Evacuation of Karin Base occurred in January 1993. A unit of Czech and Slovak soldiers evacuated a French soldiers surrounded by Croat and Serbian units.

Events

At the turn of 1992 and 1993, the French military base Karin found itself under mortar fire from the Croatian side of the front. French troops were unable to rescue its soldiers because they were separated from the base by a destroyed bridge. There were 55 French soldiers trapped in the base at the time. The Czechoslovak battalion was at the time the only functional UNPROFOR unit in the area. 29 soldiers with 2

OT-64 The OT-64 SKOT (Czech acronym for: ''Střední Kolový Obrněný Transportér'', and/or Polish Średni ''Kołowy Opancerzony Transporter'' – medium wheeled armoured transporter) is an amphibious, armored personnel carrier (8x8), developed joi ...

transporters were sent to help the soldiers blocked in the Karin base. They were 30 kilometers from the base. The journey took two hours. Among other things, the Czechoslovaks were held back by trees that had fallen on the road. The soldiers had to clear them under mortar fire. As soon as the Czechoslovak transporters arrived at the threatened base, the French commander there began the evacuation to the transporters. By this time two Frenchmen were already dead and several wounded. One of them, for example, lost his foot. The base was bombed from both the Croatian and Serbian sides of the front. Unit had to get through Serbian paramilitary units of

Arkan Željko Ražnatović (, ; 17 April 1952 – 15 January 2000), better known as Arkan (), was a Serbian mobster, politician, sports administrator, paramilitary commander and head of the Serb paramilitary force called the Serb Volunteer Guard duri ...

. Czechs and Slovaks also had to cross mine field to which they were led by Serbians. French soldiers were dislocated on several places near Karin. One group was surrounded by Serbian in Golesh. Once unit reached the place Pavel had to negotiate with Serbian commander to allow Czech-Slovaks to evacuate Frenchmen. Croatians launched artillery fire when Czech-Slovaks were allowed in Golesh forcing Lt. Col.

Petr Pavel Petr Pavel (born 1 November 1961) is a retired Czech army general who served as the Chair of the NATO Military Committee from 2015 to 2018, and as Chief of the General Staff of the Czech Army from 2012 to 2015. He is a candidate in the 2023 Cz ...

to call the French liaison officer, who was an observer in the Croatian staff, and told him that Croatian artillerymen should stop. Croatians then stopped firing. Another group was trapped under artillery fire near Drače on a beach. Two French soldiers were killed there. 30 soldiers were located in Karin base itself. The evacuation of the French soldiers was ultimately successful. For the entire event, the French Minister of Defense awarded four Czechoslovak soldiers with the French Military Cross - Lt. Col. Petr Pavel, Major Karel Klinovský, Major Stanislav Zaplatílek, Lt.

Aleš Opata Aleš Opata (born 9 September 1964) is a Czech soldier who served from 2018 to 2022 as Chief of the General Staff of the Czech Army. In the years 2017 to 2018, he was the Deputy Chief of the General Staff. Biography Between 1983 and 1987, he studi ...

and psychologist Lieutenant Colonel Pavel Jirkovský. It is considered the biggest success of the Czechoslovak battalion during the UNPROFOR mission. Petr Pavel became famous thanks to the operation and eventually became Chairman of the NATO Military Committee.

References

{{reflist 1993 in Croatia United Nations operations in the former Yugoslavia Military history of France Military operations involving the Czech Republic Military history of Slovakia