by H.L. deZeng IV

By the autumn of 1941, the increasing seriousness of the internal resistance situation and the growth of the Croatian armed forces brought about the need for an expanded command structure. Accordingly, and with effect from 1 November 1941, the Croatian Ministry of Defense in Zagreb ordered the formation of two types of corps commands. The Domobran corps were operational staffs charged with directing all subordinate formations within their area of responsibility in matters concerning tactical employment, discipline and training. Each headquarters staff consisted of a command group (zapovjedni skup), general staff branch (glavnostožerni odjel) and a general branch (opći odjel), with a total strength of 44: 17 officers, 1 civilian military official, 8 non-commissioned officers and 18 men. (1)

The Domobran territorial corps, on the other hand, were support and service staffs established within each Domobran corps area that were responsible for all military matters except combat operations and training. They were under the authority of the Domobran corps for disciplinary purposes and the defense ministry in Zagreb for all other jurisdictions. Each staff had the following composition: command group, genera1 staff branch, genera1 branch, replacements branch (popunidbeni odjel), ordnance and technical equipment branch (odjel za naoružanje i tehničku opremu), medica1 branch (zdravstveni odje1), veterinary branch (veterinarski odjel), rear echelon branch (pozadinski odjel), quartermaster (intendacija), construction department (gradjevinski ured), auxiliary department (pomoćni ured) and headquarters section (zapovjedništvo stana). The comp1ement for each staff was 173.

On 1 August 1943 (with effect from 14 August) the territorial corps were ordered disbanded and their personnel and functions merged with the Domobran corps: Each of the new Domobran Territorial Corps commands consisted of a commander, deputy commander, chief of staff, Operations Branch, Personnel Branch, Replacements Branch, Military Courts Branch, Medical Branch, Veterinary Branch, Technical Branch, Rations Branch, Construction Branch, Garrisons Branch and Field Post Branch. The tota1 strength of all three combined corps staffs (I, II and III) on 1 September 1943 was 689.

Footnotes

1. Colić, Mladen - Takozvana Nezavisna Država Hrvatska 1941, pp.236-38; NARA WashDC: RG 242 (T-821 roll 278/436; roll 448/727).