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On April 10, 1941, during the Yugoslav operation of Germany, Italy and Hungary, a puppet " Independent state Croatia".
With the permission of the German occupation authorities, the armed forces were created in this state, called the Croatian domobranstvo (Hrvatsko domobranstvo or abbreviated Domobrani- Croatian Self-Defense Forces), which consisted of three types of troops:
- Croatian army Hrvatska vojska);
- naval forces Mornarica Nezavisne Države Hrvatske);
- air Force ( Zrakoplovstvo NDH).
About 3,500 Croatian "Volksdeutsche" were sent to the 7th SS Mountain Division "Prince Eugene".
In addition, the SS division "Handshar" (1st Croatian) and the 23rd mountain division of the SS "Kama" (2nd Croatian), as well as other units, were formed from the citizens of Croatia.
In this article we will talk about the uniform of the Croatian army in 1941-1945.
Initially, the army of the Independent State of Croatia used the uniform of the Yugoslav Royal Army with Croatian symbols - the national tricolor.
Later, a special committee was created, whose duties included the creation of a new military uniform for the Independent State of Croatia.
On June 13, 1941, the new uniform was officially presented, but due to the fact that it was necessary to sew thousands of copies of the new uniform, the old uniform continued to be used for some time.
However, production required amount It was not possible to establish a new uniform, therefore, in 1944, German-style uniforms appear more and more often in the Croatian army.
Military ranks have also changed.
The table below shows the new Croatian military ranks in relation to those of the Yugoslav Royal Army:
| Croatian army | Yugoslav army |
| General of Infantry, Artillery, Cavalry | Army General |
| Submarshal (Lieutenant General) (Podmaršal (General-poručnik)) | Divisional general (Diviziski đeneral) |
| Major General (General) | Brigadier General |
| Colonel | Colonel |
| Lieutenant Colonel (Podpukovnik) | Lieutenant Colonel (Potpukovnik) |
| Major (Bojnik) | Major |
| Senior Captain (Nadsatnik) | Captain 1st class (Kapetan l. klase) |
| Captain | Captain 2nd class (Kapetan ll. klase) |
| Lieutenant (Nadporučnik) | Poruchnik |
| Second Lieutenant (Poručnik) | Lieutenant (Potporučnik) |
| Non-commissioned officer 2nd class(Časnicki namjesnik) | Narednik 1 class (Narednik-vodnik l. klase) |
| Staff sergeant (Stožerni narednik) | Narednik 2nd and 3rd class (Narednik-vodnik ll. i 111. kl.) |
| Sergeant | Narednik 1 and 2 classes (Narednik l. i ll. klase) |
| Junior Sergeant (Vodnik) | Podnarednik 1 and 2 class (Podnarednik l. i ll. klase) |
| Corporal (Razvodnik) | Corporal (Kaplar (s vise od 6 mjeseci službe)) |
| Corporal (Desetnik) | Corporal (Kaplar (s man je od 6 mjeseci službe)) |
| Private (Domobran) | Redov |
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Buttonholes of the Croatian army, 1941-1945: |
| Information: |
The buttonholes of the generals were red.
The following military colors have been defined:
| type of army | color |
| generals | red |
| General Staff officers | red with black velvet trim |
| infantry | bright red |
| artillery | fiery red |
| cavalry | yellow |
| technical troops | light green |
| military judges | violet |
| quartermaster officers | cherry velvet |
| military doctors | dark brown velvet |
| medical service | light beige |
| military veterinarians | gray velvet |
| pharmacists | light brown |
| financial service | light blue |
| mountain rangers | green |
| warehouse officers | light gray |
| armored troops | black |
Soldiers, non-commissioned officers and officers wore emblems in pettits in accordance with their branch of service. At the same time, for privates, non-commissioned officers and junior officers they were silver, for senior officers they were gold.
The generals did not wear emblems.
As a headdress, generals and officers wore a cap with a high German-style crown, a black visor and twisted gold (for generals) and silver (for officers) cords.
Since 1943 non-commissioned officers began to wear caps.
Their cord color was green.
On June 9, 1942, a new form of twisted chin cords was introduced: the color became "aluminum gray", and the width became 1.8 cm for senior officers, and 1 cm for junior ones.
For generals, the chinstring has not changed.
The directive of November 28, 1942 determined the single width of the cord - 1 cm.
In the summer, generals and officers could wear a white cap with a black visor.
The rules for wearing military uniforms, which were published in mid-1941, determined that privates, non-commissioned officers and officers should have dark green collars, and generals dark brown.
At the end of 1941, a change was made: the everyday officer uniform had a dark green collar, and the front one had a dark brown one.
Summer officer uniforms resembled winter ones, but were made of thinner fabric, and there was only one button on the wrists.
Also, officers and generals were allowed to wear a white uniform in the summer, which in reality did not happen often.
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Croatian army officers.
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| Information: Mikulan, Pogacic "Hrvatske oruzane snage 1941.-1945." |
In August 1941, a light gray-olive raincoat made of waterproof (rubberized) fabric was introduced for officers (see below).
No insignia was worn on it.
The acquisition of the raincoat was carried out at the personal expense of the officer.
Officers were also allowed to wear short leather coats and, from 1943, German-made long coats.
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Muslim captain in official winter uniform. — |
| Information: Mikulan, Pogacic "Hrvatske oruzane snage 1941.-1945." |
The Croatian army used a large number of steel helmets various types. So, in the first days of the war, these were French-made M15 "Adrian" helmets with a metal crest.
Also wide application found helmets of the German and Austro-Hungarian armies of World War I M-16, M-17 and M-18 (cavalry version), which were produced in the Kingdom under the official designation M-20.
The M-34 helmet of Czechoslovak production was also used, called the "Model Cačak" and distinguished by an ovoid shape (see below).
Of course, later German-made M-35, M-42 and M-43 helmets were also used.
As for the color of steel helmets, it was mainly olive green, although there were steel and even black.
Following the German model, the Croatian national coat of arms was applied to the right of the helmets, and the tricolor Croatian flag was applied to the left. However, it is worth noting that most Croatian steel helmets were unmarked.
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Insignia of the Croatian army, January 13 - May 15, 1945. |
| Information: Thomas, Mikulan "Axis Forces in Yugoslavia 1941-45" |
Even before the outbreak of World War II, the separatist Croatian group Ustasha ("Rebel", "Rebel") operated in Yugoslavia. The group sought the independence of Croatia. Financial assistance from Italy and Hungary, however, did not help the group achieve significant results.
In April 1941, the German army invaded Yugoslavia, the army of this country fought only thanks to Serb soldiers - Croats and Bosnians fled dozens of units. At this time, the separatists decided to take advantage of the situation and declared independence. A new state appeared on the map - Nezavisna Drzava Hrvatska. Ante Pavelic became the head of state, and Slavko Kvaternik became the commander-in-chief. On April 11, 1941, a decree was signed on the beginning of the formation of Hrvatsko Domobranstvo (Croatian troops). It was supposed to create ground forces, fleet, air force, gendarmerie, railway troops, labor services.
The new army did not have enough uniforms and weapons. Armored troops were armed only with old wedges and armored vehicles. The number of artillery pieces made it possible to create only 2 batteries in divisions. The recruitment of the army was carried out at the expense of conscripts, whose combat abilities were insignificant. In addition, a significant part of experienced officers entered the service of the German and Italian armies and the Ustasha Vojnica party armed formation.
