Yugoslav Ground Forces
Ground Forces | |
---|---|
Kopnena Vojska Копнена Војска | |
Founded | 1945 |
Disbanded | 1992 |
Country | Yugoslavia |
Size | about 200,000 personnel (c. 2.000.000 reserve) |
Part of | Yugoslav People's Army |
Garrison/HQ | Belgrade, Yugoslavia |
Motto(s) | Za slobodu i nezavisnost socijalističke otadžbine За слободу и независност социјалистичке отаџбине “For freedom and independence of the socialist fatherland” |
Anniversaries | 22 December |
Engagements | Yugoslav Wars
|
Commanders | |
Last commander | Colonel General Života Panić |
Insignia | |
Infantry flag |
The Yugoslav Ground Forces (
History
The origins of the JNA can be found in the
In March 1945, the NOVJ was renamed the Yugoslav Army (Jugoslovenska Armija) and finally on its 10th anniversary on 22 December 1951, received the adjective People's (i.e. Narodna).[1]
From eight divisions in the early 1950s,[2] the ground forces grew to what the ISS estimated as a strength of 220,000, including 13 infantry, 3 armoured, and 6 mountain divisions, and 14 independent brigades, including an airborne and a marine infantry brigade, in August 1966.[3]
In September 1968, the Territorial Defense (TO) was formed to support the JNA and on 21 February 1974 TO units were subordinated to their provinces or republics. Thus the JNA and TO became equal parts of the Yugoslav Armed Forces (Oružane Snage SFRJ).
In July 1970, the
In accordance with the 1974 Yugoslav Constitution the Land Forces were divided into six armies allocated to the five republics. While parts of the structure changed from 1968 to 1988, the main outlines stayed the same:
- First Army (Belgrade) – northern part of Central Serbia and Northern Serbia (Vojvodina)[5]
- Second Army (Niš) – southern part of Central Serbia and Southern Serbia (Kosovo and Metohia)
- Third Army (Macedonia
- Fifth Army (Zagreb) – Croatia
- Seventh Army (Sarajevo) – Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Ninth Army (Ljubljana) – Slovenia
- 2 Corps (Titograd - sh:2. korpus JNA - Titograd) - From 1981 - 1988 the corps was an independent formation under the direct command of the Federal Secretariat of National Defence.[6]
Plus the Coastal Naval District (Split) – formerly Fourth Army
As of July 1979 the
Tensions between the JNA and the TO became evident at the political situation in Yugoslavia deteriorated in the 1980s. The Federal government became concerned that Yugoslavia's constituent republics would use the TO to facilitate their secession from Yugoslavia and therefore disarmed the Kosovo TO of 130,000 members. In 1988 the JNA absorbed the entire TO with the
In 1988 the armies were reorganized into Military Districts or Regions which no longer corresponded to internal borders thereby making it harder for the republics to control their own forces. Apart from the Proletarian Guard, a mechanized corps, the Land Forces infantry divisions were reorganized into 17 Corps each consisting of four to eight brigades. In late June 1990, the JNA dissolved the 6th Proletarian Infantry Division and the Zagreb city defence command.[8]
1991 organization
Once considered the fourth strongest army in Europe with 140,000 active troops and million reserves, in 1991, at the outbreak of the
- General Staff of the Yugoslav People's Army (Belgrade-Kneževac)
- First Military Region (Belgrade-Topčider), Northern Theatre (responsible for eastern Croatia (Slavonia), northern part of Central Serbia, Northern Serbia (Vojvodina) and Bosnia and Herzegovina).
