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Operation Swath-10

November 27, 2023

Operation Swath-10 (Croatian: Operacija Otkos-10) was a military offensive undertaken by the Croatian Army (Hrvatska vojska, or HV) against the SAO Western Slavonia Territorial Defense Forces on Bilogora Mountain in western Slavonia. Occurring from 31 October to 4 November 1991, during the Croatian War of Independence, the operation was a Croatian victory and its success set the stage for follow-up advances by Croatian forces on Papuk Mountain in Operation Papuk-91 in late November and December. By the end of the year the HV gained control of Papuk, securing transport routes between eastern Slavonia and the rest of Croatia.

Operation Swath-10
Part of the Croatian War of Independence

Western Slavonian towns on map of Croatia (JNA-held area in late December 1991 is in red)
Date31 October – 4 November 1991
Location
Western Slavonia, Croatia
Result Croatian victory
Belligerents
 Croatia SAO Western Slavonia
Yugoslavia
Commanders and leaders
Franjo Kovačević Rade Čakmak
Strength
2,647 troops
48 artillery pieces
12 armoured vehicles		 c. 1,750 troops
22 artillery pieces
8 armoured vehicles
Casualties and losses
5 killed
Dozens wounded		 24 killed
22 Serb civilians killed, 4,000 displaced

The offensives were accompanied by the displacement of most of the Croatian Serb population of the area captured by the HV. The refugees initially fled to Bosnia and Herzegovina, but the majority were soon settled in the JNA-held Baranja region of eastern Croatia. The offensive provoked accusations that Croatian troops had committed ethnic cleansing and civil-rights abuses. These accusations were contested by the European Community Monitor Mission (ECMM). A month after the operation, the retreating paramilitary unit known as the White Eagles perpetrated the Voćin massacre, and its war crimes were prosecuted at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.

Background edit

Main article: 1991 Yugoslav campaign in Croatia

During the 1991 Yugoslav campaign in Croatia, the 5th (Banja Luka) Corps of the Yugoslav People's Army (Jugoslovenska Narodna Armija, or JNA) was tasked with advancing north through western Slavonia from Okučani to Daruvar and Virovitica and with a secondary drive from Okučani towards Kutina.[1] This was essentially consistent with the line expected to be reached by the main thrust of the JNA, advancing from eastern Slavonia in about a week. The link was designed to facilitate a further advance west, to Zagreb and Varaždin.[2] The corps had deployed a battlegroup of the 265th Mechanised Brigade near Okučani, supporting an advance which began on 21 September and reached the Papuk Mountains. The corps received one artillery and two motorised brigades as reinforcements during the advance, but the desertion and morale problems experienced by the JNA elsewhere also existed in the Banja Luka Corps.[3]

The JNA was stopped by the Croatian National Guard (Zbor Narodne Garde, or ZNG) between Novska, Nova Gradiška and Pakrac, although SAO Western Slavonia Territorial Defense Forces (Teritorijalna odbrana, or TO) units took up positions on the Bilogora and Papuk north of Pakrac (near Virovitica and Slatina) with no JNA support.[4] The capture of Ivanovo Selo, seven kilometres (4.3 miles) east of Grubišno Polje and eight kilometres (5.0 miles) north of Daruvar, on 21 September marked the territorial peak of the TO-held area on the Bilogora. The village was recaptured by the ZNG the same day, with seven dead and fifteen wounded.[5]

On 1 October, the Banja Luka Corps began probing attacks in the region before a major effort with most of the corps three days later. The advance established defensive positions just outside Novska and Nova Gradiška.[6] On 6 October Pakrac was briefly isolated when the JNA captured Batinjani four kilometres (2.5 miles) (northwest of the town), blocking the last road available to supply the town. The ZNG recaptured the village the same day, driving the JNA back six kilometres (3.7 miles) at a cost of 22 killed.[5] The JNA captured Jasenovac on 8 October; Lipik and part of Pakrac were captured four days later.[6] By then, the JNA offensive in western Slavonia had lost momentum[7] and the ZNG made minor advances north of Novska and west of Nova Gradiška on 13 and 16 October.[5] Croatian authorities no longer considered the war situation critical, issuing an order to plan a counter-offensive for 15 October.[8] On 29 October, the ZNG launched Operation Hurricane-91 against positions held by the JNA and the TO near Novska and Nova Gradiška.[9]

The TO forces in the Bilogora Mountain region were officially part of the 28th Partisan Division, commanded by Colonel Nikola Marić.[10] In reality, they comprised about 1,750 soldiers, eight armoured vehicles, ten cannons and twelve mortars.[11] The TO force was organised into two battalions, headquartered in the villages of Mali Grđevac and Velika Peratovica and commanded by Rade Čakmak.[12] North of the TO-held area, the ZNG deployed the 127th Infantry Brigade in the Virovitica area.[13] In the Grubišno Polje area south of the Bilogora, the ZNG force was subordinate to the 57th Independent Battalion (later renamed the 77th Independent Battalion).[14] The attacking ZNG force, under Colonel Franjo Kovačević,[15] consisted of 2,647 troops supported by twelve armoured vehicles, eighteen cannons and twenty 120-millimetre (4.7 in) mortars—surpassing the defending TO force in every respect except for the close air support of the TO by the Yugoslav Air Force. The ZNG originally planned to deploy the 105th Infantry Brigade and the Omega special-police company from Bjelovar, but the units were needed elsewhere and unavailable for the offensive.[11]

Timeline edit

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Bastajski Brđani
 
 
Čečavac
 
Golobrdac
 
Sinlije
 
Opršinac
 
Ambush of 2 December
class=notpageimage|
Map of western Slavonia (modern county lines provided for reference)

