5th Corps (Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina)

The 5th Corps was one of seven corps and smallest one of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The formation was around the Bihać pocket to protect it against the surrounding Serb forces which included the entire Army of the Kninska Krajina (VRSK), 1st and 2nd Corps of the Army of Srpska Republic (VRS), including the reinforcements from other VRS Corps, Yugoslav Military, Serbia Military and paramilitary formations. The assigned zone of responsibility of the 5th Corps encompassed almost the entire Bosnian Krajina, but in reality it only covered approximately 1,150 km² of the free Bosnian Krajina territory. The length of the front of the Bihać pocket was about 180 km, and within the defended territory lived over 200,000 inhabitants. The Bihać pocket found itself in a very unfavorable situation, due to the constant lack of weapons, ammunition, food, and medicine. The shortest distance from Bihać pocket to the rest of the free territory in Bosnia and Herzegovina was about 100 km, while Velika Kladuša was only about thirty kilometers away from the territory held by the Croatian Army, before the secession (after the secession the free territory towards free Croatia and rest of the world increased about additional ~30 km). Fifth Corps also fought secessional Bosniak forces National Defence of the Autonomous Province of Western Bosnia (NOZB, which had approximate size of a division reinforced by Serbs with equipment, supplies, training and reinforcements) stationed in Velika Kladuša county and parts of Cazin county, loyal to Fikret Abdić, who was cooperating with Serb forces. During the war it is estimated that 5th Corps at all time had tied to themselves 70,000 serbian troops, when secession happened additional 10,000 secessional Bosniak troops were tied to the lines of 5th Corps. Just days before the last 5th Corps military operation, Operation Sana, 5th Corps defeated Abdić's army and supporters, bringing the rogue autonomous province under government's control in the Downfall of Second autonomy operation. After that 5th Corps started all-out offensive Operation Sana, connecting to the rest of the Bosnian territory while bringing a number of previously lost and occupied regions of Bosnia and Herzegovina under government control, defeating 1st and 2nd Krajiški corps, strengthened with units that escaped Kninska Krajina and multiple Serb paramilitary forces coming to aid from different frontlines. During Sana 95 and Downfall of Second autonomy 5th Corps also liberated towns and communes in border section of Croatia. Connecting with Croat forces in Grabovac-Rakovica area, Korenica-Frkašić area, Bogovolja-Cetingrad area and on an overlooking hill west of Plitvička jezera. The solemnly meet up was done on the border bridge in Tražačka Raštela, where commanders of both countries shook hands. During the Operation Sana 95 5th Corps captured biggest war loot the ARBiH ever had. Inventory of ARBiH weaponry grew exponentially after Operation Sana 95 which equipped the unit for further Operation Prijedor 95. In April 2018, police detained Atif Dudaković and 12 others on suspicion of committing crimes against humanity during the Bosnian war. The court process is still ongoing without any established evidence.

War trophies

Besides liberating territory and capturing a large number of different equipment from the enemy and putting it in own use, the biggest war trophies of the Bosnian war were tanks. Unimaginable thing to have for poorly equipped ARBiH. During the course of Bosnian war 5th Corps managed to capture big number of tanks (Approximately up to 70 counting the older models like T34, M18 and M36. While capturing between 40 and 50 T55A tanks.), but the trophies are the first nine tanks that were right away put to use in fighting by the 5th Tank Company after capturing. Rest of the tanks were pulled out to inventory because of lack of crew and were only after the end of the war integrated in the unit.

Eight war trophies of 5th Corps:

• The first M84 tank nicknamed "Pegaz" (Pegasus) captured in August 1995, near Cazin in the village of Krivaja, during the enemy offensive "Spaljena Zemlja".
• The second M84 tank nicknamed "Grom" (Thunder) in September 1995, near Bosanski Petrovac, during Operation Sana 95.
• The third M84 tank captured in commune Sanica, near Ključ during the advance to Sanski most in Operation Sana 95.

They also captured six T-55A tanks:

• The first T55A nicknamed "Žabac"(Frog) in June 1992, in the village of Čekrlije near Bihać.
• The second T55A nicknamed "Vitez" (Knight) September 1994, near Bužim, during the enemy offensive Breza 94.
• The third T55A nicknamed "Labud" (Swan) and fourth T55A unnamed (distinctive by yellow fume extractor) in October 1994, at Grabež near Bihać, during Operation Grmeč 94.
• The fifth T55A nicknamed "Crna Udovica" (Black Widow) in November 1994, near the village of Klokot close to Bihać.
• The sixth T55A nicknamed "Kobra" (Cobra) in the outskirts of Sanski Most, during Operation Sana 95.