Documentary Evidence of Krunoslav Draganovic's Ustase Activity
Father Krunoslav Draganovic, one of the main operatives on the Ratline, kept detailed lists of the "refugees" granted hospitality and a place of refuge at the monastery of San Girolamo, Rome. Army Counter-Intelligence Corps Agent William Gowen obtained these lists, which included the Ustase suspects' real names as well as their aliases. After making copies, Gowen wrote up a lengthy memorandum and sent four copies to his superiors. None have ever been found, but one of the agents who received a copy of the list was Naples CIC Agent Robert Clayton Mudd. The following document summarizes Gowen's memorandum and draws attention to several Ustase war criminals wanted by the Allied authorities on Draganovic's lists. Coming as it does after the famous instructions from Gowen's superiors to keep his "hands off" of Pavelic and other Ustase leaders in Rome, it is possible to speculate that this report represented the last attempt by CIC agents still "in the dark" of the American plans to rescue Pavelic and Co. to inform their superiors of the vast extent of the Nazi and Ustase smuggling network that Father Draganovic - and, unknown to Mudd and Gowen, those same superiors - had put into operation.

 

COUNTER INTELLIGENCE CORPS
TRIESTE UNITED STATES TROOPS
APO 88, US ARMY

 

y-3109
5 September 1947

 

SUMMARY OF INFORMATION

SUBJECT: DRAGANOVIC, Krunoslav
RE: Documentary Evidence Involving SUBJECT with Ustasha Activity at the San Girolamo Monastery, Rome.

1. Attached photostats of personal files and documents of the Croat Nationalist priest DRAGANOVIC, Krunoslav procured in Rome indicate clearly his involvement in aiding and abetting the Ustashi to escape into South America. The documents also indicate his connections with Ustasha personnel, a fact which DRAGANOVIC has formally denied personally to this Agent. (Photostats to G 2 TRUST only).

2. The first list includes the nominal role of all Croats who are fed, clothed, housed and otherwise provided for by the Monastery of San Girolamo, but it also includes the names of several long sought after Jugoslav War Criminals whose presence in the Monastery and whose sponsorship by the Vatican DRAGANOVIC has consistently denied.

3. The names of the following Ustashi War Criminals are to be noted on this list:

DEVCIC, Ivan Serial 351
DOSEN, Drago " 389
IMPER, Dragutin " 639
JURKOVIC, Blaz " 705
MARKOVIC, Josip " 1018, 1019, and 1020
MAVREK, Stanko " 1062
ORSANIC, Ante " 1176
PAVICIC, Ante " 1208
RUKAVINA, Ante " 1407
SEKULIC, Ivan " 1444
SRNAK, Rudolph " 1484
SREDL, Josip " 1627
VLAHOVIC, Ante " 1773
[illegible], Dusan " 1841
BELOBRAJDIC, Leopold " 109
DJAK, Jakob " 370 (believed to be alias of DJAL, Jakov)
BIOSIC, Josip " 136
DOBRENIC, Stjepan " 376
BARANOVIC, Ante " 70
MATAJA, Milan " 1047

 

4. The second series of photostats indicates that DRAGANOVIC and the Monastery were doing their utmost to get immigration visas for Croat sailors in answer to the offers of several Central and South American countries to accept certain specified amounts of qualified sailors and maritime men. However, on this list are known names of compromised people.

5. The Third List written in Spanish contains the names of 115 Croats with all their personal particulars. These 115 people have all expressed a desire to emigrate to ARGENTINA. It is very possible that this list of individuals have already shipped to the Argentine and it must be assumed that in the majority they are compromised Ustashi personalities with aliases. It seems only reasonable to assume that the more important personages will be, or would have been shipped out first.

6. Enclosed herewith also are the photographs of documents containing the pertinent data on such Ustasha personalities as BARIC, Vice, Kren, Vladimir, alias KRENMIR, Vladimir, BABIC, Ivan, HIBL, Josip alias HUBL, Josip, KAMBER, Dragutin alias KAMBER, Blaz, PAVICIC, Ante alias PAVICIC, Anton, SARIC, Ivan, SUSIC, Lovro alias SUSIC, Marijan, VRANCIC, Vjekoslav alias VRANIC, Petar.

 

COMMENTS:

7. Ref para 3 identification and background of personalities mentioned here are contained in CIC TRUST SOI y-3097 dtd 22 August 1947.

8. Photostats attached were obtained by Special Agent WILLIAM GOWEN of the Rome CIC Detachment and passed on to this Agent for use and evaluation.

 

[signed]
ROBERT C. MUDD
Special Agent, CIC

APPROVED: WILLIAM W. TYNG
Chief CIC TRUST
DISTRIBUTION:
G-2 Trust (2)
G-2 MTOUSA (2)
Rome CIC (1)
Chief CIC (1)
File (1)

 

:: filing information ::
Title: Documentary Evidence of Krunoslav Draganovic's Ustase Activity
Source: CIA, declassified September 12, 1983
Date: September 5, 1947 Added: April 6, 2003