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109th Brigade 'Storks', Vinkovci
Forming of 10th Brigade ZNG "R" (National Guard Corps - Reserve) started on May 10th delayed by events in Borovo selo on May 2nd. Brigade staff, support units, 1st and 2nd Battalion were formed from persons mobilized from Vinkovci municipality, 3rd Battalion from Zupanja municipality and 4th Battalion from Vukovar but events in Vukovar prevented formation of 4th Battalion and another independent company was formed in Vinkovci.
Formation base for brigade was mobilization plan of Bosut brigade of Territorial Defense (TO) of Vinkovci municipality and together with Secretariat for People's Defense (NO) and Vinkovci Police Department (PU) mobilization begun and formation of brigade was completed on May 30th, 1991 in village Ceric with line up of brigade staff and support units under command of Ivan Petrinovic (former CO of Bosut brigade and future CO 3rd GBR). Out of planed 1903 soldiers brigade had around 1800.
Most of the officers were reserve officers of Bosut TO brigade. On day of the forming brigade had only infantry weapons and enough weapons for 40% of personnel. Only independent company was fully armed and was designed was assault force of brigade. Brigade had around 800 rifles with single combat round and on July 1st another 1000 rifles arrived, some light machine-guns, RPG's and two Strela 2M (SA-7).
Planed brigade
Brigade Staff - Vinkovci 1st battalion - Vinkovci 2nd battalion - Vinkovci 3rd battalion - Zupanja Independent Company - Vinkovci On June 5th Josip Matic assumed command. On June 20th it was decided to form 106th, 107th, 108th an 109th brigade and since 10th was already formed it was renamed 109th. On June 28th Ministry of Defense ordered mobilization of all brigades in Slavonia and preparations for combat action but instead of carrying out mobilization of entire brigade as planed, with exception 1st battalion, mobilization was done along the lines of local communities (Mjesne zajednice - MZ) and effectively all brigade units, except 1st battalion, ceased to function and weren't reformed again until October and November. Result was disastrous. Lacking unified command with each village attempting to organize its own defense situation in brigade area of responsibility was getting worse each day.
In entire brigade area beside units of 109th brigade there was only 2nd battalion of 3rd Guard Brigade (GBR) nad forces of Vinkovci PD. Part of 109th brigade and 2nd battalion of 3rd GBR was constantly engaged in defense of Vukovar and by October 1st Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) reached the line ?letovci - Bosut river - Vrapcana - Mirkovci - Marinici - Br?adin and north Ostrovo - Gabo? - Karadzicevo, cut communication Vinkovci - Marinici - Vukovar and completely surrounded Vukovar. Brigade was now covering some 60 kilometers of front line from village of Lipovac to Durgutovica forest exhausted from months of fighting without cohesive leadership and suffered significant losses.
On October 5th, HQ of Osijek Operational zone sent Ivan Petrinovic to make inspection of brigade and after his report ordered him to again assume command of brigade on October 10th. Since brigade was divided into over 20 subunits each defending its own community much needed restructuring followed.
Ivan Petrinovic suggested to Osijek Operational zone:
- for reopening communication Vinkovci - Vukovar other units should be used since 109th brigade didn't have enough forces for defense of its own front line,
- reduce brigade front line by brining new units in the area and, reinforce defense of Vinkovci, Nustar, Jarmina and direction Privlaka - Nijemci,
- immediately reinforce brigade with anti-tank weapons since entire brigade had only 20 90mm M79 Osa rocket launchers, RPG's, recoilless gun and some 50 single-shot 64mm M80 Zolja rocket launchers along entire front line,
- reinforce brigade with new units and consolidate brigade as soon as possible.
Brigade, with help of Osijek Operational zone, was quickly reformed with 3rd and part of 2nd battalion used to form 131st brigade which took over part of brigade front line, from forces in Vinkovci new 3rd battalion was formed with task of defending the city, new units were soon formed: 4th battalion, engineer platoon, ABKO platoon and supply company. Changes were made in brigade staff and artillery and air defense units were consolidated.
Brigade finnally become true combat formation with some 4000 soldiers.
After the fall of Vukovar, Nijemaci, Apasevo, Lipovica and Donjeg Novog Sela with threat of new JNA offensive command is assumed by Brigadir (Colonel) Josip Zviroti?(future co of 3rd GBR). During next month brigade reached its peak with six infantry battalion, artillery battalion, armored battalion, independent company, engineer company and platoon level staff units but still under strength brigade staff.
After several failed attempts to breakthrough brigade lines - as results of well fortified defense line with fire control system - JNA limited itself to shelling of Vinkovci and surrounding villages. Despite Sarajevo truce skirmishes continue throughout January and February '92. With partial demobilization in March '92 brigade size is reduced but defense remains active.
