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

Formed 29 June 1941 with Rgt. HQ in Zagreb. The Regiment was reorganized in summer 1943 (see below) and then re-designated 1st Garrison Brigade in early April 1944. (1)

Operational History

1941

1941: by the end of 1941 most of the Regiment was deployed in the fighting areas in Bosnia, with only the HQ and II Bn. remaining behind in Zagreb.
2 Aug 41: 4th Co. in Bos. Novi assigned to the Sanski Brigade.
Sep 41: two companies belonging to the II Bn. were severely mauled in fighting with elements of the Partisan Drvarske Brigade while defending fortified positions at Vrtoče near Bos. Petrovac, losing 14 heavy and light machine guns and a large number of rifles.
6 Sep 41: I Bn. transferred from West Bosnia and now in Sarajevo.
16 Nov 41: III Bn. was smashed by the Ozrenski Partisan Detachment near Lipac in the Doboj area, losing 5 mortars, 24 heavy and light machine guns and 160 rifles.

1942

22 Feb 42: III Bn. responsible for guarding the railway line in the Blagaj – Bos. Novi – Sunja area.
27-28 Mar 42: 11th Co. surrendered the village of Blagaj Japra near Bos. Novi to elements of 2d Krajiške NOP Detachment after a brieg fight and was taken prisoner.
Jun – Jul 42: III Bn. operating from Dobrljin (between Bos. Novi and Kostajnica) took part in Operation “West-Bosnien” in the Kozara Mountain region between Banja Luka and the Sava Valley.
29 Oct 42: 9th Co. attacked by 7th NO Brigade while guarding the railway section Sunja – Majur and reported 2 officers and 67 men missing.
4 Nov 42: Regiment elements (possibly V Bn.) were lost in the fall of Bihać, which was attacked and taken by Tito’s main force units this date.
22 Dec 42: 9th and 10th Co., which were guarding the railway line between Sunja and Kostajnica, were attacked again by 7th NO Brigade and 64 men were reported missing.

1943

Jan 43: I Bn. transferred from the Olovo – Begov Han area in East Bosnia back to Zagreb and then moved to Ozalj near Karlovac where it remained until April 1944. Its main duty was to guard the public water resources located there (probably a dam and small reservoir).
10 Feb 43: III Bn. stationed in Kostajnica.
27-28 Feb 43: II Bn. re-designated II Bn./12th Infantry Rgt.
27 Feb – 8 Mar 43: 1st Expeditionary Co./2d Infantry Rgt. from Križevci participated in Operation “Mirko” in the Kalnik and Bilogora Mountains.
3-5 Apr 43: one company from the Regiment moved to Čazma and took part in Operation “Virovitica” in the Moslavačka Mountains.
18 May 43: 3d Co./I Bn. carried out a reconnaissance patrol southwest of Duga Resa near Karlovac but failed to make contact with the enemy.
Jun 43: substantially reorganized during the summer of 1943. The Rgt. HQ moved to Bjelovar in July and became responsible for garrison and security duties in that sector with its II and III Bn. while the I Bn. was detached in the vicinity of Karlovac.
2 Jun 43: II Bn. ordered reconstituted at Buševec near Velika Gorica with 5th Co. (ex-1st Replacement Transfer Co./2d Infantry Rgt.) at Buševec, 6th Co. (ex-2d Reconnaissance Co./2d Infantry Rgt.) at Lekenik, 7th Co. (ex-11th Co./2d Infantry Rgt.) at Turopolje, and 8th Co. (ex-2d Replacement Co./12th Infantry Rgt.) at Velika Gorica. Additionally, III Bn. was ordered rebuilt in Bjelovar with 9th Co. (ex-1st Replacement Transfer Co./1st Infantry Rgt.) in Ivanska, 10th Co. (ex-2d Replacement Transfer Co./1st Infantry Rgt.) in Plavnice, 11th Co. (ex-3d Replacement Transfer Co./1st Infantry Rgt.) in Bulinac, and 12th Co. (unchanged) in Čazma.
17 Jun 43: II Bn. transferred to Buševec and assigned to guard the Zagreb – Sisak road with 5th Co. in Buševec, 6th Co. Lekenik, 7th Co. Turopolje and 8th Co. Velika Gorica. III Bn. moved to Bjelovar on the same date with 9th Co. in Markovac, 10th Co. in Ivanska, 11th Co. Bulinac and 12th Co. Čazma.
2 Jul 43: Rgt. HQ, 14th and 15th Co. transferred to Turopolje.
2-3 Jul 43: 12th Co./III Bn. took part in Operation “Cyrill” in the Ivanić Grad area to the southeast of Zagreb.
4-6 Jul 43: III Bn. participated in Operation “Ivan” in the Moslavačka Mountains near Bjelovar.
8-25 Jul 43: III Bn. took part in Operation “Varaždin” in the Kalnik Mountains.
26 Jul – 7 Aug 43: II Bn. participated in Operation “Grün” along the Kupa River northwest of Petrinja.
9-10 Aug 43: an officer and 61 men belonging to 11th Co./III Bn. stationed in Bulinac near Bjelovar deserted to the Partisans.
27 Aug 43: I Bn. assigned to guard and garrison duty in Ozalj, II Bn. the same in Novo Seljani to the east of Bjelovar, and III Bn. the same in Narta/SW of Bjelovar.
2-3 Sep 43: II Bn. (III Bn.?) surrendered Čazma to the Moslavačka NOP Detachment after only an hour of token resistance. According to Croatian sources, 6 officers and 147 men were taken prisoner, but the Partisans claimed 8 officers and 334 men were captured. The Moslavačka NOP Detachment only lost 2 killed and 7 wounded.
10 Dec 43: III Bn. ambushed near the village of Štefanje in the Čazma area by a brigade of Moslavačka Partisans losing some 20 killed and wounded plus 36 captured.

