MECHANIZED UNITS

One of the fundamental weaknesses of the Yugoslav Army was its almost total dependence upon draft animals (often oxen) for its transport. The Army had made only the most rudimentary beginnings toward mechanization. It had, by April of 1941, formed six motorized tra nsport regiments, assigning one each to the 1st through 6th Armies, and the 32nd Transport Battalion, assigned to the Coastal Army Command.

The mechanization of the operational units was also in the early stages. The only mobile artillery units were the seven army artillery regiments, the two heavy artillery regiments, the two medium artillery regiments, and the two heavy artillery battalions. The other Yugoslav motorized units were the two engineer regiments, the ten flak battalions, the two armor battalions, the two motorcycle battalions, and the 3rd Motorized Infantry Battalion.

Yugoslavia had formed two armor battalions. The 1st Armor Battalion contained 60 overaged French FT M1917 tanks. These five ton vehicles, purchased in the early 1920's, mounted a single 37mm gun. The 2nd Armor Battalion contained 54 modern Renault R-35 tanks. These ten ton vehicles mounted a short-barrelled 37mm gun and a 7.5mm machine gun. In addition to the above, an unknown number (probably 30 to 35) of Skoda S- Id heavy tankettes, produced in Czechoslovakia in 1938, were delivered to Yugoslavia. These 4.5 ton turretless tankettes mounted a 47mm gun and a 7.92mm machine gun. They were assigned, in groups of nine vehicles, as the IV batteries to the cavalry artillery battalions.

ANTIAIRCRAFT DEFENSE

One of the few areas in which Yugoslavia was prepared for the scope of military operations in 1941 was in antiaircraft defense. At the time of the invasion, Yugoslavia had:

80 M-36 76.5mm guns
40 M-37 75mm guns
32 M-28A 80mm guns
100 M-5/28 80mm guns
328 M-5/32 76.5mm guns
100 Breda 20mm flak MGs
400 Brunn M-60 15mm flak MGs
2000 Schwarzlose 8mm flak MGs

The more modern weapons were formed into ten motorized flak battalions, eleven independent flak companies, and twenty-eight flak platoons.

The flak battalions each contained three batteries of 4 (75 or 76.5mm) flak guns, one company of 16 (15 or 20mm) flak machine guns, and one searchlight company. These battalions were assigned one to each field army, with two placed in the High Command Reserve. The eleven independent flak companies, each having 16 (15 or 20mm) flak machine guns, were parcelled out as follows: one to each of the six peacetime armies and five to the reserve. The flak platoons, each with 6 (15mm) flak machine guns, were organic elements of the twenty-eight infantry divisions.

The Territorial Air Defense Command had 460 (76.5 and 80mm) flak guns and 2,000 (8mm) flak machine guns at its disposal. These weapons were primarily deployed in fixed installations protecting border defense positions, industrial facilities, the twenty-five airfields of the Jugoslav Air Force, and the major headquarters and communications facilities around Beograd.

More Yugoslav Army of WWII

Introduction
Infantry and Border Units
Cavalry and Artillery
Mechanized Units and AA
Navy
Air Force (with OOB)
Army OOB
Yugoslavia Map (slow: 75K)