What tanks would the various factions have used in the Bosnian war?
Mostly T-55 family. But you’ll also see older US equipment of the Sherman family. And some some of the Yugoslav built T-72 variant, the M-84.
also t-34-85. by the way there are interesting modifications of it . additional armor of t-34
Ok, I watched “Behind Enemy Lines” the other day and I swore I saw a T34-85. Glad to know I wasn’t completely braindead.
LOL! Oh that movie… Yes, lots of Soviet built stuff there too. Although it was a SA-6 that downed Capt O’Gradys F-16 in June in the actual incident that the film was vey loosely based upon. The Yugoslavs under Tito developed a pretty robust arms industry, sort of comparable to Israel’s. They had indiginous designs or modified various Soviet or European designs. In the run up to the Bosnian War, before the dissolution of Yugoslavia, Milosovich transferred JNA soldiers of Bosnian Serb descent and heavy equipment into the province for use by Bosnian Serb forces once the break up and war began. The Bosnian Muslims had no such patron in the Yugoslav political or military command structure pre war.
Remember, many Hollywood films use whatever tanks are available to represent tanks from current conflicts. While I imagine Bosnia really does use T-34/85 tanks, just because you see them in a fictional movie doesn’t make it correct.
M18 and M36 tank destroyers were common too.
Check out this thread to see a bunch of them, along with other tanks used.
Here’s a story about a Serb T-34/85 www.achtungpanzer.com/serbian-t-3485.htm
Bosnian T-34s armorama.kitmaker.net/modules.php
I personally witnessed BosnianT-34’s while on patrol in Bosnia in 96. Wanted to take pics but we were in a ‘no photo’ zone (and they meant it). I don’t recall the version of T-34, but, I just remember being dumbfounded to actually see moving T-34s in the Mid-90s.
I imagine that it was a T-34/85 variant. I can’t imagine any T-34/76s still being in service, or if the JNA ever had any of those. Just curious, but what part of the country was the “no photo” zone you mention?
Hey Stik…it was prob near Ljubia, actually between there and Prijedor…been almost 20 years, so, I can’t remember exactly…was cool to see, though!
I hear ya… I was just curious as to where… and of course why… but not that you would have an answer for the why.
Ah, no big secret Stik, no OPSEC violations for a 20 yr old op. I was part of the Canadian Multi-national Brigade HQ back then. That day, we were following a column of British Scimitars, FV432s and Landrovers in a road move/patrol around our AOR. We started in Corilici (our operational HQ) then toured south through Bihac across to Bosanski Krupa (sp?) where we (Cdn Signallers) set up a Radio detachment with the Czech Bn guys (can’t remember their outfit, thinking they were Airborne Bn troops outfitted with BMP 2s of which they didn’t know how to drive as there were more dings in those things than you could shake a stick at!!). Nope, nothing here was OPSEC, all public record…LOL
Ok, I ran into your successors a few years later in Banja Luka… And all sorts of other folks around that place.
If I recall, this was taken shortly after the war in Bosnia/Serbia/Croatia, The original poster didn’t quite say where. but it is in former Yugoslavia.
Oddball would be happy!
Great pic!
how true because we know from the movies the wehrmacht used M-47s (battle of the bulge) and M-48s (patton).
isn’t there a yugoslavian FLAK 38(4) mounted on an M-5 chassis picture floating around?
I do recall seeing an M18 turret on a T-55 chassis, or something similar during the 1990s conflict.
