kingdom yugoslavia formation commanded german led axis invasion april world war consisted 1st 2nd armies comprising infantry divisions cavalry division cavalry regiment brigade strength infantry detachments responsible defence border hungary river directly attacked days invasion events east west deployment area resulted successive orders withdraw lines danube april defences left flank penetrated german 8th division turned east drove left flank following day end day germans effectively routed remnants continued fight line early april mass began day tens thousands yugoslav soldiers taken captivity germans drive centre country surrendered belgrade effective april composition commanded consisted 1st army commanded commanded consisted infantry division cavalry division brigade strength infantry detachments supported artillery anti aircraft artillery air reconnaissance elements consisted infantry divisions cavalry regiment supported artillery anti aircraft artillery border guards air reconnaissance support control additional support units units significant proportion soldiers deployment deployment plan saw region danube formations centred towns held depth south danube region 2nd army deployment plan saw regions danube formations positioned south east towns formations 2nd infantry divisions 2nd army partly remaining infantry divisions brigade strength infantry detachments commenced right 1st independent formation responsible defence region east boundary 6th army ran east confluence danube south left flank responsible defence northwestern yugoslavia yugoslav hungarian west yugoslav yugoslav italian borders army group boundary ran east operations faced border days commencement invasion exchanges fire hungarian border guards faced direct attacks 2nd sector hungarians ready scale fighting deploying forces april german successes 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 headquarters 2nd army issued orders evacuate reinforce left flank 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 left flank 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 able evacuate organise defence left flank threatened began desert units significantly reducing combat power 2nd army evening april 2nd ordered withdraw positions 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 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 air reconnaissance assets 2nd 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 time according polish historian 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 belonging 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 8th continued 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 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
2nd Army Group (Kingdom of Yugoslavia)