Operation Libelle

Operation Dragonfly
Part of the 1997 Albanian riots, 1997

Map showing the route of the German helicopters
DateMarch 13–14, 1997
LocationTirana, Albania
Result German victory
Belligerents
Germany Germany Albania Albanian Insurgents
Commanders and leaders
Germany Oberst Henning Glawatz Albania Unknown
Strength
> about 100 men Unknown
Casualties and losses
No casualties
1 helicopter damaged		 Unknown number of wounded
No reported deaths

Operation Libelle ("Dragonfly" in German) was an evacuation operation of the German Armed Forces that took place on March 14, 1997 in the Albanian capital of Tirana. In the same week, American,[1] British,[2] and Italian military forces evacuated their citizens from Albania. Operation Libelle was the first time since World War II that German infantry soldiers fired shots in combat.[3]

Situation in Albania

In early 1997, riots spread across Albania after the collapse of major pyramid schemes drove the country into a serious economic and social crisis, culminating in the Albanian Civil War. After army and police armories were looted by insurgents, criminals, and civilians, large parts of the country descended into chaos and violence.[4] On March 11 all foreign nationals were instructed to leave Albania; Italian and U.S. forces conducted initial evacuation operations. By midday of March 13 the widespread disorder made leaving the country by conventional means nearly impossible. With nowhere to go dozens of people fled to the German embassy, which had not yet evacuated.

Timeline

March 13

March 14

  • Five CH-53G heavy transport helicopters with 89 soldiers from the German SFOR contingent headed from Bosnia to Dubrovnik, Croatia. At the same time in Germany, three C-160 transport planes had been held in readiness to fly to the Balkans. The Niedersachsen waited in readiness in the port of Durrës, Albania.
  • 11.30 am - The German Government under Chancellor Helmut Kohl decided to deploy German Forces to evacuate the embassy. Because the German military cannot operate abroad without a permission of the German Parliament, the Government employed emergency rules and only informed the leaders of the parliament and the Defence Committee about the planned operation. The C-160s flew to Podgorica, Montenegro. The task force, consisting of CH-53s and soldiers from combat, supporting, and medical units, lifted off to Tirana.
  • 3.39 pm - Although American Forces had cancelled a separate evacuation operation in Tirana after a Blackhawk helicopter was hit by small arms fire, Colonel Glawatz decided to continue the approach. The first CH-53 landed on an abandoned airfield near the outskirts of Tirana. Perimeter security was established and the civilians started to board the helicopters. Insurgents in armoured vehicles approached the area and attacked the escaping civilians. As the German units returned fire, additional gunmen opened fire from the edge of the air strip. At least 188 rounds were fired at the evacuation force, and one CH-53 helicopter was hit and lightly damaged.[5] At least one Albanian was wounded.[6]
  • 4.09 pm - the last helicopter left Tirana.
  • The helicopters returned to Montenegro with the refugees after the successful end of the operation; they were then transported to Germany.[7]

List of evacuated persons

Country Number
GermanyGermany 21
HungaryHungary 14
JapanJapan 13
AustriaAustria 11
Czech RepublicCzech Republic 5
DenmarkDenmark 3
PeruPeru 3
SwitzerlandSwitzerland 3
EgyptEgypt 2
AlbaniaAlbania 2
Bosnia and HerzegovinaBosnia and Herzegovina 2
NetherlandsNetherlands 2
PolandPoland 2
Others 8
  1. ↑ "USIA - Transcript: DOD Briefing on Evacuations from Albania, 97-03-14". www.hri.org. Retrieved 2017-12-30.
  2. ↑ Roberts, John (2009). Safeguarding the Nation: The Story of the Modern Royal Navy, 352pp, Seaforth Publishing, ISBN 978 1 84832 043 7
  3. ↑ RP Online
  4. ↑ "Political Unrest in Albania". PBS NewsHour. Retrieved 2017-12-30.
  5. ↑ ''Operation "Libelle" Tirana '97: Das erste Gefecht der Bundeswehr'' RP Online, 14 March 2007 (in German)
  6. ↑ Laurin, Carin (2005). Baltic Yearbook of International Law, 2005. Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, p. 71. ISBN 9004147888
  7. ↑ "Evacuations from Albania proceed amid a hail of bullets". CNN. 14 March 1997. Retrieved 2017-12-30.

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