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70
WAR PLANS
(DEFENCE PLANS AND PLANS FOR THE LIBERATION
OF THE OCCUPIED TERRITORY)
Serious planning for Operation Storm started in December 1994. 143 Aft er the
signifi cant success scored by the Split Corps District on Mount Dinara and
in Livanjsko Polje, the HV General Staff draft ed a new plan and directives
codenamed Flash (Bljesak). Th e plan was partly tested in Western Slavonia, and part
of uncommitted forces was used to reinforce the Split, Osijek, Zagreb, Karlovac and
Gospić Corps Districts. In mid-May the name of the operation was changed from Flash
into Storm. 144 Th e directives were attuned to the conditions on the ground and signed
in the HV General Staff on 26 June 1995. As decided by the Chief of the HV Staff , the
available forces of the Zagreb, Karlovac, Gospić and Split Corps Districts were given
orders to start intensive preparations, “along with the required regrouping and additional
mobilization”, for bringing forces to a state of readiness guaranteeing the execution of the
operation in accordance with the directives. 145 Th e remainder of the Croatian Army, the
forces of the Southern Th eatre and of the Osijek Corps District, with the support of the
Croatian Navy and the Croatian Air Force, were to secure the successful execution of the
operation by steady and decisive defence. Th e mission of the Bjelovar Corps District was
the defence of the border along the river Sava. All the units were supposed to be ready
for the operation by 15 July. 146
Th e mission of the Zagreb Corps District (ZP Zagreb) was to break through the
defences of the SVK Banija Corps, free Banovina and link up with the ARBiH 5th Corps
in the area of the villages of Obljaj and Žirovac. Th e Corps was to be reinforced with the
following General Staff units: the 81 st Guards Battalion, the 16 th Artillery-Rocket Brigade
(without the 2 nd and 3 rd Battalions), the 2 nd Battalion of the 15 th Anti-Armour Artillery-
Rocket Brigade, the 2 nd Battalion of the 33 rd Engineer Brigade, and special MUP units.
Th e 125 th Home Guard Regiment from Novska, attached to the Bjelovar Corps District,
was reallocated back to the Zagreb Corps District. In order to reinforce other corps
143 Work on plans for the liberation of the occupied territory of the Republic of Croatia started already in late
1991 and early 1992. Over the years the plans were updated. Th e last plan for Storm was modifi ed a few days
before the operation, and provided for the simultaneous attack of Croatian forces in all operational and tactical
directions, and advance to the border between the Republic of Croatia and Bosnia&Herzegovina, over
a period of up to seven days. Th is achieved a strategic surprise to which the enemy had no valid response.
HMDCDR: Review of General Antun Tus for the text about the Military-Police Operation Storm.
144 MORH, GSHV: GS HV, cl. 80-01/95-02-08, reg. no, 512-06-05/01-95-213 of 16 May 1995; Order.
145 MORH, GSHV: GS HV, RP/12-1-95 of 26 June 1995; Attack directive, Op.no. 12-1/95, Storm-1. Published
in J. Bobetko, “Sve moje bitke” (All My Battles), 422-432.
146 MORH, GSHV: GS HV, RP/12-1/95 of 26 June 1995; Attack directive Op. no 12-1/95, Storm-1.