Kobarid Republic (Kobariska Republika)

[G. Trifkovic]

pittl,

I heard once there was a prisoner-exchange between the Partisans and SS-KWB on Predil Pass. Do you have any info on this episode?

Thanks in advance,

Gaius

[pittl]

gaius,

indeed, there was a pow-exchange or more precisely: a planned one. The SS-KWB commander Brand negotiated in person a deal with the partisans in September 1943. The Germans would release 56 prisoners in Triest in exchange for a peaceful occupation of Bovec which was under the partisans' control. The prisoners were released, but the partisans did not keep their word. Hence, Bovec and the entire Soca valley had to be occupied by force in the large scale operation "Wolkenbruch".
Source: Michaelis, Chronik der 24. Waffen-Gebirgs-Division der SS, who refers to the Slovene historian Tore Ferenc, i.e. a historian who cannot be blamed of being positive towards the SS-KWB.

Hope this helps
Pittl

[G. Trifkovic]

It helps a lot! If you come across any additional info on this episode, please feel free to post it.

Cheers,

Gaius

P.S. Ferenc's first name was Tone.

[pittl]

Indeed, "Tone" not "Tore". Typo.

Best
Pittl

[trekker]

It helps a lot! If you come across any additional info on this episode, please feel free to post it.

Negotiations were started by Brandt who was in Bovec. He sent a letter to partisans in Kobarid saying he would like to negotiate a free passage of his troops through Kobarid. Partisan leadership prepared an answer after they had decided to use negotiations for liberating partisan supporters jailed in Udine since the beginning of 1943. Letters were exchanged through a judge from Tolmin.

Negotiators for the partisan side were Franc Črnugelj – Zorko and Maks Miklavič, who spoke German well. Franc Črnugelj was political leader (politični komisar) of »Andrej Manreda« battalion formed of six partisan companies in September 1943 and counting 645 men as per 18.9.1943. In Kobarid, there were ten German prisoners, three of them wounded, who were declared hostages.

15.9.1943 Črnugelj and Miklavič went by car to Bovec where they were met in an inn. German side offered not to attack partisans in return for not being attacked and letting them a free passage to Kobarid. Partisan negotioators expressed their doubt considering fights in course and the fact that people arrested by Italians were still kept in prison. They said they were not authorized to make decisions and would report German offer to their superiors only.

Next day, German commander sent a message he would send his officer to Kobarid who would escort partisan representatives to Udine where prisoners would be set free.

The following day, four motorbikes with partisans, a car with the German officer and two buses for transportation of prisoners set for Udine. Arriving there, they went to the prison where the German officer asked for prisoners from the list prepared by partisans. In that moment, gestapo entered and took away the German officer leaving partisans in peace but ordering them not to leave the building. When German officer returned after two hours, 56 prisoners were released and brought to Kobarid where German officer was allowed to meet German prisoners and to return to Bovec. He stated that prisoners were treated well.

German side published leaflets asking the population to cooperate with German authorities as the release of 56 prioners proved their friendy attitude. Leaflets were distributed by three soldiers on a motorbike on the way from Bovec to Srpenica where they run into a partisan ambush having one soldier wounded. Immediately after that event partisans blew up the brigde over the Učja river in Žaga.

Afterwards, letters were being exchanged between both sides for several days before all contacts ended. Germans declared partisans broke off negotiations and outwitted them.

source: Franjo Bavec – Branko: Bazoviška brigada, Ljubljana, 1970

his sources: Franc Črnugelj and Maks Miklavič

[trekker]

/.../
Also relatively well-known is the burning of the village Strmec at the Predil-Pass on 10 October 1943. All male inhabitants (16) where shot.
/.../

10.10.1943 partisans of Bovška četa (Bovec company) using ex Italian fortifcations near Strmec ambushed the arriving German convoy consisting of several trucks, a car and artillery at around 4 p.m. Germans fired back using artillery then launched an assault but were repelled. The fight continued till dark. Three trucks and a car were destroyed. According to German source there were 3 KIA and 9 WIA. Men in the convoy belonged to SS-KWB and police.