- units and formations directly under the First MR
- Proletarian Guards Mechanized Division, (Belgrade-Banjica) (reduced strength in peacetime)
- 4th Motorized Division (reduced strength in peacetime) (disbanded in 1990)
- 22nd Infantry Division (reduced strength in peacetime) (disbanded in 1990)
- River Flotilla (Novi Sad)
- Belgrade City Defence Command (Belgrade)
- other units and formations
- 4th Corps (Sarajevo)
- 5th Corps (Banja Luka)
- 12th Corps (Novi Sad)
- 17th Corps (Tuzla)
- 24th Corps (Kragujevac)
- 37th Corps (Titovo Užice)
- units and formations directly under the First MR
- Third Military Region (Republic of Macedonia
- units and formations directly under the Third MR
- 37th Motorized Division (Raška) (reduced strength in peacetime) (disbanded in 1990)
- other units and formations
- 2nd Corps (Titograd)
- 21st Corps (Niš)
- 41st Corps (Bitola)
- 42nd Corps (Kumanovo)
- 52nd Corps (Pristina), probably included the 125th Motorised Brigade (sr:125. моторизована бригада), formed 1981 in Mitrovica
- units and formations directly under the Third MR
- Fifth Military Region (Zagreb), North-Western Theatre (Slovenia and northern Croatia)
- Military Sea Region (Split-Žrnovnica) (Southeast Croatia (Dalmatia) and the Croatian and Montenegrin coastline)
- Yugoslav Navy
- Fleet
- other naval units and formations
- Naval Bastions (fortifications on the Dalmatian islands)[10]
- Coastal Artillery
- 5th Military Sea Sector (Pula) (formed around the 139. Naval Infantry Brigade in Pula (reorganized as 139th Motorized Brigade around 1990) and additional units)
- 8th Military Sea Sector (Šibenik) (formed around the 11th (Proletarian) Naval Infantry Brigade in Šibenik (reorganized as 12th Amphibious Brigade around 1990) and additional units)
- 9th Military Sea Sector (Kumbor) (formed around the 472nd Naval Infantry Brigade in Trebinje) (reorganized as 472nd Motorized Brigade around 1990) and additional units)
- 9th Corps (Knin)
- Yugoslav Navy
In 1990 the army had nearly completed a major overhaul of its basic force structure. It eliminated its old
Corps
There were 17 Corps (both named and numbered), they consist of the following:
- Serbian (x 5) – 12th, 21st, 24th, 37th, and 52nd
- Croatian (x 4) – 9th, 10th, 13th, and 32nd
- Bosnia-Herzegovinian (x 3) – 4th, 5th, and 17th
- Macedonian (x 2) – 41st and 42nd
- Slovene (x 2) – 14th and 31st
- Montenegrin (x 1) – 2nd
Each Corps contained the following:
- Corps Headquarters Troops,
- Corps combat Support – three artillery regiments (one mixed artillery, one mixed anti-tank, one light anti-aircraft), and six battalions (engineers, signals, military police, NBC (Nuclear Biological Chemical), medical, and replacement).
- Corps combat forces consisted of four armoured/mechanized/motorized brigades, plus infantry, light infantry, and mountain brigades.
During the course of the ten-year-long Yugoslav wars, corps were modified by being reinforced with extra units from out of theatre; battalions then became regiments and regiments became brigades. However many units were also disbanded when their non-Serbian/Montenegrin personnel deserted.
Personnel
In the 1980s the ground forces had about 140,000 active-duty soldiers (including 90,000 conscripts) and could mobilize over a million trained
The ground forces were subdivided into infantry, armour, field artillery, and air defence artillery, as well as signal, engineering and chemical defence corps.
Operations
The Ten-Day War
During the
Infantry
The ground forces led in personnel. It had about 540,000 active-duty soldiers (including 120,000 conscripts) and could mobilize over a million trained
The ground forces were infantry, armour, artillery, and air defence, as well as signal, engineering and chemical defence corps.
Equipment
- Assault Rifles
- Zastava M70
- Machine guns
- Submachine guns
- Skorpion vz. 61
- M56 submachine gun
- M49 submachine gun
- Sniper Rifles
- Pistols
- Launchers
- M80 Zolja
- M79 Osa
- M90 Stršljen
Gallery
-
Heavy machine gun, Zastava M84 7.62 mm.
