Balkan war history

Fighter plane of Soviet origin, Yakovlev Yak-3, represented the top of the development of a light fighter plane of high performance and great maneuverability, created by designer Alexandar S. Yakovlev, whose essential slogan was "simplicity doesn’t mean backwardness”. The plane’s first flight was performed in October 1943. and series production started in March 1944. Combat baptism Jak-3 had on 16th July 1944, and it was the best Soviet fighter plane in the W.W. II. To May 1945 there were manufactured 4.560 planes, and until the end of 1946, when production ceased, 4.848 fighters Yak-3.



Comparing with aircraft of western origin, Jak-3’s structure was obsolete. The fuselage of truss type construction of welded steel tubes, covered by plywood, the wing also wooden, except a metal boom. But, it didn’t influence to its characteristics. For a full horizontal 360° turn plane needed only 18 seconds, and a Yak-3, equipped by a much stronger engine of 1.324 kW (1.800 hp), achieved a speed …

The occupier, known as the "Fifth Enemy Offensive" or the Battle of Sutjeska, introduced about 127,000 soldiers (67,000 Germans, 43,000 Italians, 2,000 Bulgarians and 15,000 domestic servicemen) with the support of 170 planes, 8 artillery regiments and a large number tanks - against the Main Operating Group of about 22,000 partisans. Or: six to one, which according to military standards, is twice as much that it is necessary for the absolute combat success of the attackers.
The Main Operational Group managed to break out of the environment with huge losses of 7,543 dead soldiers, including 597 Partisans women, which is an unforgettable example of losing women combatants in the history of wars.
Most of the fighters were from Croatia - 8,925, of which from Dalmatia - 5,195; from Bosnia and Herzegovina - 8,293; from Montenegro - 3,337; from Serbia - 1492; from Macedonia - 21; from Slovenia - 19; from abroad - 38.
In the national view, there were the most Serbs - 11,851; Croats - 5…

In times of war and revolution comes to strange reversal, when brave and noble qualities appear. Therefore, the second world war does not cease to fascinate me examples of unimaginable courage and contempt for death.
These are examples of crazy brave deaths that I managed to collect. Please leave a comment if you know another example.
Executions of youth in Bečej


Executions 12 SKOJ members (communist youth) in Bečej on 11 November 1941 by Hungarian fascists. The guy holding the raised fist is Milan Gavrić, a member of the SKOJ (Communist Youth). According to another interpretation, the fist is held by Labud Pejovic, the secretary of the District Committee of SKOJ.
A moment after this painting was recorded, Pejovic stood up and cried: " lived The Communist Party of Yugoslavia - Death to Fascism!" He was immediately shot.
Stjepan Filipović


The legendary photo that is now at the United Nations headquarters, and became a symbol of resistance to fascism in World War II.
Stjepan Filipovi…

2. 1. - The German commander in Serbia, under the threat of the death penalty, forbade hiding Jews and keeping their belongings.

4. 1 - Hungarian army and gendarmerie smashed the First Zablja NOP detachment in Žablja, starting reprisals against civilians in Bačka, culminating in Novi Sad raids.



11. 1. - The Battle of Drazgos near Škofja Loka in Slovenia ended - the partisans withdrew after they caused losses to the Germans, who thus fell down the village of Dražgoše

15. 1 - Refugee government of Yugoslavia and Greece concluded an agreement providing for their postwar confederation (Balkan Federation).

15. 1. - 7. 2. - "Second enemy offensive" in eastern Bosnia, in two stages: Roman-Bircanska and Second Ozrenska Operation; Chetniks cooperate with the German unit, the Partisans escape destruction.



19. 1. - Draza Mihailovic promoted to the General of the Yugoslav army in the homeland

20. 1 - Bulgarian first occupational Corps (three divisions) ended the occupation of part of N…

Machine gun M87 - naval version is formed by mounting of machine gun M87 to rotating the base that is placed on a bell-shaped mount.
It is mounted on a vessel or vehicle by connecting the mount to the foundation with bolts. Quick and easy change of height is achieved with elevation system placed in rotating base. The design of the machine gun provides reliable function, without stoppages, in all environments. It is a gas operated weapon, with sliding block breech as the locking system. The barrel is cold forged, with a chrome plated interior, which provides long service life with unchanged ballistic characteristics.


The barrel is disassembled from the machine gun quickly and easily, so in heavy duty, it is possible to cool it quickly or replace it with the spare one.  The machine gun is fed from a belt,  placed in the ammunition box with the capacity of 60 rounds. After firing, cartridge cases are ejected forward, which increases the safety of the shooter and the crew around him. Flash hid…

Stevan Borota (Vinkovci, November 14, 1898 - Valjevo, March 27, 1942), one of the prominent figures in Western Serbia in 1941, commander of the company of the Posavina partisan detachment. He was publicly hanged in the occupied Valjevo, March 27, 1942, on the anniversary of the March Revolution, together with his closest companion Josif Majer.


Because of his role in the uprising, he was one of the main targets of Nazi propaganda in occupied Serbia.
Borota entered the partisans on August 14, 1941, after he came from Belgrade, thanks to the local organization of the KPJ, into the village of Grabovac near Obrenovac, where a group of fighters of the Posavina NOP detachment was under the command of Koca Popovic. By the end of August, the fighters of the Posavina NOP detachment freed the entire area of the Posavina and Tamnava Obrežovac Posavina, except for Obrenovac, Umka, and Uba.


In mid-September Posavina National Liberation Movement (NOP) detachment numbered about 2,500 soldiers and was on…