The
Zrinski Battalion (
Croatian: Bojna Zrinski) was the first special forces unit of the
Croatian National Guard (
Croatian: Zbor narodne garde – ZNG) and later of the
Croatian Army (
Croatian: Hrvatska vojska - HV) established in Kumrovec on May 18, 1991, during the
Croatian War of Independence. On May 18, 1991, the
Zrinski Battalion was established as a
special forces unit of the
ZNG. The core of the unit consisted of 27 volunteers drawn from the 300-strong
Kumrovec Special Police Unit (
Kumrovec SPU) with the addition of two members from the
Lučko Anti-Terrorist Unit. Initially, it relied on former
French Foreign Legion troops of Croatian origin. The most senior among the former legionnaires was Ante Roso, previously a
Sous-Officier (non-commissioned officer – NCO) in the
4th Foreign Regiment. In consequence, Roso was tasked with setting up the unit as its initial commander.
Major Miljenko Filipović, likewise a former
French Foreign Legion NCO, was assigned as the battalions deputy commander. The unit was based in the village of
Kumrovec in the region of
Hrvatsko Zagorje, on the grounds of the former "
Josip Broz Tito" political school, named after this communist dictator and lifetime "president" of communist SFRJ. The site, adjacent to the border of
Slovenia, was selected to be inaccessible to
Yugoslav Air Force raids without violation of
Slovene or possibly
Austrian
airspace. In June 1991, the
Kumrovec SPU was transferred to
Sljeme Peak north of
Zagreb leaving
Kumrovec base to the
Zrinski Battalion, as well as the second
special forces unit, the
Frankopan Battalion. Over the course of the
war following additional recruitment and training of volunteers the
unit reached the size of a
company and at most had around 150 members. The
unit suffered 26
KIA before being amalgamated with other
special forces units of the
Croatian Army to the 1. HGZ (
Croatian: 1. hrvatski gardijski zdrug) in April 1994. The
Zrinski Battalion was deployed for the first time on June 15, 1991. It was stationed in
Vukovar, tasked with the preparation of
city defences and organization and training of volunteer troops in
Vukovar in June, 1991. In August Filipović took over command of the battalion from Roso. The same month, the
Zrinski Battalion went to
Banovina, where it pushed the
Croatian Serb forces out of the town of
Hrvatska Kostajnica. In September, the battalion was deployed to
Gospić, where it took part in the
battle of Gospić against the
JNA. Troops assigned to the battalion captured Kaniža barracks in
Gospić. During combat in
Gospić, 30 troops of the
Zrinski Battalion, assisted by
Lučko Anti-Terrorist Unit, captured
JNA Major General Trajče Krstevski along with three
BOV Armoured Personnel Carriers (
APCs) and 32 soldiers. The unit was deployed to
Metković on October 28, tasked with recapturing
Slano from the
JNA. After the deployment to
Gospić, a part of the unit personnel left to
Bosnia and Herzegovina anticipating further
conflict there, while the remainder of the unit returned to
Kumrovec. The
ZNG was renamed the
Croatian Army (
Croatian: Hrvatska vojska – HV) on November 3, 1991. In late 1991, some of the personnel of the
Zrinski Battalion were transferred to set up another
special forces unit of the
HV - the
Matija Vlačić Battalion based in
Opatija. In 1992, elements of the
Zrinski Battalion took part in the
Battle of Kupres, before setting up a training camp in the town of
Tomislavgrad. There the
battalion personnel assisted in setting up and training the
Croatian Defence Council (
Croatian: Hrvatsko vijeće obrane - HVO). Later that year, elements of the battalion took part in
Operation Tiger - aimed at lifting of the
Siege of Dubrovnik. In 1993, elements of the
Zrinski Battalion took part in
Operation Maslenica, fighting in the area of
Škabrnja. The
Central Intelligence Agency assessed the
Zrinski Battalion as one of the best units of the
HV. On 25 February 1994, the
Zrinski Battalion was amalgamated with parts of other special forces units of the
HV:
Frankopan Battalion,
Ban Jelačić Battalion,
Matija Vlačić Battalion, Ferdo Sučić Battalion, Alpha Battalion and parts of 8th Light Assault Brigade of the Croatian Military Police forming the
1st Croatian Guards Brigade (
Croatian: 1. hrvatski gardijski zdrug), a component of the
1st Croatian Guards Corps (
Croatian: 1. hrvatski gardijski zbor), directly subordinated to the
Ministry of Defence rather than the
General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia. The 1.HGZ took part in several important battles of the
Croatian War of Independence and the
Bosnian War. In late November and December 1994, it participated in
Operation Winter '94, the joint offensive of the
HV and the
Croatian Defence Council (
Croatian: Hrvatsko vijeće obrane - HVO) which pushed the
Army of Republika Srpska (
Croatian: Vojska Republike Srpske – VRS) from the western parts of the
