Niš operation

{{Short description|1944 military operation}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2021}}

{{Expand Serbian|topic=mil|Нишка операција 1944.|date=November 2016}} {{Infobox military conflict

| conflict = Niš operation

| partof = the Eastern and Yugoslav fronts of the European theatre of World War II

| image= Nish1.jpg

| description= Bulgarian troops entering Niš in October 1944

| date = October 8–14, 1944

| place = Niš, Occupied Serbia

| result = Allied victory

| combatant1 =

{{plainlist |

• {{flagicon image|Flag of the Bulgarian Homeland Front.svg}} Bulgaria
• {{flagicon|Yugoslav Partisans}} Yugoslav Partisans
• {{flag|Soviet Union|1936}}

}}

| combatant2 =

{{flagicon|Nazi Germany}} Germany

• {{flagicon|Government of National Salvation}} Government of National Salvation

{{flagicon|Chetniks}} Chetniks

| commander1 =

{{plainlist |

• {{flagicon image|Flag of the Bulgarian Homeland Front.svg}} Kiril Stanchev{{cite book | last = Nedev | first = Nedyo | author-link = Недю Недев | year = 2007 | title = Три държавни преврата или Кимон Георгиев и неговото време | publisher = „Сиела" | location = София | pages = 651 | isbn = 978-954-28-0163-4}}
• {{flagicon|Yugoslav Partisans}} Koča Popović
• {{flagicon|Soviet Union|1936}} Sergey Biryuzov

}}

| commander2 =

{{flagicon|Nazi Germany}} Hans Felber
{{flagicon|Government of National Salvation}} Milan Nedić
{{flagicon|Chetniks}} Ljubo Patak

| units1 =

{{flagicon image|Flag of the Bulgarian Homeland Front.svg}} Bulgaria

• 2nd Bulgarian Army
• 4th Division
• 6th Division
• 9th Division
• 12th Division
• 2nd Cavalry Division
• 1st Sofia Guard Division
• 4th Border Brigade
• Armoured Brigade
• others

{{flagicon|Yugoslav Partisans}} National Liberation Army

• 13th Corps
• 22nd Division
• 24th Division
• 46th Division
• 47th Division
• 2nd Proletarian Division
• 14th Corps
• 45th Division
• Partisan Detachments

{{flag|Soviet Union|1936}}

• Elements of 57th Army
• IX Aviation Corps

|campaignbox= {{Campaignbox Yugoslavia}}

| units2 =

{{flagicon|Nazi Germany}} Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS

• 7th SS Mountain Division Prinz Eugen
• 11th Luftwaffe Field Division
• 22nd Infantry Division
• 37th Flak Regiment
• Police Battalions

{{flagicon|Government of National Salvation}} Serbian collaborators

• Serbian State Guard garrison

{{flagicon|Chetniks}} Chetniks

• Chetnik bands

| strength1 =

• 80,000 men

| strength2 =

• 21,500 men
• 154 guns
• 164 mortars
• 38 tanks
• 18 airplanes

|casualties1 =

• {{flagicon image|Flag of the Bulgarian Homeland Front.svg}} 1,545 dead or wounded{{cite book|last1=Peychev |first1=A. |display-authors=etal. |title=Bulgaria's participation in the defeat of Nazi Germany|date=1975|publisher=Durzhavno Voenno Izdatelstvo|pages=65|edition=1st}}

|casualties2 =

• 5,200 dead or wounded
• 3,580 captured
• 97 captured guns
• 720 captured machine guns
• 1,100 captured vehicles

}}

Niš operation ({{langx|sr|Нишка операција}}, {{langx|bg|Нишка операция}}) was an offensive operation of the Bulgarian army, supported by Yugoslav Partisans against German Army Group E to secure the left flank of the Third Ukrainian Front of the Red Army.Christopher Chant. The Encyclopedia of Codenames of World War II (Routledge Revivals; 2013); {{ISBN|1134647875}}, p. 209.Elisabeth Barker et al., British Political and Military Strategy in Central, Eastern and Southern Europe in 1944, Springer (1988); {{ISBN|1349193798}}, p. 249.Jozo Tomasevich. War and Revolution in Yugoslavia: 1941–1945, Volume 2, Stanford University Press (2001); {{ISBN|0804779244}}, p. 156.

It was held from October 8–14, 1944. Second Bulgarian Army, in cooperation with Yugoslav People's Liberation Army and IX Air Corps of the Red Army was ordered to destroy the German troops and to seize Niš. Its enemy was

7th SS Volunteer Mountain Division Prinz Eugen, or about 21 500 people from 13 infantry battalions, featuring 154 guns, 164 mortars, 38 tanks and 18 aircraft. Their task was to cover the retreat of 300,000 German soldiers from the composition of the Army Group "E". Bulgarian troops entered the brunt along the River Southern Morava. On October 10, the Sofia armored brigade, consisting of about 150 tanks, most of which Panzer IV, and the rest Panzer 38(t) and Panzer 35(t), aided by ca. 40 Leichter Panzerspähwagen, and 50 Sturmgeschütz III,Матев, К. Бронетанкова техника 1935 – 1945, С., Анжела, 2000. penetrated in the defense of the Germans and forced them to retreat west of the Southern Morava. On October 12 and 13 Bulgarian troops continue pursuit. On October 14 parts of the VI Infantry Division, using the jab from the south of the armored brigade seized Niš and completely pushed the Nazis. Losses of the Wehrmacht amounted up to 5200 killed and 3850 prisoners of war, but they managed to hold its position in the Vardar corridor to the withdrawal of the remaining German troops.