storm - Hrvatski memorijalno-dokumentacijski centar Domovinskog ...

In the Karlovac theatre the 137 th Home Guard Regiment infi ltrated four
reconnaissance&sabotage groups into the rear of the SVK 13 th Infantry Brigade - at the
village of Oreško, Kestenak, the Bosiljevac forest and Kozlinska Glavica - at midnight on
3 August. Aft er artillery preparation which started at 0500 hours and the forced crossing
of the river Korana, a bridgehead was established at Šćulac. 285 At Šćulac - Skradska Gora
- Dugi Dol and at Mateško - Oreščani - Perjašica the SVK 13 th Infantry Brigade put up
stiff resistance and tried to recover the lost positions by committing armoured units. Th e
assault was halted at the approaches to Koransko Selo. Aft er one killed and three wounded
members the regiment fully completed the fi rst part of its task by reaching the line village
of Oreščani - Bosiljevac forest - village of Milinkovići - village of Grubješići - Kestenak hill
- Donji Skrad - Kozlinska Glava. 286
Th e HV 110 th Home Guard Regiment with the attached company of the HV 137 th Home
Guard Regiment mounted its attack from the village of Zastinje across Slunjska Brda
towards Cerovac Tušilovački and Babina Gora, and from Selište via Podrijevci towards
Brezova Glava. Th e attack was mounted with no artillery support in order to achieve
surprise. Aft er the 2 nd battalion reached the Karlovac - Tušilović road, it came under heavy
infantry and artillery fi re. In the ensuing panic some of the troops ended up in a mine
fi eld in which 6 men were killed and 52 wounded. Th e casualties had a disastrous eff ect
on the morale of the regiment, and its condition did not guarantee any further success.
Th e attached company of the HV 137 th Home Guard Regiment did not accomplish its
mission and that left open the fl ank of the 2 nd battalion towards Babina Gora. A similar
situation developed on the left fl ank of the regiment, where the HV 10 th Brigade also failed
to perform as planned. Th ese developments exposed the fl ank of the regiment to a possible
counterattack from Popović Brdo and Štrekovac. 287
At 0500 the HV 104 th Brigade attempted a forced crossing of the Korana. 288 Th e attempt
failed and aft er 0800 the brigade returned to its jump-off position. 289 According to the
opinion of the brigade commander, the failure was due to stiff resistance, reinforcements
engaged in the form of four troop truckloads, good fortifi cations and the unexpectedly
higher number of Serbian troops. Th e attached company of the 110 th Home Guard
Regiment has two men killed and two wounded. 290 As a result of the failed mission of the
285 SVA MORH, ZZPK: IZM 136th Home Guard Reg., cl. 81/95-01/01, reg. no. 2159-01/95-25-1 of 4 August 1995;
Operational daily report.
286 SVA MORH, ZZPK: ZZP Karlovac, cl. 81/95-01/110, reg. no. 1078-03/2-95-25-2 of 4 August 1995; Action report.
MORH, GSHV: Command of the 137th Home Guard Reg., cl. 8/95-01/110, reg. no. 2159-01-95-103 of 28 August
1995; Analysis of the results accomplished by the 137th Home Guard Reg. in Operation Storm. SVA MORH, ZZPK:
ZPP Karlovac, cl. 81/95-01/01, reg. no. 1078-IZM-1/95-25 of 4 August 1995. M. Sekulić, “Knin je pao u Beogradu”
(Knin Fell in Belgrade), 215, 218.
287 SVA MORH, ZZPK: 110th Home Guard Reg., cl.8/95-01/29, reg. 3333-01/1-95-95-27 of 4 August 1995; Report.
288 SVA MORH, ZZPK: APO 2126 Varaždin, K. str. conf. 803-02/95-06/1, reg. no. 2126-01-95-4 of 4 August 1995;
Daily operational report.
289 MORH, GSHV: War Diary, GS OS RH, note 99 of 4 August 1995.
290 SVA MORH, ZZPK: APO 2126 Varaždin, K. str. conf. 803-02/95-06/1, reg. no. 2126-01-95-4 of 4 August 1995;
Daily operational report. Th e commander of the Karlovac Corps District noted that the 104th Brigade was not prepared
for combat, particularly not for a forced crossing. HMDCDR: comments of General Miljenko Crnac on the
text about the Karlovac Corps District in the military-police operation Storm.
109