WorldWar2.ro
Romanian Armed Forces
in the Second World War
Home + Organization + OoB + Aeronautics + Weapons + Decorations
Military Operations + Generals + Memoirs, Journals + Media + WW1 + Forum
Romana English
Pilot profiles
cpt. av. Horia Agarici
lt. av. Florin Alexiu
lt. av. Tudor Andrei
lt. av. Titus Axente
lt. av. Mircea "Gicu" Badulescu
lt. cdor. av. Corneliu Batacui
slt. av. Constantin Balta
adj. av. Mihai Belcin
lt. av. Emil Boian
lt. av. Romulus Bucsa
cpt. av. (r) Constantin "Bâzu" Cantacuzino
adj. av. Dumitru Chera
lt. av. Serghei Ciachir
lt. av. Ioan Cioroiu
slt. av. Vasile Claru
adj. av. Nicolae Cojocaru
cpt. av. Petre Coles
lt. av. Decebal "Desi" Constantinescu
cdor. av. George Davidescu
adj. av. Traian Dârjan
cpt. av. Dumitru Deica
cpt. av. (r) Ioan Dicezare
lt. av. Ion Dobran
lt. av. Gheorghe Dobrescu
lt. av. Constantin Dragomir
cpt. av. Boris Ferderber
adj. sef av. Spridon Focsaneanu
lt. av. Ioan Galea
lt. av. Vasile Gavriliu
slt. av. Rene Gânescu
slt. av. Costin Georgescu
lt. av. Emil Georgescu
lt. av. Gheorghe "Gâga" Georgescu
cpt. av. Marin Ghica
lt. av. Teodor Greceanu
lt. av. Eusebie Hladiuc
adj. maj. av. Dumitru Ilie
lt. av. Gabriel Ionescu
adj. maj. av. Petre Ionescu-Conta
adj. stg. av. Aurelian Livovschi
of. ec. cls. III Ioan Maga
lt. av. Tanase Mancu
cpt. av. Alexandru Manoliu
adj. av. Ioan Marinciu
cpt. av. Eugen "Matra" Marinescu
slt. av. Nicolae Sixtus Maxim
of. echip. cls. III av. Ion Milu
lt. av. Gheorghe Mociornita
lt. av. Lazar Munteanu
slt. av. Vasile Nasturas
lt. av. Traian "Ciocan" Nicolae
slt. av. Dumitru Pasare
adj. maj. av. (r) Vasile Pascu
lt. av. Alexandru Paun
lt. av. (r) Nicolae Polizu-Micsunesti
lt. av. Horia Pop
cpt. av. Gheorghe Popescu-Ciocanel
adj. av. Victor Popescu
lt. cdor. av. Alexandru "Popicu" Popisteanu
cpt. av. Eusebie Popovici
cpt. av. Traian Popteanu
cpt. av. Ion Profir
adj. sef av. Stefan "Grecu" Pucas
cpt. av. Craciun "Sbilt" Salajan
cpt. cdor. av. Ioan Sandu
cpt. av. Wilhelm Schmaltz
cpt. av. Dorin Sculi
adj. stg. av. (r) Niculae Sculy Logotheti
cpt. av. Alexandru Serbanescu
adj. sef av. Nicolae Stan
lt. av. Virgil "Ghinghi" Stanculescu
lt. av. Dragos Stinghe
lt. av. Dan Stoian
cpt. av. Gheorghe Stroici
cpt. av. Virgil Trandafirescu
slt. av. (r) Sorin Tulea
slt. av. Florin Vasilovschi
adj. av. (r) Tiberiu Vinca
cpt. av. Dan Vizanti
slt. av. Ion Vonica
lt. cdor. av. Alexandru "Popicu" Popisteanu

Picture courtesy of Matei Florian

Alexandru Popisteanu at the time he was just a 1st lieutenant

Fighter Pilot

Fighter Pilot

Born: 3 January 1904

Units:

  • 1 June 1940 - 21 August 1941: 7th Fighter Group

Combat missions: 33

Victories: -

Decorations:

  • Mihai Viteazu Order 3rd class
  • Virtutea Aeronautica Order Knight class

War episode:

On 21 August 1941, lt. cdor. Alexandru Popisteanu, the CO of the 7th Fighter Group, led a formation of Bf-109Es in a patrol around Dalnik, near Odessa. They met a formation of Il-2s from the 42 OShAE escorted by 9 I-16s of the 69 IAP. Popisteanu ordered cpt. av. Alexandru Manoliu (CO 57th Fighter Squadron) to engage the Sturmoviks, which were attacking the Romanian infantry. He and the other four Bf-109Es climbed to meet the Soviet fighters. However, these did not wait for the Romanians to gain altitude and dived on them. Lt. cdor. av. Popisteanu's aircraft was damaged from the first pass and he was wounded. He tried to land near Marienthal, but died in the crash.

Died: 21 August 1941, Marienthal, near Odessa

The tomb of Alexandru Popisteanu in the Ghencea Military Cemetery. The text reads: Hero aviator cpt. cdor. Alexandru Popisteanu fallen during the fights near Odessa on 21 August 1941, Knight of the "Mihai Viteazul" Order. "The commander is the first one who has the right to die! Do you know what it means to die for your country? How can you command others if you are not yourself an example?" An example he was, an example he will remain

His image on the monument beside the tombstone.

 

Author: Victor Nitu
Sources:
Bernád D. Rumanian Air Force, the prime decade 1938-1947, Squadron/Signal Publications, 1999
 Top
User Comments Add Comment
There are no comments for this article