After the attack of the Reich on the USSR, Croatia also sent to Eastern front some of their divisions. The 369th Infantry Regiment and insignificant fleet forces were sent to Russia. A larger number of Croats served in the East in the uniform of the Wehrmacht and the Italian army.
For my short story the army went through several reorganizations: November 1, 1941 and May 1, 1943. In addition, in April 1942, 1 mountain division was formed (about 17,000 people). On November 20, 1944, military units and Vojnica were merged into the Croatian Armed Forces - Hrvatske Oruzane Snage. This was done to raise morale and strengthen the army units by party fanatics. By this time, the 1st shock division becomes the strongest formation of the army.
In the spring of 1945, units of the Red Army break into the territory of Croatia. Hrvatske Oruzane Snage units retreat with the Germans. In May 1945, a significant part of the Croatian divisions surrendered to the Allies in Austria near the city of Bleiburg. After a short break, the Allies hand over the prisoners to the Yugoslav government. Here, many Croatian soldiers were executed.
The Croatian army showed itself as a weak force at the front. But to a large extent, the Croats "distinguished themselves" in the fight against the partisans, when the "brave warriors" identified entire Serbian villages.
Initially, the regiments were structurally part of the military districts. Status as of October 1941:
Sava Divisional Region (district headquarters in Zagreb):
1 Infantry Regiment - Bjeloi (location)
2 Infantry Regiment - Zagreb
3rd Infantry Regiment - Karlovac
Osijek Divisional Region (district headquarters in Osijek):
4 Infantry Regiment - Osijek
5th Infantry Regiment - Pozega
6 Infantry Regiment - Vinkovci
Bosnian Divisional Region (district headquarters in Sarajevo):
7th Infantry Regiment - Sarajevo
8 Infantry Regiment - Tuzla
9 Infantry Regiment - Travnik
Vrbas Divisional Region (district headquarters in Banja Luka):
10th Infantry Regiment - Banja Luka
11th Infantry Regiment - Sisak
12th Infantry Regiment - Otocac
Jadran Divisional Region (district headquarters in Mostar):
13th Infantry Regiment - Mostar
14th Infantry Regiment - Trebinje
15th Infantry Regiment - Knin
Units outside the command of the district:
Cavalry Regiment "Zagreb" - Zagreb and Virovitica
Separate cavalry battalion - Sarajevo
1 Motorized Battalion - Zagreb
2 Motorized Battalion - Sarajevo
The first reorganization of the army in November 194th leads to the creation of corps:
I Corps (headquarters at Sisak):
1 Infantry division (1, 2, 11 infantry regiments; 1, 2 artillery battalions)
2 Infantry Division (3, 12, 15 infantry regiments; 8, 10 artillery battalions)
Cavalry Regiment "Zagreb"
1 motorcycle battalion
1, 3 Sapper battalions
II Corps - Slovenia and Northern Bosnia (headquarters at Slavonski Brod):
3 Infantry Division (4, 6 infantry regiments; 3, 4 artillery battalions)
4th Infantry Division (5th, 8th, 10th Infantry Regiments; 6th, 7th Artillery Battalions)
2 Brigades
III Corps - Southern Bosnia and Herzegovina (headquarters in Sarajevo):
5th Infantry Division (7th, 9th Infantry Regiments; 5th Artillery Battalions)
6 Infantry divisions (13, 14 infantry regiments; 9 artillery regiments; 1-4 battalions)
1 Mountain Division (1-4 mountain brigades; 1-18 railway battalions; 21 Village Militia Bns.)
The organization changed after May 1, 1943. formed 3 corps from brigades. Garion brigades have been added.
On November 20, 1944, the Croatian Armed Forces were created. Organized 5 corps of 13 infantry, 2 mountain, 2 shock divisions, security divisions (+ Replacient Division):
By April 1945, Ustaha units formed the backbone of the army. Guard Corps "Poglavnik" (commander - General Ante Moskov)Security division "Poglavnik"
1 strike division
2nd Infantry Division
5 Infantry Division
16th Reserve Division
Mobile brigade
II Ustashe Corps (commander - General Max Luburic):
12 Infantry Division
14 Infantry Division
18 Infantry Division
III Ustashe Corps (commander - General Metzger):
3rd Infantry Division
7 Infantry Division
8 Infantry Division
9 Infantry Division
IV Ustashe Corps
4 Infantry Division
6 Infantry Division
15 Infantry Division
V Ustashe Corps (commander General Herencic):
10 Infantry Division
11th Infantry Division
13 Infantry Division
The fleet was armed mainly with torpedo boats, which constituted the customs and coast guard. All ships were divided into three groups: Northern, Central, Southern. On the Danube and the Sava there was a flotilla, which included a battalion of marines. After the capitulation of Italy in 1943, almost all Croatian ships were captured by this country.
The Air Force was armed with old Yugoslav aircraft, as well as captured French ones. The Air Force had three districts (in the region of Zagreb and Sarajevo). Aircraft were mainly used to fight Allied bombers.
The gendarmerie was created as a rural police, but it also performed the functions of fighting partisans. By the end of the war, there were about 18,000 people.
The Labor Service was established in August 1941 by German example. All men had to serve in this organization for 12 months before being called up for military service. By the summer of 1942 there were about 90,000 people here.
In addition, rural police battalions, security battalions, Muslim battalions, minor party formations, etc. were created.
The current Ukrainian crisis and attempts to resolve it are very similar to the events that played out in the territory of the former Yugoslavia in the early 1990s. Exactly 20 years ago, in August 1995, the Republic of Serbian Krajina, the unrecognized state of Croatian Serbs, was destroyed, who were trying to defend their rights to language, culture and faith in the confrontation with radical Croatian nationalists.
The confrontation between Serbs and Croats has a long history. The once united nation was once split along religious lines: the Croats, who fell under the influence of the Vatican, adopted Catholicism, the Serbs remained Orthodox.
During the First World War, the Austro-Hungarian Empire encouraged the Croats to take part in the Serbian pogroms, attracted them to punitive expeditions against the Serbs.
The darkest page of Serbo-Croat relations is associated with the Second World War, when, with the support of Nazi Germany, the puppet Independent State of Croatia was proclaimed, headed by the leader of the so-called "Ustashe" (Croatian Nazis) Ante Pavelic.
Among all Hitler's accomplices, one cannot find people more stained with blood than the "Ustashe". Against their background, even the monstrous cruelty of the crimes of Bandera fade.
"For Serbs, Gypsies and Jews, we have three million bullets"
The genocide of Serbs, Jews and Gypsies was part of public policy Croatia. As one of the leaders of the regime stated Mile Budak: “We will destroy one part of the Serbs, we will evict the other, we will transfer the rest to the Catholic faith and turn them into Croats. Thus, their traces will soon be lost, and what remains will be only a bad memory of them. For Serbs, Gypsies and Jews, we have three million bullets.”
The exact number of victims of the Serb genocide in 1941-1945, carried out by the Ustaše, is unknown to this day. According to the most conservative estimates, about 200,000 people were exterminated, but most historians believe that the number of victims is much higher and could reach 800,000 people. Up to 400,000 Serbs were expelled from their lands, and another quarter of a million were forcibly converted to Catholicism.
Most of the executioners of the Serbian people fled at the end of the war. Ustaše leader Ante Pavelic, sentenced to death by Yugoslavia, lived out his days safely in Spain, where he found refuge with dictator Franco.
It is not customary to recall the terrible fate of the Serbs during the Second World War. But the terrible atrocities of the "Ustashe" largely influenced the events that took place in the early 1990s.
