Battle of the barracks (Croatian: Bitka za vojarne) - sometimes also called War for the barracks - is a term given to a series of engagement that took place throughout Croatia as part of the Croatian War of Independence during 1991, with the most important fighting in September. It was fought between Croatian forces (still undeveloped military, police and volunteer forces) and the Yugoslav Peoples Army (JNA). The battle is considered an important Croatian victory in that Croatian forces captured valuable heavy equipment (tanks, artillery, rockets) from military barracks, which they badly needed for the war effort. Combatants Croatian Army Paramilitary organisations Republic of Serb Krajina Army Yugoslav Peoples Army Paramilitary organisations Commanders Franjo TuÄ‘man (President of Croatia) Anton Tus (Chief of Staff of Croatian Army 1991-1992) Janko Bobetko (Chief of Staff of Croatian Army 1992-1995) Milan Martić (President of Republic of Serb... The Plitvice Lakes incident of March 1991 (known in Croatian as Plitvice Bloody Easter, Krvavi Uskrs na Plitvicama / Plitvički Krvavi Uskrs) was a clash between security forces of the Republic of Croatia and armed Serb separatists. ... The Borovo Selo killings of 2 May 1991 (known in Croatia as the Borovo Selo massacre, Croatian:Pokolj u Borovom Selu and in Serbia as the Borovo Selo incident, Serbian: Инцидент у Боровом Селу) were one of the bloodiest incidents in the early stages of the breakup of Yugoslavia. ... Combatants Yugoslav Peoples Army, Serbian paramilitaries Croatian National Guard, Croatian police and militias Commanders Mladen Bratić Života Panić Blago Zadro Mile Dedaković Branko Borković Strength Up to 36,000, depending on the phase of the battle 2,000 Casualties Unofficial Serbian figures: 1,103 dead ~2,500 wounded 110... Combatants Yugoslav Army (JNA), Montenegro Territorial Defence Forces Croatian Army (HV) Commanders Veljko Kadijević (Chief of Staff of Yugoslav Peoples Army) Anton Tus (Chief of Staff of Croatian Army 1991-1992) Janko Bobetko (from 1992) Strength Between 7,500 and 20,000 men [1] Up to 2,000 soldiers... The Gospić massacre was an incident that took place between 16 October-18 October 1991 in the town of Gospić, a mixed Serb/Croat community in the district of Lika in Croatia. ... After the attacking forces of the 5th Yugoslav Peoples Army (JNA) corps (Banja Luka corps) had successfully crossed Sava river into Croatia captured Okučani in western Slavonia it was their primary objective to advance along Pakrac - GrubiÅ¡no Polje route and link up with th 28th partisan division... After successful completion of Operation Otkos 10, the first offensive operation of such scale by Croatian army in the homeland war, Croatian troops were in position to retake further territory and neutralize a number of serbian held military positions and fortifications. ... On June 21 1992, the Croatian army attacked the Serbian Territorial Defense on the Miljevci Plateau near Drnis in front of the eyes of UN protection force UNPROFOR. There were 40 members of the Serbian Territorial Defense killed, several wounded and imprisoned and the only Serbian village in this area... Operation Maslenica is an offensive Croatian Army conducted in Northwestern Dalmatia against Krajina forces in early 1993. ... Combatants Croatia Republic of Serbian Krajina Commanders Janko Bobetko, Petar Stipetić Mile Novaković Strength Over 2,500 soldiers, T-72 tanks, Large numbers of artillery  ? Casualties 10 Croats killed, 17 wounded 38 Serbs killed, 50+ wounded Operation Medak Pocket (Croatian: Medački džep) was a military operation undertaken by... Combatants Croatia Republic of Serbian Krajina Commanders Croatian Military Command Strength 7,200 soldiers 5000 soldiers Casualties 55 killed, 162 wounded 250 killed, 1,500 POW Operation Flash (Croatian: ) was a brief and successful offensive conducted in the beginning of May 1995 by the the Croatian Army, which removed Serb... Combatants Croatia Republic of Serbian Krajina Commanders general Zvonimir ÄŒervenko general Mile MrkÅ¡ić Strength 150,000 soldiers, 350 tanks, 800 artillery pieces, 50 rocket launchers, 30 aircraft and helicopters 40,000 soldiers, 200 tanks, 350 artillery pieces, 25 rocket launchers, 20 aircraft and helicopters Casualties 174 soldiers killed, 1... Combatants Croatian Army Paramilitary organisations Republic of Serb Krajina Army Yugoslav Peoples Army Paramilitary organisations Commanders Franjo TuÄ‘man (President of Croatia) Anton Tus (Chief of Staff of Croatian Army 1991-1992) Janko Bobetko (Chief of Staff of Croatian Army 1992-1995) Milan Martić (President of Republic of Serb... The Yugoslav Peoples Army (Jugoslavenska/Jugoslovenska narodna armija, JNA, Slovene Jugoslovanska ljudska armada, JLA) was the army of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia prior to its dissolution. ...

