UNEARTHING WW2: German Mountain Fortress on Croatia's Peljesac ( St. Elias / Sveti Ilija )

St.Elias/Sveti Ilija, 961m high peak on the Peljesac Peninsula, the second largest peninsula on the Croatian side of the Adriatic coast. Today, it is a premier hiking destination with one of the best views of the Mediterranean. Visited by thousands of hikers/tourists, especially during the summer months, who are not aware, as the residents living on the foothill of the St.Elias massif, that only eight decades ago, the top of the mountain was a crucial German Army strongpoint, overlooking the Peljesac channel between the island of Korcula, as well as the Neretva channel between Peljesac, island of Hvar, and the mainland. After the capitulation of Italy, the German Army started operations with the aim of seizing the whole eastern Adriatic coast to ensure the safe coastal maritime traffic along the coast from Greece and Albania to northern Adriatic ports like Trieste. At the end of October 1943. They commenced operation "Herbstgewitter 1", expecting to occupy the peninsula in one to two days. The operation lasted 21 days and was completed when the members of the 750th Regiment of the 118th Wehrmacht Division climbed the top of 961m high St.Elias ( Sveti Ilija ). After seizing Peljesac, one American plane will crash on the foothold of St.Elias on December 2nd, 1943. And the pilot will be saved by the local Partisans. On December 22, 1943. Germans commenced operation "Herbstgewitter 2", the landing on the island of Korcula. The other plane crashed into remote parts of the massif. This time, it was the German plane, and the Germans would never know that their plane crashed there. I found that crash site in January 2021. , but that's another story. Sometime with a beginning of 1944. The Germans formed a strong artillery and reconnaissance position at the very top. They used S-mines ( Bouncing Betties ) and barbed wire to secure their position. They had at least one 7.5cm cannon up there, and I found evidence that it was a "Skoda" M.15 75mm cannon. They also had an 8cm mortar and at least one 2cm Flak. The whole idea was to protect this part of Peljesac against Partisan and Allied intrusions from the island of Vis, and to defend against possible Allied landing from Italy. CHAPTERS: 00:00 - 00:35 - INTRO 00:36 - 03:02 - St.Elias/Sveti Ilija 961m 03:03 - 03:32 - Operation "Herbstgewitter" 03:33 - 05:13 - establishing the stronghold 05:14 - 06:45 - Cave and the ammunition 06:46 - 10:32 - S-mine, Bouncing Betty, SMi 35, SMi 44 anti-personnel mine 10:33 - 12:42 - 75mm WW2 cannon Škoda M.15 7.5cm 12:43 - 13:44 - German WW2 8cm mortar and 2cm Flak 38 13:45 - 15:07 - Foggia Airfields and American plane on Peljesac 15:08 - 16:42 - logistics and Italian prisoners 16:43 - 17:46 - 118th Division, War Crimes 17:47 - 18:19 - I found a German plane after 78 years 18:20 - 19:28 - life of the German soldier 19:29 - 20:42 - the conclusion #UnearthingWW2 #NaziStronghold #GermanFortress #StElias #SvetIlija #WarCroatia #Peljesac #Exploration #warhistory #VisitOrebic