Operation Amanda

Operation Amanda
Part of the Bosnian War
A Danish IFOR Leopard I tank crushes a decommissioned Serbian antiaircraft gun in 1996
Date October 25, 1994 Location near Gradačac, Bosnia Result UN forces recover observation post from Bosnian Serb army
Belligerents
Army of Republika Srpska	Danish Defence (as part of UNPROFOR forces)
Commanders and leaders
Unknown	First Lieutenant J. Christensen
Strength
1 T-55 tank Recoilless anti-tank guns	3 Leopard 1A5 tanks
Casualties and losses
1 T-55 tank disabled 1 recoilless gun destroyed	1 Leopard tank lightly damaged

Operation Amanda was a United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR) mission conducted by Danish peacekeeping troops, with the aim of recovering an observation post, S01, belonging to 9th mech inf coy Nordbat 2 near Gradačac, Bosnia and Herzegovina, on October 25, 1994.^[1]

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 mechanized infantry platoon from the Swedish 9th Mechanized Infantry Company and one tank platoon from the Danish tank company. One Swedish mechanized infantry platoon put on high alert status in order to provide recovery and rescue services. There were also units from the Jordanian army 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 tanks, was fired on by a T-55 Bosnian Serb tank.^[2] 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.^[1]

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:

The best tank-killing weapon is another tank. In the end, air [support] was not needed.^[3]

See also

• Operation Bøllebank

Notes

1. Hansen, Ole Kjeld (1997). "Operation Hooligan-bashing – Danish Tanks at War". Archived from the original on May 23, 2013. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
2. "Yugoslav events chronology". University of Texas at Arlington. 17 March 2000. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
3. "RFE/RL Daily Report". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 27 October 1994. Retrieved 29 January 2015. The UN stressed that "the best tank-killing weapon is another tank. In the end, air [support] was not needed."

References

• "Yugoslav events chronology". University of Texas at Arlington. 17 March 2000. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
• "RFE/RL Daily Report". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 27 October 1994. Archived from the original on December 31, 2014. Retrieved 29 January 2015. The UN stressed that "the best tank-killing weapon is another tank. In the end, air [support] was not needed."