Muzej Domovinskog rata Karlovac-Turanj (Croatia) 2024
On the fringes of one of the numerous visits to Croatia on the occasion of the last MiG-21 flights, the author had the opportunity to visit the Homeland War Museum in Turanj, a suburb of Karlovac and scene of fighting between 1991 and 1995. Most exhibits relate to the war on the ground, but two MiG-21s in the exhibition – a Croatian one mounted on a pedestal and the wreck of a (rump) Yugoslav one – were reason enough to visit the museum.
The museum shows the colourful hotchpotch of weapons with which the Croats were equipped in the early days ...
... and with which they managed to defy the (rump) Yugoslav superiority.
Contrary to reports during and after the war, the Croats did not receive any significant deliveries from NVA stocks, and above all not – as claimed in TV reports – MiG-21s. But at least this steel helmet made its way from Germany to Croatia.
This reconnaissance drone was built from parts procured by Croats abroad and brought home.
The Croatian MiG-21bis on display carries – as was usual during the war – no serial. According to various sources ...
... it is said to be 126.
According to the inscriptions on the pylons at least, the wreck on display is the aircraft with construction number 75061027, i.e. MiG-21bis 17130 of the Yugoslav Air Force.
The heavy weapons of the Croats, too, both tanks and armoured vehicles ...
... as well as guns and howitzers, are similarly varied as the infantry weapons. And where the equipment found was not sufficient ...
... it was built in-house from tractors, trucks and construction vehicles.
