Operation Draufgänger

Uprisings 1942 1943 1944 1945 1940 1941 1943 1944 The Operation Draufgänger (German for "daredevil"; Serbian: Операција Драуфгенгер/Operacija Draufgenger) was a German Wehrmacht military operation against the Yugoslav Partisans at the Montenegrin-Serbian border area, aimed at breaking the Partisan foothold on the Lim river which was a potential penetration point into Serbia.

The operation began on 18 July on the Čakor–Gusinje–Andrijevica–Berane line, when Kampfgruppe E burnt down at least 16 villages and killed several hundreds inhabitants.

With the possibility to surround and destroy, the II Assault Corps gave the operational command on 23 July on general attack.

On 28 July the Partisan 2nd, 5th and 17th divisions were ordered to move across the Ibar, which gave the opportunity for the 14th Regiment SS to break through Čakor towards Peć, while larger part of the 21st Division SS broke and many Albanians deserted.

At Velika, on 28 July, the 21st Division made up of Albanians killed at least 428 civilians, mostly children, women and elderly, as a reprisal to local support for the Partisans.