WW2 Axis Footage & Pictures - Croatia - Read the first post carefully!

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The Balkan thread ban is over.

For the time being.

Be warned however, it can and will return if our Balkan members lapse back into the usual spasms of stupidity.

Keep all historical discussion to the period 2001 and after. Do not engage in discussion of events prior to that.

That pertains particularly to historical photo threads prior to 2000.

Asking questions about uniforms, weapons, formations, etc, is acceptable.

Any trolling or flaming will be met with summary banning.

CROATIA IN WORLD WAR II
Footage and Pictures





Page 1 & 2 - Movies/Newsreels
Page 2 & 3 - Authentic Photos
Page 5 & 6 - Insignia, Medals
Page 4 & 6 - Authentic Photos


A little explanation on what Newsreel stand for and what is that:
A newsreel was a form of short documentary film prevalent in the first half of the 20th century, regularly released in a public presentation place and containing filmed news stories and items of topical interest. It was a source of news, current and entertainment for millions of moviegoers until television supplanted its role in the 1950s. Newsreels are now considered significant historical documents, since they are often the only audiovisual record of historical and cultural events of those times.

Newsreels were typically featured as short subjects preceding the main feature film into the 1960s. There were dedicated newsreel theaters in many major cities in the 1930s and 1940s and some large city cinemas also included a smaller theatrette where newsreels were screened continuously throughout the day.

WARNING:

NO POLITICS OR PROPAGANDA ALLOWED.

I'd like to ask everyone to act civilized, and not to flame or troll this thread. Pictures of Atrocities aren't welcome here as well. Keep this thread clean of irrelevant junk and if you feel an urge to write something stupid or provocative just do us all a favor and click the "back" button on your Internet Explorer .

Feel free to leave a comment if you like this thread and find it informative and interesting, and rate the thread.
You are welcome to ask any question about any of those videos or pictures and I'm sure Croatian members will give their best to answer it.

Thank you, enjoy.

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YouTube - WW2 in Color - NDH Military March
Croatian (NDH) Propaganda video showing Poglavnik Ante Pavelić visiting military regiments (Homeguard and Ustasha regiments) all over Croatia.

Song in the background is orchestral version of Croatian Ustasha battlesong "Puška Puca".

Classic WW2 black-and-white movie that has been "colorized".

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YouTube - Kroatische Legion bombing Leningrad
The Croatian Air Force Legion (Croatian: Hrvatska Zrakoplovna Legija), or HZL, also known as the Croatian Legion, was a military unit of the Air Force of the Independent State of Croatia which fought alongside the Luftwaffe on the Eastern Front from 1941 to 1943 and then back on Croatian soil. The legion had approximately 360 men.

The unit was sent to Germany for training on July 15, 1941 before heading to the Eastern Front. Many of the pilots and crews had previously served in the Royal Yugoslav Air Force during the Invasion of Yugoslavia in April 1941. Some of them also had experience in the two main types that they would operate, the Messerschmitt 109 and Dornier Do 17, with two fighter pilots having actually shot down Luftwaffe aircraft.

The Legion's commander was Ivan Mark. During operations over the Eastern Front, the unit's fighters scored a total of 283 kills while its bombers participated in 1,332 combat missions.

Officially designated '15.(Kroatische)/KG 53'., the bomber squadron was equipped with Dornier Do 17Z aircraft. It arrived on the Eastern Front on October 25th 1941, after training at the Grosse Kampfflieger Schule 3, in Greifswald, Germany. Their first area of operations was near Vitebsk. The rest of the Bomber Squadron's assignments were in the Northern Sector of the Eastern Front, including the bombing of Leningrad and Moscow

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Croatian WW2 Battle Footage - Croatian Legion

YouTube - WW2 Croatian Battle Footage.
Croatian army fighting Serbian Chetniks and Bolshevik Partisans.

Actual footage of "Battle on Lijevča Field" where Croatian Homeguard and Ustasha forces defeated an Chetnik army which counted 17 000 - 20 000 chetniks.

