- World War II Russian Protective Corps Guide, battlefields map and WW2 tours
On February 15, 1944, by order of the high command of the German armed forces, it was ordered to begin the formation of the 5th regiment of the Russian Corps.
Appointed: regiment commander Colonel Rogozhin, battalion commanders: I – Colonel Galushkin, II – Colonel Shebalin and III Captain Shell; company commanders: 1st – Colonel Solyanik-Krassa, 2nd – Colonel Lektorsky, 3rd – Oberleutnant Zalessky, 5th – Colonel Kubarkin, 6th – Colonel Gordeev-Zaretsky, 7th – Colonel Sakvarelidze, 9 1st – Colonel Kondratyev, 10th – Chief Lieutenant Fleginsky and 11th Lieutenant Colonel Miroshnichenko.
1944 structure and battles of the 5th regiment of the Russian Protective Corps
On January 18, a regiment cadre consisting of a headquarters, training and instruction company and a communications platoon arrived in Obrenovac. From January 21 to 26, the training and instruction company participated in an expedition organized in connection with a partisan attack on an ammunition depot near the village of Vreochi, and was disbanded on February 18. From the ranks of this company who did not receive appointments, a company of junior command personnel was formed, commander Hauptmann Kondratyev.
Dislocation of regiment units on March 25, 1944: regimental headquarters, headquarters of the 2nd battalion, unt.-off. company, 5th and 7th companies – Obrenovac; 1st battalion – Valjevo; headquarters of the III battalion, 9th and 10th companies – Umka; guard team and consolidated company – Zabrezh. On March 30, the 11th company was stationed in Ostruznica. On April 12, the 5th company moved to Zabrezh, and the 6th was located in Obrenovets.
Russian Protective Corps units last positions map before leaving in 1944, Yugoslavia
On April 15, the operation to clear the village of V. Moshtanitsa from the Chetniks was carried out as part of platoons of the 5th, 7th and 9th companies. An order followed from the North-West region: “I send the 5th ROK Regiment congratulations and full gratitude for the brilliant operation of clearing the 15-4.44 area of V. Moštanica. Oberst Hug.”
On the night of April 24, a detachment of Chetniks with a force of up to 500 people attacked Valjevo from three sides. The sector of the 1st battalion was occupied by the 3rd company, which took part in the firefight at all guard posts and lost two riflemen.
On April 27, according to the order of Field Commander 816, the 1st battalion set out for Loznitsa, but due to the advance of the Reds from Uzice to Valjevo, on the night of April 30 it was hastily transferred from Loznitsa through Valjevo to the area of the Povlen massif – the village of Mravintsi, where it took up positions.
At the same time, the 5th company was also sent to the area of the 1st regiment, which occupied the defense sector on the Drina River on April 28. Instead, the 9th company was transferred to Zabrezh.
During May 1 and 2, the 1st Battalion fought with partisans in the S. Mravintsi area, emerging from encirclement and repelling all enemy attacks.
On May 3, the regiment commander arrived at the battalion position and expressed his gratitude to the battalion ranks. Having been replaced by KFOR units, the battalion returned to its barracks in Valjevo on May 4. Losses: 11 killed, 25 wounded, including ltn. Sakharovsky. ROK Order No. 114 dated May 7, 1944:
“On May 1 and 2, the 1st battalion of the 5th regiment, under the command of guardhouse Galushkin, fought with partisans with significantly superior forces. The rebels attacked the area 16 times, bypassing it from the flanks and even from the rear. The battle took place short and both sides used hand grenades. Six times the battalion launched counterattacks. Despite significant losses, the young soldiers fought with great courage. I thank the battalion commander Hauptmann Galushkin and his brave battalion for his brave fight. The commander of the 5th regiment, Oberst-ltn. Rogozhin and the officer for communication, I thank the German service of Hauptmann Angeben for the excellent education of the 1st battalion, as a result of which they had an impact both in this night battle and in the hard work that preceded the hostilities. Those who distinguished themselves are nominated for awards. Lieutenant General Shteifon.”
