The Adriatic Campaign of World War II was a naval campaign fought during World War II between the Greek, Yugoslavian and Italian navies, the Kriegsmarine, and the Mediterranean squadrons of the United Kingdom, France, and the Yugoslav Partisan naval forces. Considered a relatively minor part of the naval warfare of World War II, it nonetheless saw interesting developments, given the specificity of the Dalmatian coastline.
Prelude — Italian invasion of Albania
Main article: Italian invasion of AlbaniaOn 7 April 1939, Mussolini's troops occupied Albania, overthrew Zog, and annexed the country to the Italian Empire. Naval operations in the Adriatic consisted mostly of transport organisation through the ports of Taranto.
Greco-Italian War
Main article: Greco-Italian WarThe Greco-Italian War lasted from 28 October 1940 to 30 April 1941 and was part of World War II. Italian forces invaded Greece and made limited gains. At the outbreak of hostilities, the Royal Hellenic Navy was composed of the old cruiser Averof , 10 destroyers (4 old Theria class, 4 relatively modern Dardo class and 2 new Greyhound class), several torpedo boats and 6 old submarines. Faced with the formidable Regia Marina, its role was primarily limited to patrol and convoy escort duties in the Aegean Sea. This was essential both for the completion of the Army's mobilization, but also for the overall resupply of the country, the convoy routes being threatened by Italian aircraft and submarines operating from the Dodecanese Islands.
Nevertheless, the Greek ships also carried out limited offensive operations against Italian shipping in the Strait of Otranto. The destroyers carried out three bold but fruitless night-time raids (14-15 November 1940, 15-16 December 1940 and 4-5 January 1941). The main successes came from the submarines, which managed to sink some Italian transports. On the Italian side, although the Regia Marina suffered severe losses in capital ships from the Royal Navy during the Taranto raid, Italian cruisers and destroyers continued to operate covering the convoys between Italy and Albania. Also, on November 28, an Italian squadron bombarded Corfu, while on December 18 and March 4, Italian task forces shelled Greek coastal positions in Albania.
Invasion of Yugoslavia
Main article: Invasion of YugoslaviaThe Invasion of Yugoslavia (also known as Operation 25 ) began on 6 April 1941 and ended with the unconditional surrender of the Royal Yugoslav Army on 17 April. The invading Axis powers (Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, Hungary, and Bulgaria) occupied and deismembered the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.
When Germany and Italy attacked Yugoslavia on 6 April 1941, the Yugoslav Royal Navy had available 3 destroyers, 2 submarines and 10 MTBs as the most effective units of the fleet. One other destroyer, the Ljubljana was in dry-dock at the time of the invasion and she and her anti-aircraft guns were used in defence of the fleet base at Kotor. The remainder of the fleet was useful only for coastal defence and local escort and patrol work.
Kotor was close to the Albanian border and the Italo-Greek front there, but Zara (Zadar), an Italian enclave, was to the north-west of the coast and to prevent a bridgehead being established, the destroyer "Beograd", 4 of the old torpedo boats and 6 MTBs were despatched to Šibenik, 80 km to the south of Zara, in preparation for an attack. The attack was to be co-ordinated with the 12th "Jadranska" Infantry Division and two "Odred" (combined regiments) of the Royal Yugoslav Army attacking from the Benkovac area, supported by air attacks by the 81st Bomber Group of the Royal Yugoslav Air Force. The Yugoslav forces launched their attack on 9 April, but by 13 April the Italian forces had counter-attacked and were in Benkovac by 14 April. The naval prong to this attack faltered when the destroyer "Beograd" was damaged by near misses from Italian aircraft off Sibenik when her starboard engine was put out of action, after which she limped to Kotor, escorted by the remainder of the force, for repair.
The maritime patrol float-planes of the Royal Yugoslav Air Force flew reconnaissance and attack missions during the campaign, as well as providing air cover for mine-laying operations off Zara (Zadar). Some of their successes included an Italian tanker being damaged by a near miss off the Italian coast near Bari, attacks on the Albanian port of Durrës, as well as strikes against Italian re-supply convoys to Albania. On 9 April, one Dornier Do 22K floatplane notably took on an Italian convoy of 12 steamers with an escort of 8 destroyers crossing the Adriatic during the day, attacking single-handed in the face of intense AA fire.
Yugoslav resistance
Main article: Yugoslav PartisansNaval forces of the Yugoslav resistance were formed as early as September 19, 1942, when Partisans in Dalmatia formed their first naval unit made of fishing boats, which gradually evolved into a force able to engage the Italian Navy and Kriegsmarine and conduct complex amphibious operations. This event is considered to be the foundation of the Yugoslav Navy. At its peak during World War II, the Yugoslav Partisans' Navy commanded 9 or 10 armed ships, 30 patrol boats, close to 200 support ships, six coastal batteries, and several Partisan detachments on the islands, around 3,000 men.
Italian capitulation
Main article: Armistice between Italy and Allied armed forcesAfter the Italian capitulation (8 September 1943) following the Allied invasion of Italy the partisans took most of the coast and all of the islands. On 26 October 1943 the Yugoslav Partisans' Navy was organized first into four, and later into six Maritime Costal Sectors ( Pomorsko Obalni Sektor , POS). The task of the naval forces was to secure supremacy at sea, organize defense of coast and islands, and attack enemy sea traffic and forces on the islands and along the coasts.
