On 18 May 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 Kumrovec Special Police Unit (SPU). Initially, it relied on former
French Foreign Legion troops. 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 member, was assigned 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. 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. The Zrinski Battalion was deployed for the first time on 15 June. It was stationed in
Vukovar, tasked with preparation of city defences and organisation of volunteer troops. In August, Filipović took over command of the battalion from Roso. The same month, the Zrinski Battalion was deployed to the
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
battle to control 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 SPU, captured JNA
Major General Trajče Krstevski, along with three
armoured personnel carriers (APCs) and 32 soldiers. The unit was deployed to
Metković on 28 October, 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 (
Hrvatska vojska – HV) on 3 November 1991. In late 1991, personnel of the Zrinski Battalion 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 trained the
Croatian Defence Council (
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. ==Amalgamation==