Here is a photo of a Tank commander (unknown) leading a tank column on the move with the German army. It was taken 4-14-1944 by German press photographer Heinrich Hoffman, Berlin.
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| WorldWar2.ro Forum > Biographical Research > Tank commanders |
| Posted by: druzhina November 25, 2003 12:17 am |
| Did Romania have tank"aces"? If not, who were some of their individual
tank commanders? Thanks Everyone,for all your past information! |
| Posted by: Victor November 25, 2003 02:04 pm |
| Ion S. Dumitru was born on 1 March 1921 in Robanesti-Dolj. He went to high school in Craiova and then in the military high school in Timisoara, which he finished among the first in 1941. Two years later, in 1943, he finished the Infantry officer School in Buchreast and on 1 July he was promoted to the rank of sublocotenent (2nd lt.) and assigned, at request, to the 1st Tank Regiment, which was in the process of restructuring after the 1942 Stalingrad campaign at Targoviste. He specialized in tank warfare in the Tank Training Center at Fallingbostel/Hanover of the 6th Panzer Regiment. In March 1944, the 1st Armored Division (Greater Romania Division) was transferred to the front in Moldavia. A part of it the Cantemir Detachment had been on the front from early 1944. They were now kept in the reserve of the 4th Army. In the morning of 20 August, when the Jassy-Kishinev (Iasi-Chisinau) Operation had already started, the tankers were in their machines ready for action. The 1st Tank Regiment was the spearhead of the counter-attack launched by gen. Korne's 1st Armored Division against the flank of the Soviet tank columns. At about 10 am, the regiment ran into a Soviet tank formation near the Scobalteni village and engaged it. The fighting lasted until 8 pm (10 hours) and the casualties were high: 60 Soviet tanks, 20 Romanian tanks. After several IS tanks were knocked out, the Soviets chose to disengage. It is not known how many tanks did slt. Dumitru destroy that day, but given his performance in other battles the following days, probably at least one. The Soviets changed their tactic and called in several aircraft which dropped smoke bombs. The regiment was situated on both sides of the highway. During the confusion created a Soviet tank formation rushed in on the road, while the Romanians wee unable to fire, for fear of hitting their comrades. Thus the regiment was encircled. In the meantime, slt. Dumitru's tank was immobilized and he took over another tank from his platoon. In the evening, when some of the officers gathered to discuss the situation and find a solution. The chief communications officer reported that a BBC communiqué mentioned the fact that the 1st Armored Division was destroyed and that the remains had been captured. :wink: The decision was to retreat off-road under the cover of darkness. However, during the escape the columns got separated and thus, slt. Ion Dumitru found himself in command of 13 T-4s (Pz IV) and 3 TBs (SPW 250), which made it safely to the village of Stornesti, where there was a company of motorized infantry. The next morning, about 25 German Stugs came rushing over the hill towards the Romanian positions, on the hill top behind them stopped two motorize AT batteries which positioned the guns to fire in the Germans, without seeing the Romanian positions. Slt. Dumitru ordered to open fire with HE shells and the ZIS-3s were blasted away, together with four Ford trucks. Soon came a motorcycle with a message from gen. Korne who was on a hill further away and had seen the battle. The order was to retreat and to take in his formation the general's personal tank. The formation reached the village of Boghicea where there was another motorized infantry company and a 150 mm howitzer battery. The tank company took a defensive position. Later, Romanian motorized infantry appeared, followed closely by a Soviet column. The tanks and the howitzers opened fire and repulsed the Soviets, causing them heavy casualties. The infantry and the guns left after that. The tanks followed them after an hour and headed to Bara, where again it engaged Soviet troops. The nightfall caught them on the hill near the village Sagna. On 22 August, the Soviet artillery forced then to retreat. They crossed the river Siret, passed through Roman and stopper in the village of Sabaoani, where there was also an AT ditch, guarded by a pioneer company. The next day, on 23 August, four German towed 75 mm Paks arrived and took positions between the tanks. A Soviet column, more than 20 tank strong, approached the ditch in the afternoon. As agreed with slt. Dumitru, the pioneers blew up the passageway when the Soviets where 100 m away. The Soviet tanks changed their formation to line abreast and advanced towards the ditch, supported by their infantry. They did not see the T.4s and Paks in the forest 700 m away from the ditch, until it was too late. The tanks and Paks fired. Dumitru had ordered his men to fire only at his command, to save ammo. All was over very quickly. 