| Battle of the Barracks | |||||||
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| Part of the Croatian War of Independence | |||||||
Destroyed Yugoslav Army T-55 tank |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
| Croatia | Yugoslav People's Army (Serb-controlled remnant) Yugoslav War Navy |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Anton Tus (Chief of Staff of Croatian Army 1991-1992)
Various local commanders |
Veljko Kadijević (Chief of Staff of Yugoslav People's Army)
Various local commanders |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| At least 15 dead | ?
Captured: |
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Battle of the barracks (Croatian: Bitka za vojarne) - sometimes also called War for the barracks - is a term given to a series of engagements that took place throughout Croatia as part of the Croatian War of Independence during 1991, with the most important fighting in September. It was fought between Croatian forces (still undeveloped military, police and volunteer forces) and the Yugoslav Peoples Army (JNA). The battle is considered an important Croatian victory as a result of which Croatian forces captured valuable heavy equipment (tanks, artillery, rockets) from military barracks, which they badly needed for the war effort.
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Since Croatia was part of the Yugoslav Federation before 1991, the country's Federal Army (JNA) had substantial quantities of heavy equipment stored in federal barracks across Croatian territory. With the Croatian independence in 1991, those federal barracks posed a serious threat to internal security, not forgetting the fact each of the garrisoned barracks had valuable equipment Croatia desperately needed for defense of its independence. Since most of the barracks were based in densely populated areas, for example, cities of Bjelovar and Varaždin, risk of heavy collateral damage was an issue local territorial forces had to consider to avoid bloodshed.
The worsening of the security situation in Croatia during 1990 led to the Croatian leadership preparing plans for a possible war. Croatian Army Chief of Staff (former Croatian Minister of Defence) Martin Špegelj - who was the foremost Army advocate of storming the barracks - formulated a comprehensive plan for capture of army barracks throughout Croatia, in order to obtain the weapons in those depots. With the Slovenian Ten-Day War taking place in June 1991, Špegelj urged Croatian president Franjo Tuđman to attack the barracks and aid the Slovenians. Tuđman refused, fearful of the JNA's full military power in such a war. Davor Domazet-Lošo, in his book Hrvatska i veliko ratište,[3] outlines a belief by a group of historians that this opportunity was just an elaborate plot to force Croatia into an attack. Considering the amount of military equipment inside Croatia's military barracks, this seems doubtful.
The escalation of violence during the summer of 1991 saw the JNA side with the Croatian Serbs. As a result of this, Croatian forces - still not developed as a real force - besieged the numerous army barracks to secure the rear of the fighting forces. The problem of insufficient forces for Croatians meant that many of the besieging forces were not military, but civilians - including police forces, civil protection services and local self-organized volunteers.
The war was very slow to start - tensions brewing since mid-1980 - which enabled negotiations to decrease the problem. JNA and Croatian leadership agreed for a withdrawal of some JNA barracks - notably in places far from the frontlines like Pula and Rijeka (13th Corps). This compromise was criticised by elements within the Croatian military (notably Martin Špegelj) who claimed the Croat leadership was allowing the enemy to withdraw with its full equipment, at a time when war seemed unavoidable.
It is important to note that the imminent war, as well as earlier independence of Slovenia and the reluctance of non-Serbs to go to war for Croat Serb causes, caused mass desertions by which JNA forces were undermanned. As a result, stationary army barracks where the first to suffer and in 1991, these had more equipment than personnel to man them.
The opening moves of the war took place in August in East Slavonia, at the battle of Vukovar and in Krajina and Dalmatia. The escalation of violence resulted in military personnel on the spot taking the initiative and storming many of the barracks, against government wishes to continue negotiations - even at the time when almost 1/3 of Croatia was already occupied by JNA and Serb rebels.
The majority of the storming of the barracks took place from September 14 to September 19, 1991. In that period, 36 barracks and depots and 26 other military posts were captured or surrendered. On September 27, plan Bilogora was implemented, which resulted in the capture of Bjelovar and Koprivnica barracks.