"Wastelands" Tudjman
Post-war Yugoslavia Josip Broz Tito developed quite successfully, combining the socialist system with good relations with the West.
After Tito's death and with the beginning of perestroika in the USSR, national contradictions, previously suppressed by the authorities, came to the surface. Nationalist groups revived, advocating secession from Yugoslavia.
Western powers, including the United States, openly sympathized with such trends, calling them the desire for freedom.
The most difficult situation developed in Croatia, where the so-called "democratic forces" were actively supported by Croatian emigrants - the "Ustashe" who fled from retribution and their descendants.
In 1990, the head of Croatia became Franjo Tudjman. Having fought in the People's Liberation Army of Yugoslavia as a youth and rising to the rank of general in the post-war years, Tuđman eventually turned into a militant Croatian nationalist. For this, he was twice convicted and deprived of all awards.
In 1989, Tuđman released Wastelands of Historical Reality, in which he questioned the reality of the Serb genocide during the war years, and also stated that the scale of the Holocaust was exaggerated.
At a congress of the Croatian Democratic Commonwealth party, Tuđman announced that World War II Croatia was not only a Nazi entity, but also expressed the millennial aspirations of the Croatian people.
Serbian referendum
The coming to power of a person with such views, who intended to build an independent Croatia for the Croats, could not but cause rejection among the Serbs living in the republic.
The measures taken by the new authorities left no doubt about their intentions. The name of the Serbo-Croatian language was changed to "Croatian", after the name the grammatical norms were also changed. Cyrillic writing was forbidden in official correspondence and in the media. Texts on Serbian history, materials about Serbian writers and poets were withdrawn from school curricula. Serbs in government offices were forced to sign "loyalty sheets" to the new Croatian government, and "disloyal" ones were expelled. There was an active purge of Serbs from law enforcement agencies, figures of Serbian culture who lived in Croatia were forced to leave.
Among the Croatian Serbs there were many who survived the nightmare of the 1940s, those whose relatives were slaughtered by the Ustashe. Now in Croatia, the Pavelić regime was elevated to the rank of heroes, and the Serbs were again defined as second-class people who had to either leave the country or assimilate.
In August 1990, a referendum on sovereignty and autonomy was held in Kninska Krajina, a territory densely populated by Serbs in Croatia, with 99.7 percent of the participants in favor.
The water tower in Vukovar is a symbol of the beginning of the war. Photo: www.globallookpress.com
The situation in Croatia continued to deteriorate. Politicians in Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, vehemently denied the Serbs' right to autonomy, and called for an end to the "separatists" by force. In the summer of 1991, armed clashes broke out between Serbs and Croats, which escalated into a full-scale war.
Krajina vs Croatia
On December 19, 1991, all the territories of Croatia with a dense population of Serbs united into the Republic of Serbian Krajina, which declared its sovereignty. Moderate Serbian politicians advocated autonomy within Croatia, however, the longer the war went on, the more voices sounded for complete independence and the further annexation of the Serbian Krajina to Serbia.
The Serbian territories in Croatia were located at a sufficient distance from each other, the possibilities of communication were limited, which was actively used by the Croatian formations.
Despite the intervention of the UN and the introduction of peacekeepers, the hostilities did not finally stop. The Croatian army captured more and more Serbian cities and villages. International observers recorded crimes against civilians committed by Croatian formations.
Soon the conflict in Croatia was overshadowed by a similar confrontation in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It should be noted that the Croatian armed forces also fought in Bosnia, where they acted in alliance with the detachments of the Bosnian Muslims against the Christian Serbs.
Illusion of the world
In 1994, the situation relatively stabilized. In March, an armistice was signed between Serbian Krajina and Croatia. Croatian Serbs tried to establish a peaceful life. In December 1994, bilateral documents were signed on the restoration of economic ties, it was envisaged to hold negotiations on the return of refugees, the payment of pensions, and the opening of a railway connection.
The position of the international community regarding the conflict in Serbia was extremely similar to that expressed today in relation to the Ukrainian crisis. Europeans and Americans, while recognizing Croatia's right to independence, categorically denied the right to self-determination to Croatian Serbs. The so-called "Zagreb-4" plan, put forward in January 1995, provided for autonomy for the Kninska Krajina within Croatia, as well as full integration without any additional rights of other Serbian territories.
However, this option, which was an infringement of the rights of the Serbs, did not suit the official Zagreb. Franjo Tuđman believed that he could completely solve " Serbian question' without any concessions.
Photo: www.globallookpress.com
Lightning war plan
On November 15, 1994, the United States and Croatia signed an agreement on military cooperation. Within its framework, the United States provided assistance to Croatia in the training of the armed forces. Military advisers from the American private military company MPRI participated in the training of Croatian special units and guards brigades. A special intelligence center was created to collect information and listen to the negotiations of the Serbian side.
In December 1994, the Croatian General Staff began preparations for Operation Storm, which provided for the complete defeat of Serbian formations and the liquidation of the Republic of Serbian Krajina. According to Minister of Foreign Affairs of Croatia Mate Granic, the United States advised the Croatian army on the conduct of this offensive. Retired American generals, as employees of private military campaigns, did not leave Zagreb, preparing for the blitzkrieg.
The Tempest Plan called for a lightning-fast operation that would last several days, leaving no time for the international community to intervene. At the same time, it was supposed to exert political pressure on Serbia in order to prevent its intervention in the conflict.
Invasion
On May 1-3, 1995, the Croatian army carried out Operation Lightning, capturing Western Slavonia, which was part of the Republic of Serbian Krajina. The protests of the Serbs did not lead to anything - the international community responded to this aggressive act with only sluggish declarations. The military situation of the Serbian Krajina was complicated to the limit.
By the beginning of August 1995, the armed formations of the Serbian Krajina numbered from 27 to 34 thousand people, about 300 tanks, 295 infantry fighting vehicles and 360 guns large caliber.
The total number of the Croatian army at this point was approaching 250 thousand people, of which 150 thousand were involved in the actions under the "Storm" plan. More than 230 tanks, 161 armored personnel carriers and infantry fighting vehicles, 320 large-caliber guns, 26 combat aircraft and 10 combat helicopters were in service.
The 5th Corps of the Bosnian Muslim Army, numbering 25,000, also participated in Operation Storm.
At 2 am August 4, 1995 Croatian representative Hrvoje Sarinic officially announced Commander of the UN peacekeepers unit, General Janvier about the start of the operation. As a pretext for her, the Serb offensive against the Croatian-controlled city of Bihac was named, which had already stopped by that time.
At 5 o'clock in the morning on August 4, Croatian artillery and aviation dealt a massive blow to the Serbian troops, as well as to the settlements of the Serbian Krajina. Following this, Croatian "commandos" went into battle, which, while capturing UN observation posts, killed and wounded several peacekeepers.
Serbian Krajina. A Russian checkpoint on the line of division of fire between Croatian and Serb units near the town of Orolik. Photo: RIA Novosti / Vladimir Vyatkin
Fall of the Republic
During the first day of the operation, the Serbs managed to hold back the onslaught of the Croatian army, however, in the direction of the capital of Krajina Knin, the Croats managed to seriously move forward.
The next day, August 5, Knin fell. A mass exodus of refugees began from Serbian Krajina. The retreat of the Serbian units began to take on the character of flight.
On August 6, the Croatian army joined forces with the Bosnian Muslim corps. Settlements Serbian Krajina came under the control of the Croats one by one.
It became clear that without immediate intervention from the international community or military assistance to Serbia, Serbian Krajina would be defeated. Neither of these happened.
