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

Dates: 8 – 17 July 1944. (1)

Objective: To continue Operation “Dünkirchen I”.

Enemy Forces: 8th Assault Division NOVJ, 34th Division NOVJ and elements of 15th Division NOVJ.

Axis Forces:
German
1. Kosaken-Kav.Div. (2 regiments)
Res.Jäger-Rgt. 1 (elements)
Croatian
III Ustasha Brigade
2d Garrison Brigade

Conduct of Operations and Results: Picking up where they had left off on 2 July, the Germans and Croatians once again closed on the Krašić area in the Žumberak. The Cossacks and Ustasha burned and looted a number of villages as they advanced and eventually captured Metlika/15 km west of Krašić and just over the border in Slovenia. The Partisans managed to evade a direct confrontation until the operation finally concluded on 16 July. Postwar Yugoslav coverage of these two operations is weak.

Losses for both “Dünkirchen I and II” (from German records)
German and Croatian: 44 killed and 221 wounded.
Partisans: 603 counted dead, several hundred additional estimated killed and wounded, and 19 captured.

Footnotes
1. [Vojnoistorijski institute] - Hronologija oslobodilačke borbe naroda jugoslavije 1941-1945 (Belgrade, 1964), p.818; NARA WashDC: RG 242 (T-314 roll 1545/832; roll 1547/226 and 239).