The Croatian Armed Forces (Croatian: Hrvatske oružane snage, HOS) was the armed force of the Independent State of Croatia which were formed in 1944 with the uniting of the Croatian Home Guard and the Ustaše's forces.
Battle on Lijevča Field

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Croatian Legion, Ostfront. April 16th 1942.

YouTube - Croatian Legion, Ostfront. April 16th 1942.
Croatian Volunteers on Ostfront. April 16th 1942.

Croatian Legion has joined the fight on the Ostfront (Eastern Front).
Working together with Italian regiment on the south part of the Eastern Front in joint action against Bolshevik Soviets.
This Croatian regiment is wearing a Ustasha Uniforms and insignia in combination with Italian M33 Helmets.

Croats usually used Ustasha Croatian Uniform and insignia in combination with M35 German steel helmets. Joint action of Croats and Italians is the reason behind using Italian helmets, probably due to easier recognizing each other on the battlefield.

The Light Transport Brigade (Italian-Croatian):

The Brigade was formed with 1100 soldiers, 70 NCO's and 45 Officers (1215 total), divided into 3 Infantry Companies, 1 Machine-Gun Company, 1 (81mm) Mortar Company and 1 (65mm) Artillery Battery. The Commanding Officer was Lt.-Colonel Egon Zitnik (a Croat).

The Brigade arrived at the Eastern Front on April 16th 1942, near the town of Harcjusk. Here they were attached to the Italian 3rd Rapid Division "Principe Amadeo Duca D'Aosta", and received the remainder of their equipment and transports (44 trucks, 3 automobiles and 6 motorcycles). On the 11th of May, near the town of Pervomajska, the Brigade fought its first battle, alongside the 63rd Blackshirt "Tagliamento" unit. 5 men were lost in this minor engagement.

The Brigade, during the next 10 months, fought around the towns of Stokovo, Greko-Timofejevka, and Veseli-Nikitovo. On July 11th 1942, the Brigade was transfered to the Italian XXXVth Corps. The very next day, with a battle-group of Blackshirts, the Brigade fought its way 30km deep into Soviet lines. Battles follow around Vladimirovka, Krasna Poljana and Fjodorovka. On July 28th 1942 the Brigade crossed the Donjec River at Lubanskoje. On August 25th 1942, the Soviets counter-attacked and the Brigade was involved in heavy fighting. The Croatians managed to hold their lines, inflicting 20 casualties and capturing 101 Russian soldiers. The Croatians lost 8 dead and 12 wounded. For this battle, the Brigade was awarded the "Sul Campo" decoration by the commander of the XXXVth Corps.

On December 19th 1942, the Brigade was holding Hills 210 and 168 near Hracin. Here they were surrounded by a massive Soviet attack, but continued fighting till December 21st 1942, when they ran out of ammunition and were over-run.

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The 369th Reinforced Infantry Regiment, 24 September 1942.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ec0Xe...e=channel_page
Poglavnik visited 369th regiment and rewarding the regiment for their successful fighting against Soviets on the Eastern Front.

Regiment:

The 369th Reinforced Infantry Regiment (Croatian: 369. pojačana pješačka pukovnija, German: Verstärktes Kroatisches Infanterie-Regiment 369), also known as the Croatian Legion was a military unit of the Independent State of Croatia's Croatian Home Guard which fought alongside the Wehrmacht on the Eastern Front.

The regiment fought in the Stalingrad battle and before that in towns and villages of Petrusani, Kremencuga, Poltava, Saroki, Balti, Pervomajsk, Kirovgrad, Petropavlovsk, Taranovka, Grisin, Stalino, Vasiljevka, Aleksandrovka, Ivanovka, Garbatovo, Budinskaja,

A report dated 21 June 1942 states that Legion counted 113 officers, 7 military clerks, 625 NCOs, 4317 soldiers.