1944

15-19 Jan 44: I Bn. from Ozalj participated in a clearing operation under German 392. Inf.Div. against elements of the Partisan Youth Brigade “Joža Vlahović” and the Žumberak NOP Detachment in the Jastrebarsko – Samobor area, but the Partisans withdrew into Slovenia and got away.
18 Feb 44: III Bn. fought a series of skirmishes in small villages 10-18 kilometers southeast of Bjelovar claiming 25 Partisans killed and 2 captured.

Commanders

Pukovnik Matija Murković (29 Jun 1941 - c. Oct 1941)
Podpukovnik Josip Šolc, acting (c. Nov 1941 - c. Dec 1941)
Pukovnik Milutin Stipetić (Dec 1941 - ?) June 1943
Pukovnik Čihak (? - Apr 1944) Oct 1943

Subordination

Savska Division (Jun 1941 - Aug 1941)
1st Infantry Division (Aug 1941 - Jul 1941)
I Territorial Corps (direct) (Jul 1943 - Apr 1944)

Order of battle (31 Dec 1941)

Rgt. HQ in Zagreb
I Bn. (lst-4th Co.) in Zenica/E Bosnia
II Bn. (5th-8th Co.) Zagreb
III Bn. (9th-12th Co.) Kostajnica/W Bosnia area
IV Bn. (17th-20th Co.) Zagreb
V Bn. (21st-24th Co.) Bihać and Ripać in W Bosnia
VI Bn. (25th-28th Co.) Zagreb
13th Co.
14th Co.
15th Co.
Total strength: 4,276

Order of battle (June 1943)

Rgt. HQ
I Bn.
II Bn.
III Bn.
13th Co.
14th Co.
15th Co.
1st Replacement Transfer Co.

Order of battle (Dec 1943)

Rgt. HQ in Bjelovar
I Bn. in Ozalj
II Bn. in Zagreb
III Bn. in Narta
13th Co.
14th Co.
15th Co.
1st Replacement Transfer Co.
3d Recruit Co./2d Infantry Rgt.
2d Armored Train Co./2d Infantry Rgt.

Order of battle (31 Mar 1944)

Rgt. HQ in Bjelovar
I Bn. in Ozalj
II Bn. in Bjelovar
III Bn. in Bjelovar

Footnotes

1. Arhiv VII, kut. 134a; Colić, Mladen - Takozvana Nezavisna Država Hrvatska 1941; [Vojnoistorijski institute] - Hronologija oslobodilačke borbe naroda jugoslavije 1941-1945, pp.98, 149, 230, 371, 530, 548, 625, 657; [Vojnoistorijski institute] - Zbornik dokumenata i podataka o narodnooslobodilačkom ratu jugoslovenskih naroda, Tom V/8, p.527; V/10, p.487; V/16, p.324 and 474; V/18, p.547; V/19, p.608; V/24, p.638.

Reference material on this unit

- None known at this time -