Axis order of battle for the invasion of Yugoslavia The invasion of Yugoslavia commenced on 6 April 1941 . It was spearheaded by the German 2nd Army , with elements of the 12th Army , a panzer group and an independent panzer corps combined with overwhelming " Luftwaffe " support . The 19 German divisions included five panzer division s , two motorised infantry divisions and two mountain divisions . The German force also included three well - equipped independent motorised infantry regiments and was supported by over 750 aircraft . The Italian 2nd Army and 9th Army committed a total of 22 divisions and 666 aircraft to the operation . The Hungarian 3rd Army also participated in the invasion , with support available from over 500 aircraft . German . German Army and " Waffen - SS " . 2nd Army . The German 2nd Army was commanded by " Generaloberst " ( General ) Maximilian von Weichs , and consisted of one panzer , one mountain , and two infantry corps , and was assembled in southwestern Hungary and southeastern Austria . The LII Infantry Corps suffered significant delays in deploying to its assembly area and was initially held in reserve . The 2nd Army comprised : 12th Army . The German 12th Army was commanded by " Generalfeldmarschall " ( Field Marshal ) Wilhelm List , and consisted of one mountain , one infantry and one panzer corps . Most of the 12th Army was deployed along the Bulgarian - Greek border in preparation for the invasion of Greece , and of the corps commanded by List , only " General der Panzertruppe " ( Lieutenant General ) Georg Stumme ' s XL Panzer Corps was committed to the invasion of Yugoslavia . For the first phase of the invasion of Yugoslavia , List also commanded the First Panzer Group . The XL Panzer Corps comprised : First Panzer Group . The German First Panzer Group was commanded by " Generaloberst " Paul Ludwig Ewald von Kleist , and consisted of one infantry and one panzer corps , which assembled northwest of Sofia , Bulgaria . While it was subordinated to the First Panzer Group , the XI Infantry Corps did not participate in the invasion of Yugoslavia . The XIV Panzer Corps comprised : XLI Panzer Corps . The German XLI Panzer Corps was commanded by " General der Panzertruppe " ( Lieutenant General ) Georg - Hans Reinhardt , and was an independent command that assembled near Timisoara , in western Romania . It comprised : German Air Force . The German Air Force ( ) operated out of bases in Austria , Romania and Bulgaria during the invasion of Yugoslavia . In total , the Germans had over 750 aircraft available to support the invasion of Yugoslavia , more than half of which were positioned in Bulgaria to support the simultaneous invasion of Greece . In total , the Germans fielded 257 fighter aircraft , 56 heavy fighter s , more than 300 dive bomber s , 95 light bomber s , 26 medium bomber s and 23 reconnaissance aircraft . In addition , a reconnaissance squadron equipped with Henschel Hs 126 two - seater reconnaissance aircraft was attached to most of the corps headquarters and every panzer division of the German ground forces . 4th Air Fleet . The " Luftwaffe " 4th Air Fleet ( IV ) was commanded by " General der Flieger " ( Lieutenant General ) Alexander Löhr , and had its headquarters in Vienna , and direct command units based on airfields in western Austria . These units included one squadron ( ) of the 121st Reconnaissance Group ( 121 ) , the entire 51st Bomber Wing ( 51 , KG 51 ) , and four bomber groups ( ) drawn from the 2nd , 3rd and 4th Bomber Wings ( KG 2 , KG 3 and KG 4 ) . In total , the 4th Air Fleet had 25 medium bombers , 95 light bombers , 38 dive bombers and six reconnaissance aircraft available in Austria to support the invasion of Yugoslavia . Air Command Graz . Air Command Graz ( ) was commanded by " Oberstleutnant " ( Lieutenant Colonel ) Karl Christ , commander of the 3rd Dive Bomber Wing ( 3 , StG 3 ) . It was located in Graz , Austria , and consisted of the headquarters and II Group of StG 3 , the headquarters and II Group ( ) of the 54th Fighter Wing ( 54 , JG 54 ) ( less one squadron ) , and I Group of the 27th Fighter Wing ( JG 27 ) . In total , Air Command Graz had 54 fighters , 1 medium bomber and 35 dive bombers available to support the invasion of Yugoslavia . Air Command Arad . Air Command Arad ( ) was commanded by " Oberstleutnant " Clemens Graf von Schönborn - Wiesentheid , commander of the 77th Dive Bomber Wing ( StG 77 ) . With its headquarters in Arad , Romania , it consisted of the headquarters , I and III Groups of StG 77 , headquarters , II and III Groups of the 77th Fighter Wing ( JG 77 ) , III Group of JG 27 , and I Group of the 26th Heavy Fighter Wing ( 26 , ZG 26 ) . In total , Air Command Arad had 77 fighters , 31 heavy fighters and 68 dive bombers