After initial organizational problems, the weakened detachment reached an area near the village of Košute where they were engaged by Ustaše Militia backed by Italian reinforcements.

In accordance with the Treaties of Rome signed by the Ustaše leadership of the NDH, a large part of the Croatian coastline and islands, including the city of Split were incorporated into the Kingdom of Italy.

The low morale of Yugoslav troops in Split and the uncontested advance of the Italian Army through Dalmatia resulted in a number of desertions.

By 11 April, there were no organized military formations remaining in Split, and a large number of police and gendarmerie switched their allegiance to the NDH.

On 13 April, members of the League of Communist Youth of Yugoslavia (Serbo-Croatian: Savez komunističke omladine Jugoslavije, SKOJ) broke into a number of Ustaše weapons depots, stealing dozens of rifles and machine guns, as well as ammunition and hand grenades.

[2] On 7 August 1941, Pavle Pap-Šilja and Mirko Kovačević-Lala arrived in Split with instructions from the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Croatia (Serbo-Croatian: Centralni komitet komunističke partije Hrvatske) to discuss the forming of Partisan detachments to fight the Axis occupiers.

[3][4] According to the initial plan, on the night of 11 August, the Split Detachment was to move just outside the town and collect weapons that had been captured on 13 April.

The Ustaše called for help from Sinj, and by 18:00, Italian reinforcements had arrived and began encircling the detachment, engaging them with mortars and light artillery.

Outnumbered and facing an enemy with greater firepower, the Partisans planned to hold their positions until evening then retreat using the cover of darkness.

About 20:00, Kovačević-Lala, one of the most experienced members of the detachment, was killed after being hit by a mortar round, which had a significant effect on the morale of the remaining fighters.

A HDZ council member explained that even during the existence of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, the street that was named after the detachment did not have the word Partisan in it.

Faced with this opposition, Baldasar withdrew his proposal during a council meeting on 25 August, explaining that he could not "allow arguments surrounding street names".