On May 28, the 5th company arrived in Zabrezh from an expedition to the Drina River.
On May 31, a train traveling from Belgrade to Obrenovac was stopped between the M. Moštanica and Barić stations by the Chetnik Party. On the train there was a convoy from the 7th company of 9 people under the command of non-commissioned officer Andrei Podrezov, who escorted the chief commander of the regiment with money and a carriage with ammunition from Belgrade. Hearing the shots, the convoy opened fire on the attackers and put them to flight, and 1 Chetnik was killed and 2 seriously wounded and 2 healthy Chetniks were captured. The convoy suffered no losses, and the train arrived safely in Obrenovac.
On June 1, according to the directive of the Commander-in-Chief of the South-East, the field headquarters of the regiment, the 1st and 2nd battalions, embarked in echelons, departed for the area of the Raska city on the Ibra River to participate in operations against the communists. In this regard, the 11th company arrived from Umka to Obrenovac for garrison service.
On June 2, the heavy platoons assigned to the regiment, upon the arrival of the trains at the Kraljevo station, joined the battalions: the heavy platoon III/4 – to the 1st battalion, and the heavy platoon III/3 – to the 2nd battalion. By evening, the regimental headquarters and the 2nd battalion unloaded at the Josanicka Banya station, and the 1st battalion in Raska. In the following days, units carried out reconnaissance of the Goliya massif and the area of the village of Rudno.
On June 10, the regimental headquarters and the 2nd battalion were transferred to K. Mitrovica, and the regimental headquarters with the 7th company were located in Zvecani. Intelligence service.
On June 26, the regimental headquarters and the 2nd battalion again arrived at the Josanicka Banya station.
According to the order of the Commander-in-Chief, the “Ibar Combat Group” was formed, the commander of which was appointed the commander of the 5th regiment with direct subordination to the Commander-in-Chief. Group composition: I and II battalions of the 5th regiment, 1st company of the 12th tank division, armored train No. 205. Mission: guarding the Ibra River valley.
On June 30, the combat unit of the regiment headquarters, led by adjutant Lieutenant Krasnov, arrived at the Josanichka Banya station.
On July 11, based on a radiogram from the Commander-in-Chief, the regimental headquarters with the 1st and 2nd battalions set out through Parachin-Nish to Zaichar under the command of the commander of the 22nd Bulgarian Division, where they arrived on July 13th. From here the 1st Battalion was sent to Bogovina, where it occupied the defense sector.
On July 18, in view of the Red threat to the Ibar Valley, the 2nd battalion departed back to Josanichka Banya, and the regimental headquarters with the 1st battalion arrived in Ushche on July 20, where the regiment commander again took command of the “Ibar Combat Group”, which, in addition to the previous units, included and parts of the 3rd regiment.
The 3rd battalion, sent on July 19 to the area of the 1st regiment, took up a position on the section of the Drina River from Zvornik to Crnche on July 20.
The radiogram from the Commander-in-Chief indicated that strong units of the destroyed 21, 24 and 25 communist divisions were moving south and southeast along the Albanian border. Ordered to begin combat reconnaissance from the Ibra Valley. In this regard, an order was given to the commanders of the II and III battalions of the 3rd regiment to increase the vigilance of guarding railway facilities.
On July 27, after the regrouping, the deployment was as follows: regimental headquarters, headquarters of the 1st battalion, 2nd and 3rd companies – Ushche, 1st company – Josanichka Banya; 7th company – Zvecani; headquarters of the 2nd battalion, 5th and 6th companies – Vuchitrn.
July 29 cavalry platoon ob.-ltn. Golofaeva arrived in Ushche.
On July 31, information was received that large partisan forces were concentrated in the N. Pazar area. The 2nd company was transferred to Raska, and the 7th to the Leposavichi station.
