INJURIES IN CROATIAN ARMY BRIGADE SOLDIERS INFLICTED IN AN OFFENSIVE ACTION DURING THE 1991 1992 WAR IN CROATIA/

The type and number of injuries sustained by soldiers of a Croatian Ar my brigade in an offensive action during the war in Croatia (1991/1992 ) were analyzed according to the mechanism of wounding. About 1,000 so ldiers participated in a 6-hour offensive action in a flat, partially swampy, and wooded area, convenient for large-scale use of antipersonn el mines and other explosive devices. There were 92 casualties in tota l: 15 soldiers were killed in action and 77 were lightly or severely w ounded. The mechanism of wounding included shell fragments in 44 soldi ers (47.8%), antipersonnel mines and gunshot projectiles in 14 soldier s each (15.3%), and others (fall, blow, stress, etc.) in 20 soldiers ( 21.7%). Death was recorded in 1 of 13 soldiers (7.1%) with gunshot wou nds, 11 of 44 soldiers (25%) wounded by shell projectiles, and 4 of 14 soldiers (28.5%) wounded by antipersonnel mines. All injuries inflict ed by shell fragments were multiple, whereas the type and severity of injury inflicted by antipersonnel mines were directly related to the t ype of mine. Pressure-activated mines generally caused limited injurie s to the lower extremities, ranging from mutilation to amputation. Inj uries inflicted by other antipersonnel mines resembled those caused by shell projectiles; however, their severity depends on a number of fac tors.