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.
During the conflict, Partisan boats sunk, destroyed or captured 11 military boats (including a Kriegsmarine minelayer, a tug, a minesweeper and some assault and landing craft, but also some armed boats used both for patrol and for supply duties) and damaged other 9, while 10 supply boats were sunk, destroyed or captured and other 10 damaged. (other losses were caused to the enemy by partisan ground forces or artillery/mortar attacks, including a motor torpedo boat destroyed with mortar fire in Trieste harbor in 1945)
10 Partisan NB gunboats were lost (even if only 6 by German attacks) while only 1 PC boat of medium size was lost (due accident). Other 13 PC crafts were lost but they were very small boats used as support crafts of larger units (these ones were very little unit, armed only with a single machine gun and usually manned by 3 or 4 sailors, without a cabin and often with an external engine).
In coordination with Partisan Crafts, from Vis Island operated also the Royal Navy 61st MBT flottilla, a little British naval unit of half a dozen of armed boats under the command of the Canadian Captain Thomas G. Fuller (nicknamed the Adriatic's Pirate by the British military history). British crafts destroyed, captured or sunk 13 military and supply enemy boats. Captain Fuller in his memories confirm that partisans were regularly used as guides between the channels and the island and took part at the action on his crafts, claiming that the partisans often caused the enemy surrender without a fight with blood-curling threats. That's confirmed with the capture of the biggest British prey: a schooner of 400tons full of supplies that surrendered after a Yugoslavian partisans shouted "don't shot or we will torpedo you" (even if the boat had no torpedoes) and further colorful threats.
The downside of that victory was that at Vis, Yugoslavian and British had to consume German foods (sauerkraut, goulash and ten tons of Danish butter)
These units were gunboats, classified as NB, and larger than the most common PC boat. That proved useful in some clashes (as during the assault at the Kornat, or during the Battle of Maun Island when NB-14 faced larger enemy warships) however this also caused a number of losses (differently from the PC class).
|
NB-1 |
Krava |
1 x 40mm 4 x 20 mm 1 x 15mm |
16 crew |
It was the ex German patrol ship named HZ-8 18/03/44 With NB-6, PC-2 and PC-4 capture a German assault boat KJ10 (Sturmboot-42 type)at Molat island Sunk by Luftwaffe 20-03-44 |
|
NB-3 |
Jadran |
1 x 47mm 3 x 20mm 1x4 x 12,7mm 2x2- 12,7mm 1 rocket launchers |
22 crew (19,7m and 64 tons) |
5/1/44 On 3/06/44 claim to have shot down a German aircraft. |
|
NB-6 |
Napredak |
1 x 40 mm 2- 20mm 4 x 8mm |
16 crew (17m and 30 tons) |
9-10/12/43 capture the Ustasha boat Sv.Nikola 18/03/44 With NB-1, PC-2 and PC-4 capture a German assault boat KJ-10 (Sturmboot-42 type) Sunk by Luftwaffe 20-03-44 |
|
NB-8 |
Kornat |
1 x 40mm 3 x 20mm 3 x 8mm |
23 crew (19,5 m and 61tons) |
1-2/6/44 Battle of Blitvenice: Germans motor torpedo boats S-155 and S-156 attempted to board the Kornat, with a deceive operation. They tried to approach the ship claiming to be British, however the plan was discovered as soon as the first German was onboard: a close-range gunfight battle started, following by an engagement with artillery. In the end Both S-155 and S-156 were damaged and retreated: they also suffered 1 prisoner and 11 wounded. Kornat suffered light damage and 9 wounded. Lost 28/07/44 because run aground and then burned by crew |
|
NB-9 |
Biokovac |
1 x 40mm 3 x 20mm 3 x 8mm |
9 crew (16m and 15 tons) |
3-4/11/1943. Fought a battle against the armed boats Marija and Naprijed. Biokovac suffered damage and commander was wounded, also the Germans suffered damage and had 7 wounded.
Sunk by friendly fire 20/02/44 by a British destroyer (all crew was saved) |
|
NB-13 |
Partizan |
2 x 40mm 3 x 20mm 2 x 8mm |
20 crew (23 m and 24 tons) |
9/10/44 9/10/44 With NB-13, engaged in gunfight the armed boat Angelina: during the fight the partisans suffered 2 wounded on Partizan. But the Angelina was sunk with 3 Germans killed and 9 captured. After the fight, the two units attacked and captured the Adriana without resistance. Sunk by friendly fire 20/11/44 by an Allied aircraft |
|
NB-14 |
Pionir |
2 x 40mm 1x2 x 20mm 2x2 x 12,7mm |
22 crew (20m and 33 tons) |
Ex- german unit sunk by Allied aircrafts 23/10/10 Took part at the Battle of Maun Islandwith PC-2, PC-4 and PC-24 against the Kriegsmarine submarine hunters UJ-202 and UJ-208 (ex-Italian corvettes). All the partisan units suffered damages because they were outgunned by the Germans, but only the Pionir suffered 4 wounded. Later the two German ships had a skirmish with British motor torpedo boats (suffering light damages, 3 killed and 11 wounded), and finally they shelled an own German convoy, sinking the armed barge F-433 and damaging others in a friendly-fire accident. Few days later (1 November) the UJ-202 and UJ-208 will fight again close to Pag Island but this time against the British destroyers Wheatland and Avon Vale and both the German ships were sunk. |
Units that didn't had success but were lost in action are:
NB-2 Koca (25m and 120tons with 14 crew) was sunk by Kriegsmarine motor torpedo boats (S-36 and S-61). She was the ex-German HZ-9.