On August 7, 1995, the 11th and 19th Serbian infantry brigades were surrounded in the area of the city of Topusko. Together with the Serbian military, who took up all-round defense, 35,000 refugees fell into the "ring". Croatian general Stipetic demanded immediate surrender from the Serbs, otherwise promising to begin the destruction of everyone who was inside the "cauldron". By the end of the day, the Serbs laid down their arms in exchange for the right to evacuate to the territory of Yugoslavia.
At 18:00 August 7 Croatian Minister of Defense Gojko Susak announced the end of Operation Storm.
Over the next two days, scattered Serbian detachments continued to resist, fighting their way into the territory of the Republika Srpska in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Republic of Serbian Krajina fell.
"Germany shares the joy of military success"
In the occupied territories, the Croats began ethnic cleansing. Fleeing from persecution, up to 200,000 people fled to the Republika Srpska and Yugoslavia. Refugees often became victims of attacks and shelling by the Croats. Several hundred Serbs who were unable to leave were killed. Serbian houses and even entire villages were burned.
Directly military losses during the operation "Storm" were relatively small. The Croatian army reported 196 dead and 1,430 wounded. Serbian units lost 730 people killed, about 2500 were wounded.
During Operation Storm, 1,042 Serb civilians were killed or went missing.
The reaction of the world community to the destruction of the Serbian Krajina was ambiguous. Russia protested at the UN, and the State Duma at an extraordinary meeting adopted the laws "On Russia's withdrawal from the regime of sanctions against Yugoslavia" and "On Russia's measures to prevent the genocide of the Serbian population in Krajina." These laws, however, were vetoed President Boris Yeltsin.
US Secretary of State Warren Christopher placed the blame for the Croatian invasion on the Serbs, who he believed had provoked the Croats with their advance on Bihac. A spokesman for the German embassy in Croatia stated: "Germany shares the joy of military success with you and commends you for this war."
Milosevic's concessions ended in death in prison
The European Union condemned the seizure of Serbian Krajina, but did not take serious measures. Only made a harsh statement Swedish diplomat Carl Bildt, who was an EU mediator in negotiations between Croatia and Serbian Krajina. Bildt directly blamed Croatian President Franjo Tudjman for the incident, saying: "I heard from Croatian ministers that they plan to oust 99 percent of Serbs from Serbian Krajina."
A separate conversation about the position of Yugoslavia. The republic was connected with the Serbian Krajina by an agreement on military assistance, but did not intervene in the events. Such a decision President Slobodan Milosevic caused by pressure from the United States. As a reward for Yugoslav restraint, an easing of economic sanctions was promised.
Slobodan Milosevic's policy of concessions did not help Yugoslavia. A few years later, the United States and NATO will be torn away from Serbia by Kosovo with the help of military aggression, and Milosevic himself will be overthrown during the “Bulldozer Revolution”, accused of war crimes and killed in the prison of the International Tribunal in The Hague.
Photo: www.globallookpress.com
According to the old scheme
The success of Operation Tempest convinced strategists in Washington that the method could be applied elsewhere in the world. 13 years later, in August 2008, the Georgian army will attempt a blitzkrieg in South Ossetia according to a plan very reminiscent of The Storm. The preparation of the Georgian military for the operation will be carried out by the same specialists that previously trained the Croats.
But this time the scheme will misfire. Unlike Yugoslavia, Russia will not remain an indifferent observer, but will intervene in the conflict, preventing it from doing to the Ossetians what they did to the Serbs in Serbian Krajina.
Despite this, it is likely that the Storm Plan still remains on the desks of American military strategists. The peace plans offered to the Lugansk and Donetsk People's Republics are not too different from those offered to Serbian Krajina in early 1995.
In December 1998, Croatian President Franjo Tudjman, speaking at the opening of a military school in Zagreb, said: “We have decided the Serbian issue, there will not be more than 12% of Serbs or 9% of Yugoslavs, as it was. And 3%, how many there will be, will no longer threaten the Croatian state.”
Therefore, when speaking about the world, one must remember the Tempest. Remember that the tragedy experienced by the Croatian Serbs should not be repeated in the east of Ukraine.
Called to protect its sovereignty and independence and protect its territorial integrity. Along with this, their main task, the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia take part in international peaceful, humanitarian and other operations and missions, perform certain tasks in an environment of imminent threat and provide assistance to civil authorities and citizens in the event of natural disasters and man-made and environmental disasters.
1. Number
The total active service (professional army) is 20,000.
The number of the reserve is 12,000, of which 6,000 are in full combat readiness. Theoretically, 1,035,712 men aged 15-49 are fit for military service, of which 771,323 are actually fit for military service.
2. Structure
Structure of the Croatian Armed Forces 2009 (click to enlarge)
The Croatian Armed Forces consist of three branches: Croatian Army (Hrvatska kopnena vojska), Croatian Navy (Hrvatska ratna mornarica), Croatian Air Force and Air Defense (Hrvatsko ratno zrakoplovstvo i protuzračna obrana).
The Croatian armed forces are ready and trained for all forms of armed struggle and have some differences in the structure in peacetime and wartime. The composition of the Armed Forces in peacetime covers military personnel, civil servants and employees appointed to full-time positions in the Armed Forces, cadets, recruits and reserve soldiers when the latter are on military exercises in the Armed Forces. The composition of the troops in wartime includes, in addition to the structure of peacetime, all the soldiers of the reserve of the Armed Forces.
current organizational structure Since 2008, the Croatian Armed Forces has been based on the long-term development plans of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia and it includes the General Staff with headquarters units, the command of the branches of the Croatian ground forces, the navy and the air force and air defense, the Command of the Support Forces and the Military Academy. Petar Zrinski. The early structure of the Armed Forces of the Russian Army was based primarily on the concept of individual defense and was aimed at building and maintaining the ability to defend the country's territory and was developed on the experience of the Patriotic War. The current structure is adapted to the new tasks set before the Armed Forces in the strategic defense documents.
2.1. General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Kharkiv
The General Staff is a joint body within the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Croatia responsible for the development, organization, equipment, training and operation of the first strategic echelon (regular troops) and the second strategic echelon (reserve). The Chief of the General Staff in peacetime is responsible to the Supreme Commander-in-Chief for the Plan of Use of the Armed Forces and the military elements of combat readiness and is accountable to the Minister of Defense for the execution of orders. Since 2003, the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces has been Iosif Lutsich, who was elected for a second five-year term on February 28.
The headquarters units of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Kharkiv carry out tasks to meet the needs of the entire aggregate of the Croatian armed forces and include Honor Guard Battalion, Special Forces Battalion and Center for Electronic Intelligence.
2.2. Ground troops
BRDM of the special forces battalion
2.3. Support Force Command
This is the most important part of the logistics system, which is responsible for the implementation of logistical, medical and sanitary and partially personal support for the Armed Forces.
In addition to the Command of Support Forces, the logistic support system of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Kharkiv is also made up of other elements and subunits of logistic support in the branches, commands, units and institutions of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Kharkiv.
2.4. Air Force and Air Defense
The main task of the Air Force and Air Defense is to ensure the inviolability of the Croatian airspace and providing air support to other branches of the Armed Forces in the performance of their tasks in joint operations. Conductor and organizer of the integrated air defense of the Republic.
From where the Command of the Air Force and Air Defense - the capital of Zagreb.
2.5. Navy
Missile boat RTOP-41 Vukovar
The command of the Croatian naval forces is stationed in Split.
