Partisan attacks on airfields

[Larry deZeng]

All Yugoslavia:

Agram-Gorica
1-2 Dec 43: airfield attacked by 300-500 Partisans but repulsed after 6 hours by heavy fire from machine gun emplacements; 3 Germans and 2 Croatians KIA, plus many enemy KIA and WIA.
19 Dec 43: airfield attacked again by a sizeable Partisan force – 1 x Cant 1007 burned out and 4 barracks burned down; casualties among Croatian Legion and German liaison/instructor personnel; airfield temporarily evacuated on order of Koflug 6/XVII due to inability to defend it.
19 Jul 44: Partisans attacked and blew up the airfield bomb dump containing c. 850 tons of bombs.

Agram-Pleso
6 Feb 45: airfield infiltrated by Partisan commandos – 6 Dornier (Do 17s?) bombers blown up.
18 Feb 45: airfield infiltrated by Partisan commandos again – 3 Ju 52s blown up.
23 Feb 45: airfield infiltrated by Partisan commandos yet again – 2 Fi 156s blown up along with 24 tons of bombs.

Agram-Stadt (Borongaj)
28 Dec 44: airfield attacked by Partisan assault commandos – 5 transports, including a Ju 52, blown up or burned.
11 Apr 45: airfield infiltrated by Partisan commandos –1 Do 17 blown up.

Banja Luka - Zalužani
20-21 Sep 44: airfield captured by elements of the Partisan 5th Assault Corps and held until early October – 5 serviceable and 6 unserviceable aircraft were taken along with 200 Croatian Air Force prisoners. Although 37 aircraft and 800 personnel managed to escape before Zalužani was overrun, the decision was made to close it after it was retaken on 4 Oct 44.

Samobor (a.k.a. Sveta Nedelja)
29 May 43: landing ground attacked by c. 200 Partisans – 2 aircraft and all of the gliders were destroyed and many of the buildings burned down. Taken prisoner were 4 officers, 30 soldiers and 70 glider school students.

Sarajevo-Rajlovac
10/11 Aug 43: night partisan attack by 500 men from the 1st Partisan Border Brigade – 1 x Do 17Z from 15.(kroat.)/KG 53, 2 x Ju 52s belonging to FFS C 1 and 1 x W 34 from Verbindungsstaffel 58 destroyed or severely damaged on the ground. Additionally, 11 x Do 17s and 1 x Bristol Blenheim I belonging to the Croatian Air Force destroyed or damaged. (German reports)

As for Russia,

Nikolajew/Ost I
10 Mar 42: sabotage by partisans – 2 x Bf 109 E-7s from 2./JG 77, 1 x Bf 110 C-5 from 4.(F)/Aufkl.Gr. 122, 3 x Ju 87s from St.G. 77, 1 x Fi 156 from Flugbereitschaft IV. Fliegerkorps destroyed or damaged.

Plus numerous others..............