Operation Swath-10 (also known as Bilogora '91)[16] was planned by the Croatians to regain control of the Virovitica–Lončarica–Grubišno Polje road, cutting off and destroying the TO forces deployed in the area of the road (the northernmost part of western Slavonia captured by the TO or the JNA). Those objectives were also designed to deny the Banja Luka Corps support if it attempted to break through towards Virovitica; control the last remaining supply route between Zagreb and Slavonia; shorten the Croatian defensive positions, and improve troop and civilian morale.[17] The offensive was originally scheduled for 15 October, but was postponed for two weeks due to the unavailability of the 105th Infantry Brigade and the special police. The plan of operation called for the ZNG to first cut off the two TO battalions on the Bilogora Mountain within 48 hours, with the second stage of the offensive destroying the trapped TO force.[18] The operation was authorised by Colonel Miroslav Jezerčić, commander of Bjelovar Operational Zone, on 7 October.[19]

The offensive was launched at 6 am on 31 October, with a 50-minute artillery bombardment followed by a ZNG advance in three groups:[19] the 57th Independent Battalion from the south, the 127th Infantry Brigade from the north and the 1st Battalion of the 127th Infantry Brigade from the northwest.[20] That day the ZNG captured the villages of Velika Barna, Gornja Kovačica and Zrinska, northwest of the Grubišno Polje–Veliki Grđevac road, securing Grubišno Polje. The ZNG also advanced along the Virovitica–Grubišno Polje road, arriving at the outskirts of Mala Peratovica (four kilometres (2.5 miles) east of Grubišno Polje) and approaching Lončarica (eleven kilometres (6.8 miles) south of Virovitica).[13] The TO forces put up a strong resistance (especially near Lončarica), although the battlefield situation was described as hopeless. The TO requested close air support from the Yugoslav Air Force,[21] and four to six aircraft were deployed in response.[11]

On 1 November the ZNG conducted mopping-up operations in the areas northwest of Grubišno Polje, and the following day the TO force began retreating towards Papuk Mountain. Lončarica and Dapčevački Brđani (a village about two kilometres (1.2 miles) northeast of Mala Peratovica, along the Virovitica–Grubišno Polje road) were captured by the Croatian force on 3 November after they overcame strong TO resistance.[13] That day, the ZNG was renamed the Croatian Army (Hrvatska vojska, or HV).[22] After the villages were captured, HV forces advancing from Grubišno Polje and Virovitica met; the HV captured the village of Velika Peratovica, which was isolated by the advances along the Virovitica–Grubišno Polje road and northwest of Grubišno Polje on the first day of the offensive. On 4 November the operation was declared finished, after the HV secured the area.[13]

Follow-up operations edit

 
Map showing the fighting in western Slavonia, September 1991 – January 1992; Operation Swath-10 is depicted in the bulge (salient) near the top of the map; Operation Papuk-91, a follow-up to Operation Swath-10, is depicted in the central portion of the map

Battle of Bastajski Brđani edit

On 10 November the 57th Independent Battalion advanced against the TO in Veliki Miletinac (east of the area captured in Operation Swath-10), capturing the village the same day. The neighbouring Mali Miletinac was captured by the HV the following day, and on 12 November the HV captured the villages of Bastajski Brđani and Rekići. Two days later the TO counterattacked, killing nine HV troops and wounding about ten more, but the HV defence held. Another effort to recapture Bastajski Brđani was made by the TO, reinforced with 50 paramilitary White Eagles. It failed (despite being well prepared and supported by artillery) because the defending HV force was alerted by signals intelligence of the attack and reinforced. The White Eagles lost 46 killed in the battle.[23]

Operation Papuk-91 edit

Operation Papuk-91 was planned to follow Operation Swath-10, advancing south from the Virovitica–Osijek road and clearing the Papuk and Psunj mountains of TO forces[24] (elements of the 28th Partisan Division).[10] The offensive was approved by Jezerčić at a 23 November meeting in Slatina attended by HV Inspector General Martin Špegelj, Colonel Miljenko Crnjac (commanding officer of the 123rd Infantry Brigade), Colonel Đuro Dečak (commanding officer of the 127th Infantry Brigade), Colonel Josip Černi (commanding officer of the 136th Infantry Brigade) and commanders of other units tasked with its support.[24]

The operation was launched on 28 November; the HV advanced across a front spanning Grubišno Polje and Orahovica, nearly 60 kilometres (37 miles) east.[24] On 2 December a detachment of the 123rd Infantry Brigade, en route to relieve troops manning a base on the Papuk, was ambushed with eleven soldiers killed. On 10 December the HV advanced to the Psunj Mountain area north of Nova Gradiška in an offensive, codenamed Gradina, which captured the villages of Šnjegavić, Sinlije, Golobrdac, Vučjak Čečavski, Ruševac, Jeminovac, Čečavac and Opršinac. The advance improved the safety of the Nova Gradiška–Požega road and secured the right flank of the Nova Gradiška axis of Operation Hurricane-91.[25]

From 12 to 15 December the HV captured a cluster of villages around Đulovac, southeast of the area captured in Operation Swath-10. The HV units approaching from the east captured Voćin, about ten kilometres (6.2 miles) southeast of Đulovac, on 14–15 December.[25] Voćin and Đulovac were badly damaged by the retreating TO and paramilitary White Eagles,[26] and the latter killed 43 civilians in Voćin on 13 December.[27][28] The victims' bodies were mutilated and left unburied, presumably as a warning to others.[29]

On 16 December the HV (in an operation codenamed Sokolina) captured the villages of Gornji Vrhovci, Kamenski Vučjak and Kamenski Šušnjari, about 15 kilometres (9.3 miles) south of Voćin and 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) west of Velika; this restricted the TO forces to the southwestern slopes of Papuk Mountain and Psunj Mountain further south. The following day, the HV captured Novo Zvečevo and a TO supply depot in the village (halfway between Voćin and Kamenski Vučjak) in an attack codenamed Johanesberg.[25] On 18 December the HV advanced southwest from Kamenski Vučjak (in an advance codenamed Laništa), capturing the villages of Striježevica, Bogdašić, Amatovci and Kamenski Šeovci and coming within one kilometre (0.62 miles) of the village of Kamenska (on the Pakrac–Požega road). Over the following three days, the HV performed mopping-up operations in the area.[30]

