I guess it's better writing here, hoping to find people knowing more of the subject. Recently i came across some interesting lines of text concerning the passage of ships and boats from the exiled Yugoslavian Royal Navy to the Partisan Yugoslavian Navy. While most ships were transfered around August 1945 (so after the end of hostilities) one detail it's this:
On 7 March 1945, the king dissolved the government and disbanded the armed forces, proclaiming Tito's Partisans on the ground to be the sole legitimate government and military. In March 1945, all Royal Yugoslav vessels assembled at Ancona in preparation for the handover to Tito's forces, which occurred in August.
So... first of all the Royal Navy was nominally dissolved at that date, while this probably left the ships in a sort-of "limbo", there is a couple of war episodes happend AFTER this date.
In mid-March 1945 2nd squad received orders to return from Livorno to Malta. Previously, the British decided that all eight ships cede RM NLA. Crews were given the choice - or to voluntarily join the NLA and return to Yugoslavia, or to accept exile. After the royalists abandoned ships, 4 Higgins and yacht "White Eagle", renamed "mountain" under the new Yugoslav flags were sent to Ancona, with a mission to combat cooperation in operations liberation of the Dalmatian coast. During April, the remaining 4 ships joining battalion in Ancona for the first time actively cooperate with the partisan forces during the attack on the island of Rab and Krk. Meanwhile, members of the unit who had remained loyal to the royal crown, were transferred from Malta to Alexandria, where they are discharged from active service.
These lines seems to indicate that Indeed the "Beli Orao" support ship and four (later all) of the "Higgins" PT-201,204,207, 208, 209, 211, 213 and 217
indeed OPERATED for the Partisan Navy since April 1945! First questions: it is known exactly which crafts first joined in March and which during April?
There are known details of the Higgins operations in April around Rab and Krk islands?
I may guess the crafts retained the old American names, rather than having already the "MTP-1 to MTP-8" official early Yugoslavian naming, likely assigned only in August 1945
Personally i think to have found a single surface action that involved these crafts:
(German text 1)
- 17./18.04.1945 Angriff des brit. MTB 409 auf einen Verband mit 3 MFP und 5 Leichtern bei Umago (südl. Triest.). Ein MFP wird mit Torpedos versenkt. Einen 2. Anlauf unternehmen 2 jugosl. MGB 217 und 207, letzteres wird durch Abwehrfeuer des Gegners beschädigt (1 Toter). Der Angriff wird daraufhin abgebrochen.[2]
(German text 2):
16./17.04.1945 Britisches MTB 409 (zusammen mit den jugosl. Booten PC 217 und 207) torpediert bei Umago (Istrien) einen Verband von 3 MFP und 5 Leichtern, und versenkt 1 MFP. In einem 2. Anlauf liefern sich die jugoslawischen Boote ein Gefecht mit den MFP.
Auf PC 207 Treffer und Verwundete, woraufhin sich die jugosl. Boote zurückziehen.[2]
Contrary to the British claim, no German MFP is so-far reported sunk or damaged in action. The overhall actions seems a British-Yugoslavian failure, even if obviously it was just a minor skirmish, even if costed the life of 1 seaman.
I have found a further British description of the event that seems however contraddictory!
Back in action, Holloway distinguished himself when on 16 April 1945, as flotilla commanding officer of the 28th in HM MTB 409, he attacked a convoy of German E-boats ("Enemy war motor boats") and barges, sinking one of them. He had to take special care since he had under his command two Royal Yugoslav Navy motor gunboats and was under orders not to let their crews be captured by their opponents, the partisans of Marshal Tito. The MTBs worked with both these factions, Tito's men often serving as ship's pilots. In the same week, on 11 April, Holloway had been one of the skippers, in three MTBs under Charles Jerram, who sank five heavily armoured Flak lighters (cargo and troop-carriers with anti-aircraft guns) with six torpedoes, each MTB having only two.
I suspect this line of text came out after some subsequent Cold-War era writing: the line is questionable because de-facto the Yugoslavian Royal Navy was no more, and the British (and the King) seems to endorse the transfer. Moreover the text include abundant over-claim that cannot be fully proved.