German occupation
As a first move (Operation Wolkenbruch) the Germans rushed to occupy the notthern Adriatic ports of Trieste, Fiume and Pula, and established the Operational Zone Adriatic Coast OZAK , with its headquarters in Trieste, on 10 September. It comprised the provinces of Udine, Gorizia, Trieste, Pula (Pola), Rijeka (Fiume) and Ljubljana (Lubiana). Since an Allied landing in the area was anticipated, OZAK also hosted a substantial German military contingent, the Befehlshaber Operationszone Adriatisches Küstenland commanded by General der Gebirgstruppe Ludwig Kübler. On 28 September 1944, these units were redesignated XCVII Armeekorps . Soon also German marine units were formed. Royal Navy engagement was also on the rise.
German Navy in the Adriatic
Vice Admiral Joachim LIETZMANN was Commanding Admiral Adriatic (Kommandierender Admiral Adria). Initially, the area of operation ranged from Fiume to Valona, and the area of the Western coast was under the jurisdiction of the German navy for Italy (Deutsches Marinekommando Italien). The line of demarcation between the two naval commands and corresponded between the Armed Group F (Balkans) and the Armed Group E (Italy) as a border between the Italian Social Republic (RSI) and the Independent State of Croatia (NDH). Soon on LIETZMANN insistence on the area of operation was extended to include the whole of Istria to the mouth of the Tagliamento, and in correspondence to the boundary line between the Italian Social Republic and the area of the Operational Zone Adriatic Coast(OZAK).
One of the first operations was Operation Herbstgewitter. This consisted of landing German troops on the islands of Krk, Cres and Lošinj in November 1943. The Germans used some old ships such as the cruiser SMS Niobe and the auxiliary cruiser Ramb III. During the action the islands were cleared of partisan forces and the Niobe with two S-boats managed to capture a British military mission on the island of Lošinj.
Gradually the German navy was built up, mostly with former Italian ships found in an advanced phase of construction in the yards of Fiume and Trieste. The strongest naval unit was the 11th Sicherungsflotille. Formed in May 1943 in Triest as the 11. Küstenschutzflottille, in December 1943 it was designated 11. Sicherungsflottille. It was employed in protecting marine communications in the Adriatic, mostly from partisan naval attacks. On 1 March 1944 the Flotilla was extended and re-designated the 11. Sicherungsdivision.
Vis island
Until end of 1943 the German forces were advancing into Dalmatia after capitulation of Italy. By 1944 only Vis island remained unoccupied and divisions task become its defense against later canceled German invasion (Operation FREISCHÜTZ). The island was about 14 miles long and 8 miles wide, with a mainly hilly perimeter, with a plain in the centre covered with vines, part of which has been removed to make way for an airstrip about 750 yards long, from which 4 Spitfires of the Balkan Air Force were operating. At the west end of the island was the Port of Komiža, while at the other end was the Port of Vis, these were connected by the only good road running across the plain.Vis was organized as a great stronghold, held until the end of the WWII.
In 1944 Tito's headquarters moved there and British forces with over 1,000 troops was also included in the defence of Vis. The British forces, alr
Holiday Krk - holiday-krk.com
Holiday Krk, travel guide of island Krk ... Villas & Apartments We offer apartments 3 *** and villas with pools 4 and 5 ***** all over island Krk.
Island Krk Croatia accommodation holiday
Travel guide of island Krk, Croatia.Accommodation in apartments and rooms in Krk, Baska, Malinska, Vrbnik, Njivice, Silo,
Category:Island of Krk - Wikimedia Commons
Media in category "Island of Krk" The following 28 files are in this category, out of 28 total.
Horvátország (Krk-sziget)
Scheffer János Webgaléria - Országok - Horvátország - Krk-sziget : Krk-sziget, Plitvice N.P., Krka N.P. Paklenica N.P., Murter-sziget, Slunj horvatszigetek.wyw.hu ...
Krk sziget apartmanok
5+2: Extra bed: 2: Bedrooms: 3: Kitchen: Yes: Bathrooms: 1: Living room: Yes: Area: 85m 2: Terrace: Yes: Floor: Ground: Balcony: No: Dishwasher: No: Air condition: No: Sat TV: Yes
Krk Kirándulások - Krk Sziget - Horvátország ...
KRKI KÖRÚT, VELENCE Olaszország, PLITVICEI TAVAK Horvátország ... Látogatás Krk városába és a történelmi és kulturális nevezetességek megtekintése.
Krk sziget Horvátország üdülés info Krk sziget üdülölakás ...
Üdülés Krk szigeten Horvátországban, a Kvarner-öbölben, üdülöhelyek Krk, Baska vagy Malinska, Njivice és Punat ideális üdülöhelyek üdülöházban, üdülölakásban ...
Krk (sziget) - Wikipédia
A Horvátországhoz tartozó Krk az Adriai-tenger második legnagyobb szigete 405,25 km² területével. Hossza 38 km, legnagyobb szélessége 13 km, tengerpartjának hossza majdnem ...
Apartmanok Horvátország : Krk sziget magánszállás
Apartmanok Horvátország Baška, Krk, Punat, Malinska, Njivice, Vrbnik, Šilo Magánszállás Horvatorszag szobák házak Adria Apartmanok Horvátország Magánszállás ...
Krk Sziget - Krk Horvátország - Aurea
Isten hozta Önöket Krk szigeten! 410 km2 összfelületével, tagolt partjainak 190 km körméretével, Krk Adria legnagyobb szigetének számít.