RIO 1055 .U51 S-E -C -R--L--T U.S. Army. European Command ...

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c. FATs in the Balkans.
Because of the lack of an established front, the FATs in the
Balkans were mainly concerned with guerilla warfare. Tactical requirements
as seen by the G3 of an army group, gove rned the employment
of the Units. When regular army troo p s could not be spared for important
districts, FATs were usually dispatched instead. Their tasks were manifold
and included the safeguarding of industrial establishments, railways,
communications, ammunition dumps and the combatting of partisan bands and
their followers.
In Yugoslavia political considerations always influenced Abilehr
_activities, so it was important not to alienate any political faction.
Actually the Abwehr encouraged political rivalries and played one faction
against the other. The old hatred among Serbs, Croats, nationalists and
communists were so well fomented that organized resistance against the
Germans gave way to internal dissension. Thus the German occupation forces
became the secondary enemy instead of the primary one. Fend claims that
even more success could have been achieved along these lines had it not
been for the lack of central planning and the overbearing attitude of the
German conquerors.
d. Securing Local Aid
Most of the abler FAT leaders managed to win the assistance of
the local population in combatting the partisan bands. Contacts with the
natives were quickly established by those members who spoke both the
language and knew the customs of the people. Although it was difficult
to repay these confederates, the local G-2 office seldom appropriated any
money for that purpose. Weapons and promised spoils wereueually sufficieht
temptations. Occasionally a FAT, comprising six officers and twenty-four
enlisted men, recruited from the sabotage school of Abmehr II, Regt Kurfuerst,
or Regt 1001 zbV, actually formed and equipped several native
companies and used them for their own purposes. The execution of a task
was entirely in the hands of a FAT leader, who was also responsible for
securing the necessary special weapons and equipment. His success in
procuring supplies depended upon his popularity with Abwehr Abt LT (Leiter
Technik) or with the local QM.
e. Ferid's Organization of FAK 201 in BELGRADE
Fend arrived in BELGRAD in July 1943 to become adjutant and assistant
to Obst Lt Strojil, the commander of the newly formed FAK 201, which replaced
the former ASP II BELGRADE.. FAK 201 was attached to Heeresgrupp F and under
the tactical command of Obst Lt von Harling, G-2. The numerous Trupps of
this FAK were divided among the armies that constituted this army group,
including Heeres Gruppe E, which was an army group in name only and had its
headquarters in SALONIKA, and the 2d Panzer Army, which had no armor and had
its headquarters at VRKNIKA near BANJA.
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