Lim-Sandžak Chetnik Detachment

Lim-Sandžak Chetnik Detachment
Active June 1942 —
Size

15,349 men available for military service

  • 1,500 (standing force)
Engagements

World War II in Yugoslavia

Commanders
June 1942 — May 1943: Pavle Đurišić
May 1943 —  : Vojislav Lukačević

The Lim-Sandžak Chetnik Detachment[1] (Serbian: Лимско—Санџачки Четнички Одред) was a military unit of Chetniks that was established in northern Montenegro and Sandžak at the end of June 1942,[2] during World War II. In August 1942, it was commanded by Pavle Đurišić, and was the largest and the most elite military unit of Draža Mihailović at that time.[3]

Establishment and initial structure

The Lim-Sandžak Chetnik Detachment was established by Pavle Đurišić, based on an agreement between Đorđe Lašić and Italian General Alessandro Pirzio Biroli signed on 24 July 1942 after about two months of negotiations. The agreement "legalised" the detachment with the Italian occupying forces. Chetniks that had not been "legalised" were much more numerous and important. The Italians tolerated groups of illegal Chetniks and gave them the status of a "national peasants' militia". The Lim-Sandžak Chetnik Detachment was a mobile unit consisting of four battalions, one for each region within the sector. Bijelo Polje, Berane, Andrijevica and Kolašin had one battalion each. According to the agreement, the detachment was authorised to a strength of 1,500 men who received a salary, food, clothes and arms from the Italians.[4]

Expansion

On 12 July 1942, Chetnik headquarters met in Zimonjića Kula to decide about the allocation of Chetnik commands and areas of responsibility, and Montenegro was divided into western and eastern sectors. Bajo Stanišić was appointed as the commander of the western sector, while Pavle Đurišić was appointed as the commander of the eastern sector, which matched the existing territory of his detachment.[5] At a further conference held the following month, Đurišić's sector was expanded to include Prijepolje, Priboj, Nova Varoš and Sjenica.[3]

After this expansion the Lim-Sandžak Chetnik Detachment was reorganized into four corps:[3]

It was planned to include Dečane Corps, consisting of three brigades (Peć, Istok and Drenica) as part of the detachment, but this plan remained only on paper. According to Chetnik documents, the Lim-Sandžak Chetnik Detachment had 200 officers and 15,349 men available for military service. They were armed with 13,116 rifles, 51 light machine guns, 15 machine guns and 5 mortars.[3] The Italians also authorised Đurišić to raise a gendarmerie in his sector, which was used to terrorise members and supporters of the Partisans and the population in general.[6]

Battles

The detachment participated in the Third Enemy Offensive against the Partisans.[7][8]

In the middle of May 1943, prior to the formal commencement of Case Black, around 2,000 men from this detachment, including Đurišić, were captured by German forces.[9] Vojislav Lukačević succeeded Đurišić as the commander of the remaining men of the detachment.[10]

References

  1. ↑ Istorijski zapisi. 1971. p. 415. ...the staff of the Lim-Sandzak Cetnik Detachment was located.
  2. ↑ Redžić, Vučeta (2002). Građanski rat u Crnoj Gori: Dešavanja od sredine 1942. godine do sredine 1945. godine. Stupovi. p. 39.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Pajović 1977, p. 42.
  4. ↑ Pajović 1977, p. 41".
  5. ↑ Pajović 1977, pp. 41–42"Na sastanku u Zimanjića Kuli kod Avtovca 12 srpnja 1941... Crna Gora je podeljena na dva sektora....a komandantom istočnog sektora, t.j. za područje Limsko-Sandžačkih četničkih odreda imenovan je Pavle Đurišić."
  6. ↑ Pajović 1977, pp. 42–43.
  7. ↑ Jovanović, Batrić (1960). Crna Gora u narodnooslobodilačkom ratu i socijalističkoj revoluciji. Vojno delo. p. 641. У Трећој непријатељској офанзиви, на територији Црне Горе учествовале су сљедеће квислиншке снаге: Лимско-санџачки четнички одреди Павла Ђуришића (четници из Беранског, Андријевичког, Колашинског, Бјелопољског, ...
  8. ↑ Bojović, Jovan R.; Šibalić, Mijuško (1979). Durmitorska partizanska republika: materijali sa naučnog skupa održanog u Žabljaku 24, 25 i 26, avgusta 1977. godine. Istorijski in-t SR Crne Gore. p. 418.
  9. ↑ Istorijski zapisi. 1971. p. 415.
  10. ↑ Redžić, Vučeta (2002). Građanski rat u Crnoj Gori: Dešavanja od sredine 1942. godine do sredine 1945. godine. Stupovi. p. 300. После заробљавања капетана Ђуришића, за рад на територији ЛСЧО, закључно са бјелопољским срезом, задужен је мајор Војислав Лукачевић. Он је окупио четнике растурене по Санџаку и дошао у Беране 14. јула са ...[After captain Đurišić was captured, major Lukačević was appointed to work on the territory of Lim Sandzak Chetnik Detachment, including Bijelo Polje district. He gathered Chetniks dispersed over Sandžak and came to Berane on 14 July]

Sources

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