On August 2, a message was received that strong enemy units had crossed the N. Pazar-K. Mitrovica road with the goal of occupying the area northwest of Leposavichi. By the evening, the Commander-in-Chief’s headquarters reported: “The enemy’s crossing of the Ibra River to the east on the night of August 3 is not excluded. Supreme vigilance!” Combat readiness and regrouping measures have been taken.
On August 3 at 12 o’clock the Chetniks announced that the main attack by the Reds would be delivered on Slatina-Dren. At 10 p.m., a report was received that bunkers No. 176-184 in the Leposavichi sector were surrounded by significant Red forces. At the same time, partisans attack bunkers in the area of the village. Rudnitsa.
The attack of three divisions of partisans, crossing the Ibar and heading to help their own in the Krusevac-Prokuplje area, found parts of the 5th regiment in the following places: a horse platoon – near the village of Kaznovici and its patrols from Raska to Rudnitsa, the headquarters of the 1st battalion from the 1st and the 2nd companies – in a position 4 km south of Rudnitsa, the headquarters of the 2nd battalion with the 5th company – on the march between Leshak-D. Yarinye; 6th company – Leshak and 7th – Dren (at bunker No. 171). In all the indicated places, the companies repelled in heavy night battles attacks by many times superior numbers and weapons of the enemy, in an environment of complete encirclement and scattering from each other.
On August 4, at night, telephone communications with companies and bunkers south of Rudnitsa were completely broken. Individual companies and bunkers are surrounded and held under fire by partisans. The 1st battalion is advancing towards Rudnitsa. The 3rd and 5th regiments came under the command of the 1st Mountain Division.
On August 5, the Reds attacked the positions of the horse platoon, 2nd and 6th companies several times, but were repulsed. During the battles on August 3-5, the 7th company, being completely surrounded and bombarded from the air for 36 hours, repelled all the fierce enemy attacks at bunker No. 171. Total losses of the regiment: 18 killed, 32 wounded.
ROK Order No. 222 dated 10.8.44:
“From August 3 to 5, units of the 3rd and 5th regiments, carrying out their assigned tasks, fought with an enemy many times superior in strength. For three days, night and day, the Reds attacked our units. The 7th company of the 5th regiment, led by the valiant commander Yablokov-Khanzorny, was surrounded and, having lost up to 40% of her ranks, still retained her sector. Other companies of this regiment performed their tasks no less bravely. Units of the 3rd regiment, which made up the garrisons of the bunkers, showed numerous examples of high valor. One of the bunkers was destroyed by enemy shells. The garrison of this bunker, proudly rejecting the offer of surrender and having used up all their ammunition, died heroically by exploding into the air. Despite the inequality of forces, units of the 3rd and 5th regiments completed their tasks with complete success and defended all objects. This difficult but heroic battle testified to the greatness of the spirit of the Russian Corps. I thank the valiant units of the 3rd and 5th regiments for their combat work, sacrificially and confidently led by their commanders, Oberst Gontarev and Oberst-ltn. Rogozhin. I order all those who distinguished themselves to be nominated for awards. Lieutenant General. Shteifon.”
On August 8, the German Oberst-Ltn took command of the “Battle Group Ibar”. The count with the task of defending the road Ushce – K. Mitrovica.
4 defense sectors have been formed: the 5th Regiment defends sectors 1 and 2 under the overall command of the regiment commander. Section No. 1: Ushche-Raska, chief – commander of the 1st battalion of the 5th regiment, forces: 1st battalion of the 5th regiment and III battalion of the 3rd regiment. Section No. 2: Raska-Leposavichi, chief – commander of the 2nd battalion of the 5th regiment; forces: II battalion of the 5th regiment and II battalion of the 3rd regiment. In the following days, intensive reconnaissance activities were developed by parts of the regiment, which discovered that the partisans were mobilizing men and taking women. Some women return to their villages raped.
On August 14, the III Battalion arrived in Raska, returning from a business trip to the Drina, and therefore the 5th Regiment’s sector was expanded south to Slatina.