On 21 December, the HV launched an unsuccessful attack (codenamed Prkos) on Kamenska and the adjacent village of Mijači. The TO withdrew from the area north of Kamenska (including the village of Sažije on 24 December), retreating from Kamenska and Mijači the next day. HV forces deployed in the Pakrac area (west of the Papuk and the Psunj), advanced east to support Operation Papuk-91 (capturing the villages of Dereza, Gornji Grahovljani, Donji Grahovljani, Kusonje and Španovica on 24–25 December) and left less than 15 kilometres (9.3 miles) of the Pakrac–Požega road separating HV units advancing from the west and east.[30] Operation Papuk-91 ended on 26 December, when forces of the 123rd, the 127th and the 136th Brigades met at Bučje; the final day's advance was codenamed Velebit.[31]

Aftermath edit

Five HV soldiers were killed in the operation and dozens were wounded.[32] Twenty-four JNA personnel and Croatian Serb rebels were also killed, as were 22 Serb civilians. A further 17 Serb civilians were killed in the weeks preceding the operation,[33] in which Croatian forces secured 370 square kilometres (140 square miles) of western Slavonia (including 21 villages). Although the HV secured the Virovitica–Grubišno Polje road, it failed to trap the TO troops deployed to the area. This was later attributed to insufficient manpower: the unavailability of the 105th Infantry Brigade or the 73rd Independent (Garešnica) Battalion, which were deployed in Pakrac. The HV positions set the stage for further advances against the SAO Western Slavonia in Operation Papuk-91.[34] Some sources conflate Operations Swath-10 and Papuk-91, describing the latter as part of Operation Swath-10.[35] Operation Papuk-91 eliminated the threat to the road connecting eastern Slavonia and Zagreb; the TO forces were pushed south, placing the road out of artillery range.[36] In Operation Papuk-91, the HV captured 110 settlements[24] and 1,230 square kilometres (470 square miles) of territory.[20]

In 2008, a monument to HV troops participating in the offensive was unveiled in Grubišno Polje.[37] Another monument was erected on Papuk Mountain to the 11 soldiers from the 123rd Infantry Brigade who were ambushed in Operation Papuk-91 on 2 December 1991.[38] Operations Swath-10, Papuk-91 and Hurricane-91 (implemented in western Slavonia in late 1991) are considered the first offensive liberation operations in the Croatian War of Independence.[39]

The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) charged Vojislav Šešelj with a number of war crimes, including the killings by the paramilitary White Eagles in Voćin on 13 December. Although the trial ended in 2012, as of August 2013 the verdict was pending.[40][41] Slobodan Milošević, the president of Serbia at the time of the killings, was also tried by the ICTY for the crimes in Voćin, but died before his trial ended.[42]

Refugees edit

About 4,000 Croatian Serb civilians fled the area affected by Operation Swath-10.[43] According to Serbian sources, the population began to evacuate on the first day of the offensive; by the second day, about 800 vehicles had entered Bosnia and Herzegovina. The retreating columns included men of military age who refused to fight.[44] A substantial number of refugees settled in Baranja, in houses owned by displaced Croats.[45] Based on reports of fleeing civilians, the Yugoslav government accused Croatia of ethnic cleansing and other civil-rights violations. Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Mitrović wrote to the European Community Monitor Mission (ECMM), accusing Croatia of personal and property damage and the displacement of Serb civilians. Although the accusations were countered by evacuation plans made by SAO Western Slavonia authorities on 25 October[46] and the testimony of civilians remaining in the area (that the TO ordered the population to flee, claiming that "the Ustaše are coming [...] and killing every Serb"),[47] Serbian media extensively reported alleged atrocities. Reports compared the Croatian offensive to the World War II massacres committed by the Independent State of Croatia.[48] On 3 November, the Presidency of Yugoslavia condemned the offensive, citing the destruction of 18 Serb villages, and the following day the National Assembly of Serbia appealed to the international community for help.[49]

In response to the situation (and a request from the Presidency of Yugoslavia) an ECMM team toured the area affected by the offensive on 6 November, targeting locations where media reports indicated atrocities; these included Velika Peratovica, Mala Peratovica, Gornja Rašenica, Donja Rašenica and Lončarica. The 6 November ECMM report refuted the accusations; although the team found only one Serb couple remaining in the area, they denied claims that the HV mistreated civilians left behind. The ECMM team reported no systematic destruction of houses, although a number of structures had artillery-bombardment damage and a small number of houses, farms and haystacks were recently torched. The team was unable to determine if the HV was to blame, if the villagers avenged SAO Western Krajina leaders or if the destruction was a result of a scorched earth policy by the retreating force.[50]

The HV offensives in western Slavonia conducted in late 1991 (Operations Hurricane-10, Swath-10 and Papuk-91) created a total of 20,000 Serb refugees. They fled the area when the JNA ordered Croatian Serb forces to withdraw,[51] and were settled in the JNA-held Baranja region of eastern Croatia.[52] The refugee resettlement coincided with Croatian Serb efforts to change the ethnic composition of the Danube area seized in late 1991, providing a secondary motive for the expulsion of non-Serb civilians.[53]

Ceasefire edit

Main article: Vance plan

A 3 January 1992 ceasefire allowed the implementation of the Vance plan, which protected civilians in areas designated as UN Protected Areas (UNPAs) and deployed UN peacekeepers in Croatia.[54] One of the UNPAs defined by the plan, UNPA Western Slavonia, encompassed parts of the municipalities of Novska and Nova Gradiška and all of Daruvar, Grubišno Polje and Pakrac. This UNPA covered the area held by the JNA on 3 January, additional territory to the north (recaptured by the HV in late 1991) and towns never under SAO Western Slavonia control (such as Grubišno Polje and Daruvar).[55] The peacekeeping force (United Nations Protection Force, or UNPROFOR), initially expected to be 10,000-strong,[56] began its deployment on 8 March.[57]

