Minute by Minute: How Bosnia Mission of Peace Came to Ruin

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina — The U.N. spokesman for Bosnia, Maj. Rob Annink, provided this minute-by-minute account of a devastating day for the peacekeeping mission:

* 12:50 p.m.--Yasushi Akashi, the special representative of the U.N. secretary general and civilian chief of the U.N. Protection Force, heads for a meeting with Bosnian Serb leaders in the mountain stronghold of Pale near Sarajevo.

* 1:00--Bosnian Serb forces intensify their offensive on the Muslim enclave of Gorazde, targeting heavy-artillery fire on the refugee-packed city center.

* 1:06--The U.N. commander for Bosnia, British Lt. Gen. Michael Rose, conveys news of the attack to Akashi, who turns back for Sarajevo.

* 1:15--Rose’s command post informs the Bosnian Serbs of its awareness of and concern over the intensified shelling.

* 1:16--U.N. military observers in Gorazde report back to command headquarters that the shelling has become heavy.

* 1:40--Akashi discusses the situation with Rose and consults with U.N. officials in New York.

* 1:57--Bosnian Serb commander Ratko Mladic insists in discussions with Russian special envoy Vitaly S. Churkin that his forces are not attacking Gorazde and blames the artillery assault on the Bosnian government army.

* 2:15--Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic claims in telephone discussions with U.N. headquarters in Sarajevo that U.N. observers in Gorazde are being forced by Bosnian government troops to relay false information to headquarters in Sarajevo. Unmoved by the denials, Akashi demands immediate cessation of attacks on Gorazde.

* 3:20--Military observers in Gorazde report Serbian tanks moving toward the city from the north and east.

* 3:35--Serbian tank rounds are fired into Gorazde city center.

* 3:39--Rose warns the Serbs of “close air support” within 15 minutes unless the offensive ceases.

* 3:44--Serbian infantry advances on Gorazde.

* 3:50--The overall commander for U.N. forces in the Balkans, French Gen. Bertrand de Lapresle, discusses possible air strikes with Akashi, noting that if tank fire on Gorazde persists and the Serbs reach the city center, there would be considerable “collateral damage,” meaning loss of life.

* 4:00--Three Serbian tank rounds hit Gorazde hospital, injuring patients.

* 4:10--First NATO flyovers ordered. Serbian tanks take cover in woods.

* 4:30--NATO planes ordered to fire on tanks if they can be sighted.

* 4:40--Headquarters in Sarajevo warns that the tanks will be hit if they are not withdrawn. Serbs deny ownership of the tanks.

* 4:51--Two NATO aircraft fly a mission intended to seek and destroy the tanks, which have not withdrawn. One of the planes, a British Sea Harrier, is shot down by a Serbian surface-to-air missile.

* 5:40--Report from last aerial reconnaissance that the tanks that fired on Gorazde cannot be located.