August 15, units of the regiment were located: Ushche – 3rd company; Biljanovac – headquarters of the 1st battalion and 2nd company; Baljevac – 1st company; Shumnik – 9th company; Raska – regimental headquarters, III battalion headquarters and 11th company; Kaznovichi – cavalry platoon; Rudnitsa – 10th company; Leshak-Dren – 5th company; Leposavichi – headquarters of the 2nd battalion and 7th company; Pridvoritsa-Slatina – 6th company. On August 18, the battalions were gathered: I – to Biljanovac, II – to Leposavichi and III – to Raska.
On August 23, Lieutenant Marasanov’s train, consisting of three heavy platoons, artillery and communications, arrived from Obrenovets to Raska.
On August 24, the Reds attacked the location of the 2nd battalion at Leposavichi, bunker No. 171 and a German convoy.
On August 29, the 2nd battalion, replaced by parts of the 3rd battalion, departed by train to Krusevac, to be subordinated to the Auleb group. In this regard, the battalions occupied the following areas: I – Ushche-Rudnitsa; III – Rudnitsa-Pridvoritsa, i.e. 1st and 2nd companies – Biljanovac, 3rd – Voivode Stepa; 9th – Leshak; 10th and 11th – Leposavichi; horse platoon – Rudnitsa.
On August 31, the 2nd Battalion arrived in Krusevac. On the same day, partisans attacked a German convoy in the Dren area. The 9th and 10th companies, sent to the rescue, fought back the partisans to the east. At the same time, the partisans attacked the positions of the horse platoon near Rudnitsa.
On September 5, it was announced that the Kosovo Chetnik Corps of Captain Markovic had arrived in Raska and that joint actions with it against the partisans were allowed, on the basis of which on September 7, the III Battalion went with them in an operation to destroy the partisan base in Lokvica.
On the night of September 7, significant partisan forces launched an attack on Biljanovac. The battle of the 1st Battalion lasted until the morning of the 8th, when the enemy retreated. The purpose of the offensive, apparently, was to blow up the railway bridge over the Ibar. The 3rd company moved to the rescue from Voivode Stjepa and fought its way to Biljanovac. Battalion losses: 3 killed, 8 wounded. On the same day, the partisans attacked Leposavichi and Ushche, but were repulsed. They were also repulsed during an attempt to attack Biljanovac on September 9.
On September 9, the 2nd Battalion took up positions in Krusevac, which the partisans launched an attack on from Trstenik. The enemy is repulsed.
On September 11, the 9th company repelled the Reds who attacked a German truck at Leszek. On the night of September 14, this company was attacked from three sides. After a difficult battle that included the use of hand grenades, the company was forced to retreat to the western bank of the Ibra.
On September 17, to guard the Apartment of the Main Command of the 2nd Tank Army, the 1st company arrived in Vranjačka Banja. The 10th company moved to Raska as a reserve of the battle group.
Almost daily raids by enemy aircraft continue, dropping bombs and firing machine guns at objects, convoys and railway transports. On September 21, during such a raid, Lieutenant Politansky was wounded, but remained in service.
