(1. pješačka pukovnija)
by H.L. deZeng IV

Formed 29 June 1941 with Rgt. HQ in Bjelovar for the Savska Division (after 1 Aug 41: 1st Inf. Div.). It was officially renamed lst Jäger Regiment.(2d Jäger Brigade) in May 1943. (1)

Operational History

1941

Jul 41: two battalions were transferred from Bjelovar and Varaždin to Bihać and Knin to begin operations against the outbreak of resistance in West Bosnia; beginning in Sep 41 the Regiment’s battalions began deploying in north and east Bosnia, and by the end of the year these were concentrated in the Doboj - Trbuk area to secure the line of communications between Slavonski Brod and Sarajevo; the Regiment remained essentially in this area until May 1943.
6 Sep 41: III Bn. at Kladanj/40 km S of Tuzla.
Nov 41: Rgt. deployed in the Bos. Dubica area, with I Bn. in Banja Luka.
24-30 Nov 41: I Bn. participated in Operation “Kozara”, to clear Partisans from the Kozara Mountains north of Banja Luka.
3-12 Dec 41: the majority of the Rgt., with a total of 2,067 men under its command, was deployed in the Maglaj - Trbuk area for a major operation to clear the Partisan Ozren Detachment from the Bosna and Spreča River valleys; the operation ended successfully after 10 days of fighting with moderate to heavy losses on both sides.
16 Dec 41: 134 men from 33d Co. were captured by elements of the Partisan 2d Krajina NOP Detachment during a brief action near Turjak in the Kozara Mountains, 20 km SW Bos. Gradiška.

1942

28 Jan 42: IV and V Bns. took part in Operation “Ozren” in the Tuzla – Doboj - Zavidovici triangle.
2 Feb 42: the Partisan Ozren NOP Detachment captured 44 men from 23d Co./V Bn. near the village of Orašje in the vicinity of Doboj.
8 Feb 42: IV and V Bns. ordered to transfer from the Doboj area to join I Bn. in Banja Luka.
16 Mar 42: II Bn. was ambushed and suffered losses in a fight with the Romanija Detachment and the Drina Volunteer Detachment while advancing from Prača with the II Cavalry Group/Zagreb Cavalry Rgt. toward Rogatica to relieve the surrounded garrison.
2 Jun 42: one of the Regiment’s battalions, probably I Bn., successfully defended its positions around Klupe, near Banja Luka, against an attack by the Partisan 1st Krajina NOU Brigade.
10 Jun 42: I Bn. was smashed in combat with the 1st Krajina NOU Brig. near Radosavska in the vicinity of Prijedor during the first day of Operation “West-Bosnien”.
Oct 42: VI Bn. now in Prnjavor.
24 Oct 42: Expeditionary Co./1st Infantry Rgt. in Bjelovar.
2-7 Nov 42: elements of the Rgt. took part in Operation “Lug” under the German 714th Inf. Div., an unsuccessful effort to destroy Partisan concentrations in the Japra Valley west of Sanski Most.
18 Nov 42: Partisan 4th Assault Div., during a probing attack on the network of defensive positions running between Bos. Novi and Ljubija, captured the Regiment’s I Bn.
Dec 42: II Bn. in the Vareš area, probably guarding the rail line running south toward Sarajevo, and V Bn. in the Doboj area with 23d and 24th Co./V Bn. in Teslić.

1943

5 Jan 43: IV Bn. took part in the liberation of Teslić, which had been captured by the Partisans on 31 Dec 42.
2 Jan 43: IV Bn. retook Žepče following a 5-hour battle with formations of the l0th Herzegovina Assault Brig./3d Assault Div.
16 Jan 43: VI Bn. surrendered Prnjavor to elements of the 1st Proletarian Assault Div. NOVJ after only token resistance; 10 officers, 500 men and all weapons were captured.
20 Feb 43: Expeditionary Co./lst Inf. Rgt. at Ivanska near Bjelovar, and Legionnaire Co./1st Inf. Rgt. in Križevci.
27 Feb – 8 Mar 43: Legionnaire Co., 2d Expeditionary Co. and 14th Co./lst Inf. Rgt. all took part in Operation “Mirko” in the Kalnik and Bilogora Mountains.
6 Mar 43: Rgt. HQ with I and II Bns. ordered to transfer by rail from Derventa to Banja Luka this date.
May 43: Rgt. reorganized and renamed lst Jäger Regiment.
7-8 Apr 43: 1st and 2d Expeditionary Bns./lst Inf. Rgt. engaged in routine patrol actions in villages around Bjelovar and on 13 April Assault Co./1st Inf. Rgt. and 3d Expeditionary Co./1st Inf. Rgt. departed from Bjelovar and nearby Bulinac, respectively to chase Partisans who had attacked a train 10 km NE of Bjelovar.
1 Aug 43: Legionnaire Co./lst Inf. Rgt. disbanded and the officers and men incorporated into the Assault Co./I Cavalry Group.

Commanders

Pukovnik Walzl (29 Jun 1941 - c. Oct 1941)
Pukovnik Mravinec (c. Oct 1941 - c. Apr 1942)
Pukovnik Ivan Severović (c. May 1942 - May 1943)

Subordination

I Corps (Nov 1941 - May 1943)

Order of battle (31 Dec 1941)

Rgt. HQ in Bjelovar
I Bn. (lst-4th Co.) in Maglaj-Trbuk area
II Bn. (5th-8th Co.) Hadžici/SW of Sarajevo
III Bn. (9th-12th Co.) Maglaj-Trbuk area
IV Bn. (17th-20th Co.) Maglaj-Trbuk area
V Bn. (21st-24th Co.) Lipak/near Doboj
VI Bn. (25th-28th Co.) Derventa
VII Bn. (29th-32d Co.) Bjelovar
13th Co.
14th Co
and 15th Co.
Total strength: 4,876

Order of battle (Jan 1943)

Rgt. HQ
I Bn.
II Bn.
IV Bn.
V Bn.
VI Bn.
13th Co.
14th Co.
15th Co.

Footnotes

1. Arhiv VII, kut. 134a; Colić, Mladen - Takozvana Nezavisna Država Hrvatska 1941; [Vojnoistorijski institute] - Oslobodilački rat naroda Juooslavije 1941-1945, vol.1, pp.143, 148-49; [Vojnoistorijski institute] - Hronologija oslobodilačke borbe naroda jugoslavije 1941-1945, p.170, 209, 229, 281, 283, 371, 406, 407; [Vojnoistorijski institute] - Zbornik dokumenata i podataka o narodnooslobodilačkom ratu jugoslovenskih naroda, Tom V/12, p.507 and 549; V/13, p.497; V/14, pp. 404 and 452; V/17, p.488; V/32, p.486; NARA WashDC: RG 242 (T-315 roll 2266/631; roll 2271/428, 481).

Reference material on this unit

- None known at this time -