Footnotes edit

  1. ^ Marijan 2012b, p. 262
  2. ^ Marijan 2012b, p. 261
  3. ^ Marijan 2012b, p. 266
  4. ^ CIA 2002, p. 102
  5. ^ a b c Nazor 2007, p. 144
  6. ^ a b Marijan 2012b, pp. 269–270
  7. ^ Marijan 2012a, p. 110
  8. ^ Marijan 2012a, p. 107
  9. ^ Nazor 2007, p. 134
  10. ^ a b Škvorc 2010, p. 119
  11. ^ a b c Nazor 2007, p. 138
  12. ^ Bašić & Miškulin 2010, p. 470
  13. ^ a b c d Bašić & Miškulin 2010, p. 485
  14. ^ Bašić & Miškulin 2010, p. 476
  15. ^ Bašić & Miškulin 2010, p. 483
  16. ^ Glas Slavonije & 3 August 2012.
  17. ^ Nazor 2007, p. 137
  18. ^ Nazor 2007, pp. 137–138
  19. ^ a b Nazor 2007, p. 136
  20. ^ a b Nazor 2007, p. 130
  21. ^ Bašić & Miškulin 2010, pp. 485–486
  22. ^ MORH & 8 July 2013
  23. ^ Nazor 2007, p. 140
  24. ^ a b c d Nazor 2007, p. 141
  25. ^ a b c Nazor 2007, p. 145
  26. ^ Duijzings 2000, pp. 54–55
  27. ^ Duijzings 2000, p. 55
  28. ^ ICTY & 15 January 2003, p. 6
  29. ^ Gow 2003, p. 163
  30. ^ a b Nazor 2007, p. 146
  31. ^ Nazor 2007, pp. 146–147
  32. ^ Večernji list & 1 November 2014
  33. ^ Srna & 30 October 2013
  34. ^ Nazor 2007, p. 139
  35. ^ Thomas & Mikulan 2006, p. 50
  36. ^ Štefančić 2011, p. 428
  37. ^ Virovitica.net & 4 November 2008
  38. ^ 034portal.hr & 2 December 2011
  39. ^ MORH 2011, p. 11
  40. ^ Jutarnji list & 20 March 2012
  41. ^ The New York Times & 30 August 2013
  42. ^ ICTY IT-02-54, p. 1
  43. ^ Srna & 30 October 2013
  44. ^ Bašić & Miškulin 2010, p. 486
  45. ^ Bašić & Miškulin 2010, pp. 491–492
  46. ^ Bašić & Miškulin 2010, p. 487
  47. ^ Bašić & Miškulin 2010, p. 488
  48. ^ Bašić & Miškulin 2010, p. 489
  49. ^ Bašić & Miškulin 2010, pp. 489–490
  50. ^ Bašić & Miškulin 2010, p. 490
  51. ^ HRW & 13 February 1992, note 28
  52. ^ HRW & 21 January 1992, p. 297
  53. ^ The New York Times & 10 May 1992.
  54. ^ Armatta 2010, pp. 194–196
  55. ^ Ramcharan 1997, pp. 449–450
  56. ^ CIA 2002, p. 106
  57. ^ Trbovich 2008, p. 300

References edit

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  • Škvorc, Đuro (February 2010). "Zapadna Slavonija uoči i u Domovinskom ratu do studenoga 1991. godine" [Western Slavonia on the Eve of and in the Croatian War of Independence up to November 1991]. Cris: Journal of the Historical Society of Križevci (in Croatian). The Historical Society of Križevci. 11 (1). ISSN 1332-2567.
  • Štefančić, Domagoj (December 2011). "Autocesta – okosnica rata u zapadnoj Slavoniji" [Motorway – The Axis of the War in Western Slavonia]. Journal – Institute of Croatian History (in Croatian). Institute of Croatian History, Faculty of Philosophy, Zagreb, FF press. 43 (1): 427–455. ISSN 0353-295X.
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Further reading edit

  • Blaskovich, Jerry (1997). Anatomy of Deceit: An American Physician's First-Hand Encounter With the Realities of the War in Croatia. Sonoma, California: Dunhill Publishing. ISBN 9780935016246. – "Chapter 4: What Happened in Vocin"

