Operation Summer '95

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Part of the Croatian War of Independence, Bosnian War

Date	July 25 - July 30, 1995
Location	Western Bosnia and Herzegovina
Result	Decisive Croatian victory

Combatants

Croatia (HV, HVO)

Republika Srpska (VRS)

Commanders

General Ante Gotovina (HV)

Strength

Two HV Guard Brigades (4th Motorized, 7th Mechanized)
Two HVO Guard Brigades (1st, 3rd Motorized)
Other units

Units of the 2nd Krajina Corps of the VRS (3 motorized brigades, 5 infantry brigades, 5 light brigades and support units)

Croatian War of Independence
Plitvice Lakes – Borovo Selo – Dalmatia – Vukovar (Battle, Massacre) – The Barracks – Dubrovnik – Lovas – Široka Kula – Gospić – Saborsko – Baćin – Otkos 10 – Škabrnja – Orkan 91 – Voćin – Miljevci – Maslenica – Medak Pocket – Flash – Zagreb – *Summer '95* – Storm

War in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Siege of Sarajevo – Foča massacres – Višegrad – Lašva Valley ethnic cleansing – Ahmići – Neretva '93 – Banja Luka – 1st Markale – Bøllebank – Amanda – Tuzla – Mrkonjić Grad – Srebrenica massacre – *Summer '95* – Tiger – Storm – 2nd Markale – NATO bombing – Mistral – Sana

Bosnian War situation in 1995: Croatian gains during the summer offensive are bright blue

Operation Summer '95 (Croatian: Operacija Ljeto '95) was a joint military offensive of Croatian Army and Croatian Defence Council forces launched in Western Bosnia and Herzegovina in July of 1995 during the Croatian War of Independence and the Bosnian War. It ended with a decisive victory for Croatian forces and paved the way for Operation Storm which was to follow in August.

1 Introduction
2 The Operation
3 Aftermath
4 References

Most areas of western Bosnia and Herzegovina were controlled by Bosnian Serb (VRS) forces since the war in 1992. Bihać was the only area of Western Bosnia not to be under Serb control, as well as the Croat-held Herzegovina in the southwest. In 1994, Croatia and Bosnia signed the Washington Agreement and later Split agreement which enabled Croat and Bosnian units to cross the border in support of each other.

By mid-1995, the Croatian Army was in the process of establishing authority among the Serb-held territories in Croatia. After Operation Flash in May, Croat forces started to plan an offensive to capture the entire Krajina region. The most important center of this area and the capital of the self-proclaimed Republic of Serb Krajina, Knin, was the first target for the offensive as its capture would symoblize total defeat for the Serb forces in Croatia.

In order to capture Knin, Croatian forces decided to outflank the city from the east, from the region of Bosnian Krajina. With this in mind, Operation Summer '95 was launched. As preparations for major operations, in the winter of 1994/95, a minor Operation Winter '94 was launched to establish better positions on the vital Dinara mountains.

On July 25th, Croat forces attacked from Herzegovina, driving north through the Dinara hills. The attack met with only minor resistance and Croat forces could advance quickly.

The city of Bosansko Grahovo was a major stronghold for Serb forces in the area and offered fierce resistance. Croatian forces defeated these, however, inflicting heavy casualties. The city was captured on July 28th. City of Glamoč was taken the following day.

The Operation was officially ended on July 30th, at which time about 1600 square kilometers of Bosnian territory were captured.

Main article: Operation Storm

As a result of the offensive, the south of the Croatian Serb territory in Croatia found itself surrounded from three sides and vurunable.

Following the completition of the offensive, Croatian engineering units built roads over the Dinara mountains and the Bosnian border. When Operation Storm begun, two elite Croatian units, the 4th Guard Brigade and elements of the 7th Guard Brigade advanced from Bosnia towards Knin over these roads.

Following only minor resistance, the Croatian Serb army was routed and Knin was taken on August 5th, the second day of the offensive, by these forces acting from Bosnia.

Following the end of Storm, Croat units would continue the offensive in Bosnia, in Operation Mistral, from the area captured during Summer '95 northwards and would, along with Bosnian Army forces from Bihać, recapture entire western Bosnia until the signing of the Dayton Agreement and the end of the war.