On the night of September 27, two riflemen of the 9th company bravely escaped from captivity by the partisans, after the battle of September 14 at Leshak, taking with them a pack mule loaded with bandit ammunition. Order to the 5th Regiment No. 232 dated October 1, 1944: “During the battle on the night of September 14, 1944 near the village of Leshak, several young soldiers of the 9th Company were captured by partisans. Two of them, now corporals Shemberko Dimitri and Tanasichuk Nikolai managed to escape. Appearing at the regimental headquarters, they testified that when all the prisoners were arrested and placed in one room, they agreed among themselves that they would agree to all the proposals of the communists and, thus gaining their trust, at the first opportunity will escape to return to their company. On the 5th day of being under arrest, all the prisoners were taken out for interrogation. When the turn came to the shooters Mnogolitny Ivan and Bashtan Semyon, both, when asked the question asked of them – whether they want to fight together with the communists against the fascists, or return back to their company – courageously, proudly and bluntly rejected the first offer and declared their desire to return to the company. This cost them their lives. Shooters Mnogolitny and Bashtan were shot right there, in the presence of all prisoners and bandits, personally by the commander of the partisan battalion Such a courageous revelation of one’s convictions, in the face of a deliberately vile and basely vindictive enemy, testifies to the enormous strength of spirit and uncompromising devotion to duty that the Mnogolitny and Bashtan shooters accepted martyrdom. With the unshakable firmness of their spirit, they outraged the enemy, who had no concept of honor, but ranked themselves among those Russian hero-soldiers, whose names and memory have never died and will never die in the history of the Russian army and the unit where they served. May their memory be eternal and may the land far from their homeland that covered their remains be light. The glory of the greatness of their spiritual feat will not die in the history of our regiment. Oberst Rogozhin.”
On September 28 and 29, the partisans attacked the 1st battalion in Bilanowiec and the cavalry platoon in Rudnitsa, but were repulsed.
On the night of October 7–8, the partisans again attacked Rudnitsa 8 times, but were repulsed by mounted platoons of the 3rd and 5th regiments. Our losses: 5 killed and 11 wounded. The partisans had 60 killed and 100 wounded. In the following days, the partisans continued shelling Rudnitsa.
October 10, a train traveling from Kraljevo to Raska crashed, was thrown with grenades and fired upon by partisans, and the commander of the 3rd battalion, Major Schell, who was returning from the hospital, was wounded.
A radiogram was received from the commander of the 2nd battalion that the masses of Chetniks treacherously attacked the Krusevac garrison on October 14 when Soviet troops were approaching it. The 5th and 7th companies retreated to Cacak, but nothing is known about the fate of the 6th.
On October 18, the RPC commander notified by radiogram of the expected order to withdraw the RPC for reorganization and deployment. Orders were given to the regiment to prepare for the campaign.
October 20, the III battalion of the 4th regiment of Major Treskin arrived at the Josanichka Banya station. On the same day, the 6th company arrived in Raska, having escaped from the Chetniks. By orders of the RPC and the 5th regiment, gratitude was declared.
Order of the Commander-in-Chief of Group “E” dated 10/22/1944:
“All Russian units in the valley of the Ibra River form the battle group of Oberst Gontarev and are given the task of clearing the Raska-Sarajevo path from partisans for the withdrawal of German troops from Greece.”
On October 26, by order of a battle group from all Russian units located in the valley of the Ibra River, a Consolidated Regiment was formed under the command of Oberst Rogozhin, consisting of 3 rifle and 1 Reserve battalions:
I battalion (Major Galushkin) – 1st company (gauptm Solyanik-Krassa) – from the 1st and 3rd companies of the 5th regiment; 2nd company (gauptm. Lektorsky) – from the 2nd company of the 5th regiment; 3rd company (ob.-ltn. Labinsky) – from units of the III battalion of the 4th regiment; 4th company (reg. lt. Marasanov) – from the heavy platoons of the 1st battalion of the 5th and 3rd battalion of the 4th regiment.
II battalion (Major Treskin) – 5th company (gauptman Kondratyev) – from the 6th and 9th companies of the 5th paragraph; 6th company (ob.-ltn. Bondarenko) – from the 10th r. 5th p.; 7th company (Miroshnichenko guardhouse) – from the 11th district. 5th p.; 8th company (vol. lt. Gordeev-Zaretsky) – heavy. platoons of the II and III battalions of the 5th regiment.
III battalion (oberst.-ltn. Zinkevich): 9th company (gauptm Baltsar) – from the 5th company of the 2nd regiment; 10th company (gauptm Kotlyar) – from the 7th company of the 2nd regiment; 11th company (vol.-ltn. Smola-Smolenko) – from the 4th and 5th training companies of the 3rd regiment; 12th company (lit. Gussakovsky) – from the heavy platoon of the 2nd battalion of the 2nd and 4th and 5th training companies.