Some ammo depots were bombed by Yugoslav Air Force after capture, but locally organized Croat units were often very effective and quick to transfer the most valuable equipment to other locations before that. At least five locations were bombed in this way.
Zagreb barracks - named "Marshall Tito" after Josip Broz Tito - was one of the largest in Croatia. It was the regional center of 5th Army District (one out of three JNA's main command HQs) and 10th Corps (Zagreb), along with support units. The Croats were reluctant to storm the barracks directly, due to the strength of the JNA forces and the threat of collateral damage it presented to the Croatian capital. Because of this, the fighting was not intensive and it mostly degenerated into occasional shooting from the barracks to the city. A truce was reached and there was no further fighting until the signing of the last cease-fire at the end of the year. As part of the agreement, the JNA evacuated the barracks when it officially left Croatia in January 1992.
Jastrebarsko barracks was the location of JNA's 4th Armoured (Tank) Brigade - one of the most élite JNA armoured units. After weeks of negotiation - JNA evacuated the barracks on November 13, rejoining JNA forces in Banovina in central Croatia.
Samobor barracks surrendered on October 7, 1991.
Sisak barracks and depots surrendered on September 9, 1991.
Next to Zagreb, Varaždin barracks were the largest in Croatia - the center of JNA's 32nd Corps and assorted other units, including the 32nd Mechanized Brigade (one of the most élite "A" brigades) and one artillery Regiment. The barracks was blockaded during the night of September 13/14th, and electricity, water and supplies were cut. Fighting started on the 15th with JNA aircraft bombarding Varaždin airstrip. As the situation deteriorated, more and more soldiers deserted from the barracks and there was a conflict within the barracks itself. After that, tanks and artillery from the barracks were directed to fire at civilian targets and many houses where destroyed and general fighting begun. After a week of sporadic fighting, and in order to spare his men, the commander General Vladimir Trifunović surrendered the garrison on September 22. Ironically, this caused him resentment from both sides. Croatia sentenced him in absentia to 15 years for devastation of the city, while Serbia sentenced him to 11 years for treason.[4][5] The booty was impressive: 74 T-55 tanks, 88 APCs, 36 self-propelled AA guns, 24 100 mm AT guns, 72 120 mm mortars and other heavy equipment was captured. During the fighting, casualties were 6 killed (3 civilians, 2 JNA soldiers and 1 Croatian soldier) and 37 wounded.[6]
Bjelovar barracks was home to 265th Armored-Mechanized Brigade. Army facilities there included two barracks in the city itself, as well as outside arms and ammunition depots. The situation in the area was tense and constantly threatened to escalate. Up to ten conscripted JNA soldiers deserted daily, since many stationed there were Kosovo Albanians, as well as other non-Serb nationalities. In one incident, JNA almost opened fire on a group of mothers from the movement "Wall of Love" protesting for release of conscripts who were forced to be there. On September 29, Croatian forces started an attack, as part of operation Bilogora which was concluded on the same day. The two barracks in the city were captured easily, only an isolated storage (named Barutana) which included three depots remained, but JNA officer Major Milan Tepić refused to surrender and detonated an explosion: destroying one depot, killing himself along with 7 to 20 other JNA Serb reservists and 11 Croatians. The explosion destroyed all of the weapons and ammunition in that depot, but the capture of others was a great success for the Croatian forces, as the booty included 78 T-55 tanks and 80 APCs. Over 200 officers were captured which were exchanged for Croatian prisoners of war.[7][8]
Križevci barracks named "Kalnik" housed 411th Mixed Anti-Armour Artillery Regiment commanded by colonel Jovo Radosavljević. It surrendered peacefully on September 17, 1991. However, two Croatian soldiers were killed and one wounded when JNA forces from a detached munitions depot at Široko Brezje tried to reach the barracks on the night before the surrender. The booty was huge but exact numbers are not known. JNA left all of their light and heavy weaponry including all of the vehicles. Barracks now wear the name "Ban Stjepan Lackovic".
Koprivnica barracks was captured on September 30 as part of operation Bilogora. It was bombed by JNA aircraft on October 5, when one soldier was killed.
