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Draft:Operation Steel '93

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Operation Steel '93
Part of the Croatian War of Independence
Date27 January - 1 March 1993.
Location
Zadar hinterland, Maslenica
Result

Croatian Army victory[1]

  • Failure of the Serb counterattack.
  • Maslenica is defended succesfully as the Serbs retreat because the army was in disorray.
  • Croatians succesfully push the Serbs out of Kašić and Drač
  • Croats retake Mali Alan, and they protect their lands
Belligerents
 Croatia Serbian Krajina
Commanders and leaders
Croatia Janko Bobetko
Croatia Ante Gotovina
Croatia Boris Jacović
Dragan Vasiljković
Željko Ražnatović
Milorad Ulemek
Veljko Milanković 
Mihajlo Ulemek
Units involved
Croatian Army
Croatian Special Police
Croatian Defence Forces
Army of Serbian Krajina
Serb Volunteer Guard

Operation Steel '93 (Serbo-Croatian: Operacija Čelik '93/ Операција Челик '93) was a Serbian counter-offensive on Ravne Kotare, which was carried out from January 27 to March 1, 1993.[2]

Operation

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The counter-offensive was carried out as a response to the Croatian aggression and occupation of the area of Serbian Krajina from the Maslenica bridge, along the southern coast of the Novigrad Sea to the town of Novigrad itself. Numerous villages of Kašić, Smoković, Islam Latinski, Islam Grčki and Zemunik airport are also decorated. All the places are ethnically Serbian, that's why they experienced huge destruction.[3]

The goal was, above all, to stop the further penetration of Croatian forces and the return of lost territories. Unfortunately, due to poor coordination of forces, most of the territory was not returned. Many units of the 7th North Dalmatian Corps of the SVK (92nd Benkovačka motorized brigade as the corps carrier), elite units of the Wolves from Vučijak, intervention battalions from Banija and Kordun and a good number of volunteers (Arkan's Tigers, Šešeljevci...)[4] took part in the action. The fighting in this action was very bloody for both sides.[5] The Croatian army was stopped in front of the village of Pridrage, which saved the Karinsko more, the enemy was sent back to Novigrad, but Novigrad was not returned. Paljub remained in Croatian hands, while the village of Smiljčić resisted the offensive. The battles for Kašić were particularly bloody because the village passed from hand to hand several times, and in the end it remained in Croatian hands. On the contact lines, Donje Biljane and Zemunik Gornji were defended, the village of Sukhovare was occupied, while Škabrnja was returned after fierce fighting.[6][7] While in the village of Narančić, the Croatian forces had a dozen dead fighters and two captured T55A tanks. The counteroffensive slowly waned and the rear guns fell silent by the end of February in the vicinity of Kašić and Drač.[8]

References

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  1. ^ "Одбрамбено-Отаџбински Рат 1991-1995: Операција Челик 93 - контраофанзива на Равне Котаре". Одбрамбено-Отаџбински Рат 1991-1995. 19 January 2020. Retrieved 2024-07-22.
  2. ^ "Одбрамбено-Отаџбински Рат 1991-1995: Операција Челик 93 - контраофанзива на Равне Котаре". Одбрамбено-Отаџбински Рат 1991-1995. 19 January 2020. Retrieved 2024-07-22.
  3. ^ Šulj, Tomislav (2017-01-03). "CRNE Mambe Već Godinama Osjećaju Grozne Posljedice | Hrvatska kroz povijest". Domoljubni Portal CM. Retrieved 2024-07-22.
  4. ^ Vučković, Snježana (2022-03-03). "Jenjavanje Srpskog Protuudara-Operacija Čelik: Konačan poraz elitnih neprijateljskih jedinica". Dnevno.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 2024-07-22.
  5. ^ Српска Војска Крајине (2020-01-21). Операција "Челик 93" ~ контраофанзива на Равнe Котарe. / Operacija "Čelik 93". Retrieved 2024-07-22 – via YouTube.
  6. ^ "VOJNO REDARSTVENA OPREACIJA "Maslenica" Bitka za Škabrnju…Bojna HOS-a bila je 43 dana u okruženju srbo-četničkih postrojbi. Nadljudskim naporima branili su Škabrnju". Braniteljski portal (in Croatian). 2022-03-12. Retrieved 2024-08-26.
  7. ^ Igor (2015-05-25). "Srpski mediji o kapetanu Draganu (IV. dio)". Hrvatski vojnik (in Croatian). Retrieved 2024-08-26.
  8. ^ "Crne mambe 1993. u prvom sukobu najelitnijih postrojbi obje strane". www.vecernji.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 2024-07-22.