In addition to the tasks of protecting the integrity and sovereignty of the state, protecting and defending the Croatian coast and territorial waters, naval forces are involved in search and rescue operations, protection of maritime transport, prevention of criminal and other illegal activities in shipping, protection natural resources and environment, rendering assistance in extinguishing major fires and in eliminating the consequences of other natural and man-made disasters.
In 2008, the Coast Guard of the Republic of Croatia was created as part of the Navy.
3. High Command
The President of the Republic is the Supreme Commander of the Croatian Armed Forces in time of peace and war. The Commander-in-Chief approves the organization of the Croatian Armed Forces at the proposal of the Chief of the General Staff with the consent of the Minister of Defense.
In peacetime, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief exercises his command through the Minister of Defense. In war and in cases where the Minister of Defense does not follow orders, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief exercises command directly to the Chief of the General Staff.
In the second half of 1990, Croatian military units were born - the Volunteer Youth Units, and then the People's Guard (in the summer of 1991, 90,000 people, mostly unarmed). At the end of the spring of 1991, the first military units of the National Guard were created, founded on April 20, 1991 by Decree of the President of the Republic, which, for legal and political reasons, was formally subject to the Ministry of the Interior. In addition to the structures and units created by the state, there were also party military organizations or their embryos. The Croatian Party of Rights organized its own armed detachments - the Croatian Defense Forces (MOF), privately armed, relatively well trained and trained in terms of tactics and deployed in the most important sectors of the front. The Party of Democratic Change (reformed communists, SDP) in Istria, Littoral and Dalmatia armed their activists, as did the ruling Croatian Democratic Commonwealth in other parts of Croatia. There were also volunteer troops under the control local authorities. In some places, the maintenance system was successfully restored (for example, in Zagreb).
The command and control system was initially extremely confusing, and responsibilities were vague and unclear. There were often several different units operating on the ground, which, although they belonged nominally to the same organization, often did not have a common high command.
The main tasks of the Croatian National Guard (later the RC Armed Forces) were to counter the penetration of the Yugoslav army and other hostile forces in the main directions, the defense of cities and vital areas and the receipt of JNA barracks in their own rear. These tasks begin to be carried out more fully and systematically only after in September, according to the new law "On Defense", the armed forces are consolidated into a single Croatian army (AF of the Republic of Belarus), and on September 21, 1991, the General Staff is established, headed by General Anton Tus. Then the systemic mobilization of the reserve and the organization of units, commands and institutions, as well as the planned use of troops, begin.
6. Foreign arms suppliers
Croatia purchases military products from the following countries.
Although the Yugoslav wars began in Slovenia, the main focus of the war between 1991 and 1995 was Croatia, the land on which more than one generation of nationalists grew up ().
Death of Yugoslavia. Croatian youth are burning the Yugoslav flag to the cries of "sig-heil".
By the time of the collapse of Yugoslavia, Croatia was the second largest republic of a federal state. 4,784,300 people lived on its territory. The lion's share of the inhabitants of the republic were Croats (78.09% of the population), there were significantly fewer Serbs (12.15% of the total population), the rest of the inhabitants of Croatia were representatives of other ethnic groups. The situation was complicated by the fact that the Serbian and Croatian enclaves were mixed, which incredibly complicated the state "divorce" and subsequently led to the formation of another hotbed of tension in Serbian Krajina.
Croatia had historical ties with Austria and little experience as an independent nation state. The Croatian language was similar to Serbian, but the Croats, unlike the Serbs, used the Latin alphabet for writing and professed a different Christian doctrine - Catholicism. As a result, centrifugal forces were strong inside the republic, interested in the collapse of the SFRY and the withdrawal of Croatia from the federal state.
Of course, the bloody Croatian-Serbian conflict could have been avoided if the Croatian leadership had granted autonomy to the Serbian enclaves and respected the language and customs of the "brothers in the federation." Unfortunately, the leadership of the new Croatia was all hard-nosed nationalists who took an uncompromising attitude towards the Serbs, which led to a monstrous four-year massacre.
We have resolved the Serbian question, there will not be more than 12% Serbs or 9% Yugoslavs, as it was. And 3%, how many there will be, will no longer threaten the Croatian state.
From the speech of Franjo Tuđman at the opening of the military school "Ban Josip Jelačić" in Zagreb on December 14, 1998.
Before starting a review of the Serbo-Croatian conflict, it makes sense to take a closer look at the armed forces of the newly formed state.
CROATIAN ARMY AT THE FIRST STAGE OF THE WAR (1990-1991).
In fact, the army of independent Croatia was born on September 9, 1990. On this day, President Tudjman appointed a new Minister of Defense of the Republic - the former commander of the 5th Army of the JNA Martin Spegel. Spegel understood that in the very near future the Yugoslav army could become an enemy of the new European state. For this reason, the Croatian Minister of Defense asked for military assistance from the authorities of East Germany and Bulgaria. In less than two months, the Bulgarians handed over 10,000 AK-47s to the Croats. The Germans supplied Spegel's men with heavy handguns and rocket-propelled grenades.
Alija Siljak. One of the leaders of the Croatian HOS.
In April 1991, a group of Croatian fighters managed to take control of a tank factory in the town of Slavonski Brod and captured several M-84 tanks that had just been assembled there. Later, in the summer and autumn of 1991, during the capture of the JNA barracks, the Croats managed to get their hands on: 40 152-mm howitzers, 37 122-mm howitzers, 42 105-mm howitzers, 40 155-mm howitzers, 12 MLRS, 300 82-mm mortars and 120 mm, 180 guns ZIS-3 and B-1, 110 anti-tank guns 100-mm, 36 self-propelled guns, 174 anti-tank systems, 2000 grenade launchers, 190 tanks M-84, T-55, PT-76 and even T-34-85, 179 armored personnel carriers and infantry fighting vehicles, 180 anti-aircraft guns 20-mm, 24 ZSU M- 53/59 "Prague", 10 ZSU ZSU-57-2, 20 anti-aircraft guns, 200,000 units small arms, 18,600 tons of ammunition, 1,630 tons of fuel. With such stockpiles of weapons, the Croats could resist the Yugoslav army for several months in the autumn and winter of 1991-1992.
By April 12, 1991, the Croatian authorities had reduced all police forces to the National Guard Corps (Zbor Narodne Garde) (the fighters of these units were often called "Zengovtsy"). On May 15, the first national infantry brigade was formed, and another 13 days later (May 28, 1991) a military parade was held on the streets of Zagreb, in which 4 class A infantry brigades (active) participated. On May 30, a Special Guards Battalion appeared in Hovartia, the purpose of which was to ensure the safety of the first persons of the state. Additional R-Class Guard Brigades (reserves) were formed throughout the summer of 1991. Their target was maintenance depots controlled by the federal government.
During the summer of 1991, the Croatian government closely watched the Slovenian crisis and prepared the republic for a full-scale JNA invasion. By August 1991, the Croatian army included 4 A-class brigades and 15 R-class brigades. On September 20, the Croatian authorities carried out the next stage of the army reform. The Croatian Armed Forces (Hrvatska Vojska) were created and the republican territory was divided into 6 operational zones (from 1 to 6). Commander-in-Chief Croatian army became General Anton Tus (former commander of the Yugoslav Air Force), since Spegel fell victim to a serious conflict with Tudjman and was "promoted" to the post of inspector general of the Croatian army. In mid-autumn, numerous deserters joined the newly minted army, leaving the ranks of the JNA forever.
