Report on an SS unit that killed the residents of Oseveko after a partisan attack and the mistreatment of railway workers, requesting an investigation and punishment of the guilty men

Copy.
St. Qu. the 26.9.1943. to 974/43 Secret.
1st Mountain Brigade
Op. No. 1577/Secret. Kutina the 17.9.43.
Subject: Activities of the SS units in the area of Popovaca.
Ref: Day's report Op. No. 1534/Secret of the 16.9.43.
187th Reserve Division.
On the 16.9.43, an SS unit of 80 men marched from Popovaca
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to Osekovo for the compulsory purchase of cattle. I was not notified by anybody about the arrival of this unit in the technical operational area of the 1st Mountain Brigade and about the activity of this unit in the area, for which I alone am responsible.
A short time after their arrival in Osekovo this unit was attacked by partisans. Under the pressure of the numerically superior partisans, this unit had to retreat in the direction of the railway station, which they succeeded in doing, but they had four men seriously and several lightly wounded, among them the unit commander. One man was missing and they also lost an armored car. The unit comjnander then reported from Popovaca by telephone that, when he had to retreat, he had killed all persons who were in the open because he had no chance to distinguish between the loyal population and the partisans. He himself said that he killed about 100 persons in this incident.
On the occasion of my inspection of Popovaca on the 16.9.43, the officials of the railway station of Popovaca reported to me that they were tortured by the members of this SS unit and pulled about by the arms; they called them all saboteurs and did not allow them to go on to the platform so that it was impossible for them to do their work. At the same time, the officials told me that they could not put up with this and that they would be forced to leave their jobs if an end were not put to this soon, because under such circumstances they are not able to carry out the job entrusted to them, for which they are responsible to the authorities.
In the above mentioned day's report, it is announced that the raid on this SS unit is due mainly to the fact that I received no notification of the arrival of this unit in my operational area. If I had been notified of this, I could have organized the whole task in such a manner that a surprise attack by the bands would have been impossible. .
The behavior of this unit towards the railway officials and the killing of the population in the area of Osekovo without distinction is in any case making a very unfavorable impression on the population. .
In order to keep respect for the members of the German guarding forces at the desired level, and so that proof is given of the complete cooperation between the allied German and Croatian armed forces, I request that on the occasion of this incident an investigation be begun with all urgency and that the guilty ones be made to answer for it. At the same time I request that steps be taken to notify me in good time of the entry of all units and I
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request that all service offices be instructed to cooperate with me if they enter my operational area.
Brigade Commander, Pericic Colonel.
Certified Copy. [Signature Illegible] Captain.