45°44′N 17°16′E / 45.733°N 17.267°E / 45.733; 17.267

November 27, 2023
operation, swath, croatian, operacija, otkos, military, offensive, undertaken, croatian, army, hrvatska, vojska, against, western, slavonia, territorial, defense, forces, bilogora, mountain, western, slavonia, occurring, from, october, november, 1991, during, . Operation Swath 10 Croatian Operacija Otkos 10 was a military offensive undertaken by the Croatian Army Hrvatska vojska or HV against the SAO Western Slavonia Territorial Defense Forces on Bilogora Mountain in western Slavonia Occurring from 31 October to 4 November 1991 during the Croatian War of Independence the operation was a Croatian victory and its success set the stage for follow up advances by Croatian forces on Papuk Mountain in Operation Papuk 91 in late November and December By the end of the year the HV gained control of Papuk securing transport routes between eastern Slavonia and the rest of Croatia Operation Swath 10Part of the Croatian War of IndependenceViroviticaGrubisno PoljePakracNovskaNova GradiskaWestern Slavonian towns on map of Croatia JNA held area in late December 1991 is in red Date31 October 4 November 1991LocationWestern Slavonia CroatiaResultCroatian victoryBelligerents CroatiaSAO Western Slavonia YugoslaviaCommanders and leadersFranjo KovacevicRade CakmakStrength2 647 troops48 artillery pieces12 armoured vehiclesc 1 750 troops22 artillery pieces8 armoured vehiclesCasualties and losses5 killedDozens wounded24 killed22 Serb civilians killed 4 000 displaced The offensives were accompanied by the displacement of most of the Croatian Serb population of the area captured by the HV The refugees initially fled to Bosnia and Herzegovina but the majority were soon settled in the JNA held Baranja region of eastern Croatia The offensive provoked accusations that Croatian troops had committed ethnic cleansing and civil rights abuses These accusations were contested by the European Community Monitor Mission ECMM A month after the operation the retreating paramilitary unit known as the White Eagles perpetrated the Vocin massacre and its war crimes were prosecuted at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia Contents 1 Background 2 Timeline 3 Follow up operations 3 1 Battle of Bastajski Brđani 3 2 Operation Papuk 91 4 Aftermath 4 1 Refugees 4 2 Ceasefire 5 Footnotes 6 References 7 Further readingBackground editMain article 1991 Yugoslav campaign in Croatia During the 1991 Yugoslav campaign in Croatia the 5th Banja Luka Corps of the Yugoslav People s Army Jugoslovenska Narodna Armija or JNA was tasked with advancing north through western Slavonia from Okucani to Daruvar and Virovitica and with a secondary drive from Okucani towards Kutina 1 This was essentially consistent with the line expected to be reached by the main thrust of the JNA advancing from eastern Slavonia in about a week The link was designed to facilitate a further advance west to Zagreb and Varazdin 2 The corps had deployed a battlegroup of the 265th Mechanised Brigade near Okucani supporting an advance which began on 21 September and reached the Papuk Mountains The corps received one artillery and two motorised brigades as reinforcements during the advance but the desertion and morale problems experienced by the JNA elsewhere also existed in the Banja Luka Corps 3 The JNA was stopped by the Croatian National Guard Zbor Narodne Garde or ZNG between Novska Nova Gradiska and Pakrac although SAO Western Slavonia Territorial Defense Forces Teritorijalna odbrana or TO units took up positions on the Bilogora and Papuk north of Pakrac near Virovitica and Slatina with no JNA support 4 The capture of Ivanovo Selo seven kilometres 4 3 miles east of Grubisno Polje and eight kilometres 5 0 miles north of Daruvar on 21 September marked the territorial peak of the TO held area on the Bilogora The village was recaptured by the ZNG the same day with seven dead and fifteen wounded 5 On 1 October the Banja Luka Corps began probing attacks in the region before a major effort with most of the corps three days later The advance established defensive positions just outside Novska and Nova Gradiska 6 On 6 October Pakrac was briefly isolated when the JNA captured Batinjani four kilometres 2 5 miles northwest of the town blocking the last road available to supply the town The ZNG recaptured the village the same day driving the JNA back six kilometres 3 7 miles at a cost of 22 killed 5 The JNA captured Jasenovac on 8 October Lipik and part of Pakrac were captured four days later 6 By then the JNA offensive in western Slavonia had lost momentum 7 and the ZNG made minor advances north of Novska and west of Nova Gradiska on 13 and 16 October 5 Croatian authorities no longer considered the war situation critical issuing an order to plan a counter offensive for 15 October 8 On 29 October the ZNG launched Operation Hurricane 91 against positions held by the JNA and the TO near Novska and Nova Gradiska 9 The TO forces in the Bilogora Mountain region were officially part of the 28th Partisan Division commanded by Colonel Nikola Maric 10 In reality they comprised about 1 750 soldiers eight armoured vehicles ten cannons and twelve mortars 11 The TO force was organised into two battalions headquartered in the villages of Mali Grđevac and Velika Peratovica and commanded by Rade Cakmak 12 North of the TO held area the ZNG deployed the 127th Infantry Brigade in the Virovitica area 13 In the Grubisno Polje area south of the Bilogora the ZNG force was subordinate to the 57th Independent Battalion later renamed the 77th Independent Battalion 14 The attacking ZNG force under Colonel Franjo Kovacevic 15 consisted of 2 647 troops supported by twelve armoured vehicles eighteen cannons and twenty 120 millimetre 4 7 in mortars surpassing the defending TO force in every respect except for the close air support of the TO by the Yugoslav Air Force The ZNG originally planned to deploy the 105th Infantry Brigade and the Omega special police company from Bjelovar but the units were needed elsewhere and unavailable for the offensive 11 Timeline edit nbsp nbsp Virovitica nbsp Slatina nbsp Orahovica nbsp Daruvar nbsp Pakrac nbsp Lipik nbsp Novska nbsp Okucani nbsp Nova Gradiska nbsp Pozega nbsp Grubisno Polje nbsp Velika nbsp Vocin nbsp Đulovac nbsp Kamenska nbsp Bucje nbsp Spanovica nbsp Kusonje nbsp Strijezevica nbsp Novo Zvecevo nbsp Loncarica nbsp Bastajski Brđani nbsp Zrinska nbsp Cecavac nbsp Golobrdac nbsp Sinlije nbsp Oprsinac nbsp Ambush of 2 Decemberclass notpageimage Map of western Slavonia modern county lines provided for reference Operation Swath 10 also known as Bilogora 91 16 was planned by the Croatians to regain control of the Virovitica Loncarica Grubisno Polje road