Tank and armoured brigades
Yugoslav tank brigades comprised two or three battalions each with 31 tanks in three ten tank companies. They operated 1114 Soviet
The Yugoslav army had 995
Equipment
- Light Tanks
- PT-76 – 63
- Medium Tanks
- M-4 Sherman– 630 (including M-32, M32B1 and M-74 tank recovery vehicles, stored in reserve)
- T-34/85– 889
- M-47 Patton– 319
- T-55– 1614
- Main Battle Tanks
- Tank Destroyers
- SU-100 – 40
- M18 Hellcat – ~260
- M36 Jackson– ~300
- APC's
- IFV's
- BVP M-80 – 995
- Armored Reconnaissance Vehicles
- BRDM-2 – 80
- BOV APC– 317 (successor state)
Artillery
Yugoslav artillery regiments were well equipped with Soviet, U.S. and domestic systems. Soviet artillery in these units consisted of approximately 1,000 towed 122 mm howitzers, 130 mm guns, 152 mm gun/howitzers, and 155 mm howitzers. There were about 700 older United States 105 mm and 155 mm towed guns and domestically produced models such as the M-65 in the artillery regiments. Towed pieces were very important for operations in the country's mountainous terrain.
Artillery units operated Soviet 100 mm and 122 mm and Yugoslav-produced 105 mm M-7 self-propelled guns. Those units had over 8,000 82 mm and 120 mm mortars, including a self-propelled 82 mm mortar mounted on an M-60PB variant of the standard armored personnel carrier.
Yugoslav artillery units operated several battlefield missile systems including 160 128 mm YMRL-32 and M-63 multiple-rocket launchers. The arsenal included four launchers for Soviet
Equipment
- Self-propelled Howitzer
- 2S1 Gvozdika – 100
- Rocket Artillery
- M-63 Plamen – ~800
- M-77 Oganj – ~120
- M-87 Orkan – ~10
- FROG-7– 10
Anti-tank regiments
Yugoslav anti-tank regiments had towed anti-tank guns, recoilless rifles, and Soviet anti-tank guided missiles. Antitank guns included 75 mm, 90 mm, and 100 mm models. They were Soviet produced with the exception of the 90 mm M-63B2, which was manufactured domestically.
The recoilless rifles were manufactured domestically and included 57 mm, 82 mm, and 105 mm models. Two self-propelled 82 mm recoilless rifles could be mounted on an M-60PB armored personnel carrier.
Anti-tank guided missiles were the Soviet
Air defense
Larger Yugoslav army units had considerable tactical air defense assets, designed to defend major troop concentrations against enemy air strikes. The ground forces had four surface-to-air missile regiments and eleven antiaircraft artillery regiments. The former operated large numbers of Soviet
Yugoslav antiaircraft artillery regiments operated over 5,000 guns. Self-propelled gun systems included the Soviet-made 57 mm dual
Equipment
- Anti aircraft systems
- 57 mm AZP S-60– ?
- M-55 – ?
- Bofors 40mm– 142
- Self-propelled Anti aircraft systems
- BOV-3/30– ~100
- M53/59 Praga – 789[12]
- ZSU-57-2 – 125
- MANPAD's
- Strela-2– 4700
- 9K34 Strela-3
- 9K38 Igla
- FIM-92 Stinger
- SAM's
- 9K31 Strela-1 – 120
- 9K35 Strela-10 – 18
- S-75 Dvina – 60 (used by Air Force and Air Defense)
- S-125 Neva– 60 (used by Air Force and Air Defense)
- 2K12 Kub – 80~90 (used by Air Force and Air Defense)
Coastal defense
The coastal artillery batteries had both surface-to-surface missiles and guns. They operated the Soviet-designed
Rank and uniforms
Ranks
Uniforms
Enlisted and NCO's
Soldiers and NCOs were issued field uniforms and service uniforms, while NCOs were authorised a dress uniform. Military school cadets wore soldier's uniforms. Soldiers' winter and summer uniforms were made of light or heavy wool and cotton in olive-green. All soldiers wore neckties of the same colors except in summer, when the uniform shirt was worn with an open collar.
