Active duty Serbian Volunteer Corps (World War II)

the volunteers saw first action on 17 september 1941 in dražanj village near grocka, clearing area of communists 4 yugoslav partisans , 2 sdk members killed. in november before offensive in republic of užice milan nedić ordered sdk, serbian state guard , kosta pećanac s chetniks should put under joint command. on 22 november joint military formation called Šumadija corps formed under command of mušicki. corps put under command of german 113th division fought between 25 , 29 november after majority of partisan troops had escaped italian zone.

after defeating partisan troops, germans turned fighting draža mihailović s chetniks. konstantin mušicki informed mihailović of german plans , mihailović managed evade capture. due mušicki arrested on 9 december in Čačak , replaced brigadier ilija kukić. nedić intervened secure mušicki s release , in command germans familiar case had left belgrade @ end of 1942.

by 15 february 1942, corps had strength of 172 officers , 3,513 men, close planned strength 5 battalions. during 1942 sdk clashed partisans in southern serbia. although inflicted considerable losses on partisans didn t manage crush them in southern serbia. in western serbia, sdk gendarmerie, germans , chetniks attacked kosmaj, valjevo , suvobor partisan battalions had returned bosnia. managed defeat except valjevo unit escaped through enemy lines. @ end of 1942 there 12 companies in 5 battalions , germans granted them formal recognition on 1 january 1943, officially changing designation serbian volunteer corps.

in 1943, sdk clashed partisans near požarevac, kruševac, aranđelovac , in mačva. clashed mihailović s chetniks. on 28 september, chetniks killed dušan marković, commander of 4th volunteer battalion 20 of volunteers , after miloš vojnović lautner, commander of 3rd volunteer battalion. on 15 may wehrmacht captured 4000 chetniks under major pavle Đurišić in montenegro. Đurišić sent strij camp in poland managed escape , in belgrade in november year. Đurišić captured gestapo under guarantees of nedić , ljotić released on condition put troops under sdk command. Đurišić accepted offer, formed 3 sdk regiments , became mušicki s second in command.

the partisans had meanwhile grown army of considerable strength, , summer of 1943 once again active throughout serbia. renewed activity worried responsible german commanders, since strength of occupation forces had declined considerably during relatively peaceful months of 1942. nedić aware of problem, , went see adolf hitler @ obersalzberg in hope of finding solution. meeting on 15 september 1943, , nedić managed secure agreement reinforcement of sdk 5 additional battalions, further 5 follow circumstances permitted. these measures carried out, , 20 october each of 5 independent battalions had become regiment strength of 2 battalions. training 5 new battalions took place @ respective regimental garrison locations: sdk 1st regiment in valjevo, 2nd regiment in kragujevac, 3rd in Šabac, 4th in smederevo, , 5th in kruševac. corps headquarters stayed in belgrade.

the sdk fought partisans throughout spring (attacking 2nd , 5th partisan divisions in western serbia) , summer of 1944 (in toplice , jablanice) in number of large operations. on june 21 milan nedić ordered formation of iron regiment in leskovac during formation troops escaped chetniks. 21 august 1944 five-regiment sdk had reached strength of 9,886 officers , men, , inception september 1944 had suffered 700 killed , 1,800 wounded in action.