Light Bomber/Dive Bomber Pilot

Born: 25 March 1915, Cocora, Ialomita county

Units:

• 8 June - 3 August 1941: 73rd Bomber Squadron
• 3 August - 10 August 1942: 6th Light Bomber Group
• 10 August 1942 - 25 March 1943: 3rd Bomber Group
• 26 March 1943 - 23 August 1944: 3rd Dive Bomber Group

Combat missions: 60 light bomber (P.23) + 150 dive bomber (Ju-87)

Victories: -

Decorations:

• Mihai Viteazu Order 3rd class
• Virtutea Aeronautica Order Knight class
• Eiserne Kreuz 1st class

War episode:

On 7 August the Red Army renewed its offensive between Werch Adagaum and the Krimskaya-Moldovanskoe highway, with four infantry divisions supported by 100 tanks and a powerful VVS presence. The 3rd Dive Bomber Group was called to intervene in the support of the German 97th Light Infantry Division (to which the Romanian 23rd Infantry Regiment was subordinated). Three missions were flown that day the Stukas, all of them led by lt. av. Tudor Andrei. Early in the morning 19 Ju-87Ds hit the tobacco factory west of Krimskaya, in the sector of the Soviet 257th Rifle Division. Two airplanes were hit by AAA and had to make forced landings. Then 17 sorties were made during the second mission, from which all planes came back. The third and last mission of the day was directed against a Soviet tank formation. The Stukas were attacked by fighters, but the Bf-109 escort engaged them. However the AAA damaged another Ju-87, which had to crash land at Anapa. Lt. av. Andrei had led 56 aircraft into action that day, with very good results, as resulting from the letter received from the German 97th Light Infantry Division. These were also missions no. 98, 99 and 100 for him. Eventually the Soviet offensive was stopped, after it had managed to advance only 1 km.

Died: after 1990

Lt. av. Tudor Andrei receving the Virtutea Aeronautica Order Knight class from gen. Gheorghe Jienescu on 31 August 1943