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369th Legion Memorial badge
Croatia – a country that had seen itself as the victim of Serb oppression – was delighted when it was recognised as an independent country. It contributed ground forces to assist the Germans as well as a small naval force operating in the Aegean and air force squadrons that fought on the eastern Front. These squadrons produced a number of aces.
Verstarktes Infanterie Regiment 369 (kroatisches)
The Verstarktes Infanterie Regiment 369 (kroatisches) also known as the Croatian Legion (Hrvatska Legija) was formed soon after the German invasion of the Soviet Union. It was made up of two companies of Croatian and one company of Bosnian volunteers and was posted to Dollersheim, Austria, for training.
It was attached to the 100 Jager Division and was sent to Army Group South on the Eastern front. The regiment fought at Valki, Kharkov, Kalatch and at the Don before being trapped and destroyed in Stalingrad.
1. Light Infantry Parachute Battalion
1. Light Infantry Parachute Battalion (1. Padobranska Lovacka Bonja) was formed in 1942 as 1. Light Infantry Parachute Company (1. Padobranska Lovacka Sat). The volunteers were trained at the Air Force school at Petrovaradin before moving to the new training area at Koprivnica. The base was attacked by the partisans in October 1943 and the paratroopers were forced out after days of heavy fighting, where they suffered 20 killed or captured.
Following the attack the unit was disbanded. It was, however, soon reformed again and expanded to battalion size. It was sent to the area of Resnik and Obrovo in January 1945 to fight the partisans. The unit later fought the partisans at Sisak and Petrinja, this time attached to the Kampfgruppe Schlacher (Borbena Skupina Schlacher) together with the Motorised Brigade (Brzi Zdrug).
At the end of the war the men of this unit marched to Austria and surrendered to the Allies but were immediately transferred back to the partisans and most of them were killed. – see Hrvatski Orlovi: Paratroopers of the Independent State of Croatia 1942-1945; Novak-Spencer
