storm - Hrvatski memorijalno-dokumentacijski centar Domovinskog ...

Th is was quite true, because the military and political leadership of Republika Srpska
(RS) had no intention of desisting from the defeat of the ARBiH 5 th Corps and the
capture of Bihać. 80
Aft er the successful Croatian actions in Operation Zima ’94 relative calm prevailed
in the Livno theatre until the spring of 1995. Croatian forces engaged in active defence
and carried out planned replacements with units from the Split Corps District and the
HVO. During the period certain minor tactical changes were made along the front line.
As spring approached, so did the possibility that the Serbs could jeopardize Croatian
positions on Mounts Dinara and Staretina. Accordingly, the Split Corps District decided
to mount Operation Skok-1 (Leap-1). It was meant to push Serbian forces off dominant
high ground on Mount Dinara and bring SVK forces in the valley of the Cetina within
fi re range. 81 On 7 April 1995 the operation was completed by the 7 th Guards Brigade
with the support of the 126 th Home Guard Regiment. It established control over Mount
Dinara across an area 5 km deep and 15 km wide. In this way the positions of the Croatian
forces in Livanjsko Polje and on Mount Dinara were assured the required stability, and
there were no major Serbian actions in the eastern part of Livansko Polje aft er this
operation. 82
Aft er this success the Croatian forces were ready to mount subsequent operations.
However, the next operation, called Flash (Bljesak) was mounted at the other end of
the Croatian theatre, in Western Slavonia. Th e plan of Operation Flash envisioned a
fast and vigorous breakthrough of armoured/mechanized and infantry units along the
motorway from Nova Gradiška and Novska, the carving-up of the occupied area and the
liberation of Okučani. In the following step the units committed to the operation were
to advance to the river Sava and prevent the intervention of the Bosnian Serbs or the
SVK Banija Corps. In the fi nal, second part of the plan, the Serbian units encircled north
of the Novska - Nova Gradiška motorway would be wiped out. Th e fi nal preparations
for the operation started in late April 1995 with the assembling of the planned units
and mobilization of reserve forces. Th e execution of the operation was entrusted to the
Bjelovar Corps District and the operational teams of the HV General Staff . 83
Operation Flash started at dawn on the 1 st of May. 84 It mainly proceeded as planned
and successfully. Th e occupied area was cut up aft er the Croatian forces took over control
80 Command of the 2nd KK; str. conf. no. 3-36 of 16 February 1995. It refers to the meeting held by R.
Karadžić in Bosansko Grahovo on 15 February 1995 with the representatives of 11 West Bosnian municipalities
and seven brigades manned from these municipalities.
81 SVA MORH, ZZPS: ZP Split Command; cl. str. conf. 8/95-01/01, reg. no. 1080-01-95-75 of 4 April 1995.
Attack order.
82 SVA MORH, ZZPS: OG Livno, cl. 81/95-01/16, reg. no 1085/5-01-95-103 of 7 January 1995; Daily operational
report. SVA MORH, HV 7th gbr: 7th Guards Brigade of 7 April 1995; Daily operational report.
A. Gotovina, “Napadajni bojevi i operacije HV i HVO (Off ensive HV and HVO Battles and Operations)”,
38-40.
83 MORH, GSHV, RP/5/94 of 5 December 1994; Directive Op. no. 5/94. Facsimile in J. Bobetko, “Sve moje
bitke” (All My Battles), 392-399. SVA MORH, GSHV: GSHV, cl. 80-01/95-02/08, reg. no. 512-06-05/01-95-
129 of 29 April 1995; Order.
84 HDA, RSK: RSK, GŠ SV; str. conf. no. 4-2361 of 2 May 1995; Regular operational report.
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