Virovitica barracks housed 288th Mixed Anti-Tank Artillery Brigade and was captured on September 17. One Croatian was killed during the fighting.[9]
Čakovec barracks surrendered peacefully on September 17, 1991.
Osijek barracks were mostly evacuated by agreement just before the escalation of war, in June 1991. The notable exception was Poligon C base, focal point of the JNA attack on the city, which resisted and assisted JNA forces outside the city in shelling, until its capture on September 17.
Đakovo barracks was home to 158th Mixed Anti-Tank Artillery Brigade, including AT guns and self-propelled AT rocket vehicles. The barracks was captured, with five Croatians (one was civilian) dying during the fighting.[10] 54 100 mm AT guns and 48 self-propelled AA guns were captured.
Vukovar barracks was besieged throughout 1991, as the battle of Vukovar raged. The outnumbered defenders could not spare men to capture the barracks, as they were attacked by overwhelming force from outside. JNA/Serb forces used the relief of the barracks as an excuse for the attack which destroyed the majority of the city and caused some of the worst atrocities during the war. However, since the barracks was located in the southern suburbs of the city, it was reached quite early on in the battle, before the real siege - and the majority of the devastation and casualties - started.
Vinkovci barracks Đuro Salaj was involved in bombardment of the city in June.[11]
Rijeka barracks, as well as Army's Navy District command in Pula were both evacuated by agreement before the war. Rijeka was the location of the JNA's 13th Corps, which was transferred by sea to Montenegro and would later attack southern Bosnia and Herzegovina during the Bosnian War in 1992.
The Army Naval District from Pula was moved to Boka Kotorska in Montenegro, the only real Yugoslav military port following the secession of Croatia.
Gospić barracks saw heavy fighting during September - the city being subject to heavy attacks from outside as well - but was eventually captured on September 18.
Sinj barracks was assaulted on August 25, after negotiations for the return of confiscated Territorial Defence weapons failed. Two Croatians were killed, but the facilities were captured.[12]
Split barracks was evacuated in October, but the naval base at Lora remained in JRM hands until December.
Šibenik barracks was an important factor in the JNA attack on the city during the peak of the Operation Coast-91 in September. The cities defenders finally captured the barracks on September 15. Croatian forces also took control of Šibenik naval base, where they seized 29 small naval vessels.[13]
Forces in the Zadar barracks heavily outmatched the cities defenders and remained in JNA hands until they were evacuated at the end of the year.
The islands of Lastovo and Vis were bases for JNA's Navy units and were both occupied until the cease-fire agreement at the end of the year when they were both evacuated by JNA. Naval units of the Yugoslav Navy attempted military actions against Croatian ports further north, particularly on November 15 when the frigate Split shelled the Port of Split, where she hit and damaged the ferryboat Vladimir Nazor and killed two members of her crew.[14] Another ferry, the Bartol Kašić was also hit by a number of rounds.[15] The attack was in retaliation for the damage sustained by the JRM patrol boat PČ-176 Mukos, either after being mined,[16] or hit by a torpedo.[17] She was later raised, repaired and put in service by the Croatian Navy as OB-62 Šolta.[15] The Yugoslav Navy was eventually repulsed by coastal artillery fire on November 16, when the Serb-led naval forces lost two minesweeper boats both hit by Croatian 76 mm guns in the Korčula channel. The first vessel, ML-144, sank in shallow waters at the Bay of Torač, in the island of Hvar. Another minesweeper, ML-143, sank off Šćedro island.[18]
At the beginning of the war, Croat forces had a chronic lack of any equipment. Estimates place their tank strength at a measly fifteen tanks (majority old World War II U.S. M4 Shermans or Soviet T-34), against almost 2000 tanks of the JNA. Capture of barracks filled with valuable equipment enabled a quick and easy way for Croats to obtain needed equipment. Bjelovar and Varaždin alone provided the Croats with over 140 tanks, or about 7% of JNA total, which disrupted the otherwise overwhelming advantage of the JNA.
As a result, Croatia was able to field its first T-55 tank battalion by October. The inflow of tanks, artillery, and AT weaponry helped stop further JNA attacks into Croatia.
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