Published: 09 February 2013Last Updated: 09 February 2013
(16. Hrvatska Doknadna Divizija)
by H.L. deZeng IV
Ordered formed on or about 1 December 1944 with Division HQ in Zagreb. There was a small German liaison team (DVK 316) assigned to the Division for coordination purposes. It was made up of heterogenous elements whose armament and equipment varied considerably. It was purely a replacement formation. Its average strength during its existence was between 9,000 and 9,500. (1)
Operational History
Dec 44 – May 45: trained and replaced troops – no combat activity.
Apr 45: the Division’s name was changed to Ustasha Training and Replacement Division (Ustaška Nastavno-Doknadna Divizija) and underwent a superficial reorganization as noted below.
Commanders
Pukovnik Milivoj Durbešić (c. 1 Dec 1944 – May 1945)
Subordination
I Territorial Corps (c. 1 Dec 1944 – c. 15 Mar 1945)
I Ustasha Corps (c. 15 Mar 1945 – c. 15 Apr 1945)
Poglavnik Bodyguard Corps (c. 15 Apr 1945 – May 1945)
Order of battle (Dec 44)
Div. HQ in Zagreb
21st Infantry Replacement Brigade (formerly I Replacement Brig.)
23d Infantry Replacement Brigade (formerly III Replacement Brig.)
XX Ustasha Replacement Brigade
in all, the Division had 16 replacement battalions and 4 replacement artillery batteries on formation.
Order of battle (Apr 1945)
reorganized with Div. HQ in Zagreb
21st Ustasha Replacement Brigade (formerly 21st Inf.Repl.Brig.)
22d Ustasha Replacement Brigade (formerly 23d Inf.Repl.Brig.)
Ustasha Training Brigade (formerly XX Ustasha Repl.Brig.)
Ustasha Replacement Engineer Bn.; Ustasha Student Co.
Footnotes
1. AVII Beograd, kut. 134a, reg.br. 3/1; Colić 1976, p.1050; NARA WashDC: RG 226 (OSS intelligence documents Nos. 109636, 110433 and 126034); Schramm, Percy E. (ed.). Kriegstagebuch des Oberkommandos der Wehrmacht, 1940-1945, vol. IV, p.1312.
Reference material on this unit
– None known at this time –
