Operation Kopaonik

Operation Kopaonik
	Part of World War II in Yugoslavia
Date	11—14 October 1942
Location	Region around Kriva Reka on Kopaonik, Central Serbia
Result	Failure of Axis forces to destroy Chetniks; Mass murder of Serb civilians;
Belligerents
Germany; Bulgaria;	Chetniks
Commanders and leaders
Artur Phleps August Schmidhuber Richard Kaaserer; Wagner; Landverer; ; ; Petar Panev;	Dragutin Keserović
Units involved
of 14th SS Regiment of the 7th SS Volunteer Mountain Division Prinz Eugen 6,000 in three infantry battalions; ; 1,000 Several battalions of Bulgarian 9th Infantry Division; 300 Russian Protective Corps;	Rasina Corps
Casualties and losses
Unknown	690 murdered civilians

The Operation Kopaonik^[2] was a large-scale^[3] Axis offensive launched against the Mihailović's Chetniks in Axis occupied Yugoslavia during World War II.^[4] The operation was inspired by Heinrich Himmler who believed that the annihilation of Draža Mihailović and his forces was a basis for a success in Serbia and South East Europe. Since Dragutin Keserović and his Rasina Corps was probably the most active commander of Mihailovićs Chetniks in Serbia, the newly established 7th SS Volunteer Mountain Division Prinz Eugen was engaged to participate in Operation Kopaonik to destroy Keserović and Chetnik unit under his command.

Besides the 7th SS Volunteer Mountain Division Prinz Eugen the Axis forces consisted of several battalions of Bulgarian 9th Infantry Division also. All of them commanded by Artur Phleps. The Yugoslav forces targeted in the Operation Kopaonik consisted of Rasina Corps of Chetniks of Draža Mihailović under command of Dragutin Keserović. The operation failed because Keserović was informed about the movement of the Axis forces and successfully retreated his forces before the Axis forces surrounded the targeted region. Still, Himmler was pleased with participation of the Prinz Eugen Division and immediately after the operation ended he visited it for three days.

During this operation Axis forces committed mass murder of hundreds of Serb civilians in the targeted region. After the operation Prinz Eugen division attacked Mihailovićs Chetniks in region of Gornji Milanovac and Čačak.

^ (Schmider 2002, p. 444):". Südserbien verlegten »Prinz Eugen«, gemeinsam mit einigen bulgarischen Bataillonen die Gruppe um Dragutin Keserovic im Kaponik-Gebirge zu stellen (11. bis 14. Oktober 1942), "
^ (Karchmar 1973, p. 287): " ... "Operation Kopaonik" with several Bulgarian battalions and large forces from the SS- " 45 ✓ Division "Prinz Eugen" to wipe out this ..."
^ (Ailsby 2004, p. 161): "In October 1942, the division took part in its first large-scale military operation, against Serbian forces under one of Mihailovic's commanders, Major Dragutin Keserovic, in the Kopaonik Mountains in the region of Kriva Reka.
^ (Karchmar 1973, p. 287): "Probably the most active Mihailovic commander in Serbia was Keserovic, who, with relatively small forces, ... "Operation Kopaonik" with several Bulgarian battalions and large forces from the SS- " 45 ✓ Division "Prinz Eugen" to wipe out this ..."

[1] (Schmider 2002, p. 444):". Südserbien verlegten »Prinz Eugen«, gemeinsam mit einigen bulgarischen Bataillonen die Gruppe um Dragutin Keserovic im Kaponik-Gebirge zu stellen (11. bis 14. Oktober 1942), "

[2] (Karchmar 1973, p. 287): " ... "Operation Kopaonik" with several Bulgarian battalions and large forces from the SS- " 45 ✓ Division "Prinz Eugen" to wipe out this ..."

[3] (Ailsby 2004, p. 161): "In October 1942, the division took part in its first large-scale military operation, against Serbian forces under one of Mihailovic's commanders, Major Dragutin Keserovic, in the Kopaonik Mountains in the region of Kriva Reka.

[auto1-4] (Karchmar 1973, p. 287): "Probably the most active Mihailovic commander in Serbia was Keserovic, who, with relatively small forces, ... "Operation Kopaonik" with several Bulgarian battalions and large forces from the SS- " 45 ✓ Division "Prinz Eugen" to wipe out this ..."

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