Published: 07 February 2013Last Updated: 07 February 2013
(Mjestno zapovjedništvo)
by H.L. deZeng IV
Army garrison command staffs were gradually established in key cities and towns throughout the NDH during 1941 to perform a variety of administrative duties and to supervise the guarding of vital installations and structures. These staffs were very small. For the larger locations, a garrison command I Class with 6 officers and men was prescribed, while the smaller towns got either a II Class staff with 4 officers and men or one with only two or three personnel. Most garrison commands had direct authority over one or more garrison companies used mainly for performing guard duties, plus a detachment of military police. In turn, the garrison commander answered to the corps territorial command responsible for the area in which he and his staff were located. The commands are listed below together with what little information is known about them. (1)
Banja Luka Garrison Command
Established in 1941 as a I Class command. On 16 September 1944 it was located in a villa on the outskirts of Banja Luka with its own radio station and a total strength of 70 officers and men (which probably included military police and guard personnel).
Commander
Pukovnik Medlan ( ? – ? ) 10/43
Bihać Garrison Command
Established in 1941 as a II Class command. No additional information has been found.
Bijeljina Garrison Command
Established in 1941 without class. No additional information has been found.
Bileća Garrison Command
Established in 1941 without class. No additional information has been found.
Bjelovar Garrison Command
Established in 1941 as a II Class command. No additional information has been found.
Commander
Podpukovnik Asim Tanović ( ? – ? ) 9/41
Podpukovnik Fingerhut ( ? – ? ) 10/43
Bosanska Dubica Garrison Command
Established in 1941 without class. No additional information has been found.
Commander
Satnik Šarkan ( ? – ? ) 5/42
Brčko Garrison Command
Established in 1941 without class. No additional information has been found.
Crikvenica Garrison Command
Established in 1941 without class. In 1942 it was subordinated to the I Class Karlovac Garrison Command. No additional information has been found.
Delnice Garrison Command
Established in 1941 without class. In 1942 it was subordinated to the I Class Karlovac Garrison Command. No additional information has been found.
Doboj Garrison Command
Established in 1941 as a II Class command. No additional information has been found.
Drniš Garrison Command
Established in 1941 or 1942. On 15 September 1943 it reported it had local authority over 981 Croatian officers and men billeted in Drniš. No additional information has been found.
Dubrovnik Garrison Command
Established in 1941 as a II Class command. Still in Dubrovnik on 4 September 1944 and subordinated to the 9th Garrison Brigade. No additional information has been found.
Commander
Pukovnik Stjepan Zuech ( ? – ? ) 1/43
Gospić Garrison Command
Established in 1941 without class. No additional information has been found.
Commander
Podpukovnik Antun Pihler ( ? – ? ) 7/41
Satnik Stjepan Milinković ( ? – ? ) 11/42
Hrvatska Mitrovica Garrison Command
Established in 1941 without class. No additional information has been found.
Imotski Garrison Command
Established in 1941 or 1942. On 4 September 1944 it was still in Imotski and subordinate to the VI Ustasha Brigade.
Karlovac Garrison Command
Established in 1941 as a II Class command but later elevated to I Class. In 1942 it subordinated the smaller garrison commands in Ogulin, Vrbovsko, Delnice, Crikvenica and Senj. No additional information has been found.
Commander
Pukovnik Ivan Tomasević ( ? – ? ) 9/41
Pukovnik Pajić (Paić) ( ? – ? ) 1/42
Pukovnik Ivan Grospić ( ? – May 42)
Podpukovnik Dragutin Culebić (May 42 – ? )
Knin Garrison Command
Established 13 April 1941 as a II Class command. Noted Dec 42. No additional information has been found.
Commander
Pukovnik Stjepan Grbić (13 Apr 41 – ? )
Konjić Garrison Command
Established in 1941 or 1942 without class. Still in Konjić on 4 September 1944 and believed to be subordinated to the larger Sarajevo Garrison Command. No additional information has been found.
Koprivnica Garrison Command
Established in 1941 without class. No additional information has been found.
Commander
Podpukovnik Julije Reš ( ? – ? ) 12/41, 4/42
Križevci Garrison Command
Established in 1941. Noted on 15 Mar 42. No additional information has been found.
Commander
Podpukovnik Sulejman Torlić ( ? – ? ) 2/44
Mostar Garrison Command
Established 1941 as a II Class command. Noted 4 September 1944 as being tactically subordinate to IX Ustasha Brigade. No additional information has been found.
Nevesinje Garrison Command
Established in 1941 without class. No additional information has been found.