The following day, 11.10.1943, SS-KWB returned to Strmec and burnt it down completely (35 houses and a church). One woman died in flames as she could not get out of her house, all male villagers (16 men) that could be found were shot.

[trekker]

There was some airbombing to Kobarid city and near villages.

13.10.1943
German planes bombed Log and Podravše in Nadiža valley, destroying houses.

14.10.1943
German planes bombed Podsredje and Zamir, destroying houses, killing two women.

15.10.1943
German planes bombed Čezsoča, Svino and Žaga.
In Čezsoča 28 houses were demolished or burnt down, two old men were killed.
In Svino almost entire village was demolished or burnt down. Five persons died, several were wounded.
In Žaga almost all houses were demolished.

Žaga was the only village bombed were partisans stayed. Kobarid was not bombed although it was well-known by Germans that partisans stayed there. It was clear that civilians were targets.

[trekker]

Kobarid was occupied without big problems in 1 day flat by the SS-Karstwehr-Btl. on the 31st of October.
On the 3rd of November the whole area surrounding Kobarid was also cleaned.

SS-KWB could come from Bovec to Kobarid in one flat day because they were only engaged on the last day of campaign to seize Kobarid which lasted from 26.10. till 1.11.1943 and was based on German 194. regiment of 71. division and 236. regiment of 162. division. According to information I could find SS-KWB arrived to Kobarid 1.11.1943, not 31.10.1943. Based on the book Franjo Bavec – Branko: Bazoviška brigada, Ljubljana, 1970, here's a short description of the occupation of Kobarid:

26.10.1943
After a fight around Žaga and Log Čezsoški partisans withdrew. German occupied first Žaga then at around 9 a.m. Srpenica which was not defended. Germans reached partisan positions near Brezovo, clashes finished at 5 p.m.

27.10.1943
Fighting started early in the morning, Germans entered Trnovo past noon but were chased out of it in a partisan counter-attack when a partisan company of Russians distinguished itself.
For the whole day, partisans near Žaga prevented Germans from repairing the bridge and sending reinforcement from Bovec to Brezovo.

28.10.1943
Fighting took place for the whole day on locations from Žaga to Brezovo. Germans did not advance.

29.10.1943
During the night Germans managed to pass Žaga to reinforce their position near Brezovo. In the morning, fighting took place again on locations from Žaga to Brezovo. At 2 p.m. Germans backed up by artillery attacked and seized Trnovo at around 4 p.m.
On that day, four German planes gunned partisan positions. During the second attack one of them was damaged by machine gun and was forced to land in the field while others left. Two pilots were captured.

30.10.1943
There was no fighting, just a few clashes.

31.10.1943
There was no fighting but there was high reconnaissance activity of German detachments.

1.11.1943
Existing German troops kept partisan units engaged while additional units of 71. division and SS-KWB from Bovec advanced in three directions by-passing partisan positions and reached Kobarid at 1 p.m. some with minor clashes others with none at all. Partisans withdrew from Kobarid without fighting.

It has to be noted that while Germans were advancing from Bovec to Kobarid 25.10.-1.11.1943 they exercised constant pressure from Tolmin and Cividale thus detaching part od partisan forces from the main fighting ground.


2.11.1943
It was presumably a unit of SS-KWB counting around 100 men on its way from Kobarid to Breginj that was ambushed at around 11 a.m. by the partisan 1st company of the 1st battalion near Stanovišče. In a fight that followed partisans responded to the attempted encirclement by a hand-to-hand fight but were forced to withdraw. Partisans had 6 KIA and 4 WIA, Germans 8 KIA and a few WIA. After the fight Germans proceeded to the village and burnt it down.