cutting off and destroying the TO forces deployed in the area of the road the northernmost part of western Slavonia captured by the TO or the JNA Those objectives were also designed to deny the Banja Luka Corps support if it attempted to break through towards Virovitica control the last remaining supply route between Zagreb and Slavonia shorten the Croatian defensive positions and improve troop and civilian morale 17 The offensive was originally scheduled for 15 October but was postponed for two weeks due to the unavailability of the 105th Infantry Brigade and the special police The plan of operation called for the ZNG to first cut off the two TO battalions on the Bilogora Mountain within 48 hours with the second stage of the offensive destroying the trapped TO force 18 The operation was authorised by Colonel Miroslav Jezercic commander of Bjelovar Operational Zone on 7 October 19 The offensive was launched at 6 am on 31 October with a 50 minute artillery bombardment followed by a ZNG advance in three groups 19 the 57th Independent Battalion from the south the 127th Infantry Brigade from the north and the 1st Battalion of the 127th Infantry Brigade from the northwest 20 That day the ZNG captured the villages of Velika Barna Gornja Kovacica and Zrinska northwest of the Grubisno Polje Veliki Grđevac road securing Grubisno Polje The ZNG also advanced along the Virovitica Grubisno Polje road arriving at the outskirts of Mala Peratovica four kilometres 2 5 miles east of Grubisno Polje and approaching Loncarica eleven kilometres 6 8 miles south of Virovitica 13 The TO forces put up a strong resistance especially near Loncarica although the battlefield situation was described as hopeless The TO requested close air support from the Yugoslav Air Force 21 and four to six aircraft were deployed in response 11 On 1 November the ZNG conducted mopping up operations in the areas northwest of Grubisno Polje and the following day the TO force began retreating towards Papuk Mountain Loncarica and Dapcevacki Brđani a village about two kilometres 1 2 miles northeast of Mala Peratovica along the Virovitica Grubisno Polje road were captured by the Croatian force on 3 November after they overcame strong TO resistance 13 That day the ZNG was renamed the Croatian Army Hrvatska vojska or HV 22 After the villages were captured HV forces advancing from Grubisno Polje and Virovitica met the HV captured the village of Velika Peratovica which was isolated by the advances along the Virovitica Grubisno Polje road and northwest of Grubisno Polje on the first day of the offensive On 4 November the operation was declared finished after the HV secured the area 13 Follow up operations edit nbsp Map showing the fighting in western Slavonia September 1991 January 1992 Operation Swath 10 is depicted in the bulge salient near the top of the map Operation Papuk 91 a follow up to Operation Swath 10 is depicted in the central portion of the mapBattle of Bastajski Brđani edit On 10 November the 57th Independent Battalion advanced against the TO in Veliki Miletinac east of the area captured in Operation Swath 10 capturing the village the same day The neighbouring Mali Miletinac was captured by the HV the following day and on 12 November the HV captured the villages of Bastajski Brđani and Rekici Two days later the TO counterattacked killing nine HV troops and wounding about ten more but the HV defence held Another effort to recapture Bastajski Brđani was made by the TO reinforced with 50 paramilitary White Eagles It failed despite being well prepared and supported by artillery because the defending HV force was alerted by signals intelligence of the attack and reinforced The White Eagles lost 46 killed in the battle 23 Operation Papuk 91 edit Operation Papuk 91 was planned to follow Operation Swath 10 advancing south from the Virovitica Osijek road and clearing the Papuk and Psunj mountains of TO forces 24 elements of the 28th Partisan Division 10 The offensive was approved by Jezercic at a 23 November meeting in Slatina attended by HV Inspector General Martin Spegelj Colonel Miljenko Crnjac commanding officer of the 123rd Infantry Brigade Colonel Đuro Decak commanding officer of the 127th Infantry Brigade Colonel Josip Cerni commanding officer of the 136th Infantry Brigade and commanders of other units tasked with its support 24 The operation was launched on 28 November the HV advanced across a front spanning Grubisno Polje and Orahovica nearly 60 kilometres 37 miles east 24 On 2 December a detachment of the 123rd Infantry Brigade en route to relieve troops manning a base on the Papuk was ambushed with eleven soldiers killed On 10 December the HV advanced to the Psunj Mountain area north of Nova Gradiska in an offensive codenamed Gradina which captured the villages of Snjegavic Sinlije Golobrdac Vucjak Cecavski Rusevac Jeminovac Cecavac and Oprsinac The advance improved the safety of the Nova Gradiska Pozega road and secured the right flank of the Nova Gradiska axis of Operation Hurricane 91 25 From 12 to 15 December the HV captured a cluster of villages around Đulovac southeast of the area captured in Operation Swath 10 The HV units approaching from the east captured Vocin about ten kilometres 6 2 miles southeast of Đulovac on 14 15 December 25 Vocin and Đulovac were badly damaged by the retreating TO and paramilitary White Eagles 26 and the latter killed 43 civilians in Vocin on 13 December 27 28 The victims bodies were mutilated and left unburied presumably as a warning to others 29 On 16 December the HV in an operation codenamed Sokolina captured the villages of Gornji Vrhovci Kamenski Vucjak and Kamenski Susnjari about 15 kilometres 9 3 miles south of Vocin and 10 kilometres 6 2 miles west of Velika this restricted the TO forces to the southwestern slopes of Papuk Mountain and Psunj Mountain further south The following day the HV captured Novo Zvecevo and a TO supply depot in the village halfway between Vocin and Kamenski Vucjak in an attack codenamed Johanesberg 25 On 18 December the HV advanced southwest from Kamenski Vucjak in an advance codenamed Lanista capturing the villages of Strijezevica Bogdasic Amatovci and Kamenski Seovci and coming within one kilometre 0 62 miles of the village of Kamenska on the Pakrac Pozega road Over the following three days the HV performed mopping up operations in the area 30 On 21 December the HV launched an unsuccessful attack codenamed Prkos on Kamenska and the adjacent village of Mijaci The TO withdrew from the area north of Kamenska including the village of Sazije on 24 December retreating from Kamenska and Mijaci the next day HV forces deployed in the Pakrac area west of the Papuk and the Psunj advanced east to support Operation Papuk 91 capturing