latter massacres, they killed thousands of defenceless Bosnian Serb civilians and threw their bodies into the Drina river. Francetić was rumoured to have ordered the killing of more than 3000 of those massacred in these operations. Francetić earned his only military education and officer rank while serving in the Royal Yugoslav Army. He became a non-commissioned officer in the rank of sergeant. Regarding Francetić's military experience and knowledge, Eugen Dido Kvaternik wrote: "He did not have basic military knowledge and military education, nor did he have any talent for basic military organization." After establishment of the Independent State of Croatia in April 1941 Francetić and 10 others organized the Black Legion. Francetić became the leader of the Black Legion and earned the rank of colonel in the Ustaša army. Kvaternik believed Francetić "a born guerrilla and a son of our mountainous Herzegovina", which was sufficient reason to elevate him to military leader in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Commencing on 31 March 1942, and against German wishes, Francetić launched an independent offensive against the Partisans and Chetniks in eastern Bosnia. The Black Legion quickly captured Drinjača, Vlasenica, Bratunac and Srebrenica from the Partisans and defeated larger Chetnik forces led by Major Jezdimir Dangić. Francetić also led the Black Legion during the joint German-Italian-Ustaša offensive Operation Trio in eastern Bosnia in April to June 1942, and according to the overall commander, General Bader, the Black Legion "significantly aided the success of the joint offensive". In May, the Black Legion massacred about 890 Serbs and Jews from Vlasenica after raping women and girls. As justification for the mass killing of Bosnian Serbs and Jews, Francetić cited "the propaganda of 'the Jewish communist hydra'", which had succeeded in "misleading a majority of the Serb Orthodox population in eastern Bosnia into committing 'criminal acts against the state.'" Francetić stated that "the most drastic means" would have to be employed against them. Francetić personally arrested and interrogated prominent Serbian and Jewish leaders, and ordered the murders of some of them. Francetić turned his own Sarajevo apartment into a prison kitchen/laundry room. The Ustashe's savagery against Serbs and dissidents reportedly prompted the German command to demand that Francetić, as the commander of the 1st Brigade Black Legion, be dismissed. Pavelić refused, promoting Francetić to commander of all Ustashe field formations. Death Francetić died on either 27 or 28 December 1942, aged 30. While flying to Gospić on 22