Operation Tannenbaum (ii)

Christmas tree

'Tannenbaum' (ii) was a German and Croat unrealised operation against the partisan forces of Marshal Josip Broz Tito in the area between Bosanski Novi and Buzim in the puppet state of Croatia in Axis-occupied Yugoslavia (12 December 1943).

The operation’s objective was to locate, pin and destroy the partisans of the 7th 'Banija' Division and 8th 'Kordun' Division from the area along the Una bend between Bosanski Novi and Buzim, and in this undertaking elements of Generalleutnant Zellner’s 373rd Division (kroatische) were supported by undetermined Croat elements. The partisans had pulled back into this area from the Samarica mountain region during the concluding days of 'Panther' (viii), however, and before 'Tannenbaum' (ii) could be started it was cancelled and its forces diverted and reassigned to the larger 'Ristow', which began on 24 December.