the villages of Dereza Gornji Grahovljani Donji Grahovljani Kusonje and Spanovica on 24 25 December and left less than 15 kilometres 9 3 miles of the Pakrac Pozega road separating HV units advancing from the west and east 30 Operation Papuk 91 ended on 26 December when forces of the 123rd the 127th and the 136th Brigades met at Bucje the final day s advance was codenamed Velebit 31 Aftermath editFive HV soldiers were killed in the operation and dozens were wounded 32 Twenty four JNA personnel and Croatian Serb rebels were also killed as were 22 Serb civilians A further 17 Serb civilians were killed in the weeks preceding the operation 33 in which Croatian forces secured 370 square kilometres 140 square miles of western Slavonia including 21 villages Although the HV secured the Virovitica Grubisno Polje road it failed to trap the TO troops deployed to the area This was later attributed to insufficient manpower the unavailability of the 105th Infantry Brigade or the 73rd Independent Garesnica Battalion which were deployed in Pakrac The HV positions set the stage for further advances against the SAO Western Slavonia in Operation Papuk 91 34 Some sources conflate Operations Swath 10 and Papuk 91 describing the latter as part of Operation Swath 10 35 Operation Papuk 91 eliminated the threat to the road connecting eastern Slavonia and Zagreb the TO forces were pushed south placing the road out of artillery range 36 In Operation Papuk 91 the HV captured 110 settlements 24 and 1 230 square kilometres 470 square miles of territory 20 In 2008 a monument to HV troops participating in the offensive was unveiled in Grubisno Polje 37 Another monument was erected on Papuk Mountain to the 11 soldiers from the 123rd Infantry Brigade who were ambushed in Operation Papuk 91 on 2 December 1991 38 Operations Swath 10 Papuk 91 and Hurricane 91 implemented in western Slavonia in late 1991 are considered the first offensive liberation operations in the Croatian War of Independence 39 The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia ICTY charged Vojislav Seselj with a number of war crimes including the killings by the paramilitary White Eagles in Vocin on 13 December Although the trial ended in 2012 as of August 2013 update the verdict was pending 40 41 Slobodan Milosevic the president of Serbia at the time of the killings was also tried by the ICTY for the crimes in Vocin but died before his trial ended 42 Refugees edit About 4 000 Croatian Serb civilians fled the area affected by Operation Swath 10 43 According to Serbian sources the population began to evacuate on the first day of the offensive by the second day about 800 vehicles had entered Bosnia and Herzegovina The retreating columns included men of military age who refused to fight 44 A substantial number of refugees settled in Baranja in houses owned by displaced Croats 45 Based on reports of fleeing civilians the Yugoslav government accused Croatia of ethnic cleansing and other civil rights violations Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Mitrovic wrote to the European Community Monitor Mission ECMM accusing Croatia of personal and property damage and the displacement of Serb civilians Although the accusations were countered by evacuation plans made by SAO Western Slavonia authorities on 25 October 46 and the testimony of civilians remaining in the area that the TO ordered the population to flee claiming that the Ustase are coming and killing every Serb 47 Serbian media extensively reported alleged atrocities Reports compared the Croatian offensive to the World War II massacres committed by the Independent State of Croatia 48 On 3 November the Presidency of Yugoslavia condemned the offensive citing the destruction of 18 Serb villages and the following day the National Assembly of Serbia appealed to the international community for help 49 In response to the situation and a request from the Presidency of Yugoslavia an ECMM team toured the area affected by the offensive on 6 November targeting locations where media reports indicated atrocities these included Velika Peratovica Mala Peratovica Gornja Rasenica Donja Rasenica and Loncarica The 6 November ECMM report refuted the accusations although the team found only one Serb couple remaining in the area they denied claims that the HV mistreated civilians left behind The ECMM team reported no systematic destruction of houses although a number of structures had artillery bombardment damage and a small number of houses farms and haystacks were recently torched The team was unable to determine if the HV was to blame if the villagers avenged SAO Western Krajina leaders or if the destruction was a result of a scorched earth policy by the retreating force 50 The HV offensives in western Slavonia conducted in late 1991 Operations Hurricane 10 Swath 10 and Papuk 91 created a total of 20 000 Serb refugees They fled the area when the JNA ordered Croatian Serb forces to withdraw 51 and were settled in the JNA held Baranja region of eastern Croatia 52 The refugee resettlement coincided with Croatian Serb efforts to change the ethnic composition of the Danube area seized in late 1991 providing a secondary motive for the expulsion of non Serb civilians 53 Ceasefire edit Main article Vance plan A 3 January 1992 ceasefire allowed the implementation of the Vance plan which protected civilians in areas designated as UN Protected Areas UNPAs and deployed UN peacekeepers in Croatia 54 One of the UNPAs defined by the plan UNPA Western Slavonia encompassed parts of the municipalities of Novska and Nova Gradiska and all of Daruvar Grubisno Polje and Pakrac This UNPA covered the area held by the JNA on 3 January additional territory to the north recaptured by the HV in late 1991 and towns never under SAO Western Slavonia control such as Grubisno Polje and Daruvar 55 The peacekeeping force United Nations Protection Force or UNPROFOR initially expected to be 10 000 strong 56 began its deployment on 8 March 57 Footnotes edit Marijan 2012b p 262 Marijan 2012b p 261 Marijan 2012b p 266 CIA 2002 p 102 a b c Nazor 2007 p 144 a b Marijan 2012b pp 269 270 Marijan 2012a p 110 Marijan 2012a p 107 Nazor 2007 p 134 a b Skvorc 2010 p 119 a b c Nazor 2007 p 138 Basic amp Miskulin 2010 p 470 a b c d Basic amp Miskulin 2010 p 485 Basic amp Miskulin 2010 p 476 Basic amp Miskulin 2010 p 483 Glas Slavonije amp 3 August 2012 Nazor 2007 p 137 Nazor 2007 pp 137 138 a b Nazor 2007 p 136 a b Nazor 2007 p 130 Basic amp Miskulin 2010 pp 485 486 MORH amp 8 July 2013 Nazor 2007 p 140 a b c d Nazor 2007 p 141 a b c Nazor 2007 p 145 Duijzings 2000 pp 54 55 Duijzings 2000 p 55 ICTY amp 15 January 2003 p 6 Gow 2003 p 163 a b Nazor 2007 p 146 Nazor 2007 pp 146 147 Vecernji list amp 1 November 