Air warfare in Yugoslavia (1941–1945)

[3] The ZNDH flew many missions in support of Army troops in limited scale operations against the Partisans mostly over eastern and western Bosnia, as well as over Croatia using biplane Breguet 19 and Potez 25 aircraft.

Aside from constant bombing sorties, Potez 25 and Breguet 19 aircraft were also used for daily supply missions to the besieged Croatian Army garrison at Rogatica.

The Yugoslav Partisan forces were aware of the threat to their operations that the ZNDH provided and were constantly trying to improve their anti-aircraft defence, which relied mainly on machine guns.

[6] December 1942 also saw the return of the Croatian Air Force Legion (HZL) bomber squadron to Croatia from service on the Eastern Front.

[7] On 20 January 1943, the German HQ in Yugoslavia launched an offensive codenamed "Fall Weiss" (Case White), intending to regain the lost territory.

NDH military command was aware of this danger and was trying to persuade the Germans to provide at least two squadrons of Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters to the ZNDH.

Consequently, both the ZNDH and Luftwaffe were forced to limit their operations in clear weather to early morning and late afternoon hours.

[10] The Allied Balkan Air Force (BAF) was based at Bari in Italy, and activated on 7 June 1944 to take command of operations in the area separately from the Italian campaign.

It mainly supported the operations of the Partisans, led by Josip Broz Tito, against German and Independent State of Croatia (NDH) forces in Yugoslavia.

It transported supplies to the partisans, evacuated wounded, dropped agents to help them, and provided air support in their operations against German and NDH troops.

However, disagreements with Tito (particularly the arrest of members of the Special Boat Squadron on 13 April 1945, although they were quickly released) meant that all British ground forces were withdrawn, although BAF aircraft operating from Zadar continued to support the Partisan offensive.

Between 19 March and 3 May they flew 2,727 sorties, attacking the German withdrawal route from Sarajevo to Zagreb and supporting the Fourth Yugoslav Army advancing from Bihać to Fiume (Rijeka).