available to support the invasion of Yugoslavia . Its units were : VIII Air Corps . The VIII Air Corps ( VIII ) was commanded by " General der Flieger " Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen , who had operational control of all air operations . With its headquarters in Gorna Dzhumaya , it was based at various airfields in western Bulgaria , and consisted of one squadron of the 11th Reconnaissance Group , the headquarters , I and II Groups of the 2nd Dive Bomber Wing ( StG 2 ) , I Group of StG 3 , the headquarters , II and III Groups of the 27th Fighter Wing , a fighter group and a ground attack group from the 1st Demonstration Wing ( 1 , LG 1 ) , and a reinforced dive bomber group from the 2nd Demonstration Wing . In total , the VIII Air Corps had 126 fighters , 25 heavy fighters , more than 160 dive bombers and 17 reconnaissance aircraft available to support the invasions of both Yugoslavia and Greece . Its units were : X Air Corps . The 10th Air Corps ( X ) was based in Sicily , and consisted of four bomber groups , one heavy fighter group and one fighter squadron with a total of 168 aircraft . It was available to provide on - call support to the 4th Air Fleet as required . Italian . Royal Italian Army . The Italian 2nd Army and 9th Army committed a total of 22 divisions to the operation . 2nd Army . The Italian 2nd Army ( ) was commanded by " Generale designato d ’ Armata " ( acting General ) Vittorio Ambrosio , and consisted of one fast ( ) corps , one motorised corps and three infantry corps , and was assembled in northeastern Italy . It comprised : 9th Army . The elements of the Italian 9th Army ( ) that were involved in the campaign were commanded by " Generale d ’ Armata " ( General ) Alessandro Pirzio Biroli , and consisted of two infantry corps and some sector troops assembled in northern Albania . It comprised : Royal Italian Air Force . The Royal Italian Air Force ( ) operated out of bases in southeastern and northeastern Italy and Albania during the invasion of Yugoslavia . In total , the Italians had 666 aircraft available to support the invasion , 229 of which were positioned in Albania to also support the German invasion of Greece . These aircraft comprised 318 fighter aircraft , 40 dive bombers , 178 medium bombers , 12 floatplane naval bombers and 118 reconnaissance aircraft . 2nd Air Fleet . The headquarters of the 2nd Air Fleet ( ) was at Padua , in northeastern Italy . It comprised two fighter wings , two bomber groups and three reconnaissance groups . In total , the 2nd Air Fleet had 91 fighters , 29 medium bombers and 49 reconnaissance aircraft available to support the invasion of Yugoslavia . The 2nd Air Fleet comprised : 4th Air Fleet . The headquarters of the 4th Air Fleet ( ) was at Bari , in southern Italy . It comprised two fighter groups , four bomber wings , one combined bomber and naval bomber wing , three bomber groups and one dive bomber group . In total , the 4th Air Fleet had 87 fighters , 20 dive bombers , 149 medium bombers and 12 naval bombers available to support the invasion of Yugoslavia . The 4th Air Fleet comprised : Air Command Albania . Air Command Albania ( ) comprised five fighter groups , one dive bomber group equipped with German Junkers Ju 87B " Stuka " aircraft , and eight reconnaissance squadrons . In total , the Italians had 140 fighters , 20 dive bombers and 69 reconnaissance aircraft available in Albania to support the invasions of Yugoslavia and Greece . Air Command Albania comprised : Royal Italian Navy . Three destroyer s of the Royal Italian Navy ( ) were deployed into the Adriatic in direct support of the invasion , and other units were tasked to suppress the Royal Yugoslav Navy . Hungarian . Royal Hungarian Army . The Hungarian Army ( ) committed seven brigade s to the invasion force , all drawn from the Mobile , IV or V Corps of " Altábornagy " ( Lieutenant General ) Elemér Gorondy - Novák ' s 3rd Army . The 1st Parachute Battalion was also earmarked for airborne operations , and the I and VII Corps were held in reserve . The Hungarian invasion force was deployed along the Yugoslav border largely between the Danube and the Tisza . The invasion force consisted of : Royal Hungarian Air Force . At the commencement of the invasion , the Royal Hungarian Air Force ( , MKHL ) had 536 aircraft in its inventory . Six fighter squadrons and three bomber squadrons of the 1st Air Brigade of the MKHL were deployed in the southern areas of Hungary . The MKHL had the following types of aircraft in service at the time of the invasion : The Hungarians also had a small number of locally made Repülőgépgyár Levente II training and liaison aircraft , various German and Italian trainer aircraft , and four Savoia - Marchetti SM . 75 paratroop transports .