Reserve battalion (oberst-ltn. Cherepov): 1st company (hauptm. Goetz) – from the 5th and 7th companies of the 3rd regiment; 2nd company (ob.-ltn. Fleginsky) – from the 3rd company of the 3rd regiment; 3rd company (Hauptmann Khristoforov) – from the 6th and 7th companies of the 2nd regiment.
Regimental units: Artillery company (ob.-ltn. Murzin) – from artillery platoons of the 3rd and 5th regiments; PAK company (vol.-ltn. Shatilov) – from platoons. PAK 3rd and 5th regiments; separate platoons – horse, engineer and communications – from the corresponding units of the 3rd and 5th regiments. Hauptmann Bredov was appointed regimental adjutant, and Lieutenant Krasnov was appointed as his assistant.
November 2 By order of the combat group, the Reserve Battalion was separated from the Consolidated Regiment and subordinated to the group headquarters.
I battalion. On October 24, the 1st battalion moved to Raska, and on the evening of the 25th it moved to N. Pazar and arrived in Postenje. On the 26th – Duga Polyana, on the 27th – Breza, on the 28th – Krivaya, on the 29th – Belobaba, on the 30th – Prijepolye, on the 31st – Bistritsa, where he entered into battle with the partisans, which lasted until November 5, and was killed by ltn. Berezin and wounded vol.-ltn. Zusemil, At the Belobaba-Priepolye crossing, the guard received shell shock in a car accident. Lecturer and ob.-ltn. Vertepov.
On November 6, the battalion pushed the partisans back from the Bistrita area, but remained in positions until November 12; On the 14th he arrived in Yagodina; On the 16th – Visegrad, and on the 17th the 3rd battalion was replaced at a position near Pisurishte. Replaced by German units, the battalion advanced to Rogatitsa on November 18, and on the 19th led an attack on Kazadra. On the 20th he moved to Khan Sienica.
On November 26, the 3rd company fought near the village of Robar. On the 27th the battalion moved to Podromanje; 28th – in Mokro, being at all times at the disposal of the head of the Raska-Sarajevo region, General Scheerlen; On November 27, the regiment was placed at the disposal of the commander of the 5 SS Mountain Corps, General Krieger.
On November 29, the 1st Battalion arrived in Palais, where it was reviewed by General Leer, Commander-in-Chief of Group E. After the review, the battalion, bypassing Sarajevo, was transported by rail to Visoko, where it remained until December 8.
II battalion. The actions of this battalion are described in a separate essay about the regiment. Treskina – “II battalion of the 5th regiment.”
III battalion. Battalion left Raska on November 1 and spent the night in Postenje; Arrived at D. Pavilier on the 2nd; 3rd – Duga Polyana; 4th – Sienica; 6th – Miloshev Dol; 7th – Prijepolye.
Finding itself as the lead battalion, the III battalion, on November 10, arrived in Uvas; 12th – Visegrad; 13th – Dobrinye; On the 14th he started a battle at Pishurishte and on the 15th-17th he repelled counterattacks of the partisans.
November 18, battalion set out for Rogatitsa and during the campaign was subjected to aerial bombardment.
On the 19th battalion occupied the village of Morovitsi; On the 21st battalion takes positions at Kozadar and Morovici and repels partisan attacks on November 24-27.
November 28, the battalion was replaced in its positions by German units and marched to Sarajevo; On the 29th he spends the night in the Palais area; On the 30th he passed through the city of Sarajevo and bivouacked in the Ilidzha-Plandishte area. On December 1st battlaion arrived in Khan-Plocha, and on the 2nd, having passed Kiselyak, battalion went to rest in the village of Gromulyak. The lagging convoy and its cover near the village of Kobilya Glava were attacked by partisans. 4 killed, 5 wounded.
