Case Black

Case Black
	Part of World War II in Yugoslavia
	; Map of Case Black, superimposed on modern-day borders
Date	15 May – 16 June 1943
Location	Northwestern Montenegro and southeastern Bosnia and Herzegovina, occupied Yugoslavia
Result	Inconclusive Axis failure despite heavy Partisan casualties;
Belligerents
Axis:; Italy; Germany; Croatia; Bulgaria	Yugoslav Partisans
Commanders and leaders
Alexander Löhr; Rudolf Lüters	Josip Broz Tito (WIA); Velimir Terzić; Koča Popović; Peko Dapčević; Vlado Šegrt; Pavle Jakšić; Radovan Vukanović; Sava Kovačević †
Strength
127,000 men; 300+ aircraft	Around 22,148 men
Casualties and losses
583 killed, 1,760 wounded, 425 missing; 290 killed, 541 wounded, 1,502 missing; 40 killed, 166 wounded, 205 missing; Total casualties:; 913 killed, 2,467 wounded, 2,132 missing	1/3 killed and wounded; (6,391–7,543 killed and wounded)
	2,537 pro-Partisan civilian sympathizers executed

Case Black (German: Fall Schwarz), also known as the Fifth Enemy Offensive (Serbo-Croatian Latin: Peta neprijateljska ofanziva) in Yugoslav historiography and often identified with its final phase, the Battle of the Sutjeska (Serbo-Croatian Latin: Bitka na Sutjesci pronounced [bîtka na sûtjɛst͡si]) was a joint attack by the Axis taking place from 15 May to 16 June 1943, which aimed to destroy the main Yugoslav Partisan force, near the Sutjeska river in south-eastern Bosnia. The failure of the offensive marked a turning point for Yugoslavia during World War II. It was also the last major German-Italian joint operation against the partisans.

The operation immediately followed Case White which had failed in accomplishing the same objectives: to eliminate the central Partisan formations and capture their commander, Josip Broz Tito.