Preface

Since Croatia was part of Yugoslavia, it was also a part of the Federal Army (JNA). As a result, when Croatians voted for independence from Yugoslavia in early 1991, it still had within its territory - a large number of Federal Army barracks where JNA forces where stationed. Not only has this presence of army troops far from the frontlines prove problematic, the barracks themselves where mostly stationed in populated urban areas, making any fighting over them sure to cause much collateral damage and civilian hardship. Still, since the Croatian army (HV) had little to no heavy equipment, these barracks where very valuable to capture. The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was a Balkan state that existed from 1945 to 1992. ... The Yugoslav Peoples Army (Jugoslavenska/Jugoslovenska narodna armija, JNA, Slovene Jugoslovanska ljudska armada, JLA) was the army of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia prior to its dissolution. ... Collateral damage is a U.S. Military term for unintended or incidental damage during a military operation. ... HV or Hv may stand for: Home video the IATA code for Transavia This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

The worsening of the security situation in Croatia during 1990 led to Croatian leadership preparing plans for a possible war. Croatian Army Chief of Staff (former Croatian Minister of Defence) Martin Špegelj - who was the foremost Army advocate of storming the barracks - formulated a comprehensive plan for capture of army barracks throughout Croatia, in order to obtain the weapons in those depots. With the Slovenian Ten-Day War taking place in June 1991, Špegelj urged Croatian president Franjo Tuđman to attack the barracks and aid the Slovenians. Tuđman refused, fearful of the JNA's full military power in such a war. Davor Domazet (in his book "Hrvatska i veliko ratište") outlines a belief by a group of historians that this opportunity was just an elaborate plot to force Croatia into an attack. Considering the amount of military equipment inside Croatia's military barracks, this seems doubtful. The term Chief of Staff can refer to: The White House Chief of Staff, the highest-ranking member of the Executive Office of the President of the United States. ... A defence minister (Commonwealth English) or defense minister (American English) is a cabinet portfolio (position) which regulates the armed forces in a sovereign nation. ... Martin Spegelj (born 1925) was the Croatian Defense Minister and former General of the 5th Yugoslav Army based in Croatia at the time. ... The Ten-Day War, sometimes called the Slovenian War (Slovenian: Slovenska osamosvojitvena vojna, Slovenian Independence War or desetdnevna vojna Ten-Day War), was a brief military conflict between Slovenia and Yugoslavia in 1991 following Slovenias declaration of independence. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Davor Domazet LoÅ¡o (1948) is a Croatian writer, politician and former army leader. ...

The escalation of violence during the summer of 1991 saw the JNA side with the Croatian Serbs. As a result of this, Croatian forces - still not developed as a real force - besieged the numerous army barracks to secure the rear of the fighting forces. The problem of insufficient forces for Croatians meant that many of the besieging forces where not military, but civilians - including police forces, civil protection services and local self-organized volunteers. The borders of the RSK c. ... The overall objectives in the field of Civil Protection are to ensure better protection of people, the environment, economies and infrastructure in the event of major natural or man-made disasters, including accidental marine pollution, chemical spills. ...

