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| WorldWar2.ro Forum > Romanian Army > Need info on Romanian Tank Unit |
| Posted by: Alexei2102 December 03, 2011 08:29 pm |
| Gents, Please, can anyone share some info on the 22nd Tank Btl ? Many thanks, Al |
| Posted by: ANDREAS December 04, 2011 10:22 pm |
| Hallo Alexei, Can you be more specific : the year you heard about that unit operating, where, in what operation? |
| Posted by: Alexei2102 December 05, 2011 10:04 am |
| \hello Andreas, 1 Year is 1943 2 Eastern front 3. I will post pics ASAP. Alex |
| Posted by: ANDREAS December 05, 2011 07:11 pm |
| My assumption, based on the data that you have given me so far, is that the unit you ask about is the T-38 Tank Battalion (in the organic of the 2nd Tank Regiment), the single romanian armored unit which operated in 1943 on the Eastern Front. I'm not sure so please take it as a assumption... Anyway I wait for the pictures! |
| Posted by: raevski December 06, 2011 05:59 am |
| I agree, with Andreas. The only frontline tank unit in 43. The only other thing i can add is there were sometimes captured armour in the unit also, mainly Lend Lease Stuarts. |
| Posted by: Alexei2102 December 08, 2011 08:10 pm |
| FYI |
| Posted by: Alexei2102 December 08, 2011 08:11 pm |
 |
| Posted by: raevski December 09, 2011 01:16 am |
| Could you translate the writing for me, i am Australian and i only speak english (sorry for my ignorance) |
| Posted by: raevski December 09, 2011 01:29 am |
| The tanks are R-35's So initially they were in the 2nd tank battalion 1st armoured division until the were taken from the front in late 1941. There 8 which equals a tank company. if the photo is 1943 then they are a training unit in Romania later commited to battle in 1944 maybe with R35/45 (up gunned) The Recce troop (The motocyclists) are generally attached to the Cavalry Divisions. Could this be a training unit of the 8th Cavalry which was destined to be 2nd Armoured? Anyway nice pictures. |
| Posted by: Mircea87 December 10, 2011 09:08 am |
| The resolution is too small, I can only understand this: "Frumoasa amintire. Gata de plecare spre front. Compania 2 Bat. 22 C. Lupta" A nice remembrance. Ready to go to the front. 2nd Company, 22nd Armored Bat. and "asteptand inspectia" waiting for an inspection (probably from the 2nd Arm. Reg. commander, it's too small for me). |
| Posted by: Agarici December 10, 2011 10:08 am | ||
1. Couldn't it be "Compania 2, Batalionul 2[, Regimentul ]2 Care de lupta? It would just make more sense. 2. Is it sure that the photos are from 1943? What indicates that? I'd put my bet on an earlier date, especially given the "ready to go to the front" line. 3. What car is that, in the photos? Could it be the French Laffly which is asociated with Regimentul 2 Care de lupta in a well-known photo from 1940? |
| Posted by: Cantacuzino December 11, 2011 04:46 pm |
| Also interesting in the picture is the railroad track and a steam engined train arriving probably to take the Company to front. Possible Malmaison garrison in Bucharest ??? The car is a staff car. A Horch ? Also interesting in the picture is the motorcycles group. The first moto is a solo NSU 350 sport ( civil painted) with his driver in black leather suit in the front. Could be the motorcycle group commander ( the NSU 350 was a faster bike at that time) ? The other motorcycles in the group are Zundapp KS 600 with side car ( the standard motorcycle in romanian army). Their drivers had different suit (textile) than the first one. |
| Posted by: dragos December 11, 2011 05:41 pm |
| On the back of the 2nd photo it is written: "Ofiterii subofiterii si trupa Comp 2 din ? in fata materialului asteptand inspectia comand. al Reg. 2 CL" Officers, NCOs and soldiers of 2nd Company in front of materiel waiting for inspection of 2nd Tank Regiment commander. My guess is that in 1943 could have been detached to Transdnestra for security duties. |
| Posted by: raevski December 12, 2011 06:22 am |
| Volunteers that owned Motorcycles where asked to join up with there own motorcycles due to a lack of motor vehicles within the army. That would explain the civilian motorcycle. I sustain the arguemnt that it is 2nd tank battalion 1st Armoured division. 2 Company 1941 about to entrain to join in Operation Barbarossa. |
| Posted by: dragos December 12, 2011 07:04 am | ||
By the landscape and the clothing looks like winter. So it's more likely to be February or March as it is written on the back of the photo. |