Nova Gradiška Garrison Command
Established in 1941 without class. No additional information has been found.
Ogulin Garrison Command
Established in 1941 without class. Subordinated to the larger Karlovac Garrison Command during 1942. No additional information has been found.
Osijek Garrison Command
Established 1941 as a II Class command. No additional information has been found.
Commander
Pukovnik Djuro Gebauer ( ? – Nov 44) 7/44
Otočac Garrison Command
Established 1941 as a II Class command. No additional information has been found.
Commander
Bojnik Muhamed-beg Sulejmanpačić ( ? – ? ) 12/42
Petrinja Garrison Command
Established in 1941 as a I Class command. No additional information has been found.
Petrovaradin Garrison Command
Established 1941 as a II Class command. No additional information has been found.
Commander
Podpukovnik Franjo Pirć ( ? – ? ) 1942
Ruma Garrison Command
Established in 1941 without class. No additional information has been found.
Sarajevo Garrison Command
Established in 1941 as a I Class command. On 6 September 1944 the Sarajevo Garrison Command was tactically under the 8th Garrison Brigade in Sarajevo. No additional information has been found.
Commander
Pukovnik Franjo Knezević ( ? – ? ) 1/42, 9/43, 11/44
Senj Garrison Command
Established in 1941 or 1942 without class. In 1942 it came under the larger Karlovac Garrison Command. No additional information has been found.
Šibenik Garrison Command
Established on 1 November 1943. No additional information has been found.
Commander
Satnik Davorin Vinković (1 Nov 43 – ? )
Sinj Garrison Command
Established in 1941 without class. On 4 September 1944 it was tactically under the Tactical Command Cetina. No additional information has been found.
Commander
Podpukovnik Buble ( ? – ? ) 7/41
Sisak Garrison Command
Established in 1941 as a I Class command. No additional information has been found.
Commander
Pukovnik Ivan Matagić ( ? – ? ) 7/41
Podpukovnik Josip Aleksić ( ? – ? ) 7/43
Slavonski Brod Garrison Command
Established in 1941 as a I Class command. No additional information has been found.
Slavonska Požega Garrison Command
Established 1941 as a II Class command. No additional information has been found.
Commander
Bojnik Strelić ( ? – ? ) 8/44
Nadsatnik Josip Kurtović ( ? – ? ) 12/44
Split Garrison Command
Established in October 1943? No additional information has been found.
Commander
Pukovnik Medlan ( ? – ? ) 4/44
Bijnik Prijić? ( ? – ? ) 10/44
Travnik Garrison Command
Established in 1941 as a I Class command. On 15 Jan 43 it was directly under III Corps, and on 4 September 1944 it was tactically under the Mobile Brigade (Brzi zdrug) in Travnik. No additional information has been found.
Commander
Bojnik Šel ( ? – ? ) 1/43
Trebinje Garrison Command
Established 1941 as a II Class command. No additional information has been found.
Tuzla Garrison Command
Established 1941 as a II Class command. No additional information has been found.
Varaždin Garrison Command
Established 1941 as a II Class command. No additional information has been found.
Commander
Pukovnik Ivan Markulj ( ? – ? ) 7/41
Pukovnik Petruhar ( ? – ? ) 12/41
Pukovnik Rudolf Štaufer ( ? – Apr 42)
Podpukovnik Aurel Schlacher (Apr 42 – Jun 42)
Pukovnik Pajić (Paić) (Jun 42 – ? )
Pukovnik Eduard Boroš ( ? – ? ) 10/42, 4/43
Vinkovci Garrison Command
Established 1941 as a II Class command. No additional information has been found.
Višegrad Garrison Command
Established in 1941 without class. No additional information has been found.
Vrbovsko Garrison Command
Established in 1941 without class. In 1942 it was under the larger Karlovac Garrison Command. No additional information has been found.
Zagreb Garrison Command
Established in April 1941. On 1 September 1943 the City of Zagreb Garrison Command had administrative jurisdiction over a total of 3,935 officers and men. The Zagreb Garrison Command continued to the end of the war.
Commander
General Slavko Štancer ( ? – ? ) 5/42
General Ivan Markulj ( ? – ? ) 3/43, 9/43
Zemun Garrison Command
Established 1941 as a II Class command. No additional information has been found.
Commander
Pukovnik Ivan Grospić (May 42 – ? )
Zvornik Garrison Command
Established in 1941 without class. No additional information has been found.
Footnotes
1. Colić, Mladen – Takozvana Nezavisna Država Hrvatska 1941 (Belgrade: Delta-pres, 1973).