War starts

The war was very slow to start - tensions brewing since mid-1990 - which enabled negotiations to decrease the problem. JNA and Croatian leadership agreed for a withdrawal of some JNA barracks - notably in places far from the frontlines like Pula and Rijeka (13th Corps). This compromise was criticised by elements within the Croatian military (notably Martin Špegelj) who claimed the Croat leadership was allowing the enemy to withdraw with its full equipment and the war unavoidable.

It is important to note that the immenent war, as well as earlier independence of Slovenia and the reluctance of non-Serbs to go to war for Croat Serb causes, caused mass desertions by which JNA forces were undermanned. As a result, stationary army barracks where the first to suffer and in 1991, these had more equipment then personnel to man them.

The opening moves of the war took place in August in East Slavonia, at the battle of Vukovar and in Krajina and Dalmatia. The escalation of violence resulted in military personnel on the spot taking the initiative and storming many of the barracks, against government wishes to continue negotiations - even at the time when almost 1/3rd of Croatia was already occupied by JNA and Serb rebels. Combatants Yugoslav Peoples Army, Serbian paramilitaries Croatian National Guard, Croatian police and militias Commanders Mladen Bratić Života Panić Blago Zadro Mile Dedaković Branko Borković Strength Up to 36,000, depending on the phase of the battle 2,000 Casualties Unofficial Serbian figures: 1,103 dead ~2,500 wounded 110... Krajina, meaning border, is a Slavic toponym which might mean: Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosanska Krajina, same, but around Banja Luka and encompassing a larger area Cazinska Krajina, borderland of Bosnia towards Croatia around the city of Cazin. ... Map of Dalmatia, in present day Croatia highlighted Dalmatia (Croatian: Dalmacija, Italian: Dalmazia) is a region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea, in modern Croatia, spreading between the island of Rab in the northwest and the Gulf of Kotor (Boka Kotorska) in the southeast. ...

The majority of the storming of the barracks took place from September 14 to September 19, 1991. In those six days, 36 barracks and depots and 26 other military posts were captured or surrendered. On September 27, plan Bilogora was implemented, which resulted in the capture of Bjelovar and Koprivnica. September 14 is the 257th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (258th in leap years). ... September 19 is the 262nd day of the year (263rd in leap years). ... 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... September 27 is the 270th day of the year (271st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Some ammo depots were bombed by Yugoslav Air Force after capture, but locally organized Croat units were often very effective and quick to transfer the most valuable equipment to other location before that. At least five locations were bombed in this way.

Battle of the barracks

Zagreb and Central Croatia

Zagreb barracks - named "Marshall Tito" after Josip Broz Tito - was one of the largest in Croatia. It was the regional center of 5th Army District (one out of three JNA's main command HQs) and 10th Corps (Zagreb), along with support units. The Croats were reluctant to storm the barracks directly, due to the strength of the JNA forces and the threat of collateral damage it presented to the Croatian capital. Because of this, the fighting was not intensive and it mostly degenerated into occasional shooting from the barracks to the city. A truce was reached and there was no further fighting until the signing of the last cease-fire at the end of the year. As part of the agreement, the JNA evacuated the barracks when it officially left Croatia in January 1992. Zagreb (pronounced: ) is the capital and largest city of Croatia. ... Josip Broz Tito (Cyrillic: Јосип Броз Тито, May 7, 1892 (May 25th according to official birth certificate) – May 4, 1980) was the leader of the Second Yugoslavia, which lasted from 1943 until 1991. ...

Jastrebarsko barracks was the location of JNA's 4th Armoured (Tank) Brigade - one of the most élite JNA armoured units. This unit staged and managed a breakthrough, escaping encirclement and fleeing to the south, then rejoining JNA forces in Banija in central Croatia. Coat of arms Jastrebarsko is a town in Croatia. ... In military science a brigade is a military unit that is part of a division and includes regiments (where that level exists), or (in modern armies) is composed of several battalions (typically two to four) and directly attached supporting units. ... Banovina can refer to: a region in central Croatia: Banovina (region) an internal division of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia from 1929-1941 any territory ruled by a ban (also, Banate or Banat) This is a disambiguation page: a list of articles associated with the same title. ...