On December 5, the 11th company with a PAK gun had a battle near the village of Iakhovich.
The Raska-Sarajevo crossing is over. The journey of more than 300 km through the Sandjak and Bosnian mountains, covered with battles and stops at positions for about 40 days, was very difficult. Lack of food warehouses, scorched villages, complete lack of fodder, destroyed bridges across rivers and streams – these are the conditions of the campaign.
Losses: killed 27; 112 injured; 33 missing. Total 172.
A new epic began – the regiment received the task of taking Travnik.
On December 5, the regiment commander and the commanders of the 1st and 3rd battalions arrived in Busovacha, where a plan for this operation was developed at the headquarters of the German detachment, for the implementation of which German units were subordinated to Oberst Rogozhin: reconnaissance detachment SS-AA 505, a motorized detachment of 5 companies: infantry , artillery, Flac and 3 tanks, 811th German battalion and Turkmen battalion.
On December 8, the 9th company took the Bretsova heights and, having cleared the way to Busovača, advanced to Gusti Grab, where they were fired upon and started a battle. Other companies of the 3rd battalion were transported to Busovača.
On December 9, the III Battalion launched an offensive and occupied Kovacica, while the I Battalion disembarked at Zenica late. This late railway transfer was the reason for the failure of the entire operation.
Instead of Hauptmann Solyanik-Krass, who was evacuated due to illness, Lieutenant Mariyushkin took command of the 1st company. Lieutenant Bublik was wounded.
On December 10, the 1st Battalion began moving to Topola and spent the night in the village of Plany. Continuing to carry out the task, the battalion was attacked by partisans on December 11 and, having suffered losses, returned to Zenica. Wounded: Major Galushkin, Hauptmann Lektorsky, lieutenants: Mariyushkin, Ermakov, Henrizi.
December 14 Hauptmann Bredov was appointed commander of the 1st battalion; regimental adjutant – vol. lt. Krasnov, temporary company commanders: 1st – ltn. Belozuboe, 2nd – lt. Simovic.
On December 12 and 13, the 9th Company repelled partisan attacks on Gusti Grab. In the battle of Kovacichi on December 13, Hauptmann Kotlyar and Lt. were wounded. Gozhenko; wounded and remained in service: ob.-ltn. Smola-Smolenko, lieutenants: Zipunnikov, Grebnev and Gussakovsky. The 10th company was taken over by ltn. Petrashevich. On December 13, the 1st battalion was transported by vehicles from Zenica to Busovača, and on the 14th it occupied the area near Rasno.
On December 15, by order of the battle group of Oberst Gontarev, the Consolidated Regiment was ordered to henceforth be called the 5th Regiment.
On December 15, ltn. took command of the 1st company. Sitkovsky, and the 2nd company, December 17, – ob.-ltn. Cartridges.
December 18, the enemy attack on the 1st and 3rd battalions was repulsed. Injured: ob.-ltn. Smola-Smolenko (secondary). The 11th company was taken over by Lieutenant Chibirnov.
On December 19, the 9th company was replaced by a German battalion and arrived in Busovača. Air attack on Busovača; 8 soldiers of the 3rd battalion were killed and 18 wounded. In the following days, units of the regiment conducted combat reconnaissance. On December 25, ltn was wounded. Belozubov.
On 27 December the regiment became part of Oberst von Eberlein’s battle group for the upcoming second operation on Travnik.
December 28, Oberst Gontarev’s order No. 11 was announced on the disbandment of the headquarters of the former group and its departure to Germany, and No. 12 on awarding the “Iron Crosses” 2nd degree to Obersts Gontarev and Rogozhin.
December 29, the 2nd Travnik operation began. Units of the regiment advanced to the Topola-G line. Smooth.
On December 30, the 1st battalion of the 4th regiment of Major Schell arrived to reinforce the regiment. The regiment continued the offensive, but on the 31st went on the defensive. Ltn Akalovsky was seriously wounded.