Anušić Visits Croatian Armed Forces Personnel Involved in the Recovery of a Replica Roman ship

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Ivan Anušić today visited Croatian Armed Forces personnel from the Croatian Army’s Guards Armoured Mechanised Brigade who are involved in the recovery of the replica of the ancient Roman ship Danuvina Alacris, which became stranded on the banks of the Drava River near Osijek due to the river’s exceptionally low water level.

The visit was also attended by the Defence Attaché of the Federal Republic of Germany to the Republic of Croatia, Lieutenant Colonel Burkhard Weber, and Deputy Commander of the Croatian Army, Brigadier General Valentin Skroza.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Ivan Anušić had previously approved Croatian Armed Forces support for the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in the Federal Republic of Germany after the Croatian Armed Forces were asked for assistance due to the risk of futher deterioration of the ship.

“This is a specific task through which we demonstrate the capabilities, knowledge and skills of our military engineers and the Croatian Army. The Croatian Armed Forces became involved when the ship was at a risk of further deterioration, and we will complete our part of the task from start to finish. This galley will be returned to Germany thanks to the Croatian Armed Forces. Croatia and the Federal Republic of Germany have a strategic partnership and longstanding, strong diplomatic and friendly relations, and we are continuing to develop this cooperation through the Croatian Armed Forces as well,” Minister Anušić said.

The Defence Attaché of the Federal Republic of Germany to the Republic of Croatia, Lieutenant Colonel Burkhard Weber, stressed that after he was asked for assistance, it became clear that only the Croatian Armed Forces could carry out such a serious and demanding task. He noted that the Croatian Armed Forces had constructed an access route within a very short period of time, while the ship was additionally secured with wooden beams due to the instability of its structure.

“I would like to thank Minister of Defence Ivan Anušić and Chief of the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Tihomir Kundid, for their swift response and for making the necessary decisions and issuing the necessary orders that enabled the operation to begin. As a German, I see this as yet another example and demonstration of the excellent cooperation between the Federal Republic of Germany and the Republic of Croatia, not only in the military field but also in many areas of civilian life,” Lieutenant Colonel Weber said.

Croatian Armed Forces involvement

Eighteen Croatian Armed Forces personnel are taking part in supporting the recovery of the ship: twelve from the Engineer Battalion of the Guards Armoured Mechanised Brigade and six from the Engineer Regiment. Following approval by the Minister of Defence and the Chief of the General Staff, a Croatian Armed Forces engineering unit was tasked with the operation.

“This is an 18-metre-long Roman galley weighing five tonnes, a replica of a Roman ship. Due to the low water level of the Drava River, the situation required an urgent response to prevent further deterioration of the ship. At the request of the German Defence Attaché, we found a solution and determined that the Croatian Armed Forces, with their engineering capabilities, could save the ship,” said Deputy Commander of the Croatian Army, Brigadier General Valentin Skroza.

“Our engineers have the knowledge and capabilities required for tasks such as this. They are trained and prepared to operate in a variety of situations,” Brigadier General Skroza said, adding that one of the missions of the Croatian Armed Forces is to assist civilian institutions.

“If we had waited another five days, the ship would have deteriorated beyond repair because its entire structure is made of wood. Wood has specific properties, and as it dries, cracks develop, which cause the ship to lose its structural integrity. That is why the structure is now being continuously watered in order to restore it as closely as possible to its original condition and enable the ship to be returned to the water,” Brigadier General Skroza explained.

Croatian Armed Forces personnel have also constructed sliding “skids” along which the ship is expected to slide towards the water. The Engineer Regiment has transported a tugboat to the Riverboat Company in Osijek so that the ship can be towed after being relaunched. The operation involves the use of an excavator, bulldozer, backhoe loader, cargo vehicle, maintenance workshop, tugboat and two boats.

Due to the complexity of the operation, the relaunch has been postponed until next week. According to the current plan, it is scheduled for Wednesday, 26 August. By then, the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg is expected to arrange for the delivery of specialised lifting spreader beams and a low-loader trailer. Following the relaunch, the ship is expected to be towed to the Luka Tranzit Osijek, where it will be lifted from the water using a specialised loading crane operated by the Port Authority and loaded onto a transport vehicle – a low-loader trailer.

The Croatian Armed Forces’ engagement in this operation demonstrates that, in addition to their primary defence mission, the Croatian Armed Forces possess capabilities that can be made available to civilian institutions in a variety of circumstances.

Minister Anušić and Brigadier General Skroza thanked the Director of Luka Tranzit Osijek, Igor Bartolović, and the Director of the Port Authority Osijek, Dr Iva Horvat, for their assistance and cooperation in carrying out the ship recovery operation.