The number of legionnaires from that date was fast reducing to a reported total of 1,403 altogether by 21 October 1942. New fresh forces from Croatia were not added except for returns of sick and wounded and a few officers and staff. A total of 22 (15%) officers were killed, 38 (26%) wounded and 66 (45%) returned to Croatia from the original 147 Legion officers in total before fall. Only 20 officers, including Mesic, remained in Stalingrad and one is treated as MIA.
These Croatian Voulnteers fought on several of the hardest sectors inside the surrounded perimeter at Stalingrad, especially fought with extreme courage in the "Red October" factory. Very few Croatians survived after the Russians overran their postitions. By January 1943, German 6th Army surrendered to Russians, who captured the last remnants of the 369th Croatian Regiment. Yugoslav propaganda has risen that officer Mesic has been captured by Soviets, interrogated in Moscow. He was deported from Moscow to Yugoslavia for further interrogation and torturing, while his life was spared by Yugoslav government, still alive remnants that served in 369th regiment were executed by Yugoslavian government decision. Later according to Yugoslav propaganda Mesic joined the Partisan ranks.

http://axis101.bizland.com/CroatianLegion3.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/369th_R...antry_Regiment

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Black Legion



YouTube - NDH Black Legion
Black Legion (Crna legija) (also 1. Ustasha Regiment (1. ustaša pukovnija) and Schwarze Legion)
Formed 3 September 1941 in Sarajevo to safeguard NDH interests and the pro-regime
The recruiting of these men was carried out by the Legions first commander, Jure Francetić, assisted by Rafael Boban, Viktor Tomić and a number of other early Ustasha personalities. Once operational, it struck back reactively in retribution against not only the Chetniks, but against all Serbs (Pravoslavni) living in East Bosnia.



YouTube - Ante Pavelić, Velika Gorica and Turopolje 1943
Poglavnik Ante Pavelić in Velika Gorica and Turopolje inspecting Croatian troops. 1943.



YouTube - NDH Black Legion regiment 1944
Black Legion regiment after few months of fighting on the battlefield returned to Zagreb (Agram). Ante Pavelić saluting the regiment, handshaking with some of the soldiers and then military march was held afterward.

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Poglavnik Ante Pavelić meetings with leaders of Axis

YouTube - Poglavnik Ante Pavelić visits Rome
State visit of Dr. Ante Pavelic, Poglavnik of the Croatian Nation to Rome on May 22nd, 1941. The Croatian delegation receives the greetings of the Italian Chief of Government Benito Mussolini and the King Victor Emmanuel III of Savoy. King Victor Emmanuel, at the Poglavnik solemn request, designates Duke Aimone of Savoy as the new Monarch of Kingdom of Croatia.



YouTube - Poglavnik Ante Pavelić meets with Adolf Hitler
Poglavnik Ante Pavelić meeting with Fuhrer Adolf Hitler in 1944.



YouTube - Adolf Hitler gives a Mercedes Benz to Ante Pavelić
A gift from Adolf Hitler to Ante Pavelić for the extreme bravery and honour that Croatian 369th division showed in the Eastern Front and Stalingrad.
Gift was a brand new Mercedes-Benz which Pavelić later used as a official car. Today that Mercedes is in Serbia, Belgrade stolen in the Yugoslav wars.
Hopefully that piece of history will be returned to Croatia where it belongs



YouTube - Agram, Field Marshal von Weichs.
In Agram (Zagreb) the Poglavnik receives General Field Marshal von Weichs




YouTube - Hermann Göring meeting with Slavko Kvaternik, 1941.
Die Deutsche Wochenschau 569., 30. 07. 1941. (on German Language)
Meeting between Hermann Göring and Slavko Kvaternik



YouTube - Imperial Japan visits Croatia
While visiting Croatia(NDH) and it's capital city Zagreb(Agram) news reporters from Imperial Japan visited Croatian village Remete to see the cultural aspect of Croatian folk and overall beauty of life in Croatian villages.

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YouTube - German-Croatian Society
Relationship between Croatia and Germany. Speech held in Berlin in 1941. on opening of German-Croatian Society.

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Homeguard regiment

YouTube - Croatian Homeguard Oath

YouTube - Croatian Soldiers giving an Oath, Croatian Newsreel

New Croatian Homeguard regiment giving an Oath to Croatia and Poglavnik Ante Pavelić.