NB-5 Ivan was an ex- American submarine chaser of SC-1 class and was sunk by Luftwaffe 27/12/43.
NB-7 Enare II self-sunk after damage by Luftwaffe and collision damages after having hit the NB-8
NB-10 Sloga was boarded and then sunk by German assault crafts and sunk by them
NB-11 Crvena Zvijezda (the larger boat, 24m with 180 tons and 28 crew, armed also with a 81mm gun) was sunk by a mine 1/04/45 with the death of 22 crew.
(she was the ex anti-partisan boat Anton, that was captured by PC-3 and PC-4 after an hard fight)
Other units were:
NB-4 Topcider was renamed УBB-4Ф and turned into an hospital ship.
NB-12 Borac (then renamed Partizan-II) ex-fishing boat that was gifted by the Allied to compensate the losses of friendly fire but was never used in action.
NB-15 (unnamed) never fully operative due engine problems (ex-German unit sunk)
NB Partizanka (without number) was an ex luxury yacht, not used even if among the weapons there were 3 ordinary 20mm guns, but also 2 multiple rocket launchers.
The patrol boats were mainly ex-civilian units armed and used as pirate ships to raid the enemy marine supply lines. They were all different and are classified together only because the similar size, weapons and crew. They proved to be effective in the Croat waters especially during boarding action.
PC-1 to PC-4 and PC-21, PC-22 and PC-24 were the most active ships.
PC-6 to PC-8 were ex-enemy captured units not much used (only the PC-6 took part at an action, PC-5 it's included between the "light craft").
Also PC-23 and PC-25 to PC-27-II saw less action and at least one used only as transport (there were two ships registered as PC-27, the second one was the most little unit of this series of Patrol boat, being only 4-crew manned but armed with a 20mm and she was the only unit lost in action (due an ammunition explosion). With only a loss during the war, these boats proved to be the best one of the Partisan Navy.
|
PC-1 |
Jandra |
2 - 20mm 2 - 12mm |
11 crew |
3/01/44 with PC-3 attacked the steamship Slavija in Vinodol channel 24-25/01/44 With PC-3 destroy armed tug Costante at Olib Island (crew surrendered without fight) |
|
PC-2 |
Macola |
1- 40mm 2- 20mm |
10 crew |
17/12/43 Sailors clashed on coast against an enemy boat, some were killed. It was the German landing craft SF-193, grounded after combined British action (motor torpedo boat MTB-637) and the Partisan fire: Germans suffered also 6 KIA and 11 MIA. 27-28/02/44 With PC-3 destroy boats Maria Jose and Harealis at Pag Island. 120 German troops (and sailors) ferried on the boats were KIA or POW 18/03/44 With NB-1, NB-6 and PC-4 capture the German assault boat KJ-10 (Sturmboot-42 type) at Molat island 29/07/44 With PC-4 and PC-71(as support) capture armed transport Felice at Ist island 22/09/44 With PC-6 attack the German hospital ship Bonn near Maslinjak 9/10/44 9/10/44 With NB-13, engaged in gunfight the armed boat Angelina: during the fight the partisans suffered 2 wounded on Partizan. But the Angelina was sunk with 3 Germans killed and 9 captured. After the fight, the two units attacked and captured the Adriana without resistance. 23/10/44 Took part at Battle of Maun Island with PC-4, NB-14 and PC-24 against the Kriegsmarine submarine hunters UJ-202 and UJ-208 (ex- Italian corvettes) Light damages received |
|
PC-3 |
Skampo |
1 x 40mm 2 x 20mm 2x2 x 12,7mm |
14 crew |
10/12/43 Attacked a steamship at Velebit Channel 16/12/43 damaged a steamship at Velebit 3/01/44 with PC-1 attack the steamship Slavija in Vinodol channel 24-25/01/44 With PC-1 destroy armed tug Costante at Olib Island (crew surrendered without fight) 27-28/02/44 With PC-2 destroy boats Maria Jose and Harealis at Pag Island. 120 German troops (and sailors) ferried on the boats were KIA or POW 27/04/44 With PC-4 capture anti-partisan ship Anton after an hard fight at Olib island |
|
PC-4 |
Junak |
2 x 20mm 1 x 12,7mm 1 x 7,9mm |
