handed germans captors operations staff escaped fight days 27th infantry division ceased exist april received orders agreed troops remain place fire german personnel delay locating appropriate signatories surrender document surrendered belgrade effective april books journals papers websites
27th Infantry Division Savska