"About Yugoslav Partisan Navy in WWII" Topic

"The Yugoslavian partisans during the WWII operated also in the Croat coasts that is well known for a series of many islands and channels. Inside such waters, partisans operating in the islands had caused some troubles at the Italian occupation forces that needed to supply its garrisons on the coast using sea routes often with mortar attacks or night assaults. With the surrender of Italians and the relocation of Tito's High Command in the island of Vis (that was free from the Axis control), it was decided to create a Partisan Navy to raid the supply lines of the German forces: their units were divided into gunboats (NB, that could reach 20 meters of length) or patrol boats (PC, smaller but more maneuverable). Both the Partisans and the German forces used a number of light boats (often ex-trawlers or fishing boats) to supply their respective land forces however the German tried to do only some (mainly failed) landing assault to the partisans garrisons while the Partisan Navy focused to fight the German supply boats with true pirate actions.

The often unprotected prey were attacked mainly during the night or at dusk (to avoid German aircraft), few warning shots were fired and were thrown threats: if the enemy surrendered, the boat was going to be towed away to Vis island. If the crew resisted, the partisan boarded the prey as a the pirates of the past centuries.

German navy tried to use their air superiority, their armed motor torpedo boat and assault crafts with special forces to stop the raids: they managed to sink or destroy some of the larger and more vulnerable partisan crafts of NB series, but they could not stop the Partisan actions…"
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