Figure 1.--.

Allied Air strikes at Balkan targets had to overfly occupied Yugoslavia. Air crews shot down in the targetted countries had little chance of rescue. This was different in Yugoslavia. Not only were Allied aircraft shot down over Yugoslavia, but many planes damaged in the ttacks on Ploesti and other Balkan targets went down in Yugoslavia. As there was not only a strong resistance movement, but a growing guerrilla war, there was the possibility of getting the airmen back, especially planes that went down in Serbia, the part of Yugoslaviawhere the resistance movement was strongest. The Balkan guerrilla war, however, was a tremendoudly complicated and bloody part of World War II. The groups involved variously fought each other and both fought and cooperated the Germans and Italians. It is further complicaed because of a lack of central control, especially among the Chetniks. Here Mihailovic had only nominal control over many Chetnik units who often were more concerned with local feuds and situations. Some of these local Chetnik units turned Allied airmen over to the Germans and others protected them. The Partisans had greater central control and were more reliable in helping Allied airmen. The largest single rescue operation (Operation Halyard) was, however, carried out by the Chetniks (June 1944).

Balkans Air War

The surrender of Italy and Allied occupation of southern Italy raised new possibilities for Allied air commanders. Targets in the southern part of the Reich were in range of Italian air felds. NAZI Balkan allies were also in range. Here the priority target was the Ploesti oil fields. As the Strategic Bombing Campaign developed it becames increasingly clear that oil was the weak point in the NAZI-war effort. There were no significant oil fields in the Reich. The Germans did build synthetic few plants. The major source of oil was the Ploesti oil fields in Romania. It became the primary target in the Balkans. It was also one of the most heavily defended target in Europe. Both American and Air commanders thought it appropriate to bring home to the NAZI allies the cost of their alliance. Allied air commanders hit other targets in the Balkans, including targets in major cities. The Joint Staff Planners of the American Joint Chiefs of Staff concluded that additional raids on Bulgaria would not force the country to capitulate. This could only be done by the Red Army advance (March 1944). The Joint Chiefs adopted the proposal to direct Balkan air raids to military and indstrial targets (July 1944). There were, however, further raids on Balkans targets. The 15th Air Force struck Budapest just as the Red army approached (November 27).

Downed Airmen

Allied Air strikes at Balkan targets had to overfly occupied Yugoslavia. Air crews shot down in the targetted countries had little chance of rescue. This was different in Yugoslavia. Not only were Allied aircraft shot down over Yugoslavia, but many planes damaged in the attacks on Ploesti and other Balkan targets went down in Yugoslavia. As there was not only a strong resistance movement, but a growing guerrilla war, there was the possibility of getting the airmen back, especially planes that went down in Serbia, the part of Yugoslavia where the resistance movement was strongest.

Guerrilla War (1941-45)

The Balkan guerrilla war, however, was a tremendoudly complicated and bloody part of World War II. The groups involved variously fought each other and both fought and cooperated the Germans and Italians. It is further complicated because of a lack of central control, especially among the Chetniks. Here Mihailovic have only nominal control over many Chetnik units who often were more concerned with local feuds and situations. Some Chetniks cooperated with the Germans as the Partisan movement grew in strength. Some Partisans units seemed more anxious to engage the Chetniks than the Germans. Once it was clear that the NAZIs had lost the War, the question became who would control Yugoslavia after the War.

Rescuing Downed Airmen

Some of these local Chetnik units turned Allied airmen over to the Germans and others protected them. The Partisans had greater central control and were more reliable in helping Allied airmen. The largest single rescue operation (Operation Halyard) was, however, carried out by the Chetniks (June 1944).

Opperation Halyard (June 1944)

Operation Halyard is a poorly reported episode in the Balkns air war. Yugoslav Chetnik guerrillas with the assistence of American OSS opersatives in Yugoslavia liasion officers on the ground carried out the largest single rescue of downed American airmen from NAZI occupied territory. It has turned out to bre the largest such rescue in U.S. Air Force history. The rescue was carried out at Pranjani, Serbia (June 1944). Downed Allied airmen (American, British, and Canadian) were assembled from all over Serbia. The total was more than 500 men. The NAZIs were shooting 100 civilians for every German soldier killed. A HBC reader, tells us, "My friend John Roberts was saved by the Serbs when his B-25 was shot down over Yugoslavia. John was a gunner ad told me his story. His plane was shot down, but he was lucky to parachute into Serb territory. some of his friends landed in Kosovo and the Muslims SS Skandeberg Division turned them over to the Nazi's who interned them as POW's. The U.S. State Department told our airmen that if you landed in Serbia they would cut off your ears and genitals, but it was the Serbs who sacrificed themselves. One village was burned completely down by the Nazi's with over 200 people killed just to save our airmen. Later they put him on a boat in the Adriatic sea and was picked up by a US Navy ship. After the war John contacted the Serbs who help him and was told about one hundred civilians from that village were shot to death. John past away a few years ago and he was one of the 500 airmen that were saved in the Operation Halyard pipeline." [Baker] President Harry Truman posthumously awarded Gen. Mihailovich the Legion of Merit medal - the highest decoration available to a non-U.S citizen for his "material contribution to the final Allied victory in Europe ..." (1946).

Sources

Baker, Vlasis. E-Mail message, June 11, 2007. Baker is a World War II veteran and a friend of John Roberts who described his experiences in detail.

Created: August 20, 2002
Last updated: 3:22 AM 8/7/2005