Operation Amanda was a
United Nations Protection Force
The United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR; also known by its French acronym FORPRONU: ''Force de Protection des Nations Unies'') was the first United Nations peacekeeping force in Croatia and in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the Yugoslav War ...
(UNPROFOR) mission conducted by
Danish
Danish may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark
People
* A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark
* Culture of Denmark
* Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish a ...
peacekeeping troops, with the aim of recovering an observation post, S01, belonging to 9th mech inf coy Nordbat 2 near
Gradačac
Gradačac ( sr-cyrl, Градачац, ) is a city located in the Tuzla Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated in the northeastern part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, roughly south of ...
,
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...
, on October 25, 1994.
The engagement
The outpost had been used as a temporary observation post (OPT) but Nordbat wanted to turn it into a permanent observation post. Following a series of
sniper attacks by
Bosnian Serb forces, the staff of Nordbat 2 decided it was time to "show the flag". A task force was put together with one mechanised infantry platoon from the Swedish 9th Mechanised Infantry Company and one tank platoon from the Danish tank company. One Swedish mechanised infantry platoon put on high alert status in order to provide recovery and rescue services. There were also units from the
Jordanian Army
The Royal Jordanian Army (Arabic: القوّات البرية الاردنيّة; ) is the Army, ground force branch of the Jordanian Armed Forces (JAF). It draws its origins from units such as the Arab Legion, formed in the Emirate of Transjord ...
with artillery localisation radar and medics with armoured ambulances standing by.
While en route to reoccupying the position, the Danish force, composed of three
Leopard 1
The Leopard 1 (also styled Leopard I, before the Leopard 2 simply known as Leopard) is a main battle tank designed and produced by Porsche in West Germany that first entered service in 1965. Developed in an era when HEAT warheads were thought t ...
tanks, was fired on by a
T-55
The T-54 and T-55 tanks are a series of Soviet main battle tanks introduced in the years following the Second World War. The first T-54 prototype was completed at Nizhny Tagil by the end of 1945.Steven Zaloga, T-54 and T-55 Main Battle Tank ...
Bosnian Serb
The Serbs of Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sr-Cyrl, Срби у Босни и Херцеговини, Srbi u Bosni i Hercegovini) are one of the three constitutive nations (state-forming nations) of the country, predominantly residing in the politi ...
tank.
After sustaining slight damage to one of the Leopards, the advancing peacekeeping tanks returned fire, destroying one recoilless rifle and putting the T-55 out of action.
[ The Leopards fired a total of twenty-one 105mm rounds.][
The outpost was eventually retaken by UNPROFOR. A statement was issued by the UN about the aftermath of the incident, confirming the fate of the Serb T-55:
]
See also
* Operation Bøllebank
Notes
References
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Amanda, Operation
Conflicts in 1994
Bosnian War
Battles involving Denmark
History of Republika Srpska
1994 in Denmark
Tank battles
United Nations operations in the former Yugoslavia
1994 in Bosnia and Herzegovina
October 1994 events in Europe