Battle of Odžak
| Battle of Odžak | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of European theatre of World War II and World War II in Yugoslavia | |||||||
16th Muslim Brigade machine gunners during the battle in May 1945 | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| Yugoslavia | |||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Miloš Zekić[1][2] Spasoje Mičić[2] |
Petar Rajkovačić †[3] Ivan Čalušić [4] | ||||||
| Units involved | |||||||
|
25th Division 27th Division 53rd Division | Unknown | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 23,000–35,000 soldiers | 1,800–11,000 soldiers[5][3] | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 1,000–10,000[3][5] | Almost all killed or captured | ||||||
Odžak Location within Yugoslavia | |||||||
The Battle of Odžak was the last battle of World War II in Europe. The battle began on 19 April 1945 and lasted until 25 May 1945,[6] 17 days after the end of the war in Europe.[5] The combatants were the Croatian Armed Forces (Independent State of Croatia) (NDH) commanded by Petar Rajkovačić and the Yugoslav Army commanded by Miloš Zekić. The battle took place in the Bosnian town of Odžak. The battle was a victory for the Partisans.[5]
The battle is thoroughly described in a number of books, for example, in a 1969 book on 53rd Division,[3] 1981 book on 16th Muslim Brigade,[7] 1983 book on 27th East Bosnian Division,[8] and 1983 book on 14th Central Bosnian Brigade.[9]
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Operation "Vlaška Mala" from 23 to 28 April 1945.
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Operation "Vlaška Mala" on 22 May 1945
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Operation "Vlaška Mala" from 22 to 25 May 1945.
Aftermath
The Ustaše grouping encircled in the Podvučijak area was virtually destroyed. Due to the lack of preserved documentation, there are no precise data regarding the losses suffered by either side during the fighting, which—with interruptions—lasted from 19 April to 25 May, and possibly until 27–28 May 1945. According to historian Gaj Trifković, the total losses of the three Yugoslav divisions involved can be estimated at around 430 killed and missing, and 1,123 wounded. Trifković also notes that by the end of the battle at least 562 defenders of Odžak were captured. In his assessment, eyewitness accounts indicating that the prisoners of war were executed only a few days after their capture can be considered credible.[10]
References
- ^ "4 May 1945: Odžak – the last battle of the Second World War took place in Croatia". Narod.hr (in Croatian). 4 May 2016. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
- ^ a b "Odžak and Prud, 25 May 1945: the last battle of the Second World War". Stav.ba (in Croatian). 25 May 2023. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
- ^ a b c d Vukosavljević & Karasijević 1969, p. 190-206.
- ^ "POSLEDNJE UPORIŠTE NDH: Ovde se vodila finalna bitka Drugog svetskog rata — 17 dana nakon što se rat završio (VIDEO)". 5 November 2017.
- ^ a b c d The Last Battle Of World War II In Europe Occurred 16 Days After Germany Fell
- ^ Đorić 1996, p. 169.
- ^ Đonlagić & Kazazović 1981, p. 276-291.
- ^ Ðonlagić 1983, p. 507-519.
- ^ Samardžija 1983, p. 369-388.
- ^ Trifković 2022, pp. 398–399.
Bibliography
- Ðonlagić, Ahmet (1983). 27. ISTOČNOBOSANSKA DIVIZIJA. Beograd: Vojnoizdavački zavod. Archived from the original on 25 June 2023.
- Đonlagić, Ahmet; Kazazović, Ćamil (1981). ŠESNAESTA MUSLIMANSKA NOU BRIGADA. Sarajevo: Istorijski arhiv. Archived from the original on 25 June 2023.
- Samardžija, Stevo (1983). 14. SREDNJOBOSANSKA NOU BRIGADA (PDF). Banja Luka: Skupština opštine Prnjavor. Archived from the original on 25 June 2023.
- Vukosavljević, Mladen; Karasijević, Drago (1969). 53. SREDNJOBOSANSKA NOU DIVIZIJA (PDF). Sarajevo: Zadrugar. Archived from the original on 16 October 2022.
- Đorić, Marjan (1996). Bosanska Posavina: povijesno-zemljopisni pregled (in Croatian). Polion.
- Trifković, Gaj (2022). Sea of Blood: A Military History of the Partisan Movement in Yugoslavia, 1941–45. Helion & Company. ISBN 978-1-914059-94-0.
45°00′00″N 18°15′36″E / 45.0000°N 18.2600°E