storm - Hrvatski memorijalno-dokumentacijski centar Domovinskog ...

Croatian Navy units received orders for an active naval defence of the Republic of Croatia
focused on “anti-naval, anti-submarine, anti-mine operations, and anti-sabotage and air
defence”. Naval defence in the South Adriatic area was incorporated into the overall defence
operations in the Southern Th eatre. 160
Military police units were issued orders related to their domain of activity with the
additional obligation to cooperate with civil police. 161 Reporters were “forbidden all access
to areas of responsibility of Croatian army units without a special permission issued by the
MORH Political Directorate”. HV members were forbidden to give “any statements to (national
and foreign) media without the express approval of the MORH Political Directorate”. 162
On 3 August at 2115 hours the Chief of the HV General Staff issued battle readiness orders
to units of the Bjelovar, Zagreb, Karlovac, Gospić and Split Corps Districts, and to the special
units of the Ministry of Internal Aff airs of the Republic of Croatia; units of ZP Osijek, the
Southern Th eatre and of the Croatian Navy received defence readiness orders at 0300 hours
on 4 August. Battle readiness for the Croatian Air Force was set at 0500 hours on 4 August. 163
Th e fi rst air strike was scheduled for 0600 hours, the second one to follow “depending on
weather conditions”. 164 At 0700 the Croatian Army was to “repossess Croatian materiel from
the UNCRO depots”, where it was stored under the provisions of the Zagreb Agreement
concluded in the spring of 1994. 165
74
Th e political and
military leaders
of the Republic
of Croatia watch
the progress of
Operation Storm.
160 MORH, GSHV: GSHV, cl. 08-01/95-02/08. reg. no. 512-06-05/01-95-350 of 3 August 1995; Order.
161 MORH, GSHV: MORH, Military Police Directorate, cl. str. conf. 80-01/95-158, reg. no. 512-19/01-95-474
of 3 August 1995.
162 MORH, GSHV: ZZP Zagreb, cl. 818-04/95-01/02-03, reg. no. 1075-04/95-17 of 3 August 1995; Order.
163 MORH, GSHV: GSHV, cl. 08-01/95-02/08, reg. no. 512-06-05/01-95-364 of 3 August 1995; Order.
164 MORH, GSHV: GSHV, cl.08-01/95-02/08, reg. no. 512-0605/01-95-365 of 3 August 1995; Order.
165 MORH, GSHV: GSH, cl. 08-01/95-02/08, reg. no. 512-06-05/01-95-368 of 3 August 1995; Order. Because of
the impression that the preparation of Storm (unit mobilization, their assembly and deployment, order reception,
knowledge of the terrain and briefi ng, assessment of the situation and battle order of the enemy) unfolded
in a disorganized way or in the nick of time, General Petar Stipetić believes that the overall conduct and command
of the GSHV needs to be analyzed in particular, including the selection of people for key positions. HMD-
CDR: comments of General Petar Stipetić on the text about ZP Zagreb in the military-police operation Storm.