Operation "Black". The commander of the "Prinz Eugen" Division, SS-Gruppenführer Artur Phleps (on the right), in conversation with the assistant to the division chief of staff (O1), SS-Hauptsturmführer Eggert Neumann, on their way to Bileća, during the cleansing of Eastern Herzegovina from Chetnik units. A couple of days earlier, the Commander-in-Chief South-East informed the High Command: "The Chetniks are retreating before the SS division with Italian help to the south-east." (Although the disarming of the Chetniks had been planned since February, the Italian commanders still opposed its implementation, believing that it would only strengthen the Partisan forces and increase the already critical situation in their territory.) Phleps particularly had problems with the Italians in Bileća; a quote from the book "Forward, Prinz Eugen!" by Otto Kumm: "On [18] May, the 2nd regiment reached the town of Bileća, through Fatnica and Plana. The Italian division commander made General Phleps, who followed behind the vanguard, wait 20 minutes at the edge of the town. Hauptsturmführer Neumann, who had landed in a Stork in Bileća to meet with the Italians, was forced to take off. The Italians did not want to allow passage through Bileća. General Phleps requested a Stuka squadron, which then circled over Bileća, the division's armoured company was deployed on the town's outskirts, demonstrating the seriousness of the situation to the Italians – as a final ultimatum – and only then the advance was finally allowed to continue."
Text: Ivan Ž. / Otto Kumm.
Photographer: Anton Wickl, SS War Correspondent Battalion.
Date: 18 May 1943.
Location: unknown, Yugoslavia.
Original caption: unknown.
File source: National Archives, 242-JRP-82-22-29.
NOT ALLOWED: removing source credits from the files – using text without crediting the original author – using files and information for political propaganda and commercial purposes.
Operacija "Crno". Komandant divizije "Princ Ojgen", SS-grupenfirer Artur Fleps (desno), u razgovoru sa pomoćnikom načelnika štaba divizije (O1), SS-hauptšturmfirerom Egertom Nojmanom, na putu ka Bileći, za vreme čišćenja istočne Hercegovine od četničkih jedinica. Par dana ranije, komandant Jugoistoka je Vrhovnoj komandi javio: "Četnici odstupaju pred SS-divizijom uz pomoć Italijana ka jugoistoku." (Iako je razoružavanje četnika planirano još od februara, italijanski komandanti su se i dalje protivili njegovom sprovođenju, smatrajući da bi time samo ojačali partizanske snage i pojačali već uveliko kritičnu situaciju na svojoj teritoriji.) Fleps je u Bileći posebno imao problema sa Italijanima; citat iz knjige "Napred, Princ Ojgen!" Ota Kuma: "Dana [18.] maja stigao je 2. puk preko Fatnice i Plane do grada Bileće. Italijanski komandant divizije pustio je generala Flepsa, koji je sledio za prethodnicom, da čeka 20 minuta na periferiji grada. Hauptšturmfirer Nojman, koji je sleteo rodom u Bileću na sastanak sa Italijanima, bio je prinuđen da uzleti. Italijani nisu želeli da dozvole prolaz kroz Bileću. General Fleps je zatražio jednu eskadrilu štuka, koja je potom kružila nad Bilećom, na periferiji grada raspoređena je oklopna četa divizije, ukazujući Italijanima na ozbiljnost situacije – kao poslednji ultimatum – i tek tada se nastupanje konačno moglo nastaviti."
Tekst: Ivan Ž. / Oto Kum.
Fotograf: Anton Vikl, Ratnodopisnički bataljon SS-a.
Datum: 18. maj 1943.
Mesto: nepoznato, Jugoslavija.
Originalni natpis: nepoznat.
Izvor fajla: National Archives, 242-JRP-82-22-29.
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