storm - Hrvatski memorijalno-dokumentacijski centar Domovinskog ...

FINAL HV PREPARATIONS FOR THE OPERATION
Aft er the draft ing of the HV General Staff Directive on 30 June 1995, the General
Staff signed the fi rst orders regulating the operational subordination of the units
attached to the commands of the corps districts. Th is was completed by 3 July. 154
Th e implementation of these orders and the deployment of units to the assembly areas
started with the Serbian attacks on Bihać and the Croatian operation Summer ’95. 155 On
30 July all holidays and furloughs of HV members were revoked and orders issued for
their immediate reporting to their units and assignments. 156 Th e last major innovation
in the plan of the operation was introduced on 2 August, when ZP Bjelovar was included
into off ensive operations although it had previously been designated exclusively for
support and defence of the state border. 157
On 2 August the HV General Staff established the Staff Operational Centre (SOC)
responsible for data collection, processing and analysis, and for the control of “units and
commands at the operational strategic level”. Th e operational team of the Centre was
expected to suggest force deployment to the HV General Staff and it was responsible
for monitoring and overseeing the situation in the individual corps districts. Th e SOC
was divided into two groups. Major-General Pavao Miljavac was the leader of the fi rst
and Major-General Vinko Vrbanac of the second group. Th e advance command post of
the HV General Staff in Ogulin was staff ed with additional offi cers, and a special group
of the Chief of the HV General Staff for overseeing special missions and orders was
also set up. In accordance with the war plan and the directive of the Chief of the HV
General Staff the GSHV Advance Command Post was set up in Đakovo. 158 On 3 August
the Command of the Southern Th eatre war ordered to mount Operation Maestral. 159
154 MORH, GSHV: GSHV, cl. 08-01/95-02/08, reg. no. 512-06-05/01-95-256, 258, 260, 261, 265 and 266 of
30 June 1995; Order. MORH, GSHV, cl. 08-01/95-02/08, reg. no. 512-06-05/01-95-259, 270, 273-277 of 3
July 1995; Order.
155 MORH, GSHV: GSHV, cl.08-01/95-02/08, reg. no. 512-06-05/01-05-314 of 24 July 1995, 325 of 28 July
1995, 331 and 333 of 30 July 1995, 337 and 338 of 31 July 199, 339 of 1 August 1995, 342, 343, 346, 347 and
348 of 2 August 1995, 354 and 360 of 3 August 1955; Order. Some of the ZP Karlovac units, noted General
M. Crnjac, only arrived in the assembly area one day before the start of Storm, and one battalion arrived
with almost no weapons. HMDCDR: comments by General Miljenko Crnjac on the text about ZP Karlovac
in the military-police operation Storm.
156 MORH, GSHV:GSHV, cl. 8-01/95-02/08, reg. no. 512-06-05/01-95-330 of 30 July 1995; Order.
157 MORH, GSHV: Command of ZP Bjelovar, cl. 80-01/95-01, reg. no. 1077-04-95-1285 of 13 September
1995; Assessment of execution of the off ensive operation Storm.
158 MORH, GSHV: GSHV, cl. 80-01/95-02/08, reg. no. 512-06-05/01-340 of 2 August 1995; Order. MORH,
GSHV: GSHV, cl. 08-01/95-02/08, reg. no. 512-06-05/01-95-351 of 3 August 1995; Order.
159 MORH, GSHV: GSHV, cl.08-01/95-02-08, reg. no. 512-06-05/01-95-349 of 3 August 1995; Order.
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