Samobor barracks surrendered on October 7, 1991. Coat of arms Samobor is a city in Zagreb county, Croatia, population 36,206 (2001). ... October 7 is the 280th day of the year (281st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Sisak barracks and depots surrendered on September 9, 1991. Sisak is a city in central Croatia. ... September 9 is the 252nd day of the year (253rd in leap years). ... 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

North Croatia

Next to Zagreb, Varaždin barracks were the largest in Croatia - the center of JNA's 32nd Corps and assorted other units, including the 32nd Mechanized Brigade (one of the most élite "A" brigades) and one artillery Regiment. The barracks was blockaded during the night of September 13/14th, and electricaty, water and supplies were cut. Fighting started on the 15th with JNA aircraft bombarding Varaždin airstrip. As the situation deteriorated, more and more soldiers deserted from the barracks and there was a conflict within the barracks iteself. After that, tanks and artillery from the barracks were directed to fire at civilian targets and many houses where destroyed and general fighting begun. After a week of sporadic fighting, and in order to spare his men, the commander General Vladimir Trifunović surrendered the garrison on September 22. Ironically, this caused him resentment from both sides. Croatia sentenced him in absentia to 15 years for devastation of the city, while Serbia sentenced him to 11 years for treason ^[2][3]. The booty was impressive: 74 T-55 tanks, 88 APCs, 36 self-propelled AA guns, 24 100mm AT guns, 72 120mm mortars and other heavy equipment was captured. During the fighting, casualties were 6 killed (3 civilians, 2 JNA soldiers and 1 Croatian soldier) and 37 wounded ^[4]. Varaždin on the map of Croatia Varaždin (German: Warasdin, Hungarian: Varasd, Latin: Varasdinum) is a city in northwestern Croatia, 81 km north of Zagreb on the highway A4. ... Mechanized military units are otherwise slow-moving or immobile military units that have had trucks or other ground transport systems added to their formation to add to or improve their mobility. ... A regiment is a military unit, consisting of a variable number of battalions - - commanded by a colonel. ... A General is an officer of high military rank. ... September 22 is the 265th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (266th in leap years). ... For in absentia medical care, see Health care delivery. ... The T-54 and T-55 tank series was the Soviet Unions front-line main battle tank from 1947 until 1962, and remains in service throughout the world to this day, especially by former client states of the Soviet Union. ...

Bjelovar barracks was home to 265th Armored-Mechanized Brigade and it was captured on September 29 as part of operation Bilogora. One JNA officer refused to surrender an isolated depot (Barutana) and detonated an explosion, killing himself along with seven other JNA troops that didn't want to surrender and 11 Croatians^[5]. The explosion destroyed all of the weapons and amunition in that depot, but the capture of others was a great success for the Croatian forces, as the capture booty included 78 T-55 tanks and 80 APCs. The first information you can find about Bjelovar is being one of the youngest cities in Croatia, but that fact doesn’t mean less. ... September 29 is the 272nd day of the year (273rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Koprivnica barracks was captured on September 30 as part of operation Bilogora. It was bombed by JNA aircraft on October 5, when one soldier was killed. Coat of arms Koprivnica is a city in central Croatia with a population of 30,994 (2001), the capital of the Koprivnica-Križevci county. ... September 30 is the 273rd day of the year (274th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... October 5 is the 278th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (279th in Leap years). ...

Virovitica barracks housed 288th Mixed Anti-Tank Artillery Brigade and was captured on September 17. One Croatian was killed during the fighting. ^[6] Basic facts State: Croatia County: Virovitica-Podravina Coordinates: Elevation: 122 m Area: 178. ... September 17 is the 260th day of the year (261st in leap years). ...

