Case Black Case Black ( ) , also known as the Fifth Enemy Offensive ( ) in Yugoslav historiography and often identified with its final phase , the Battle of the Sutjeska ( ) 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 . The operation immediately followed Case White which had failed in accomplishing the same objectives : to eliminate the central Partisan formations and capture their commander , Marshal Josip Broz Tito . Operation . The Axis rallied 127 , 000 land troops for the offensive , including German , Italian , NDH , Bulgarian , Greek forces under Georgios Poulos ( officially SS ) and Cossack ( in ex - Yugoslav sources also called " " Čerkezi " " , Cherkes ) units , and over 300 airplanes . The Yugoslav National Liberation Army had 22 , 148 soldiers in 16 brigade s . After a period of troop concentration , the offensive started on 15 May 1943 . The Axis troops used the advantage of better starting positions to encircle and isolate the partisans on the Durmitor mountain area , located between the Tara and Piva rivers in the mountainous areas of northern Montenegro and forced them to engage in a fierce month - long battle on waste territory . On June 9 , Tito was nearly killed , as a bomb fell near the leading group and wounded him in the arm . The popular post - war report of the event credited Tito ' s German shepherd dog Luks , for sacrificing his life to save Tito ' s . Captain William F . Stuart , a Special Operations Executive operative who was parachuted into Tito ' s headquarters alongside Captain William Deakin during May , was killed by the explosion , as well . Facing almost exclusively German troops , the Yugoslav National Liberation Army ( YNLA ) finally succeeded in breaking out across the Sutjeska river through the lines of the German 118th and 104th Jäger and 369th ( Croatian ) Infantry divisions in the northwestern direction , towards eastern Bosnia . Three brigades and the central hospital with over 2000 wounded were surrounded . Following Hitler ' s instructions , German commander in chief Generaloberst Alexander Löhr ordered their annihilation , including the wounded and the unarmed medical personnel . In addition , YNLA troops suffered from severe lack of food and medical supplies , and many were struck down by typhoid . In total there were 7 , 543 partisan casualties , more than a third of the initial force . The German field commander , General Rudolf Lüters in his final report described the so - called " communist rebels " as " well organized , skillfully led and with combat morale unbelievably high " . The successful Partisan breakout helped their reputation as a viable fighting force with the local populace . Consequently they were able to replenish their losses with new recruits , regroup , and mount a series of counterattacks in eastern Bosnia , clearing Axis garrisons of Vlasenica , Srebrenica , Olovo , Kladanj and Zvornik in the following 20 days . The battle marked a turning point toward Partisan control of Yugoslavia , and became an integral part of the Yugoslav post - war mythology , celebrating the self - sacrifice , extreme suffering and moral firmness of the partisans . Order of battle . Allied order of battle . Yugoslav Partisans ( Partisans Main Operational Group ) In Film . Battle of Sutjeska was made into a movie in 1973 , " Sutjeska " , with Richard Burton playing the lead as Josip Broz Tito , leader of the partisan forces . In song . There are several songs about the Battle of Sutjeska . One of the more popular is called Sivi Sokole which translates to Peregrine Falcon . It mentions the death of Commander Sava Kovačević . Memorial complex . Sculptor designed the memorial complex , dedicating to the Battle of the Sutjeska in the 1970s . The complex contains frescos by the Croatian artist Krsto Hegedušić .