The first real battle between Croatian nationalists and the Yugoslav army took place in Borovoye Selo on May 1, 1991. The national flag of the SFRY, hung on the wall of the local administration, was in the center of attention of the warring parties. Armed Croats tried to get to the city center in cars and armored personnel carriers, but they ran into fierce resistance from the Serbs, drove into a pre-arranged ambush and lost 12 people killed and their commander, Stepan Boshnyak. Several dozen people were taken prisoner, including citizens of Romania and Albania, as well as a visiting figure from the USSR. Parts of the JNA were saved from the complete defeat of the Croats, who separated the participants in the skirmish "along different sides ring". However, the Serbs had no doubt that the Croats would repeat their visit very soon. In fact, the conflict over Borovo Selo became the prologue of a full-scale Serbo-Croatian war, which will be the subject of the next part of our story.
Yugoslav equipment captured in the barracks by the "Zengovites".
At the time of the outbreak of hostilities between Croatia and the SFRY, the administrative structure of the Croatian army was as follows: each operational zone was under the control of 0-2 Class A brigades; 5-16 R-class brigades, 0-11 separate guards battalions and the zonal headquarters (it included 1-2 artillery battalions, 1-2 air defense battalions, 1 engineering battalion and one military police battalion) were located on the territory of the zone. The 3rd zone providing security for Zagreb was defended twice a large number troops than any other zone (precautions proved redundant as the JNA never struck the Croatian capital). Zones 1 and 6 (Slavonia and Dalmatia, respectively) were saturated with heavy weapons, since they were supposed to hold back the onslaught of the Yugoslav troops.
By winter, the war in Croatia had reached its climax. Both sides of the conflict made full use of heavy equipment and artillery. Thousands of civilians died, and horrific rumors about torture and concentration camps being formed on both sides of the front began to seep into the Western and Russian press. The Yugoslav army experienced all the charms of the city tank battle(Vukovar), while the Croats suffered monstrous losses during the attacks against the fortified Serbian positions. Actually, neither one nor the other side of the conflict really knew how to fight. Modern combat experience no one had, and the experience of the Second World War was exclusively partisan, not very suitable for a siege war, in which artillery and tanks were actively used. Croatian and Serbian generals had to experiment right on the battlefield, which led to an unjustified increase in losses.
In December 1991, the Croatian Army had 230,000 personnel (including 180,000 Croats), both men and women, organized into 60 A and R class brigades. At the same time, 3,000 Croatian military personnel were former JNA officers. The 1st (Tigers), 2nd (Lightning), 3rd (Martens) and 4th brigades (Spiders) were formed from professional military personnel. These brigades included rapid reaction units. The remaining 56 brigades were formed from reservists and volunteers of various levels of training. In addition to this, the Croatian army included 19 separate infantry battalions, 8 artillery battalions, 11 air defense units, 7 engineer battalions and 7 military police battalions. A separate "Zrinsky" battalion of sabotage operations was attached to the Ministry of Defense. On January 20, 1992, another one was formed from the judicial personnel of the police - the 98th brigade.
According to the charter, the Croatian brigade was supposed to consist of 1,800 people, but in conditions of continuous fighting, its strength ranged from 500 to 2,500 people. Additional fighters were volunteers, mercenaries or people driven by a sense of revenge.
At the first stage of the war, the Croatian army did not have serious combat experience and often suffered heavy losses from ax blows "on the forehead" of the enemy position. For example, during the battle for the JNA barracks in Mirkovci (September 21, 1991), the Croats tried to storm the fortified Serbian position with a detachment consisting of a thousand people. Naturally, a frontal attack on a position reinforced by ZSU, tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and heavy machine guns could only end in defeat and heavy losses among the attacking troops.
Despite the lack of experience, the Croatian commanders did not suffer from the shortcomings inherent in the Yugoslav command: they did not evade the battle (“saving” the lives of their soldiers) and even more so did not hand over their weapons to a potential enemy (JNA commanders left at least 1/3 all stockpiles of weapons located on the territory of Croatia.
Soldiers of the Guards Brigade "Thunder".
Formation of reservist brigades (R - class) by months (1991):
June 1991: 100, 101, 105-110, 112-114
July 1991: 111
August 1991: 103.104
September 1991: 99
October 1991: 115, 117-119, 123, 125-134, 137-138, 145, 148-150, 153, 204
November 1991: 102, 116, 120-122, 124, 135, 136, 139-141, 143-144, 151-154
December 1991: 142, 156
Guards Brigades of the Croatian Army:
1st Guards Mechanized Brigade "Tigers" (1990-2008)
2nd Guards Mechanized Brigade "Thunder"(1991-2008) (in some sources it is called "Lightning" for some reason).
3rd Guards Brigade "Martens" (1991-2003)
4th Guards Motorized Brigade "Spiders" (1991-2008)
5th Guards Brigade "Falcons" (1992-2008)
7th Guards Brigade "Puma" (1992-2003)
9th Guards Brigade "Wolves", originally 6th (1992-2008)
The structure of brigades and battalions of the National Guard:
The motorized brigade of the National Guard included a headquarters consisting of an engineering and police company, as well as a reconnaissance, counter-terrorist platoon, as well as a communications platoon and a commando detachment. In addition to this, it included 1-4 infantry battalions,
plus mixed artillery, tank or air defense battalions.
The infantry battalion of the National Guard included a headquarters, which included a signals company and a security company, as well as an engineer, artillery and logistics platoon plus a support platoon. In addition, the battalion included 1-4 platoons of regular or volunteer infantry.
The company of the Croatian National Guard included 80+ personnel (1-4 platoons) and a supply platoon, each platoon had 1-4 squads of 12 people
The mixed artillery battalion (division) included one 105 mm howitzer and two 120 mm field guns.
The tank battalion consisted of one mechanized and two tank companies (two platoons each). A motorized brigade, as a rule, included 4 infantry and 1 artillery battalions, as well as various additional units, the composition of which depended on the tasks performed by the brigade.
Vukovar tower. Symbol of the civil war.
CROATIAN ARMY IN THE SECOND STAGE OF THE WAR (1992-1995)
In 1992, the situation on the Croatian front changed somewhat. The Serbian offensive fizzled out. In addition to this, a second "Muslim" front was opened against the Serbian army in Bosnia. The short-term truce established between Serbs and Croats in the second half of 1992 was interrupted in January 1993. New stage the war continued for another two years, while the Croats fought not only on their own land, but also on the territory of Bosnia (which did not prevent them, at the same time, from fighting together with the Serbs against the Muslims in a separate Croatian-Bosnian conflict).
By mid-1995 (that is, by the time Operation Storm began), the Croatian army was a cohesive fighting force, hardened by 4 years of hostilities and capable of achieving its goals, despite the fierce resistance of the enemy. Some researchers generally believe that in the mid-90s, the Croats had the most combat-ready army on the European continent.
After another disagreement with Tudjman, on January 22, 1992, General Anton Tus left his post. The new head of the Croatian army was General Janko Bobetko, who resigned on July 15, 1995 and transferred command to General Zvonimir Cervenko.
After the beginning of the truce (1992), the Croats formed 12 brigades: 2 in the 1st operational zone (157 and 160), 5 in the 3rd operational zone (98, 161 later 57, 162, 165, 175), 1 in 5 -th operational zone (155) and 4 in the 6th operational zone (158, 164, 159, 163). The number of personnel has been reduced. In March 1992, 20,000 people were demobilized, in May-June another 100,000 fighters and, finally, in November with military service 40,000 more military personnel were dismissed.
