XX Ustasha Battalion (XX. ustaška bojna)

by H.L. deZeng IV

Formed March 1942 in Livno/Hercegovina with an estimated 800 men. (1)

Operational History

(see V Ustasha Brigade and IV Ustasha Brigade for additional information)

Mar – Jul 42: formation and training in Livno.

4 Aug 42: Livno - lost its 2d Co. while defending the town, which was temporarily taken on 7 August after three days of bitter fighting by an estimated 10 battalions of Partisans.

30 Sep – 6 Oct 42: took part in Operation “Jajce I.”

1 Dec 42: Bn. HQ, 1st, 2d and 4th Co. in Bugojno/42 km NE of Livno, and 3d Co. in Livno.

31 Mar 43: Bugojno with elements in Kupres/22 km SW of Bugojno.

Aug 43: briefly transferred from Bugojno to Šujica/25 km SE of Livno, but then departed for the Zagreb area.

1 Sep 43: XX Ustasha Bn. (HQ Co. and 1st – 3d Co.) in Ivanić-Grad/35 km ESE of Zagreb with 13 officers and 475 men. The reason for its transfer is not known. There is very little information about this Battalion in general, but especially for the period from Aug 43 to Apr 44.

Feb – Mar 44: believed to have been disbanded and its personnel used to fill up other units of V Ustasha Brigade, which had just moved from Hercegovina to the Koprivnica area to the northeast of Zagreb. Men from XX Ustasha Battalion were known to have been in Koprivnica on 14 March.

Apr 44: reactivated in Otočac and assigned to IV Ustasha Brigade.

12 Jun 44: orders issued to disband the Battalion and use its assets to fill up XIX Ustasha Battalion, but this was not carried out until fall 1944.

1 Sep 44: XX Ust. Bn. in Baške Oštarije and Karlobag with approximately 600 men.

Oct – Nov 44: disbanded and used to replenish XIX Ustasha Bn. and possibly other battalions belonging to IV Ustasha Brigade.

Footnotes

1. Arhiv VII, kut. 134a, reg.br. 4/1; Colić – 1977; [Vojnoistorijski institute] - Hronologija oslobodilačke borbe naroda jugoslavije 1941-1945, p.318; NARA WashDC: RG 226 (OSS document 9611); RG 242 (T-314 roll 562/751); (T-315 roll 2270/1032-36).

Reference material on this unit

- None known at this time -