3.11.1943
At around 11 a.m. a German unit of around 150 men with a tank, cannon, truck and horses loaded with mortars on its way from Kobarid to Breginj ran into L-shaped ambush near Breginj set by the partisan 1st and 4th battalions of 18. brigade. The German reinforcement from Kobarid couldn't help but got into trouble itself. At 1 p.m. partisans witdrew beause German troops that had been sent to Breginj from Bovec via Žaga and Stol appeared at their flank. Partisans counted 3 WIA and estimated German losses to 50+ KIA and WIA.

[trekker]

Hi,

I am looking for some information on German reprisals during and following the destruction of the Yugoslav partisan republic in Kobarid in November 1943. Besides, I would be anxious to know the rough number of partisan losses during these fights.

I found an information that 25.10.1943 the 18. partisan brigade consisting of five battalions counted 777 men. During the fights for Kobarid from 26.10. till 1.11.1943 the 18. brigade not including its 5th battalion suffered 15 dead, 30 wounded and around 180 missing men. Many (most) of the missing just left the scene and a lot of them re-joined partisans in the future. I don't have information on partisan losses during fights that occured until 25.10.1943.

It is worth mentioning that ex-POW from Britain and Commonwealth who were captured in North Africa and stayed in Italian camps till September 1943 arrived to Kobariška republika where they voluntarily joined partisans in fights near San Quirino bridges. On 20.9.1943 one British NCO and two soldiers were killed while five were wounded, including a Canadian captain. Highest ranking were majors Balletino from South Africa and Gibbon from Great Britain. In the beginning of October a British colonel of tank units assumed command of all Allied men and declared that his men were not authorized to fight on partisan side. Consequently, they were transferred to a location least likely to be attacked by Germans. They were about 80 when they were sent to Dolenjska to be transported to Italy. However, two of them decided to stay with partisans even though they were declared deserters by their commanding officer. One was a man from New Zealand who was called Joe and the other was a black man from South Afrika called Jim. Their real names remained unknown. They both died during the fight on Matajur 9.11.1943.

[trekker]

On 10.11.1943 the SS-KWB attacked a partisan group on the the Crni Vrh causing around 100 KIAs.

I can't locate Črni vrh in Kobarid area but there was a fight on Matajur (Montemaggiore - 1642 m) 9.11.1943 when SS-KWB, part of 71. division and 2nd battalion of 314. regiment of 162. division attacked partisan 1st and 4th battalions of 18. brigade.

8.11.1943 in the morning, 1st and 4th battalion of 18. brigade reached village Matajur and clashed with Germans on their way. Germans obtained precise information on partisans, took dominant positions all around village Matajur during the night and opened heavy fire from machine guns and mortars 9.11.1943 in the morning. The only location kept by partisan safeguard was the top of Matajur hill so all partisans from the village rushed there under fire. To make the situation worse, it was a sunny day after snowing the previous day so partisans were made easy targets. In addition, surprise attacks of German soldiers in white camouflage uniforms on skiis caused heay losses. When fire from partisan machine guns on top of Matajur hill created a gap in German circle part of partisans escaped from the trap. In the evening fire ceased, Germans closed the circle, set fires and gathered around them talking and singing loudly. About 110 partisans managed to pass between two fires unnoticed.
Partisan losses: 30 KIA and more than 30 WIA.
10.11.1943 in the morning there was a German attack on abandoned partisan positions on Matajur hill.

[trekker]

/.../
Strangely enough, Yugoslavia (and later Slovenia) never pursued this case, even though the communist partisans had copies of the beheading photos quite soon after the crime happened. One can only speculate why this was the case, but there is some evidence to suggest that Slovenian collaborators were amongst the perpetrators. Besides, nobody of the SS-KWB came into Yugoslav captivity in 1945.

Regarding the beheading of two partisans in Idrske Krnice historian Ferenc made a thorough research of the case published in 1977. In his opinion the German officer in a photo taken during the beheading was SS-Oberstumführer Karl Weiland born in Waldschach (Austria) who left SS-KWB in summer 1944 when he was transferred to Globocnik's Aufbaustab. The commander of KWB during the event was SS-Hauptsturmführer Josef Berschneider born in Neumarkt who was promoted to the rank of SS-Sturmbannführer ten days after the beheading. Ferenc finished his research asking whether Yugoslav authorities would start to prosecute Weiland and Berschneider. Obviously, they didn't.

