The Professionals MTO (id:#66917)

(ASL 11a - Doomed Battalions (4th Edition) ID: 144)   [next]   [previous]

Pirot, Yugoslavia 1941-04-07 (6 others)

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Overview:

On April 6th, the Wehrmacht erupted across the Yugoslavian borders. Von Kleist's armor, striking along the River Nišava out of Bulgaria, swiftly drove a wedge between the enemy "Troplica" and "Drina" Divisions. The Yugoslavs repeatedly performed individual acts of heroism -- attacking the panzers with grenades and Molotov cocktails -- but collectively the Yugoslavian army was outclassed and scattered, its actions haphazard and disorganized. However, along the Nišava River, the wooden bridges were invariably in flames that first day when German troops reached them. Desperate for bridges to link his divided command, von Kleist formed an advance armored detachment consisting of a battalion of the 15th Panzer Regiment and two battalions of the 23rd Infantry Regiment. He ordered this ad hoc battle group to fan out ahead of the main force and seize bridges along the river. Early the next morning, after driving through the darkness, an element under the command of Major Teege reached Pirot to find the bridge there still standing. With infantry dismounted from their vehicles, he swept forward to capture it.

Defender: Yugoslavian (Cadets and Staff of the Vardar Tactical Training College)  

Errata (source)