 By September 1944 , Ostojić had been promoted to lieutenant colonel , and was the Chetnik area commander in eastern Bosnia . In early September 1944 , as Mihailović had been removed as Minister of the Army , Navy and Air Force with the demise of the <unk> government @-@ in @-@ exile , Ostojić tried to make contact with Allied forces in Italy , and agreed with Lukačević to issue a proclamation to the people explaining that they were going to attack the Germans . After 12 September 1944 , when King Peter called for all in Yugoslavia to rally around Tito , he and Baćović warned Mihailović that their men were losing their will to fight the Partisans . Concerned that the Russians would hand the Chetniks over to the Partisans , he then contacted the United States Office of Strategic Services ( OSS ) liaison officer with the Chetniks , Colonel Robert H. McDowell , but was unable to arrange for the Chetniks to be placed under American command . 