There were several variations on the basic soldier's uniform and women's uniforms were of the same style as those for men, with a skirt being substituted for trousers. Paratroops wore an olive-green beret instead of the standard garrison or service cap.
Mountain troops wore distinctive stiff field caps with semi-rigid visors and ear flaps. They wore loose winter shirts, under which additional layers could be worn. The shirt itself had a lining and a collar that could be turned up to cover the neck and chin. The trousers worn by mountain troops extended just below the knee, with a strap and buckle closure. Leather leggings, heavy wool socks, and foul-weather capes also were worn by the mountain troops.
Several different patterns of camouflage uniforms were worn by select units.
Officers
Officers had to buy their field, service, dress, and full dress uniforms. They wore insignia on the lapels of the field uniform shirts. The service uniform differed only in a few details from the basic dress uniform. The shirt buttons of the dress uniform were yellow-gold instead of the service color. The trousers, jackets, and overcoats were piped red along the seams. The dress cap visor showed the same piping as the officer's shoulder boards. The general officer's dress cap had a chin strap of twisted gold cord. Other officers wore plain plastic or leather chin straps. Full dress uniforms were blue and were worn with a yellow-gold sash belt lined with the appropriate service color. Cap emblems all included a red star with yellow-gold rays, given distinctive configurations according to branch. Airborne officers had the red star resting on a silver parachute against a blue background. Cap emblems for general officers showed the same gold wreath as the shoulder boards.
See also
References
- ^ Trifunovska 1994, p. 202.
- ^ Dimitrijevic 1997, p. 24.
- ^ Institute for Strategic Studies 1966, p. 42.
- ^ International Institute for Strategic Studies 1970, p. 36-37.
- ^ See for one undated example "Ilija T. Radaković: BESMISLENA YU-RATOVANJA 1991-1995". 21 June 2017. Archived from the original on 21 June 2017. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
- ^ "Yugoslav People's army and Territorial Defense". Retrieved 27 August 2023.
- ^ International Institute for Strategic Studies 1979, p. 35.
- ^ Agression of The Yugoslav People's Army on the Republic of Croatia 1990-1992, D Marijan - Review of Croatian History, 2005.
- ^ "Jugoslavenska Narodna Armija (JNA) – Yugoslav People's Army" (PDF). Retrieved 27 August 2023.
- ^ "Formacije VPO - Vojno pomorski sektori (VPS) - Page". paluba.info. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
- ^ Meier, Viktor. Yugoslavia – A History of its Demise. Routledge, London, 1999
- ^ Samohodni PA top Praga M-53/59
- Logistika, naoruzanje i ratna tehnika u OS SFRJ i novonastalim drzavama..
- Kopnene vojske na prostorima Ex-YU drzava od nastanka do danas...
- Dimitrijevic, Bojan (1997). "The mutual defense aid program in Tito's Yugoslavia, 1951–1958, and its technical impact". .
- Institute for Strategic Studies (1966). The Military Balance 1966-1967. Adam Street, London: Institute for Strategic Studies.
- International Institute for Strategic Studies (1979). The Military Balance 1979-1980. London: International Institute for Strategic Studies.
- International Institute for Strategic Studies (1970). The Military Balance 1970-1971. Adam Street, London: International Institute for Strategic Studies.
- Razvoj Oruzanih Snaga SFRJ [The Development of the Armed Forces of the Socialistic Federative Republic of Yugoslavia], Vols.3-2, The Ground Forces (Belgrade 1987). "This is a classified edition marked with the military security label 'for internal use' published for the 40th Anniversary of the Yugoslav Army. The entire set includes 24 books covering all aspects of the Yugoslav Army, written with consultation of the still classified primary sources" [comment in endnotes of Dimitrijevic 1997].
- Trifunovska, Snezana (1994). Yugoslavia Through Documents: From Its Creation to Its Dissolution. Martinus Nijhoff Publishers. ISBN 0-7923-2670-9.
Further reading
- Jane's Intelligence Review, June 1993