(14. Hrvatska Pješačka Divizija)
by H.L. deZeng IV

Ordered formed on or about 1 December 1944 with Division HQ in Sl. Brod. There was a small German liaison team (DVK 314) assigned to the Division for coordination purposes. It was considered by the Germans, Partisans and Allies as being a second rate formation made up of lightly armed, over-age railway guards. Division strength was estimated to be around 4,500 – 5,000. (1)

Operational History

Dec 44 – Apr 45: the Division’s sole responsibility was to protect the main east-west railway line between Slavonska Brod and Zagreb. It was under the operational control of the German Eisenbahnsicherungsstab Kroatien (Railway Security Staff) with HQ in Sl. Brod. Its first commander was the former chief of the Croatian liaison staff co-located with the German Railway staff. Additional information can be found in the histories for the individual brigades.
Apr 45: the eastern-most components of the Division began withdrawing along the Sava valley during the second half of April as the Partisan spring offensive drove rapidly toward Zagreb. By the end of the month, after the railway stretch between Sl. Brod and Novska had been abandoned, the Div. was deployed along the stretch Novska to Zagreb with HQ in Ivanić-Grad/35 km ESE of the capital.
1-8 May 45: although not confirmed, the Div. is believed to have disintegrated as Partisan forces approached the outskirts of Zagreb and the survivors joined to exodus to Austria or blended into the civilian population.

Commanders

Pukovnik Jaroslav Šotola (c. 1 Dec 1944 - ?)
Pukovnik Milivoj Durbešić, acting (? - ? 1945)
Pukovnik Andrija (Andro) Grum (? - May 45)

Subordination

II Territorial Corps (c. 1 Dec 1944 - c. 15 Mar 1945)
II Ustasha Corps (c. 15 Mar 1945 - May 1945)

Order of battle (Dec 44)

Div. HQ in Sl. Brod
XIV Ustasha Brigade (I – III Bn.)
19th Domobran Brigade (IV – X Railway Security Bn.)
II Replacement Engineer Bn.

Footnotes

1. AVII Beograd, kut. 134a, reg.br. 3/1; [Vojnoistorijski institute]. Zbornik dokumenata I podataka o narodnooslobodilačkom ratu jugoslovenskih naroda, Tom IV/31, p.824; NARA WashDC: RG 226 (OSS intelligence documents Nos. 109636, 110433 and 126034); Schramm, Percy E. (ed.). Kriegstagebuch des Oberkommandos der Wehrmacht, 1940-1945, vol. IV, p.1312.

Reference material on this unit

- None known at this time -