storm - Hrvatski memorijalno-dokumentacijski centar Domovinskog ...

Repetitor (repeater) point of resistance and reached the Kriva Gliva - Stanići - Čukovac
line. 231
Th e 118 th Home Guard Regiment and the HV 111 th Infantry Brigade were supposed
to liberate the greater area of Novi Lički Osik. Th ey were opposed by parts of the SVK
18 th Infantry Brigade. 232 Th e Regiment attacked towards Alivojvodići - Murgići - Serdari
and Bukovac - Lisina - Široka Kula. “Aft er breaking through the enemy defence line
our forces ran against very stiff resistance. In dealing with the problem at Bukovac
the Regiment commander Major General Ivan Čanić was killed. On the fi rst day, in
spite of stiff resistance, the Regimen broke through the defence line in both directions
and reached the Podovi - Varošina - Vujatovo Brdo line by the evening hours”. 233 With
artillery and tank support one battalion of the 111 th Infantry Brigade advanced towards
Stari Budak - Novoselija - Zubar. By the end of the day the batallion broke through the
fi rst line of Serbian defence up to Urija - Nikšić - Rujnica - Novoselija. Th e fi ghting was
heavy, as borne out by the casualties suff ered by the Brigade: fi ve killed (including the
battalion commander) and 29 wounded. 234
In the fi rst day of the operation the Gospić Corps District failed to achieve all its
planned missions. Its attacks were mounted in eight directions with eight brigades and
regiments. Th e SVK Lika Corps had expected the assault, and the factor of surprise
was therefore missing, but did not succeed in withstanding the attack from so many
directions. Th e Corps put up the stiff est assistance at Ljubovo, Novi Lički Osik and in the
area of Otočac. At Zalužnica near Vrhovina the Corps halted the assault of a battalion
of the HV 133 rd Home Guard Regiment, while the defence line was breached at other
points. Th e rate of HV advance was somewhat slower than anticipated because of strong
resistance at Gliodol - Lička Jesenica attacked by the 1 st Guards Brigade. However, in
spite of diffi culties Dabar was taken by the end of the day, and control gained over the
greater part of Ljubovo threatening Novi Lički Osik. 235
At 2400 hours on 4 August the HV General Staff ordered the Gospić Corps District to
seize the area of Ljubovo with the 9 th Guards Brigade and to place the Udbina Air Base
under control. Th e 1 st Guards Brigade was ordered to commit the majority of its forces
and intersect the Slunj - Plitvice Lakes road. 236
On the second day of the operation, 5 August. units of the 138 th Home Guard Regiment
advanced towards the railway stations of Lička Jesenica and Javornik. By the end of the
231 MORH, GSHV: ZP Gospić, cl. 818-01/95-01/02, reg. no. 1043-05-95-434 of 4 August 1995; Daily report.
MORH, GSHV: ZZP Gospić, cl. 80-01/95-01/06, reg. no. 1043-04-95-012/06 of 30 August 1995; Analysis of
off ensive operation Storm 95.
232 M. Sekulić, “Knin je pao u Beogradu” (Knin Fell in Belgrade), 205-206.
233 MORH, GSHV: ZZP Gospić, cl. 80-02/95-01/06, reg. no. 1043-04-95-43 of 30 August 1995; Analysis of
the off ensive operation Storm 95.
234 MORH, GSHV: ZZP Gospić, cl. 80-02/95-01/06, reg. no. 1043-04-95-43 of 30 August 1995; Analysis of
the off ensive operation Storm 95. HMDCDR: comments on the text about the Gospić Corps District in the
military-police operation Storm.
235 MORH, GSHV: ZZP Gospić, cl. 80-02/95-01/06, reg. no. 1043-04-95-46 of 30 August 1995; Analysis of
the off ensive operation Storm 95.
236 GS HV, cl. 80-01/95-02/08, reg. no. 512.96-05/01-95-384 of 5 August 1995; Order.
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