Sava Kovačević

Sava Kovačević (; 25 January 1905 – 13 June 1943) deputy commander of Main Headquarters of Montenegro and finally a member of Supreme Staff of the Yugoslav People's Liberation Army.

In June 1942, he became the first commander of the 5th Montenegrin (Sandzak) Brigade of the YPLA. His unit took part in the 1942 Bosanska Krajina Campaign (Bosnian Frontier Campaign) - an operation against Independent State of Croatia garrisons that brought large sections of Bosnia and Herzegovina under Partisan control. In February and March 1943, during the Battle of Neretva (German operation Weiss), Kovačević commanded his brigade in attacks on Prozor against the Italians and Konjic against joint Italian-Ustasha-German defenders. On 6 June, during the Battle of Sutjeska (German operation Schwarz), he became the commander of the 3rd Shock Division of the Yugoslav People's Liberation Army.

Death and legacy

Sava Kovačević died on 13 June 1943, during the Battle of Sutjeska, while leading a charge against German positions held by the 118th Jäger Division at Krekovi near Nevesinje. Despite being a division commander, he took a front-line role, rallying his men with a machine gun in hand. His bravery turned him into a symbol of Partisan heroism.

His heroic death made him one of the Partisan icons. "" (Peregrine Falcon) and "Kraj Sutjeske hladne vode" (By Sutjeska, the cold water).