1st army kingdom yugoslavia formation commanded german led axis invasion april world war consisted infantry division cavalry division brigade strength infantry detachments formed responsible defence section yugoslav hungarian border danube rivers directly attacked days invasion commenced attacks flanks resulted successive orders withdraw lines danube hungarians crossed border sector responsible withdrawing hungarians faced resistance followed german capture belgrade rear area units remnants 1st army continued resist line days tens thousands yugoslav soldiers captured germans closed accepted surrender april came effect following day composition 1st army commanded chief staff organised geographic basis 1st army district divided divisional districts subdivided regimental regions consisted brigade strength brigade strength support units included 56th army artillery regiment 1st 1st army anti aircraft company 1st comprising attached based south deployment 1st army responsible eastern section yugoslav hungarian border 1st army deployed region danube regions danube right flank independent formation responsible defence region east boundary 2nd army ran east south boundary 6th army ran east confluence danube south yugoslav defence plan saw 1st army deployed division forward infantry detachment flank cavalry division held depth formations 1st army commenced deployment 1st army west east 7th centred forward elements south danube region direct command deployed 1st army area east centred road sad belgrade operations april 1st army faced days commencement invasion exchanges fire hungarian border guards 1st army faced direct attacks 1st army hungarians ready scale fighting deploying forces april events parts yugoslavia right flank ordered withdraw south danube deploy line facing east defend attack direction bulgaria received orders withdraw south line danube began withdraw day elements approaching danube crossing following day situation deteriorated significantly german crossed yugoslav romanian border struck 6th army halting withdrawal disrupting ability organise coherent defence danube april main thrust 2nd army consisting 8th leading 16th crossed 4th army sector turned southeast rivers meeting resistance strong air support reached evening despite poor roads bad weather later day situation increasingly desperate country prime minister yugoslav chief general staff broadcast following message troops engage enemy encountered means disposal don wait direct orders act guided judgement initiative conscience bulk 1st army able cross danube began prepare defences evening april ordered withdraw line form defensive line confluence river days needed night april continued withdrawal units 2nd army left flank included significant numbers began dissolve fifth column activities fascist april dawn april hungarian forces consisting mobile corps lieutenant general crossed yugoslav border north near overcame yugoslav border guards advanced corps continued push east south 8th capturing followed 16th advanced east despite bridge poor roads effectively routed 2nd april day group 26th heavy fighter wing german destroyed 1st rest flown destroyed following day swept airfield effective attacks campaign night april 8th division captured destroyed bridge danube advanced kilometres south belgrade advances delayed withdrawal 2nd south april withdrawal threatened left flank having combat importance right flank attempted pressed drove belgrade west belgrade remnants 2nd tried establish line captured bridges elements captured fight captured rear area units april 1st army counter attacked pushed germans hungarians pursued 1st army south occupied area danube meeting virtually resistance fought isolated engagements hungarian general staff considered irregular resistance forces significant opposition hungarian 1st captured canal bridges airborne operation hungarian history incident battalion aircraft consisted italian transport aircraft civilian airline pressed service hungarian start european war shortly takeoff airport april command plane code crashed loss lives including heaviest single loss suffered hungarians yugoslav campaign captured determined resistance captured evening april elements command crossed danube boats captured belgrade resistance time elements approaching belgrade west away capital elements 8th division continue thrust capture bridges west belgrade entered city night rest 8th division turned southeast drove link left flank southwest belgrade 16th south advanced fate april hungarians occupied resistance pushed south reach line early april remnants including 1st army continued fight 16th april tens thousands yugoslav soldiers taken prisoner germans drive centre country including april 8th 14th divisions entered delay locating appropriate signatories surrender document yugoslav high command surrendered belgrade effective april books journals papers web
1st Army (Kingdom of Yugoslavia)