A Croatian policeman waits out an artillery "raid". Late fall 1991.
(c) Jean Claude Coutausse.
Using the knowledge of American instructors, the Croats reduced the size of the army to 105,000 regulars and 100,000 reservists. Most of the independent battalions became "Guards". The soldiers of the former Territorial Battalions joined the so-called Croatian Domobranstvo.
The Domobranstva included 43 regiments and 34 brigades, including 15 new regiments (1, 4-5, 7-8, 11, 13-17, 20, 21, 24, 52), 5 regiments were formed from brigades , at the same time they changed their numbering (129 to 3, 141 to 6, 135 to 9, 124 to 10, 162 to 12), 23 regiments were formed on the basis of brigades without changing the serial number (107-110, 116, 118, 121, 125, 126, 132-134, 136-138, 140, 142, 143, 154-157, 163), 30 brigades remained in the forces defending operational zones (99-106, 112, 114-115, 119, 122, 128, 130-131, 144, 145, 148-151, 153, 158-160, 164-165, 175, 204). Four brigades were abolished (98, 117, 120, 127), three brigades became mechanized brigades (11, 113, 123), one brigade became a separate mechanized battalion (139). The 161st brigade was renamed the 57th brigade. The number of artillery battalions was increased from 8 to 10 (2, 4, 6, 8, 10-12, 14, 16, 19). The "defence" included two anti-tank battalions (3, 5) and two anti-tank brigades (15, 16), four air defense brigades (201-204), two engineering battalions (32, 34) and one engineering brigade (33), one signal regiment (40) and six signal companies (251-256).
4 infantry brigades, formed in 1991, were transformed into Guards motorized brigades in December 1992. Their number was increased to 7. On December 23, 1992, the Croatian government disbanded 19 separate infantry battalions and formed 5 separate guard battalions (numbers 80-84) from their fighters.
The protection of any of the six Operational Zones of Croatia in 1992-1995 was to be provided by forces: 0-2 Guards motorized brigades, 2-15 motorized brigades or Home Guard regiments, 0-3 separate guard battalions together with a headquarters unit (0-3 artillery battalions, 0-2 anti-tank battalions, 0-1 air defense brigade, 0-1 engineer brigade or battalion, and reconnaissance company and military police battalion). The actual composition of the defensive units depended on the current situation on the front line, as well as on the number of reserves available to the Croats. In February 1993, the Operations Zone system was abolished and replaced by the Corps District system.
Soldiers of the Serbian army in the battle for Vukovar.
During the conflict with the Serbs, the Croatian army fought mainly positional warfare. The focal points of the confrontation were Croatian cities besieged by the Serbian army, or Serbian cities besieged by Croatian units. The region of the most intense fighting was Slavonia, on whose territory numerous Croatian units fought, reinforced by police units, special forces battalions and HSP fighters (the Croatian Party on the right is the direct heirs of the Ustashe).
In the early stages of the war, Croatian special units carried big losses. Their fighters did not have a unified training and often went into battle without a clear plan of action. Losses were especially heavy in enemy territory. Unable to overcome the "front line", the Croats fell into the "bag" and were destroyed by the advancing Serb forces with the help of tanks or heavy equipment.
Croatian special units demonstrated great effectiveness during operations on their territory. Their attacks on enemy mechanized columns were also effective (the tactics of destroying the first and last car followed by the destruction of the center of the column). At the first stage of the war, such attacks occurred so often that the Serbian tankmen called this period the Corn War (the Croats liked to use flowering corn thickets for ambushes).
Understanding the weakness of their own special forces, the Croats seriously took up the training of fighters by Western military specialists. By the end of the war, the special forces of the Croatian army were able to conduct successful combat raids deep behind enemy lines.
CROATIAN AIR FORCE, NAVY AND MILITIES
As it was written above, the backbone of the Yugoslav Navy was made up of people from Croatia. The Croatian Navy was established on September 12, 1991. The personnel of the fleet consisted of 1,000 people, under the command of Admiral Sveto Letitsa. By May 1995, the fleet's personnel had been increased to 1,850 men. Croats had 2 missile boats, torpedo boat, a minelayer, a submarine and a ship designed to support commando operations. The Marine Corps consisted of 53 companies, several Home Guard battalions, a coastal artillery battery, 51 communications battalions, and 74 military police battalions.
The Croatian Air Force was established in January 1992. Colonel Tomo Madic formed the backbone of the Air Force, recruiting 150 professional pilots, mechanics and air defense specialists, from which 3 air squadrons and three separate aviation platoons were formed. Croatian pilots flew mainly on the captured from the JNA military equipment, as well as on civilian aircraft, which they inherited from the former Yugoslav owners.
Croatian fighter in West German winter uniform.
The Croatian Territorial Defense Force was another branch of the armed forces at the disposal of the Croatian government. Tudjman's men seized control of the local TO forces on November 8, 1990. By the time the Serbian-Croatian conflict began, the number of Croatian TOs was 240,000 people. During the active phase of the war, these people joined the ranks of the Zengovtsy or fought as part of separate units of the Territorial Defense, which operated on the front lines until 1995.
The People's Defense Forces (Narodna zastita - NZ), formed on April 5, 1991, consisted of 100,000 volunteer fighters whose task was to protect private property, strategic enterprises and convoys, as well as collect data on the movement of enemy troops. All divisions of the People's Defense were disbanded in March-April 1992.
CROATIAN POLICE
In May 1990, the Croatian militia numbered 16,000 (the militia was renamed the police on November 8, 1990). Initially, the militia was subordinate to the Republican Ministry of the Interior (Ministarstvo unutarnjih poslova - MUP). On the territory of Croatia there were 119 police secretariats (17 in Zagreb, the rest in other Croatian territories). At least 60% of the Croatian police were Serbs.
On August 17, 1990, the Croatian militia attempted to disarm Serb militiamen operating on Croatian territory. In response, Serbian police general Milan Martic began distributing weapons to the Serbs, which led to a crisis in the Serbian Krajina with the subsequent separation of this territory from the newly formed Croatian state. After the collapse of Croatia into two hostile territories (Croatia and Serbian Krajina), the Croatian police were completely bled, new fighters had to be taught everything from the very beginning.
JNA soldiers suddenly attacked a Croatian police station. A photographer inside captured the commotion in the building.
(c) Jean Claude Coutausse.
The first 1,800 people trained by the Croats under the new program joined the Special Forces Unit on September 12, 1990 (in December of the same year, this detachment was renamed the Lutsk Counter-Terrorist Unit).
In 1991, the tension between the militia formations of Serbs and Croats reached its climax, automatic weapons were used. On March 2, 1991, in Pakrac (Western Slavonia), the Croatian position captured the building of the Security Service, which was guarded by the Serbs. The JNA units came to the aid of the Serbs, against which the Croats used armored personnel carriers. In Plitvice, the Croatian police recaptured the local police building from the Serbs, and then entered into battle with the Serbian police forces. The fighting continued for two days.
In the summer of 1991, such skirmishes became an internal affair of the police / militia, since the JNA fighters had to treat both sides of the conflict equally. By the end of the year, the situation had changed and the Yugoslav army began to join the battle on the side of the Serbian militia.
In January 1991, the Croatian police force consisted of 55,260 personnel (21,360 regular police, 22,900 reservists and 11,000 fighters from special police units). In May 1991, a Special Police Brigade was created from three territorial police battalions, capable of conducting combat operations against Serbian troops (later regular A-class brigades were created on the basis of such brigades). In June 1991, the police administrative structure was divided into 19 police departments. The total number of fighters was reduced to 40,000 people (regulars and reservists) plus 4,000 fighters in the special police units. On December 26, 1992, the police was reorganized again, its administrative structure increased to 20 district departments.