10 crew |
18/03/44 With NB-1, NB-6 and PC-2 capture the German assault boat KJ-10 (Sturmboot-42 type) at Molat island 27/04/44 With PC-3 capture anti-partisan ship Anton after an hard fight at Olib island 29/07/44 With PC-2 and PC-71(as support) capture armed transport Felice at Ist island 23/10/44 Took part at Battle of Maun Island with PC-2, NB-14 and PC-24 against the Kriegsmarine submarine hunters UJ-202 and UJ-208 (ex- Italian corvettes) Light damages received |
|
PC-6 |
Sumar |
1 x 20mm 1-12,7mm |
9 crew |
Ex-German assault craft 22/09/44 With PC-2 attack the German hospital ship Bonn near Maslinjak |
|
PC-21 |
Miran |
1 x 40mm 2 x 20mm 1x2 x 12,7mm 2 x 8mm 1 mortar of 81mm |
16 crew |
11/11/43 With PC-22 attacked two armed motorboats, but they are repulsed with one wounded. 6-7/04/44 With PC-22 capture armed boat San Antonio at Sestrunj 7-8/04/44 With PC-22 attack boats A-302 and A-91 in Vrgad channel 22-23/04/44 With PC-22 capture boats Giuliana and Emilia in Silba channel |
|
PC-22 |
Streljko |
1 x 40mm 2 x 20mm 2 x 8mm 1 mortar of 81mm |
10 crew |
11/11/43 With PC-21 attacked two armed motorboats, but they are repulsed with one wounded. 28/02/44 capture armed boat Giuseppe Cesario at Molat island 6-7/04/44 With PC-21 armed boat San Antonio at Sestrunj 7-8/04/44 With PC-21 attack boats A-302 and A-91 in Vrgad channel 22-23/04/44 With PC-21 capture boats Giuliana and Emilia in Silba channel 5-6/08/44 Fought against the Kriegsmarine minesweeper R-15 and R-16 in Murter Channel . |
|
PC-24 |
Marjan |
1 x 40mm 2 x 20mm 2 x 8mm 1 mortar of 81mm |
16 crew |
23/10/44 Took part at Battle of Maun Island with NB-14 and PC-2 against the Kriegsmarine submarine hunters UJ-202 and UJ-208 (ex- Italian corvettes) Light damages received 27/12/44 sunk a German assault landing boat in Sv. Petar harbour |
|
PC-53 |
Zora |
2 x 20mm 1x2 x 12,7mm |
? |
20/12/43 With PC-41, PC-42, PC-43 and British motor torpedo boat MTB-649 captured the two armed ship HZ-8 and HZ-9 (they will became the two gunboats NB-1 and NB-2) 5/09/44 Fought during the night against an armed enemy boat. Probably Ustasha. |
|
Boat Lahor |
No fixed weapons |
? |
The Lahor was one of the many boats used to transport weapons, ammunitions or partisans and not intended to fight. However 17/12/44 found in Molat island and her crew captured an explosive boat (of Lynse type) one of the Germans was shot and killed by his own officer because refused to sabotage or self-destroy the boat.
| |
Also 18/12/43 two PC attacked two transport ship with 150 soldiers on board and inflicted casualties at Zadar channel. No data to know the identity of the PC
Another undefined PC unit captured a motor boat 8-9/01/44 at Baska (again, no clear data about the victim or the PC boat)
Light armed crafts (PC-5 and then PC-41 to PC-82) were very little boats usually armed only with a gun of 8mm and with few sailors, they were mainly used as support units to larger ships and not planned for the raiding operations. Some were also ex-enemy units captured and 13 of them were lost during the war by accidents or enemy actions (mainly air attacks).
|
PC-41 PC-42 PC-43 |
Napredak unnamed Napred |
All had only 1-8mm each |
4 crew |
20/12/43 These three little craft together the British motor torpedo boat MTB-649 and PC-53 captured the two armed ship HZ-8 and HZ-9 during a coordinated action at Cape Pelegrin |
|
PC-54 |
Turist |
1 x 20mm 2 x 8mm 1 mortar of 45mm |
? |
8-9/12/43 with NB-9 capture Ustasha boat Jadro
|
|
PC-61 |
Udar |
? |
? |
5-6/11/43 damaged German boat Sv. Franjo (enemy suffered 8 KIA, 5 WIA) Sunk 27/12/43 by German aircrafts |
|
PC-64 |
Neutralni |
8mm |
? |
24/12/43 sunk a German landing craft that was attempting to land troops at Korcula |
|
PC-71 |
Sv. Kriz |
8mm |
|
29/07/44 With PC-2 and PC-4 capture armed transport Felice at Ist island (probably only as supporting craft) |