| Posted by: Victor December 12, 2011 07:59 am | ||
"2nd tank battalion 1st Armoured division" was the 2nd Battalion of the 1st Tank Regiment and was equipped with R-2s. Agarici's explanation with 2nd Battalion/2nd Tank Regiment is more plausible IMO. The time could be early 1944. |
| Posted by: Cantacuzino December 12, 2011 08:40 am | ||||
From the website (:
Who knows exactly when and where we received the T-38 ( in March or in May-June)? If we agree for the date (written on the picture) that is corect ( at least the month looks corect) And we have the above information for the year 1943. We can assume that the batalion went to the crimean front in February-March with the existing materials ( R-35 tanks) and later in May-June 1943 received the T-38 tanks from the germans directly on the front. Any opinions about this teory ? |
| Posted by: Victor December 12, 2011 11:16 am |
| There was no point in transporting that much equipment to the front only to be shipped back home in a couple of months. If I recall correctly (will confirm this evening) the 2nd Tank Regiment organized some independent R-35 companies that served on the front in Moldova in 1944. IMO this could be it. |
| Posted by: Cantacuzino December 12, 2011 12:00 pm | ||
But are you sure that at that time ( February '43) was known about future german tanks T38 supply ? And btw. a couple of months in the war is not like a couple of months in the peace times . The enemy don't wait for you to get new supplies  To solve this problem we must know if the date ( and the legend : ready for the front) written on the backside of the pictures is corect or not. |
| Posted by: Cantacuzino December 12, 2011 01:05 pm | ||
I made some research for the Malmaison buliding ( wich still exist today) and it match 99% the building in the picture. The angle (of the first picture) was taken est side of the building where it start the rail traks ( see the old map) the barraks behind the R -35 are paralell with Dambovitza river. I have counted 26 windows of the second floor (est side) of the building from Alexei picture. On today building i have counted also 26, but three windows were obturated. See picture below. http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/20/malmaison.jpg/ Uploaded with http://imageshack.us http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/838/malmaisonest.jpg/ Uploaded with http://imageshack.us |
| Posted by: Cantacuzino December 12, 2011 01:23 pm | ||
Another observation is that the south side of the building was demolished after the war. http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/716/malmaisonnord001.jpg/ Uploaded with http://imageshack.us http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/829/dsc02993flanclaturalips.jpg/ Uploaded with [URL=http://imageshack |
| Posted by: Cantacuzino December 12, 2011 09:02 pm |
| I found another information possible related to the pictures On 18 February 1945 a rail transport ( nr 50.124) started to move from Bucharest ( Malmaison garrison) to the west front with Reg.2 commanded by Col Zatreanu. The 2nd batalion ( R-35) was commanded by Maior Gheorghe Truta. |
| Posted by: raevski December 12, 2011 11:21 pm | ||||
i agree with the 2nd Redg 2nd battalion, but wheren't they replaced in 43-44 with PzIV = T-4? With training elements still having R-35/s half of which were by that stage upgraded to R35/45. The R35's should probably be half armed with 45mm guns by 1943. The tank battalion in the Crimea was operated by the Cavalry, wasn't it? and it certainly didn't send the R-35's there. |
| Posted by: petru32 December 13, 2011 02:21 pm |
| As far as I remember, some R35 units of 2 Tank Regiment were sent in 1943 in Basarabia and Transnistria, as support units to the 1 and 2 Security Divisions, they returned in 1944 to 2 Tank Regiment and were only employed after 23 August 1944 both in Romania and in Slovakia The T38 units were trained in Crimea, as the 50 used T38 were delivered there, the tanks used as tank support for cavalry units |
| Posted by: Victor December 23, 2011 06:58 pm | ||
I checked it and the 2nd Tank Regiment sent the 1st and 2nd R-35 Companies to bolster the 3rd and 4th Armies on the front in Moldova at the beginning of August 1944. So it's not it, as the photos show clearly a cold period. Perhaps the beginning of 1941, prior to the beginning of the war? |
| Posted by: raevski December 28, 2011 12:27 am |
| Is there anyway of determining the whereabouts of the R35/45's during the August 44 period? |