WesWorld

Novosti News Service, Belgrade, 1 January 1946

The destroyer leader Beograd entered the Adriatic Shipyards today to begin a refit to increase her already formidable capabilities. The modernization will include incorporation of new electronic detection equipment, a process that will be assisted by the French technicians who have been working on the refits of the Pristina and Mostar class destroyers.


Novosti News Service, Bar, 3 January 1946

The destroyers Pristina and Podgorica returned from their post-refit trials and have resumed operational status with the fleet.

Domestic Ground Ordnance Production

M35 Service Pistol -:- 150
M43 Service Rifle -:- 22,200
M28 Machine Rifle -:- 450
M32 Machinegun -:- 300
M37 Submachinegun -:- 300
M39 Aircraft Machinegun -:- 525
M37 Tank Machinegun -:- 90
M35 Mortar -:- 120
M27/31 Mortar -:- 30
M42 Heavy Mortar -:- 240
M40 Rocket Launcher -:- 1,950
M40 Divisional Gun -:- 30
M30 Light Antiaircraft Gun -:- 60
M36 Light Antiaircraft Gun -:- 30
M40 Field Gun-Howitzer -:- 30
M32 Hand Grenade -:- 540,000
Small Arms Ammunition -:- 51,000,000
Artillery Ammunition -:- 600,000


Domestic Vehicle Production for Royal Yugoslav Army

Zastava M40 0.25-ton Truck -:- 1,300
Zastava M41 1.5-ton Truck -:- 960
Novi Sad M44 3-ton Truck -:- 450
Skoda 6LT 2-ton Truck -:- 180
Skoda 6ST 4-ton Truck -:- 120
LT.43 Light Tank -:- 70
Assault Howitzer on LT.43 Chassis -:- 36


Ordnance Imports for the Royal Yugoslav Armed Forces

M45 Mobile Coast Defence Gun : 6
M45 Siege Howitzer : 6


Imported Vehicle Deliveries for the Royal Yugoslav Armed Forces

Tatra 111 10-ton Truck -:- 118
Skoda Type 956 -:- 67


Aircraft Deliveries

Soko Orao -:- 60
Type 222 Vihor -:- 15
Type 224 Galeb -:- 12
Utva Lasta -:- 12

Radio Belgrade, Wednesday, 9 January 1946

The Ministry of Defence announced today that the armoured gunboats Drava and Drina have completed their modernisation, which has seen the installation of new electronic equipment of French design. They will be followed by the Morava and the Neretva, and thereafter the entire gunboat force.

Novosti News Service, Belgrade, Thursday, 10 January 1946

The destroyer leader Beograd completed her refit today and embarked on her shakedown cruise. She will be followed by her sisters in due course.


Radio Belgrade, Friday, 11 January 1946

Orders have been placed with the Skoda works for the delivery of an additional one hundred M37 heavy field howitzers; deliveries are anticipated to start in the autumn.

Radio Zagreb, Sunday, 13 January 1946

At yesterday’s quarterly assembly of the Navy League Chairman Vasilije Petkovic spoke approvingly of the Government’s decision to establish a new naval base at Kotor and to fortify the Gulf of Kotor in order to protect it. “Too long,” he said, “has the Government forgotten this important harbour. The decision to develop it is long overdue.”


Novosti News Service, Belgrade, Tuesday, 15 January 1946

The destroyer leader Sarejevo commenced her refit today at the Adriatic Shipyards, Bar.

Belgrade, The Ministry of Defence, Thursday, 17 January 1946

Colonel Dragoslav Milosavljevic reviewed the latest delivery projections with a sense of relief. The Army’s inventory of Triglav field cars exceeded requirements by a slim margin, and it was possible to consider transferring to the reserves some modern motor vehicles. While the same could not yet be said for other vehicle categories, the picture by year’s end was also promising. He would hold off penning a complete summary until the mid-year report but at least he could advise General Kalafatovic that things were proceeding according to plan.