2014 Srna amp 30 October 2013 Nazor 2007 p 139 Thomas amp Mikulan 2006 p 50 Stefancic 2011 p 428 Virovitica net amp 4 November 2008 034portal hr amp 2 December 2011 MORH 2011 p 11 Jutarnji list amp 20 March 2012 The New York Times amp 30 August 2013 ICTY IT 02 54 p 1 Srna amp 30 October 2013 Basic amp Miskulin 2010 p 486 Basic amp Miskulin 2010 pp 491 492 Basic amp Miskulin 2010 p 487 Basic amp Miskulin 2010 p 488 Basic amp Miskulin 2010 p 489 Basic amp Miskulin 2010 pp 489 490 Basic amp Miskulin 2010 p 490 HRW amp 13 February 1992 note 28 HRW amp 21 January 1992 p 297 The New York Times amp 10 May 1992 Armatta 2010 pp 194 196 Ramcharan 1997 pp 449 450 CIA 2002 p 106 Trbovich 2008 p 300References editBooksArmatta Judith 2010 Twilight of Impunity The War Crimes Trial of Slobodan Milosevic Durham North Carolina Duke University Press ISBN 978 0 8223 4746 0 Central Intelligence Agency Office of Russian and European Analysis 2002 Balkan Battlegrounds A Military History of the Yugoslav Conflict 1990 1995 Washington D C Central Intelligence Agency ISBN 9780160664724 OCLC 50396958 Duijzings Gerlachlus 2000 Religion and the Politics of Identity in Kosovo London England C Hurst amp Co ISBN 9781850653929 Gow James 2003 The Serbian Project and Its Adversaries A Strategy of War Crimes London England C Hurst amp Co ISBN 9781850656463 Nazor Ante 2007 Poceci suvremene hrvatske drzave kronologija procesa osamostaljenja Republike Hrvatske od Memoranduma SANU 1986 do proglasenja neovisnosti 8 listopada 1991 Beginnings of the Modern Croatian State A Chronology of the Independence of the Republic of Croatia from 1986 SANU Memorandum to the Declaration of Independence on 8 October 1991 in Croatian Zagreb Croatia Croatian Homeland War Memorial Documentation Centre ISBN 9789537439019 Ramcharan B G ed 1997 The International Conference on the Former Yugoslavia Official Papers Volume 1 BRILL ISBN 9789041104298 Thomas Nigel Mikulan Krunoslav 2006 TheYugoslav Wars 1 Slovenia amp Croatia 1991 95 Oxford England Osprey Publishing ISBN 9781841769639 Archived from the original on 18 December 2014 Retrieved 16 October 2016 Trbovich Ana S 2008 A Legal Geography of Yugoslavia s Disintegration Oxford England Oxford University Press ISBN 9780195333435 Journal articlesBasic Petar Miskulin Ivica September 2010 Grubisnopoljska kronika 1990 1991 drugi dio Grubisno Polje Chronicle 1990 1991 part two Scrinia Slavonica in Croatian Croatian Historical Institute Department of History of Slavonia Srijem and Baranja 10 1 454 494 ISSN 1332 4853 Marijan Davor May 2012 The Sarajevo Ceasefire Realism or strategic error by the Croatian leadership Review of Croatian History Croatian Institute of History 7 1 103 123 ISSN 1845 4380 Marijan Davor November 2012 Zamisao i propast napadne operacije Jugoslavenske narodne armije na Hrvatsku u rujnu 1991 godine The Conception and Failure of the Offensive Operation of the Yugoslav National Army in September 1991 Journal of Contemporary History in Croatian Croatian Institute of History 44 2 251 275 ISSN 0590 9597 Skvorc Đuro February 2010 Zapadna Slavonija uoci i u Domovinskom ratu do studenoga 1991 godine Western Slavonia on the Eve of and in the Croatian War of Independence up to November 1991 Cris Journal of the Historical Society of Krizevci in Croatian The Historical Society of Krizevci 11 1 ISSN 1332 2567 Stefancic Domagoj December 2011 Autocesta okosnica rata u zapadnoj Slavoniji Motorway The Axis of the War in Western Slavonia Journal Institute of Croatian History in Croatian Institute of Croatian History Faculty of Philosophy Zagreb FF press 43 1 427 455 ISSN 0353 295X News reports Obiljezili 23 obljetnicu VRO Otkos 10 prve oslobodilacke akcije MUP a i HV a 23rd Anniversary of the Military Police Operation Swath 10 The First Liberation Action of the MUP and HV in Croatian Vecernji list 1 November 2014 Retrieved 6 December 2014 Burns John F 10 May 1992 The Demographics of Exile Victorious Serbs Repopulate Croatian Villages The New York Times Dokumentarac o egzodusu Hrvata iz Dalja Aljmasa i Erduta Documentary on Exodus of Croats from Dalj Aljmas and Erdut Glas Slavonije in Croatian 3 August 2012 Nakic Mario 2 December 2011 Najtuzniji dan za pozeske branitelje Poginulo 11 mladica The Saddest Day for Defenders of Pozega 11 Youths Killed in Croatian 034portal hr Archived from the original on 29 January 2012 Otkriven spomenik braniteljima akcije Otkos 10 Monument to Troops in Operation Swath 10 Unveiled in Croatian Virovitica net 4 November 2008 Archived from the original on 2 December 2013 PARASTOS POVODOM STRADANJA SRBA U ISTOCNOJ BILOGORI Parastas Held in Memory of Serbs Killed in Eastern Bilogora in Serbian Srna 30 October 2013 Archived from the original on 3 March 2016 Retrieved 6 December 2014 Simons Marlise 30 August 2013 International Judge Is Removed From Case Over Apparent Bias The New York Times Archived from the original on 29 November 2013 U Haagu zavrsilo suđenje cetnickom vojvodi Seselju Tuziteljstvo trazi kaznu od 28 godina zatvora Trial of Chetnik Leader Seselj Ends in the Hague The Prosecution Asks for 28 Years in Prison Jutarnji list in Croatian HINA 20 March 2012 Archived from the original on 3 December 2013 Other sources 20 Years of the Croatian Armed Forces PDF Ministry of Defence Croatia Archived from the original PDF on 8 October 2012 Retrieved 19 July 2013 Case Information Sheet Kosovo Croatia amp Bosnia IT 02 54 Slobodan Milosevic PDF International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia Povjesnica A History in Croatian Ministry of Defence Croatia 8 July 2013 Archived from the original on 30 November 2013 The Prosecutor of the Tribunal Against Vojislav Seselj PDF International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia 15 January 2003 Appendix D Helsinki Watch Letter to Slobodan Milosevic President of the Republic of Serbia and Blagoje Adzic Acting Minister of Defense January 21 1992 War Crimes in Bosnia Hercegovina PDF New York City Human Rights Watch 21 January 1992 pp 274 309 ISBN 1 56432 083 9 Appendix E Helsinki Watch Letter to Franjo Tudjman President of the Republic of Croatia February 13 1992 War Crimes in Bosnia Hercegovina PDF New York City Human Rights Watch 13 February 1992 pp 310 357 ISBN 1 56432 083 9 Further reading editBlaskovich Jerry 1997 Anatomy of Deceit An American Physician s First Hand Encounter With the Realities of the War in Croatia Sonoma California Dunhill Publishing ISBN 9780935016246 Chapter 4 What Happened in Vocin 45 44 N 17 16 E 45 733 N 17 267 E 45 733 17 267 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Operation Swath 10 amp oldid 1183463479 Operation Papuk 91, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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