XX Ustasha Brigade (XX. Stajači Djelatni Sdrug)
by H.L. deZeng IV

Ordered formed on or about 1 December 1944 with HQ in Zagreb, mainly by renaming the former Ustasha Garrison Brigade Zagreb. The IV Battalion was the former I Bn. of the Stockerau (Austria) Infantry School Regiment. (1)

Operational History

1944

1 Dec 44: assigned to 2d Croatian Infantry Division on formation. The Brigade was a defensive garrison formation deployed in towns and villages around the outer perimeter of the capital.

1945

29 Jan 45: operating from Turopolje, Brigade elements fought a two-day battle with local partisans in the villages of Buševec and Ogulinec in the Velika Gorica area with light losses on both sides.
5 Feb 45: carried out a limited attack from Sisak against the Karlovac Assault Brigade/34th Assault Division NOVJ located in several neighboring villages. Losses were light on both sides.
25-26 Feb 45: VI Bn. was attacked in Odra/7 km S of Zagreb by units of 34th Assault Division NOVJ, which claimed 40 Ustasha killed and 15 captured.
29 Apr 45: disbanded and assets used to form the new 26th and 27th Infantry Regiments of the reorganized 2d Croatian Infantry Division. The reorganization was not completed before Croatian forces retreated from Zagreb to Austria beginning on 8 May.

Commanders

Ust. Pukovnik Branko Rukavina (c. 1 Dec 1944 - May 1945?)

Subordination

?

Order of battle (1 Feb 1945)

Brigade HQ, headquarters elements and HQ Co. in Zagreb (or Zagreb-Sesvete)
I Bn. in the Velika Gorica area
II Bn. in the M. Bistrica – Žitomir area
III Bn. in the M. Bistrica – Žitomir area
IV Bn. Babići and then in the Velika Gorica – Turopolje – Novo Selo – Lekenik area
V Bn. Zagreb (railroad security)
VI Bn. in the Velika Gorica area

Order of battle (19 Apr 1945)

Brigade HQ, headquarters elements and HQ Co. in Zagreb (or Zagreb-Sesvete)
I Bn. in Pemetinec
II Bn. in Kašina
III Bn. in Zlatar
IV Bn. in Turopolje
V Bn. in Velika Gorica
VI Bn. in Velika Gorica

Footnotes

1. Colić 1976, p.1050; [Vojnoistorijski institute] - Zbornik dokumenata I podataka o narodnooslobodilačkom ratu jugoslovenskih naroda. Tom V/37, pp.737-42; V/38, pp.456 and 668-71; [Vojnoistorijski institute] - Hronologija oslobodilačke borbe naroda jugoslavije 1941-1945, pp.1059 and 1071; NARA WashDC: RG 226 (OSS intelligence reports Nos. 109636 and 110433); RG 331 (roll 447-B).

Reference material on this unit

- None known at this time -