In general, as far as I know, after a few years since the end of WWII Yugoslavia ceased to chase war criminals. I don't know what was the reason for such a decision and I would appreciate any information about it. It is well-known that Yugoslavia developed a wide secret service network of agents and informers in Europe controlling Yugoslav emigrants and taking any kind of action that was found necessary. In my opinion, if Yugoslav leadership had wanted to persecute war criminals surely many would have been found.
Slovenia after 1991 is a different story.

[G. Trifkovic]

Trekker,

much obliged for the additional info.

Cheers,

G.

[trekker]

Knowing that at least one AHF member is interested in the matter made me post additional information from a second source found (Tone Kebe, 1979). This one is more detailed and based on more sources than the first one.

Ferdo Kravanja – Skalar and Franc Černugelj – Zorko were partisan political leaders in Kobarid. 10.9.1943 they were informed that Germans reached Bovec and Tolmin but did not reach Udine. They thought of setting free political prisoners there with the help of Italian general Luigi Massini who had been commander in Tolmin and had informed partisans of Italian intensions before Italy had surrendered so he could live in Kobarid freely. Massini wrote a letter to Udine commander general Licurgo Zannini asking him to meet a partisan delegation which wanted to discuss joint activities against German forces and releasing of prisoners. 11.9.1941 in the morning Marija Uršič from Kobarid took a taxi to Udine and delivered Massini's letter to Zannini who immediately expressed his willingness to meet partisans. Ferdo Kravanja, Maks Miklavič, his daughter Mara and Marija Uršič arrived that same day. General refused joint activities against German forces and agreed to release prisoners if partisans made possible for Italian soldiers to return to their homes as soon as possible. However, as Zannini was not able or willing to arrange a release of prisoners with the prison management partisans left and Germans arrived in Udine a few hours later.

Negotiations were started by Brandt who was in Bovec. He sent a letter to partisans in Kobarid saying he would like to negotiate a free passage of his troops through Kobarid. Partisan leadership prepared an answer after they had decided to use negotiations for liberating partisan supporters jailed in Udine since the beginning of 1943. Letters were exchanged through a judge from Tolmin.

In a letter of 18.11.1961 sent to Franc Černugelj mid-war Italian judge in Tolmin dr. Guido Bitti described his arrival to Kobarid 13.9.1943. He checked land registers in the municipality building and warned partisan authorities of their importance. He was allowed to take a regular(!) bus to Bovec which was in German hands to check the situation with documents there. The following day he met SS-Obersturmführer Anton Scheid who told Bitti he had just returned from the front in Russia. The following day Bitti was met by Scheid and Karl Weiland who asked him to deliver a letter to partisan command in Kobarid. A letter dated 15.9.1943 and signed by Scheid [Feldpost (?) nr. 5219 D] was adressed to the commander od Slovene patriots in Kobarid informing him that SS-Standartenführer dr. Brand wanted to talk to him that same day in Bovec. Bitti was driven to Kobarid where he handed the letter to Ferdo Kravanja and returned to Bovec with Franc Črnugelj and Maks Miklavič meeting Brand, Scheid and Weiland.

15.9.1943 Črnugelj and Miklavič went by car to Bovec where they were met in an inn. German side offered not to attack partisans in return for not being attacked and letting them a free passage to Kobarid. Partisan negotioators expressed their doubt considering fights in course and the fact that people arrested by Italians were still kept in prison. They said they were not authorized to make decisions and would report German offer to their superiors only.

Next day, German commander sent a message he would send his officer to Kobarid who would escort partisan representatives to Udine where prisoners would be set free.

