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Sava Kovačević (Cyrillic script: Сава Ковачевић) (1905 – June 13, 1943) was a Yugoslav Montenegrin Partisan commander during World War II. His death during the war was always shrouded in mystery but with the fall of communism the truth is now coming out, slowely but surely, and from unexpected sources.

Kovačević was born in Nudo, close to Nikšić, to a family of Montenegrin peasants. In his early age he worked as a blacksmith and adopted Communism, becoming a member of Communist Party of Yugoslavia in 1925. He gradually rose through the ranks of Party and became one of the Communist leaders in Montenegro. He was often arrested for his Communist activities.

After the Axis invasion of Yugoslavia, Kovačević was one of the leading organisers of uprising against Italian occupation of Montenegro. He became commander of Nikšić Partisan Detachment, deputy commander of Main Headquarters of Montenegro and finally a member of Supreme Staff of the Yugoslav National Liberation Army (YNLA).

In June 1942 he became first commander of 5th Montenegrin Brigade of YNLA. His unit took part in 1942 Bosanska Krajina Campaign - operation against NDH garrisons that brought large sections of Bosnia-Herzegovina under Partisan control. In February and March 1943, during Battle of Neretva, (German operation Weiss) Kovačević commanded his brigade in attacks on Prozor against Italians and Konjic against joined Italian-Ustasha-German defenders. On June 6, during the Battle of Sutjeska (German operation Schwarz) he became commander of 3rd Assault Division of YNLA. His division covered the rear of other Partisan units while they successfully broke through German lines. 3rd Division, also encumbered with the wounded Partisans, was less successful in its attempt of breakthrough He sometimes broke through German lines by himself.

On June 13, Sava Kovačević was killed while personally leading his men during the charge against fortified trenches of German 118th Division at Krekovi, on river Sutjeska. However this is disputed.

There are first witness reports from surviving soldiers that Sava Kovačević was assassinated under the direct orders from the Partizan Central Command and Josip Broz Tito. Several books, all written in Serbia and Montenegro, now support the findings of the last twenty years of research, thanks in part to the Russian (ex-Soviet) archives.

Owing to his humble background and habit of disregarding any privileges of the rank, Kovačević was one of the most popular Partisan commanders. He was famous for his personal courage: one of the well known episodes happened on February 20, 1943 in Ostrožac on Neretva river when he, with his Brigade commissar Dragiša Ivanović, in an unexpected encounter with a group of Italian tanks, managed to jump on tank platform, Sava on the second and Dragiša on the third of three tanks, to destroy their crews and to capture one tank each. His heroic death made him into one of the Partisan icons.

He was posthumously proclaimed People's Hero of Yugoslavia.

In 1973 film Sutjeska he was played by renowned Serbian actor Ljuba Tadić.

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• 1905 births
• 1943 deaths
• People from Nikšić
• Montenegrin soldiers
• Montenegrin partisans
• History of Montenegro
• Yugoslav military personnel killed in World War II
• Recipients of the Order of the People's Hero of Yugoslavia