Novosti News Service, Bar, Sunday, 20 January 1946

The armoured gunboats Morava and Neretva were taken in hand today by the Adriatic Shipyards for modernisation. They are expected to return to service soon as the second phase of the refit programme for the Vardar and Neretva classes.

Novosti News Service, Belgrade, Wednesday, 23 January 1946

The Ministry of Defence has announced that it will acquire the Orkan armoured reconnaissance vehicle to replace its present inventory of Nemanja armoured cars. An order for an initial quantity has been placed with options for additional vehicles. Deliveries are expected to commence in early autumn.


Radio Belgrade, Thursday, 24 January 1946

The destroyer leader Sarejavo has completed its refit and embarked upon its post-refit trials.

Privredni Vjesnik (Zagreb), Friday, 25 January 1946

The Agrokomeric firm has successfully placed an issue of debentures worth fifty million dinar with a consortium of banks in Vienna, led by the Creditanstalt. Agrokomeric will use the resultant funds to expand its present livestock and food-processing operations.


Novosti News Service, Monday, 28 January 1946

The destroyers Petrinja and Pancevo have completed their refits and have embarked on brief shakedown cruises prior to resuming their duties. Work on the modernisation of the destroyer force continues.

Novosti News Service, Tuesday, 29 January 1946

The destroyer leader Sarejevo has completed its post-refit shakedown and has been returned to operational status.


Report of the Hungarian Military Attaché, Belgrade, Thursday, 31 January 1946

There are rumours that the four Skopje-class torpedo boats presently assigned to the Royal Yugoslav Navy’s Third Striking Group are to be paid off for disposal abroad.

Radio Belgrade, Friday, 1 February 1946

The destroyer leader Zagreb has arrived at the Adriatic Shipyards in Bar to undergo modernisation and refit. The last of her class to do so she will emerge with modern electronic detection equipment and improved fire control mechanisms, rendering an already powerful vessel more effective in defending the nation against foreign enemies.


Novosti News Service, Monday, 4 February 1946

The Ministry of Defence has formally announced that the Royal Yugoslav Navy’s four Skopje class torpedo boats will be sold to the Republic of Pacifica, with the first units being turned over in April 1946.

Privredni Vjesnik, Wednesday, 6 February 1946




Novosti News Service, Saturday, 9 February 1946

The cruiser Bosna has completed her operational training and has taken up her duties with the Fleet.

Hrvatska Revija, Sunday, 10 February 1946

The Government’s recently announced plans for development of the port of Kotor, though costly, are far overdue. Since the end of the Great War the city and its environs have languished in the face of imagined threats by foreign nations; today such fears are seen for what they are – chimeras. The Gulf of Kotor is one of the finest harbours in the entire Adriatic, and the plans in hand to develop both the civil port and naval base will take advantage of that fact. The proposal to construct an aerodrome at Tivat will greatly facilitate transport to and from the region, as will the recently announced coastal packet service. But the greatest hurdle to development of the port will be its direct transport links to the rest of the country – as an artefact of the fears of two decades the region lacks rail and modern motor-road links. The Government’s plans to rectify this are quite overdue.


Radio Belgrade, Monday, 11 February 1946

The corvettes Piva and Rzav have finished their operational work-up and are now conducting exercises in the Gulf of Kotor.

Novosti News Service, Bar, Wednesday, 13 February 1946

Corvette G and Corvette H, the last of the planned Project 1944 Alpha light combatants, were completed here today and formally commissioned as Usora and Brka. They will now embark upon their trials and operational training, which is expected to last until mid-spring.


Radio Zagreb, Thursday, 14 February 1946

The armoured gunboats Sava and Odra have returned to duty following their recently-completed refits. This marks a further stage in the renovation of the Royal Yugoslav Navy.

