Operation Travnik

(Yugoslav town)

'Travnik' was a German and Croat operation against the partisan forces of Josip Broz Tito in the puppet state of Croatia in Axis-occupied Yugoslavia (16/23 December 1942).

The operation’s objective was the destruction of a group of 500 partisans concentrated some 3.75 miles (6 km) to the north-north-east of Travnik in western Bosnia.

The German contribution to the joint force was the 750th Grenadierregiment and elements of the 668th Artillerieregiment of Generalleutnant Johann Fortner’s 718th Division, and that of the Croats the 2nd Company/15th Regiment and elements of the 9th Artillery Group and 11th Artillery Group.

Comparatively small in concept and implementation, the operation was a total failure inasmuch as the partisans were not pinned and therefore managed to escape the Axis cordon. The German and Croat forces suffered no losses, while the partisans lost only two men killed and one wounded.