Operation Amanda

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.

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. 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.