In an introduction Brand presented himself as a friend of Slovene people whom he had known as brave soldiers when he had fought in this area during WWI. He understood that Slovenes had fought Italians for their national rights and explained that Germany would recognize Slovene national rights. In reply Črnugelj suggested a release of Slovene prisoners in Udine. Brand continued with a proposition that partisans grant German forces free passage from Kobarid to Udine and Gorizia/Gorica. If an agreement on mutual non-aggression and co-existance of both armies was agreed then German side wouldn't mind the existance of armed partisans. Črnugelj replied he was not authorized to negotiate on the matter and suggested that a release of prisoners would make further negotiations easier. Brand quickly consulted his aides and left the room to phone to the command in Udine. When he returned he announced that he had just arranged the release of prisoners the following day. After that Črnugelj, Miklavič and Bitti returned to Kobarid where Černugelj allowed Bitti to go to Tolmin taking with him all judicial documentation from Kobarid.

Dr. Giudo Bitti was born in Triest 1895. He was arrested 2.10.1943 on Scheid's order and was put in prison. After WWII he was a judge first in Gorizia/Gorica and then in Trento. He died in August 1962.

The following day, four motorbikes with partisans, a car with the German officer and two buses for transportation of prisoners set for Udine. Arriving there, they went to the prison where the German officer asked for prisoners from the list prepared by partisans. In that moment, gestapo entered and took away the German officer leaving partisans in peace but ordering them not to leave the building. When German officer returned after two hours, 56 prisoners were released and brought to Kobarid where German officer was allowed to meet German prisoners and to return to Bovec. He stated that prisoners were treated well.

German side published leaflets asking the population to cooperate with German authorities as the release of 56 prioners proved their friendy attitude. Leaflets were distributed by three soldiers on a motorbike on the way from Bovec to Srpenica where they run into a partisan ambush having one soldier wounded. Immediately after that event partisans blew up the brigde over the Učja river in Žaga.

The following day at 8 a.m. Scheid with an NCO arrived by car to Kobarid where Černugelj and Miklavič joined him. Before they left Scheid had met German prisoners. In Udine the car stopped in front of the German command. Scheid entered and soon returned saying he had arranged everything. While in prison two gestapo officers and a woman entered and took Scheid with them. After a while Scheid phoned to the prison saying that the matter was settled and he would soon return.
There were six British prisoners who demanded to be released when they saw Slovene prisoners being released but their demand was refused by prison management. Prisoners were transported to Kobarid by a bus belonging to Peter Rosina from Cividale who arrived to Udine on Maks Miklavič's call. In Kobarid Scheid on Brand's behalf asked to continue negotiations the following day and agreed to meet in Trnovo on partisan territory. When Brand arrived he met Miklavič alone who infomed Brand he had no answer. Brand felt offended. Before he left he told Miklavič that two men would distribute leaflets in Slovene language informing population that 56 prisoners were released beacuse of German benevolence in relation to Slovenes and their will to reach cooperation with partisans. Miklavič replied there had been no discussion on that. When the following day two men on a motorbike were distributing leaflets signed by Brand partisans did not react until they reached Trnovo where they fired and slightly wounded one man. Both were brought to Kobarid where the wound was taken care of and leaflets were confiscated. Both men returned to Bovec with the message that the next meeting would be in two days on the road between Žaga and Srpenica. When they met Brand was furious when Černugelj told him he still had no reply from his high command. It was their last meeting.

Afterwards, letters were being exchanged between both sides for several days before all contacts ended. Germans declared partisans broke off negotiations and outwitted them.

The following day partisans sent two letters to Bovec. In the first one, partisans apologized for having fired at two men on a motorbike and explained their reasons for acting so. They also thanked for the release of prisoners. In the second letter they refused German proposition for being granted a free passage from Bovec to Tolmin and Cividale via Kobarid.

[G. Trifkovic]

Hi trekker,

and many thanks for the new data on the topic; the source is

Tone Kebe, "Zgodbe iz NOB na Kobariškem" in: Borec 1/1979, pp. 29-44 and Borec 3/1979, pp. 167-80.

Cheers,

G.