The Tito Escort Battalion was the protection unit of the Supreme Headquarters of Yugoslav Partisans and their commander Josip Broz Tito, responsible for their safety during World War II in Yugoslavia. It accompanied Tito throughout Yugoslavia during the war, suffering significant casualties and fighting pitched battles at times. Its most notable engagements were during the Axis Case Black offensive in south–eastern Bosnia in mid–1943, and in holding off the airborne assault of the German 500th SS Parachute Battalion during Operation Rösselsprung in mid–1944.

Tito Escort Battalion
The Tito Escort Battalion in Valjevo, October 1944.
Active1941–1945
Allegiance Yugoslav Partisans
TypeInfantry
RoleProtection of the Supreme Headquarters personnel
SizeBattalion
EngagementsThird Enemy Offensive
Partisan Long March
Case White
Case Black
Operation Rösselsprung

Notes edit

References edit

Books edit

  • Greentree, David (2012). Knight's Move-The Hunt for Marshal Tito 1944. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-78096-461-4.

Journals edit

  • Bennett, Ralph (April 1987). "Knight's Move at Drvar: Ultra and the Attempt on Tito's Life, 25 May 1944". Journal of Contemporary History. 22 (2). Sage Publications, Ltd.: 195–208. doi:10.1177/002200948702200201. S2CID 159971584.
  • Eyre, Wayne Lt.Col. (Canadian Army) (2006). "Operation RÖSSELSPRUNG and The Elimination of Tito, May 25, 1944: A Failure in Planning and Intelligence Support". The Journal of Slavic Military Studies. 19 (2). Routledge, part of the Taylor & Francis Group: 343–376. doi:10.1080/13518040600697969. S2CID 144383512.
  • McConville, Michael (1997). "Knight's move in Bosnia and the British rescue of Tito: 1944". The Royal United Services Institute Journal. 142 (6). The Royal United Services Institute: 61–69. doi:10.1080/03071849708446212.
  • Melson, Charles D. (2000). "Red Sun: A German airborne Raid, May 1944". The Journal of Slavic Military Studies. 13 (4). Routledge, part of the Taylor & Francis Group: 101–126. doi:10.1080/13518040008430462. S2CID 143885632.