Novosti New Service, Belgrade, Saturday, 16 February 1946

Their Majesties King Aleksandar and Queen Maria, together with the royal entourage, departed Bar today aboard the cruiser Bosna for the French port of Toulon, from whence they will travel to the Netherlands to attend the state funeral of her late majesty Queen Wilhelmina of the United Netherlands. Foreign Minister Boris Furlan is accompanying the royal party and it is expected that meetings with representatives of the French. Belgian, and Netherlands Governments are likely following the funeral observances.


Jugoslovenska Vojnik, Monday, 18 February 1946

The destroyers Kakanj and Karlovac have commenced their refits in Bar and Durrës respectively. They represent the third pair of Pristina class destroyers to undergo modernisation, and are expected to return to duty this summer.

Novosti News Service, Wednesday, 20 February 1946

The armoured gunboats Vardar and Tisa have been taken in hand for modernisation, and are expected to return to service sometime next month.


Privredni Vjesnik, Friday, 22 February 1946

With the installation of the last of the hydro-turbines at the Visegrad dam the Drina Valley hydroelectric project nears completion. The decision to double the power output of both dams had delayed completion of the system but soon the melting snows of winter will fill the reservoirs, permitting full scale operation; testing is now underway and a formal commissioning ceremony is expected for the spring.

Report of the Hungarian Military Attaché, Belgrade, Monday, 25 February 1946

Reports have been received suggesting that the Yugoslav Army has begun work on coast defence artillery positions in the Gulf of Kotor; given the announced plans for development of that place and its proximity to Italian Dalmatia, the reports are probably correct. Strenuous efforts are being made to increase the output of the M43 semi-automatic service rifle – tooling has been purchased abroad and provided to the Uzice and Igman ordnance works to increase the rate of production there. Manufacture of ammunition at all ordnance works continues at a high rate, keeping pace with the training tempo of the Yugoslav Army.

Modernisation of the ships of the Yugoslav Navy is nearly complete; most of the combatant units have been refitted with electronic systems of French origin, installed with the assistance of French technicians. The sale of the four Skopje-class units has been confirmed. Sources suggest that much of the Yugoslav Navy’s budget will be focused on developing Durrës as a naval base.

Production of the Soko Orao fighter aircraft continues at a high rate. The type is rapidly displacing the German-built Focke Wulf 190 from service, and it is expected that eventually is will replace the Soko Jastreb fighter bomber.

Novosti News Service, Thursday, 28 February 1946

The armoured gunboats Vardar and Tisa have completed their refits and have embarked upon their trials. They are the last of the ships of the Coast Defence Groups to undergo modernisation.

Radio Belgrade, Tuesday, 5 March 1946

The armoured gunboats Vardar and Tisa have resumed their duties following completion of their post-refit trials.


Novosti News Service, Bar, Friday, 8 March 1946

Their Majesties King Aleksandar and Queen Maria returned today aboard the cruiser Bosna, having attended the state funeral of Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands and the coronation of her heir, King William. Their Majesties were accompanied by Foreign Minister Boris Furlan and other Government officials, and it has been reported in the foreign press that meeting were held between Mister Furlan and his Netherlands counterparts; officially, discussions were held only with representatives of the French Government. It is expected that the Government will make a formal report shortly.

Rose, Province of Montenegro, Monday, 11 March 1946

The residents of the sleepy sea-side village were quite surprised when some of their number received notices that the Government wished to buy their properties. When the homeowners involved met with the delegation of Army officers at the village hall they found the offers of compensation quite generous – but insistent. Any holdouts would suffer confiscation; and being pragmatic fishermen for the most part, they took the money offered and would purchase one of the new houses being built by the provincial authorities, or move to Kotor, where the job market was picking up.


Jugoslovenska Vojnik, Thursday, 14 March 1946

The destroyers Petrinja and Pancevo have completed their post-refit trials and have resumed their duties with the fleet.

Novosti News Service, Belgrade, Monday, 18 March 1946