Croatian soldiers giving an oath to Poglavnik and Croatia:

Oath on Croatian:
Zaklinjem se Bogom svemogućim i svime, što mi je sveto, da ću se držati ustaških načela i pokoravati se propisima te bezuslovno izvršavati sve odredbe Poglavnika, da ću svaku povjerenu mi tajnu najstrože čuvati i nikome ništa odati.
Zaklinjem se, da ću se u ustaškim redovima boriti za izvojevanje samostalne države Hrvatske i sve učiniti, što mi Poglavnik naloži.
Zaklinjem se, da ću jedanput izvojevanu hrvatsku državnu samostalnost i hrvatsku narodnu slobodu u ustaškim redovima čuvati i braniti. Ako se ogriješim o ovu prisegu, svjestan si svoje odgovornosti za svaki svoj čin i propust, ima me po ustaškim propisima stići kazna smrti.
Tako mi Bog pomogao! Amen!"

Oath on English:
I pledge with God almighty and everything sacred to me that i will hold up to my Ustasha principles and obey the laws and unconditionally execute all orders by Poglavnik(Fuhrer), that i will keep all secrets told to me unrevealed.
I pledge that in Ustasha ranks i will fight for Independent State of Croatia and execute all what my Poglavnik orders.
I pledge that once Independent State of Croatia is risen i will defend Croatian national freedom in Ustasha ranks, protect it and defend it. If i break this oath, i am aware of any mistake and misdone, by Ustasha laws i will receive death sentence.
May God Help me! Amen!

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Croatia in war with Commonwealth and USA

YouTube - Croatia declaring war on USA and Great Britain
Croatia (NDH) officially declaring war on USA and Great Britain.



YouTube - Croatia Axis accession
Croatia Axis accession



YouTube - 10.04.1945. Croatia before the end of WW2
About a month before Germany capitulated 4th aniversary of Independent State of Croatia celebration is held on 10.04.1945. in Zagreb (Agram).
New Croatian soldiers are taking an Oath and against all odds they are willing and ready to fight for their fatherland.
After Germany capitulated and surrendered to British and American troops, Croatia was on it's own for one whole week against Soviets, Serbs, Partisans and British thus making Croatia last official Axis state with operational Army.
End for Croatia came with tragedy of Bleiburg where Yugoslav Partisans and Serbs killed about 500.000 innocent Croatian civilians, surrendered soldiers of Croatia, Germany and Slovenia.

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Proclamation of NDH


YouTube - Proclamation of NDH on April 10, 1941.
Slavko Kvaternik, deputy leader of the Ustaše proclaimed the establishment of the Independent State of Croatia (NDH - Nezavisna Država Hrvatska) on April 10, 1941. Pavelić, who was known by his Ustaše title, "Poglavnik" (Head-man) returned to Zagreb from exile in Italy on April 17 and became the absolute leader of the NDH throughout its existence


YouTube - Opening of Croatian parlament Zagreb
The NDH Parliament was established by the Legal Decree on the Croatian State Parliament on January 24, 1942

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Military parade in Oslo, Norway.




YouTube - 10 years annual of Nasjonal Samling, Oslo
Croatian (NDH) regiments at military parade in Oslo, Norway.

DW:-10 years annual of Nasjonal Samling in Oslo.-10 years annual of DAF-Flemish W.-SS-Volunteers, 1st.Croatian W.-SS-Gebirgs

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Croatian (NDH) Ustasha Youth


YouTube - Croatian Ustasha Youth
Croatian Ustasha Youth Parade in Zagreb for Poglavnik Ante Pavelić in 1941.
Kroatische Wochenschau - Ustasa-Parade in Zagreb vor dem Poglavnik ca. 1941


YouTube - Croatian Ustasha Youth at Borovo
Holy Mass at Gathering of Croatian (NDH) Ustasha Youth at Borovo along side with Workers party and NDH Military.

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A day with Poglavnik Ante Pavelić

YouTube - A day with Poglavnik, Part 1


YouTube - A day with Poglavnik, Part 2


A Croatian (NDH) documentary from 1940's about duties and life of a Croatian Poglavnik Ante Pavelić.
This movie was made to show Croatian folk what their Leader does on a daily basis, his duties and his role in WW2.