Operation Čapljina

Operation Čapljina also known as Evacuation from Čapljina was an evacuation of civilians and soldiers from the barracks in Čapljina by the Yugoslav People's Army against the Croatian Army, the Croatian Defense Council and the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, who together had close to 2,000 soldiers in Čapljina. The operation was successfully carried out and over 170 soldiers and civilians were evacuated by eight transport helicopters. About 70 of them were soldiers and 100 civilians.

Operation Čapljina
Part of the Bosnian War
Helicopters going to Čaplinja
Date 23 April 1992 Location Čapljina Result Yugoslav People's Army victory JNA forces successfully evacuate civilians and soldiers from the barracks
Belligerents
Yugoslavia	Croatia Croatian Community of Bosnian Posavina Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Commanders and leaders
Momčilo Perišić	Janko Bobetko Slobodan Praljak
Units involved
Yugoslav People's Army	Croatian Army Croatian Defence Council Croatian Defence Forces Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Croatian Defence Forces
Strength
around 140	over 1,700
Casualties and losses
none	heavy

Background

The tried-and-tested scenario of blockades of JNA units that began in Slovenia and Croatia in the summer/autumn of 1991 moved to Bosnia and Herzegovina in the early spring of 1992, when some garrisons found themselves surrounded by HVO, HV and ARBiH formations. Among those buildings was the barracks in Čapljina, where the former driving training center was located. To the barracks, which had been in the area for two months, and for the last 14 days before the operation, they were under daily pressure from numerous HVO and HOS. Because of this, the Command of the 13th Bilećan Corps decided to evacuate soldiers, officers and their family members from the besieged barracks. The action had an exclusively defensive and humanitarian-rescue character.

The order to carry out the task was issued by the then commander of the 13th Bilećan Corps, General Momčilo Perišić, and the humanitarian rescue operation was entrusted to the members of the 63rd Parachute Brigade. The planning of the operation began with the reconnaissance of the area around the barracks, when, based on the collected information, it was concluded that the operation would be far more dangerous and difficult than predicted. The commander who carried out the operation gathered 27 paratroopers reservists, who had extensive combat experience. The only condition for participation in this operation, which was believed to involve casualties, was "voluntariness".

The creators of the operation requested the engagement of nine Mi-8 (HT-40) transport helicopters with three crew members each, in the following arrangement: one will be the command one, which will have 12 paratroopers in the role of search and rescue service in case some helicopter is shot down. In the rest, there will be two paratroopers each, one of whom will assist in boarding, and the other will be combat security.

Some wondered why so few dobranas were used, while planners said they needed space to house the people who were getting out. The plan of operation also called for JRV and PVO aircraft to bomb the observed targets and enemy firing positions, and then drop parachutes with helicopters, while the artillery continued the indirect fire. Due to the possibility of hitting the helicopter, it was estimated that the aircraft should not stay for longer than 10 minutes, which according to the estimate was enough time to get the besieged out of the barracks.

However, one detail that happened suddenly could have put the entire operation at risk of being hacked. On the eve of the operation, Croatian paramilitary formations arrested one of the key helicopter pilots, who was involved in the implementation of "Operation Čapljina", while visiting his apartment in Mostar. The pilot was immediately sent to captivity. Fortunately, however, the operation was not broken into.

Evacuation flow

As time progressed, the situation around the blocked barracks became more complicated, so it was necessary to start a rescue operation as soon as possible. The sudden signal for the start of the operation was given on April 23, 1992 in the afternoon hours. Attack on enemy positions began at 4:45 p.m. and lasted until 5:00 p.m. At that time, six Mi-8 helicopters took off from the Jesenice heliport in Mostar, and three from the Ortiješ heliport. Each aircraft had a crew of two pilots and one mechanic, who volunteered for action. In addition to them, 25 paratroopers were deployed in the helicopters, whose task was to ensure, protect and assist the loading and unloading of soldiers.

The helicopters first circled above the barracks, before the implementation of the operation began, and above them flew two J-21 "Hawk" attack aircraft that opened hurricane fire from machine guns and unguided rocket pods at the enemy positions around the barracks and neutralized them around 5:00 p.m. . At that moment, the besieged soldiers received a message that the extraction operation had started and that they should prepare for evacuation.

Eight helicopters began to descend into the barracks in three positions: the parking lot, the line-up runway and the playground. Within just 8 minutes, almost 170 soldiers and civilians were boarded for whom the two-week siege was ending and the way to freedom was opened for them.

While soldiers and civilians were being loaded into the helicopters, fire was opened on the helicopters from the buildings surrounding the barracks. Several shots hit the cabin of one helicopter, but the pilots were fortunately unharmed. In another case, the pilot opened fire from a scorpion at the enemy through the side window. The rescue operation lasted much longer than expected, and the connection with the command helicopter was often interrupted, but the commander of the operation trusted in the courage of his soldiers and pilots.

Aftermath

When the eighth helicopter were in the air, the operation was over (5:15 p.m.). After the last boarding, the helicopters took off towards Mostar, Nevesinje and Bileća. Thanks to the skill of the helicopter pilot and the courage of the paratroopers from the Čapljina barracks, 170 soldiers, officers and civilians were saved. Six helicopters were pierced by infantry weapons fire, and one Mi-8 took off with one engine.

During the operation, not a single helicopter was shot down, not a single soldier or paratrooper was wounded, which was tantamount to a miracle in a mass shooting. Due to the secrecy of the operation itself, the command of the besieged barracks in Čapljina was notified of the start of the operation only when the aircraft were in the air. Some soldiers who were in forward positions defending the besieged building did not have timely information about what was happening, so about 25 soldiers remained in the barracks and were captured by the Croatian paramilitary forces, put on a bus and taken to Metković, where their golgotha ​​was in captivity lasted 117 days until they were exchanged.

A record was also achieved in the Čapljina operation. Namely, one Mi-8 was loaded with 43 soldiers plus three crew members and two paratroopers, which overturned any assessment of the possibility of transportation by that type of helicopter. This operation remained somewhat forgotten for a long time, and it represents the determination with which the helicopter pilots and paratroopers set out to save the besieged comrades, which is the most sacred example of military honor and tradition.

After the JNA withdrew from Bosnia Croats launch Operation Jackal in which they occupy the Stolac.