During the hostilities, military police companies and battalions were used not only to restore order in the territories controlled by the Croats, but also to break through the enemy defense line. Often, police units acted as fire brigades, which plugged "holes" in problem areas of the front. It is worth noting that the morale of the Croatian police, on average, was higher than that of regular units, which affected the performance of combat missions in the face of active opposition from the enemy.
HOS fighters. "Black Legion".
CROATIAN MILITARY UNITS
The first paramilitary unit of the Croatian Nationalists was the HSP combat detachments, led by the ultra-right nationalist Dobroslav Paraga. The ideological predecessors of the KhSP were the Ustashe during World War II. There is nothing surprising in the fact that the battle banners and uniforms of the KhSP fighters were replete with Ustashe symbols. The total number of combat wing of the new Ustasha was 10,000 people, which included 300 fighters of the resurrected "Black Legion" (under the command of Alia Sidzhak). The HOS fighters won the respect of the regular units of the Croatian army for the fanatical tenacity shown during the battle for Dubrovnik and Vukovar.
In November 1991, Tudjman arrested Paraga, the military wing of the HOS was disbanded, and its fighters were included in the 109th and 114th brigades of the National Guard.
Dobroslav Prague throws up his hands.
CROATIAN ARMED FORCES. 1991
1. Voinik, unit "Marko Kovac", Territorial Defense Forces, Chakovets, September 1991.
Croatian TO fighters wore Yugoslav uniforms and insignia until the end of 1990. In 1991, the Croats finally abandoned the “titivok” hats and began to wear classic mountain caps. This fighter wears Croatian national symbols on a cap and on an armband (the Croatian national symbol is the Spanish shield Sahonvica, decorated with a red and white checkerboard pattern. There is a red square in the upper left corner of the shield. Above the shield you can see the emblems of five historical Croatian regions - Croatia, Dubrovnik, Dalmatia, Istria and Slavonia).
The fighter is dressed in a jacket and pants of the Yugoslav armed forces, model 1975. On the hand is a handicraft bandage, hastily made in one of the Croatian sewing workshops (at an early stage of the conflict, some Croats did not use a bandage, but a paper token with a national symbol). The fighter has no insignia, since at the beginning of 1991 the Croats did not put them on, trying to confuse the enemy. The Croatian fighter is armed with a Gorenje MGV-176 submachine gun, which was requisitioned from the nearest maintenance depot.
2. Policeman from the special forces unit, special forces unit "Rakitje", Plitvice, March 1991.
Like their "colleagues" from the Yugoslav police and the police of the Serbian Krajina, the Croatian police actively used "tiger camouflage". This fighter is wearing the American M82 winter uniform, which was distributed among the first 1800 Croatian National Conscription Policemen. On the left shoulder of the shooter you can see a green police chevron with the inscription in Croatian "POLICIJA". This new chevron replaced the old dark blue MILICIJA chevron, the Cyrillic version of which was used personnel federal forces of Yugoslav security, as well as militia units of Serbia, Montenegro and Vojvodina since 1978.
On the cap of the policeman you can see the emblem in the form of a chess shield with golden rays (sample of 90). In March 1991, the gilded emblem was replaced by a new version of the shield with silver rays and a golden wreath. The fighter has no insignia, which is typical for the initial period of the war. In the hands of a police officer, an SAR-80 assault rifle brought to Croatia under the guise of humanitarian aid.
3. Policeman Class I, Dubrovnik Police Department, November 1991.
This police officer is wearing a Croatian uniform of 1986 with epaulettes. In 1991, in all police stations in Dubrovnik, the red star was replaced with the national chess symbol. Since the number of the national Croatian police was rapidly increasing, there were not enough uniforms for all the fighters. To solve this problem, the Croatian military purchased several thousand sets of Slovenian uniforms for the police. The new police uniform consisted of a jacket with four pockets, pants with two side pockets and two Velcro pockets, a beret, a belt, and Yugoslav officer's boots.
On the left shoulder of the fighter was a gray chevron "MILICIJA" (white letters). Another patch in the form of a shield appeared in July 1991, under which there was an additional pocket.
The chess symbol on the beret was introduced in Croatian police units in the early summer of 1990. In August, the symbol was abandoned so as not to irritate the police from the Serbian Krajina. However, in the fall, the chessboard was again returned to the national police.
The policeman shown in the image wears a cockade of the 1991 model (golden wreath, silver rays) on his beret. Ordinary police officers tried not to wear insignia, but senior constables had unofficial epaulettes (two yellow chevrons on a blue background).
1. Officer of the 106th brigade, National Guard, Osijek, September 1991.
Many Zengovtsy wore JNA 77 uniforms, gray Slovenian police uniforms, or US Army 1982 camouflage patterns. In 1991, the Croatian Sewing Workshops began sewing their own uniforms, tailored according to the American pattern (tiger camouflage or protective "police colors" were used as camouflage). Since many Zenga units were commanded by professional police officers, the insignia of the Yugoslav militia (later, the Croatian police) could be seen on the uniforms of individual fighters. The rank and file did not have insignia from October 1991.
This officer is wearing a 1991 Zenga cap with a national Croatian cockade (some officers used police or Zenga cockades). On the right left shoulder of the officer, one can see the Zeng emblem in the form of crossed assault rifles. At the top of the emblem is the text ZNG RH (Zbor narodne garde Republike Hrvatske).
2. Voinik, 129th Brigade of the Croatian Army, Karlovac, December 1991.
During the heavy autumn battles of 1991, the Croats acquired several thousand sets of military equipment from the former warehouses of the GDR: helmets of the 56/76 model and the winter uniform of the 90 model in "rain camouflage". The Croats cut off shoulder straps from the German uniform and attached a shoulder emblem with a national chess field.
In the fall of 1991, only senior officers wore insignia. When the insignia appeared among the rank and file (this happened in the second half of 1992), the German uniform was no longer used. Instead, the Croats began to wear the British uniform of the 84 model and the West German uniform of the 90 model. As for helmets, American M1 helmets, Swiss M49 / 62 helmets (a variant of the British AT mk.II helmet), British AT mk.IV helmets, the Polish version of the Soviet SSH40, the Yugoslav model 59/85 helmet and even the Slovenian MPC- one.
3. Officer HOS, Vukovar, October 1991.
HOS fighters wore American camouflage pattern 82 (with winter and summer camouflage patterns), black berets or Croatian caps. In everyday conditions, the HOS-sheep preferred to use black American-style uniforms and red berets with the national symbol of the pre-war period (with a white upper left square). This symbol, which first appeared in the Middle Ages, was discredited by the Fascist regime of Pavelić and was not used after 1945.
On the left hand of the KhOS people was a stripe in the form of an old national emblem in a silver ring. At the top of the ring were the letters HOS, below them HSP. The inscription “Za dom spremni” (Ready to defend the Motherland) was embroidered at the bottom of the ring. KhOS members wore both Croatian and Ustashe insignia, whose history can be traced back to the Second World War.
In December 1991, the Croatian authorities demanded that the HOS members remove the Ustashe symbols and use the symbols of the Croatian Republic.
(c) Ilya Sadchikov, March 2015.
The design of the article used materials from Osprey - Elite 138 - Yugoslavian Wars 1.
