storm - Hrvatski memorijalno-dokumentacijski centar Domovinskog ...

146
Southern Th eatre
During Storm the forces in the Southern Th eatre were deployed in a state of preventive
combat readiness on the fi rst line, facing the VRS Herzegovinian Corps and units of the
Yugoslav Army. In line with the plan for Operation Maestral, the units committed to
the mission were the 114 th , 115 th Brigades, the 116 th and 156 th Home Guard Regiments,
the 1 st Dubrovnik Home Guard Battalion, composite naval infantry detachments from
Korčula, Brač and Hvar, the 16 th Artillery Battalion, the 39 th Engineer Battalion, the 415 th
mobile coastal artillery battery and MUP Special Police units; air forces included two
MiG-21s and two M-24 anti-armour helicopters in Split. 470 Aft er its participation in
the fi rst stage of Storm, the HV 144 th Brigade was pulled back from the Sinj section of
the North Dalmatian theatre and subordinated on 8 August to the Southern Th eatre. 471
Th e VRS artillery engaged occasionally targets in the Dubrovnik area, but there were no
infantry or other movements. 472
Croatian Navy
Like the Southern Th eatre, the Croatian Navy was also in a state of high combat
readiness during Storm. It was prepared for active naval defence focused on anti-naval,
anti-submarine and countermine warfare. Naval defence in the Northern and Central
Adriatic was implemented in line with order Turs-2, and in the Southern Adriatic within
the scope of the defensive operation Maestral in the Southern Th eatre. 473 Committed
to the mission were primarily rocket-artillery fl eet forces, a mixed naval battalion for
antisubmarine warfare, a composite battalion for countermine warfare, assault vessels
and commandos. Th e coastal artillery batteries of Šipan, Gruž and Molunat were
mobilized, and the Fleet brought up to its full complement along with the Hvar and Brač
composite naval infantry detachments. 474
470 MORH, GSHV: Southern Th eatre Command, cl. 8/95-02/115, reg. no. 3105-01-01-95-77 of 5 August
1995; Report. Th e report also refers to the participation of the naval infantry detachments of Pelješac and
Dugi Otok - Ugljan; however, the text acknowledged the comment of Admiral Vid Stipetić that the units
involved were actually the Brač and Hvar naval infantry detachments, and that due mention should also be
made of MUP Special Police units, and air forces (two MiG-21s and two M-24s).
471 MORH, GSHV: Southern Th eatre Command, cl. 8/95-02/115, reg. no. 3105-01-01-95-109 of 8 August
1995; Report. MORH, GSHV: APO 3001, Command, cl. 031/09/95-02, reg. no. 3101-03/1-95-1-1104 of 8
August 1995; Daily operational report.
472 MORH, GSHV: Southern Th eatre Command, cl. 81/95-02-01, reg. no. 3105-03-02-95-252 of 5 August
1995; Daily operational report.
473 MORH, GSHV: Southern Th eatre Command, cl. 8/95-01/01, reg. no. 6030-03-95-7 of 3 August 1995;
Order.
474 MORH, GSHV: APO 6030 Split, cl. str. conf. 813-07/95-01/02, reg. no. 6030-11/95-434 of 5 August 1995;
Daily operational report. Th e report also refers to the participation of the Korčula and Pelješac naval infantry
detachments; however, the text acknowledged the comment of Admiral Vid Stipetić that the units
involved were actually the Brač and Hvar naval infantry detachments.