Čakovec barracks surrendered peacefully on September 17, 1991. ÄŒakovec [] is a city located in northern part of Croatia and the second northernmost city of the country. ... September 17 is the 260th day of the year (261st in leap years). ... 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Slavonia

Osijek barracks were mostly evacuated by agreement just before the escalation of war, in June 1991. A notable video clip was shot of the event of a JNA T-55 tank crushing an abandoned civilian Fiat 600/Zastava 600 car, populary called "Fića". The notable exception is Poligon C base, focal point of the JNA attack on the city, which resisted and assisted JNA forces outside the city in shelling, until its capture on September 17. Osijek (pronounced: []) is the fourth largest city in Croatia with a population of 114,616 in 2001. ... The Fiat 600 (or Seicento) is a city car produced by the Italian automaker Fiat from 1955 to 1969. ... Zastava is a Serbian industrial conglomerate based in the city of Kragujevac, 86 miles (138 km) southeast of Belgrade. ... September 17 is the 260th day of the year (261st in leap years). ...

Đakovo barracks was home to 158th Mixed Anti-Tank Artillery Brigade, including AT guns and self-propelled AT rocket vehicles. The barracks was captured, with five Croatians (one was civilian) dying during the fighting ^[7]. 54 100mm AT guns and 48 self-propelled AA guns was captured. Coat of arms Đakovo (alternative Djakovo, Hungarian: Diakovár) is a town in the region of Slavonia, Croatia, 37 km to the southwest of Osijek and 34 km southeast of NaÅ¡ice; elevation 111 m; population 27,769 in 2001. ... Anti-tank, or simply AT, refers to any method of combating military armored fighting vehicles, notably tanks. ...

Vukovar barracks was besieged throughout 1991, as the battle of Vukovar raged. The outnumbered defenders could not spare men to capture the barracks, as they were attacked by overwhelming force from outside. JNA/Serb forces used the liberation of the barracks as an excuse for the attack which destroyed the majority of the city and caused some of the worst atrocities during the war. However, since the barracks was located in the southern suburbs of the city, it was deblocked quite early on in the battle, before the real siege - and the majority of the devastation and casualties - started. Position of Vukovar within Croatia Vukovar (Hungarian: Vukovár, German: Wukowar) is a city in eastern Croatia, and the biggest river port in Croatia located at the confluence of the Vuka river into the Danube. ... Combatants Yugoslav Peoples Army, Serbian paramilitaries Croatian National Guard, Croatian police and militias Commanders Mladen Bratić Života Panić Blago Zadro Mile Dedaković Branko Borković Strength Up to 36,000, depending on the phase of the battle 2,000 Casualties Unofficial Serbian figures: 1,103 dead ~2,500 wounded 110...

Vinkovci barracks Đuro Salaj was involved in bombardment of the city in June. ^[8] [[Image: Vinkovci on the map of Croatia |250px|none|]] Coordinates: Country  Croatia County Vukovar-Srijem Mayor Mladen Karlić Area    - City (?) km²  - Land (?) km²  - Water (?) km² Elevation 90 m Population    - City (2006) 33,328 Time zone CET (UTC+1) CEST (UTC+2) Website: vinkovci. ...

