The Year of Aggression
Part 8: Operation Anicius Gallus IV, August 26 – September 10, 1939
This period of two weeks saw the main area of Yugoslav resistance completely encircled, and then broken in twain. Italian forces reached the outskirts of Sarajevo and Belgrade and were in positions to either march in potentially undefended or were actively fighting already. Elsewhere, however, heavy Yugoslav resistance was still causing problems and the only promise of quicker success in these battles came from the arrival of Bastico’s 2a Armata.
With what seemed to be most of the Yugoslav army rapidly being encircled around a constellation of towns and cities in north central Yugoslavia and pressured by elements of Roatta’s and Gambara’s corps from the northwest, Italian spearheads continued their forward thrusts into the heart of Yugoslavia. With casualties mounting around the pocket, the unsuccessful fight for Bosanska Dubica alone costing just over 350 Italian casualties for 420 Yugoslav deaths, Italian leaders were eager to bypass this dense network of resistance and move on to the important cities of Yugoslavia, particularly Belgrade, in an attempt to break Yugoslav will to resist in that way. To help ensure the well behavior of the Yugoslav near-pocket, two of Bastico’s divisions were already on their way south toward Bosanska Gradiska, a position directly behind the main line of resistance and would cut Yugoslav lines of communication. At the same time, Bitossi was marching southward and was anticipated to link up with Caracciolo di Feroleto, who had bypassed the main Yugoslav resistance by passing directly to its south. Mancinelli, meanwhile, had received orders as to the location of his final destination. It was Belgrade.
Italian spearheads pushing forward, including one division toward Belgrade.
By the end of August, the pocket had been made. Bosanska Gradiska was under assault but not fallen yet. The first cut to the Yugoslav lines of communication and supply were by Bitossi, who had linked up with Caracciolo di Feroleto. Bitossi was then directed back into the pocket to assault it from the rear. Caracciolo di Feroleto received new orders that extended his line of march. He was to move to the southern suburbs of Belgrade and ready his division for any supporting action that might be required in taking that city. Additionally, Messe had finally reached Albania and was moving through it toward the southernmost Yugoslav city of any interest, the provincial capital of Skopje. Yugoslavia’s major towns and cities were either already under Italian control or were soon to be under Italian assault.
Operations in Yugoslavia continuing with success.
The fall of Bosanska Novi forced the defenders of the pocket to fall back out of Bosanska Dubica, whose position became too exposed to warrant holding. The pocket was under attack from three sides: Bitossi was assaulting Slavonski Brod with success; the two divisions of Bastico’s 2a Armata were near to breaking Yugoslav resistance at Bosanska Gradiska. Unfortunately, the battle for Sanski Most was going somewhat slowly and roughly for the involved units. Ultimately though, all three battles would end with success, and high Yugoslav casualties. By the time Bosanska Gradiska fell on the 7th, nearly 180 Italians gave their lives, but this sacrifice was greatly outweighed by the deaths of over 1,160 Yugoslav soldiers. Sanski Most was, in fact, the next to fall, on the 11th, with nearly 600 Italian and over 1,500 Yugoslav casualties. Except in these places, however, the Yugoslav forces became very slippery and the southern front of the Yugoslav pocket began an attempt to break out to the south, through empty countryside, and restore communications with the rest of Yugoslavia.
Heavy fighting around the pocket, and the beginning of the Yugoslav breakout.
On the 5th, the battle for Belgrade began. Mancinelli with two brigades began attacking on a front half that of the Yugoslav defenders, who mustered three brigades and an army headquarters. It proved to be a slow battle from the start, though Caracciolo di Feroleto was nearing the positions to the south that he was to take up in preparation for aiding in the attack. By the 10th, he had reached those positions and was readying his division for battle. Messe had occupied Skopje and was himself marching north, ready to link up with Caracciolo di Feroleto on his right flank and invest Belgrade from yet another direction if necessary. The bloody battle of Sanski Most was nearly ended, though Slavonski Brod was becoming a difficult position to crack. The northern Yugoslav forces, based around this town, were isolated in their own turn but the southern units had effected their escape. The headlong Italian offensive behind the pocket was in danger.
The front in Yugoslavia, a veritable mess and very reminiscent of Swiss cheese.
By the end of this period, a considerable part of the Yugoslav army had managed to extricate itself from the difficult position of being encircled, primarily due to the slow progress being made in liquidating the pocket due to heavy resistance at key towns and the lack of Italian units to hold the southern length of front closed. As a balancing factor, Bastico’s 2a Armata had during this time completed its conquest of the north and its forces, admittedly amounting to only four divisions, were either actively participating in the fighting to the south or were nearly ready to participate. Frattini’s division, little mentioned, was effectively guarding Pintor’s rampaging headquarters, which were heading toward the undefended city of Sarajevo, hoping to reach it before Yugoslav units did. The offensive was still going well.