Livanjsko polje in
Bosnia and Herzegovina. Elements of the HGZ also saw action along the
Novska-
Okučani axis of advance in the
HV's
Operation Flash offensive that took place in western
Slavonia in early May 1995. By this time, the HGZ also commanded its own artillery and
Mil Mi-24 helicopter gunships, in addition to
Mil Mi-8 transport helicopters. The HGZ redeployed west of
Livno once again in early June to take part in
Operation Leap 2, extending the
salient that had been created in late 1994 towards
Bosansko Grahovo and
Glamoč. The unit participated in the capture of those towns in late July, 1995 during
Operation Summer '95. In preparation for
Operation Storm, the
HV 4th Guards and
7th Guards Brigades were pulled back from positions facing the
VRS that had been established during
Operation Summer '95 and were repositioned south towards the
Army of the Republic of Serb Krajina (
ARSK). The
ARSK was protecting the northern approaches to
Knin − the capital of the unrecognized
Republic of Serbian Krajina − which
Croatia claimed as part of its own territory. As the two brigades turned over the positions north and west of
Bosansko Grahovo to the
HV 81st Guards Battalion, the 1. HGZ was deployed to the rear of the battalion, tasked with intervening in case of any
VRS attack towards
Bosansko Grahovo. On the second day of the operation, August 6, 1995 after
Knin was captured by the
HV, the HGZ was airlifted from the
Livanjsko field to the village of Rovanjska north of
Zadar. They then linked up with the 2nd Battalion
Thermites of the
9th Guards Brigade and advanced east to capture the villages of Muškovac and
Kaštel Žegarski. On August 8, the 1. HGZ participated in an operation against the last significant
Army of the Republic of Serb Krajina pocket in the area of
Donji Lapac and
Srb, alongside the three guards brigades and
special police forces. In September 1995, the HGZ took part in
Operation Mistral 2, which extended
HV and
Croatian Defence Council control in western
Bosnia and Herzegovina and captured the towns of
Jajce,
Šipovo and
Drvar, moving the confrontation line north towards the
Bosnian Serb capital of
Banja Luka. In October, the 1. HGZ also participated in
Operation Southern Move, which captured the town of
Mrkonjić Grad, and reached the southern slopes of Mount
Manjača, south of
Banja Luka. During the
Croatian War of Independence, 75 members of
Zrinski Battalion, 1. HGZ and other
special forces units of the
Croatian Army were
killed in action, 286 were
wounded and 2 are
MIA. The 1. HGZ was disbanded in 2000 and its constituents were reorganized. A part of the HGZ was amalgamated with the Special Combat Skills Centre in Šepurine to form the
Special Operations Battalion (
Croatian: Bojna za specijalna djelovanja - BSD). The remainder of the unit was amalgamated with the Reconnaissance-Sabotage Company based in
Pula, the 350th Sabotage Detachment, the 280th Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Platoon, and the 275th Electronic Warfare Company to form the
350th Military Intelligence Battalion. The elements of the
1st Croatian Guards Corps which were tasked with security of the
President of Croatia and ceremonial duties were reorganized and the
Honor Guard Battalion was established. The
Special Operations Battalion consisted of one command section and five companies, each specialized for a different variety of missions: •
Command Section - responsible for command, control and communications, intelligence, logistics, medical personnel, supplies, and transport •
1st Special Operations Company - specialized for air assault and airborne (including pathfinder) operations in the event of an emergency requiring military force as a rapid reaction force (RRF) •
2nd Special Operations Company - specialized for clandestine operations, combat search and rescue, counterinsurgency, direct action, irregular warfare, jungle warfare, long-range penetration, mountain rescue, mountain warfare, and special reconnaissance. •
3rd Special Operations Company - specialized for amphibious reconnaissance, amphibious warfare, clandestine operations, direct action, long-range penetration, maritime counterterrorism, maritime search and rescue, naval boarding, naval special warfare, special reconnaissance, underwater demolition, and VIPs protection. •
4th Special Operations Company - specialized for clandestine operations, direct action, hostage rescue, irregular warfare, long-range penetration, special reconnaissance, urban counterterrorism and urban warfare, urban rescue, and VIPs protection. •
Fire Support Company - specialized for counter-sniper/sniper and mortar training and fire support with snipers to other four BSD companies. The Special Operations Battalion reorganization and transformation into the Croatian Special Operations Forces Command was completed in February 2015. ==Structure and Organization==