Operation Ulrich

(German name)

'Ulrich' was a German and Croat operation against the partisan forces of Josip Broz Tito in the Kozara mountain region of the puppet state of Croatia in Axis-occupied Yugoslavia (8/12 May 1943).

The undertaking’s objective was the destruction of 5th 'Krajiski' Brigade of the 4th Assault Division concentrated in the western Kozara mountain region in the area bounded by Bosanski Dubica, Bosanski Kostajnica, Bosanski Novi and Prijedor.

The Axis forces comprised, from the Germans, elements of Generalleutnant Karl Eglseer’s 114th Jägerdivision and, from the Croats, the 2/2nd Mountain Brigade, 2 and 4/3rd Mountain Brigade, 2/1st Jäger Regiment, elements of the 12th Regiment, 2nd Company/Garrison Battalion 'Banja Luka', Engineer Company/2nd Jäger Brigade, 4th and 8th Ustase Battalions, and police elements.

As was so often the case, the partisans managed to avoid contact with the numerically superior Axis forces until the discouraged Germans and Croats finally ended the operation. There were very few casualties on either side.