Operation Albia

'Albia' was an Italian operation, otherwise known as 'Alba' and 'Albija', against the 'Jozo Jurčević' Battalion of Josip Broz Tito’s partisan forces in the Biokovo region of Croatia within Axis-occupied Yugoslavia (16 August/2 September 1942).

The operation was planned and controlled by Generale di Corpo d’Armata Renzo Dalmazzo’s VI Corpo d’Armata with Generale di Brigata Attilio Amato’s 18a Divisione 'Messina' and Generale di Brigata Fortunato Mauro’s 32a Divisione montagna 'Marche' supported by Generale di Divisione Alfonso Cigala-Fulgosi’s 15a Divisione fanteria 'Bergamo' of Generale di Corpo d’Armata Umberto Spigo’s XVIII Corpo d’Armata.

The offensive was based on a pincer movement by two columns, but failed to obtain significant results. The Italian right-hand column comprised the Blackshirt troops of the 89a Coorte 'Camicie Nere' and 29a Coorte di servizio speciale 'Camicie Nere' against the partisan forces which had taken the Sveti Ilija pass, and one company of the 29a Coorte di servizio speciale 'Camicie Nere' which captured Podgora. The left-hand column comprised the 2/26o Reggimento and 3/26o Reggimento, which reached Avlaci and reconnoitred the area of Provo and Blato.