Istria / Dalmatia

Rijeka barracks, as well as Army's Navy District command in Pula were both evacuated by agreement before the war. Rijeka was the location of the JNA's 13th Corps, which was transferred by sea to Montenegro and would later attack southern Bosnia and Herzegovina during the Bosnian War in 1992. The Army Naval District from Pula was moved to Boka in Montenegro, the only real Yugoslav military port following the secession of Croatia. Rijeka (in local Croatian dialects Rika and Reka; Fiume in Italian and Hungarian, Reka in Slovene; Sankt Veit am Flaum in older German; R(ij)eka and Fiume both mean river) is the principal seaport of Croatia, located on Kvarner Bay, an inlet of the Adriatic Sea. ... Pula on the map of Croatia Pula (Croatian Pula, Italian Pola; the city has an official Croatian-Italian bilinguism [1] - in Istriot Pula, German Polei, Slovenian Pulj) is the largest city in Istria, Croatia, situated at the southern tip of the peninsula, with a population of 62,080 (2005). ... Anthem: Oj, svijetla majska zoro Oh, the bright dawn of May Capital (and largest city)  Podgorica Official languages Serbian (Ijekavian dialect)1 (local also Albanian) Government Republic  - President Filip Vujanović  - Prime Minister Željko Å turanović Independence from Serbia and Montenegro   - Declared June 3, 2006   - Recognised June 8, 2006  Area  - Total 13... Combatants Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Predominantly Bosniak) Army of Republika Srpska, Yugoslav Peoples Army, various paramilitary units from Serbia and Montenegro (Serbian) Croatian Defence Council, Croatian Army (Croatian) Commanders Alija Izetbegović (President of Bosnia and Herzegovina) Sefer Halilović (Army chief of staff 1992-1993) Rasim...

Zadar barracks was evacuated by agreement before the war. The units from the barracks moved away from the city to nearby areas controlled by JNA and the local Serbs, where they turned their guns around to shell the city from better firing positions. There are other articles with similar names; see Zadar (disambiguation). ...

Lika / Croatian Islands

Gospić barracks saw heavy fighting during September - the city being subject to heavy attacks from outside as well - but was eventually captured on September 18. Gospić is a town in the mountainous and sparsely populated region of Lika, Croatia. ... September 18 is the 261st day of the year (262nd in leap years). ...

Islands of Lastovo and Vis were bases for JNA's Navy units and were both occupied until the cease-fire agreement at the end of the year when they were both evacuated by JNA. Naval units of the Yugoslav Navy attempted military actions against Croatian ports further north, but were repulsed by coastal artillery fire, like in the naval battle of Korčula. ^[9] Map showing the location of Lastovo in Croatia Lastovo (Italian: Lagosta, Latin: Augusta Insula, Greek: Ladestanos, Illyrian: Ladest) is an island, town and municipality in the Dubrovnik-Neretva county in Croatia. ... Vis can refer to: Vis, a type of Polish handgun, after the Polish word for power in Latin Vis, an island in the Adriatic Vis, town and municipality on the aforementioned island See also: VIS This is a disambiguation page — a list of articles associated with the same title. ...

- This list is incomplete, as there were also numerous other, smaller barracks and military outposts.

Aftermath

At the time of the wars start, Croat forces had a chronic lack of any equipment. Estimates place their tank strength at a measly 15 tanks (majority old WW2 US M4 Shermans or Soviet T-34), against almost 2000 tanks of the JNA. Capture of barracks filled with valuable equipment enabled a quick and easy way for Croats to obtain more equipment. Bjelovar and Varaždin alone provided the Croats with over 140 tanks, or about 7% of JNA total, which disrupted the otherwise overwhelming advantage of the JNA. WWII foreign variants and use: Lend-Lease Sherman tanks Post-WWII foreign variants and use: Postwar Sherman tanks The Medium Tank M4 was the main tank designed and built by the United States for allied forces in World War II, totaling roughly 50,000 tanks plus thousands more derivative vehicles... The T-34 is a Soviet medium tank first produced in 1940. ...

As a result, Croatia was able to field its first T-55 tank battalion by October, a remarkable achievement done in just a few weeks. The inflow of tanks, artillery and AT weaponry helped stop further JNA attacks into Croatia. The T-54 and T-55 tank series was the Soviet Unions front-line main battle tank from 1947 until 1962, and remains in service throughout the world to this day, especially by former client states of the Soviet Union. ... Symbol of the Austrian 14th Armoured Battalion in NATO military graphic symbols A battalion is a military unit usually consisting of between two and six companies and typically commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel. ...

See also

• Military barracks

Barracks are military housing. ...

References

• Špegelj, Martin (General), Sjećanja vojnika (2nd ed.), Zagreb 2001
• http://www.phrkkz.hr/Kronologija/1991-1.php
• http://www.phrkkz.hr/Kronologija/1991-2.php