Brigade - December 1991 / March 1992
Brigade Staff - Vinkovci 1st Battalion - Vinkovci Co: Zlatko Ketovic
Battalion Staff Communication Squad Security Squad Engineer Platoon Support Platoon
Co: Zeljko Derek120mm Mortar Squad 82mm Mortar Squad Mixed Platoon
Co: Ilija MilicevicGuided Rockets Squad Gun Squad Supply Platoon Co: Ante Petricevic
Technical Squad Quartermaster Squad Medical Squad Reconnaissance Squad 1st Company Co: Ilija Milicevic/Mirko Prpic
Company staff 1st Platoon 2nd Platoon 3rd Platoon Support Platoon 2nd Company Co: Dragutin Levanic/Vinko Penava
Company staff 1st Platoon 2nd Platoon 3rd Platoon Support detachment for guard 3rd Company Co: Josip Stepic/Petar Pazin
Company staff 1st Platoon 2nd Platoon 3rd Platoon 4th Platoon 4th Company Co: Zvonko Sedlar
Company staff 1st Platoon 2nd Platoon 3rd Platoon Recoilless guns section 2nd Battalion - Vinkovci Co: Ivan Grcic
Battalion Staff Communications Reconnaissance section Howitzer Supply Platoon Support Platoon 1st Company Co: Marijan Grgic
Company staff Support section 1st Platoon 2nd Platoon 3rd Platoon 4th Platoon 2nd Company Co: Stjepan Topalovic
Company staff 1st Platoon 2nd Platoon 3rd Platoon Engineer Platoon 3rd Company Co: Mato Mutavcic
Company staff Support section 1st Platoon 2nd Platoon 3rd Platoon Kitchen 4th Company Co: Ivan Popic
Company staff Support section 1st Platoon 2nd Platoon 3rd Platoon 3rd Battalion - Vinkovci Co: Josip Sencic
Battalion Staff Reserve Platoon "Spider" Logistic Platoon Mechanic workshop Medical section 1st Company Co: Ante Elez
2nd Company Co: Ivan Nagulov
3rd Company Co: Zeljko Mikic
4th Company Co: Ante Tustonjic
5th Company Co: Janko Fa
6th Company Co: Zeljko Kloss
7th Company Co: Josip Salopek - "Kekec"
4th Battalion Co: Antun Mirkovic
5th Battalion Co: Boris Valjin
deputy co: Ivan Martin Sesar6thd Battalion Co: Ivica Zupkovic
deputy co: Ivan-Dinko ZorajaMixed Artillery Battalion Co: Sandor Kratofil
Battalion Staff Reconnaissance Platoon Battery ZIS 76mm Co: Mile Paulic
Command Platoon 1st Platoon 2nd Platoon Self-propelled Battery 90mm M-36 Co: Drago Plasc
Battery staff 1st Platoon 2nd Platoon Battery 105mm M2A1 Battery 120mm Mortar Battery Gun-Howitzer 152mm
Co: Stjepan Bozic"Nora" Battery 100mm T-12 Rocket Battery Guided Rocket Platoon (9M14P1 Maljutka, BOV M-83) Hand-held Rocket Platoon (Osa, RPG, Zolja) Armored-mechanized Battalion Co: Josip Matjas
Battalion staff 1st Tank Company Co: Antun Filipov
Company staff 1st Tank Platoon 2nd Tank Platoon (T-55) 2nd Tank Company Co: Pavao Lucic
Company staff (M-84) 1st Tank Platoon 2nd Tank Platoon Mechanized Company Co: Darko Obradovic
Company Staff 1st Mechanized Platoon (BVP M-80A) 2nd Mechanized Platoon (BVP M-80A) Air Defense Battalion Co: Radovan Stojanovic
Battalion staff Supply Platoon Security Platoon 1st Battery Co: Zdravko Majnovic
Battery staff 1st Platoon 2nd Platoon 2nd Battery Co: Anton Pandurovic
3rd Battery Co: Zoran Rajkovic
1st Platoon ZMIJ Platoon Independent Company - Vinkovci Engineer Company Sabotage Platoon Counter Sabotage Platoon Reconnaissance Platoon RBKO Platoon
From Until Brigade Commander Ivan Petrinovic 30 May 5 June Josip Matic 5 June 3 October Ivan Petrinovic 8 October 25 November Josip Zvirotic 25 November Filip Aracic Colonel Janko Fa 1994 1st Battalion Commander Pavao Petricevic 30 May 12 December Zlatko Ketovic 12 December 2nd Battalion Commander Ivan Grcic Mixed Artillery Battalion Sandor Kratofil 9 December
Sources:
- Hrvatski Vojnik [MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTION]
- Ratni Album 109. Brigade HV Vinkovci
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