Vrkljan Andro: Hrvatski Argonauti 20. stoljeća

Andro Vrkljan: Croatian Argonauts of the 20th Century

History of the Croatian Naval Legion on the Black Sea

Book "Croatian Argonauts of the 20th Century: History of the Croatian Naval Legion on the Black Sea 1941-1944." it was created based on the handwriting of its commander, the battleship captain Andre Vrkljan. Vrkljan's "war diary" was created during the 70s and 80s of the 20th century based on memories, notes, research and correspondence with former legionnaires.

This is the first time that a comprehensive work about this unknown episode from the Second World War has appeared in the Croatian public.

After the attack of Nazi Germany on the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941, the Independent State also joined the fighting in the East. Croatia. Although he did not officially declare war on the Soviet Union, the head of the NDH, Ante Pavelić, sent volunteer units gathered under the collective name of the Croatian Legion to the eastern battlefield. Thus, they joined the numerous units that German allies or occupied European countries sent to help Hitler's campaign against Bolshevism, as interpreted by Nazi propaganda.

The Croatian Legion consisted of land, air and naval units. The Croatian Naval Legion, or the Croatian Naval Department, was sent to the Black Sea. Already on July 17, 1941, the first group of 120 sailors left Zagreb for the Black Sea. During 1941 and 1942, three more groups were sent, and around 250 Croatian sailors served on the Black Sea. Croatian sailors received fishing boats from Soviet war booty. They were often defective, so they had to sail under sail. Therefore, they called themselves the "Argonauts of the 20th century".

Croatian sailors on the Black Sea performed patrol and escort service, cleared mines, laid their own minefields and built and maintained port barricades. During 1943, a large part of the legionnaires of the Croatian Naval Department on the Black Sea were sent for training on specialist courses in Germany and other occupied countries. Upon their return, the Croatian Naval Legion received new ships for hunting submarines (Kriegsfischkutter/KFK). 12 fighters from the 23rd submarine hunter flotilla (23rd U-Jagdflottille) were taken over, and they were given the designations Uj 2301 to Uj 2312.

The main task of the Croatian legionnaires during 1944 was to chase Soviet submarines, in which they proved to be very skilled, especially frigate lieutenant Josip Mažuranić and the crew of the ship Uj 2303. The Croatian Naval Department returned to Zagreb on May 21, 1944, where it was given a festive welcome. It was officially abolished on May 23, 1944, and individual legionnaires or groups were sent to serve in various places as the core of the NDH Navy.