22 burning carcasses remained on the field. Dumitru probably destroyed another tank on this occasion. After an hour, the tanks left Sabaoani. On the road they joined 6-7 tanks and 3 Stugs and crossed the river Moldova. On 24 August, the tanks continued the retreat until it met up with a German column and they found out that Romania had declared the armistice. In the following days, the Romanian-Soviet "co-operation" began and the remains of the 1st Tank Regiment (like many other Romanian units) were interned in POW camps*. Slt. Dumitru managed to escape from the improvised camp together with his trusted friend, plutonier (staff sergeant) Ion Cojocaru. They were recaptured and interned into another camp, but escaped again. On 8 September they managed to get to Targoviste (in southern Romania and away from the front), on side roads, dressed as peasants. He was incorporated in the 2nd Tank Regiment, together with other officers from the 1st, which had been disbanded at the Soviet request. This remaining regiment was made up of the Command Company, the Recon Company (8 armored cars and 5xSPW), the 1st Tank Battalion (8xT-4 and 14xTAs) and the 2nd Tank Battalion (28xR-35/45 and R-35, 9xT-38, 2xR-2, 5xTACAM R-2). They were sent to the front in Slovakia in March 1945 and subordinated to the Soviet 27th Armored Brigade, which ironically the 1st Tank Regiment faced in August 1944. They began operations on 26 March, by crossing the river Hron. Slt. Dumitru's platoon advanced quickly, destroyed 6 AT guns and their towing vehicles and captured a German 150 mm howitzer battery, after destroying one of them. The advance was stopped by a Tiger platoon. However, he maneuvered around their position and forced to retreat. Slt. Ion S Dumitru met another German armored formation two days later near the village Mal-Chetin, where he and plut. Cojocaru destroyed a Pz IV a StuG, a SPW 250 and two AT guns and their towing vehicles. The remaining Germans retreated and the Soviet infantry occupied the village. The Soviet infantry continued its advance, supported by the Romanian tanks, the following days. On 31 March, it was again stopped. The Germans had brought a Tiger platoon, a Ferdinand platoon and a Pz IV company (probably Hungarian). The artillery barrage drove off the Ferdinands and a german bomber that crashed near the Tigers (!!!) damaged two of them and forced the others to tow them to safety. Thus, in the confusion, slt. Dumitru lead his platoon against the remaining tanks, firing from the move. They panicked and started to retreat. Two Pz IVs were destroyed and another two damaged. During the following night, 31March/1 April, took place one of the most unusual actions of the 2nd Tank Regiment: a night assault on a fortified village. Luckily it was the Catholic Easter and most Germans were caught by surprise, but the confusion was high among both sides. An artillery bombardment disrupted the Romanian-Soviet formation, but after slt. Dumitru destroyed the church tower (where there was probably an observer) it stopped. In the following battle, which lasted until morning, slt. Dumitru and his platoon destroyed six SPW 250s, while another platoon destroyed a Pz IV. The 2nd tank Regiment then took part in the assault on Bratislava, but no armored formations were encountered, only entrenched infantry. On 5 April he commanded a detachment of 7 T.4s and 3 StuGs in the assault on Devinska. The katiushas statrted to fire, but, just as the attack commenced, the Germans repositioned their tanks and tank hunters to ambush the attackers. Slt. Dumitru however managed to change the direction of the attack and maneuvered around them. The Germans started to retreat and were faced the fire of the entire company. After one hour and half all was over. Inside the village, 9 tanks and StuGs and three SPWs were burning. On 8 April, the regiment began crossing the river Morava into Austria and on 11 April was engaged in the battle for Vienna. The tank company of the 1st battalion (the T.4 company) attacked towards Hohenruppersdorf, which was occupied without encountering any resistance. They remained on those positions during the rest of the day. The only Germans spotted were the ones in a command vehicle which was captured. The rest of the regiment and the 27th tank Brigade encountered heavy resistance and were even pushed back. In the morning of 12 April, the Germans counter-attacked and only slt. Dumitru's group (two tanks), a Soviet AT battery and infantry platoon were the only Allied troops in Hohenruppersdorf. The others had been sent to the endangered areas. At about 4 pm, four German SPWs surprised the Soviet infantry and managed to pass through their position into the village. Dumitru destroyed the first and let the Soviet AT guns finish the others off, because he did not want to waste ammo. The Soviets bagged two, but one got away. One hour later, four Pz IVs and four SPWs entered the village. The Soviet AT guns destroyed one tank, while Dumitru got behind the other three. He fired and destroyed the tank in the middle. The crews of the other two jumped out and surrendered. In the meantime, the other Romanian tank had destroyed two of the SPWs. The rest had fled. The fighting continued on 13 April, when the Germans were finally pushed back. Both the 27th Tank Brigade and 2nd Tank Regiment suffered heavy losses. The regiment was reorganized and slt. Dumitru was named CO of the 1st Tank Company/ 1st Tank Battalion. He was assigned to lead the assault on Shrick on 14 April. The detachment had six T.4s (Pz IV), 3 StuGs, 5 TACAMs, 2 R-2s and 3 armored cars. They were attacked by three Panthers from the flank and two T.4s were knocked out and one TACAM destroyed. To make things worse one T.4 broke down. One of the immobilized tanks was the one commanded by slt. Dumitru's, who was wounded. Ironically, this was not his usual tank and crew. This is how the war ended for lt. Ion S. Dumitru. After recovering he served mainly in administration jobs in the regiment. He had fought five days against the Soviets and 20 days against the Germans. In the meantime, the formations he lead destroyed 39 tanks and 13 AFVs, of which at least five tanks and 3-4 AFVs belonged to him. Col. Stan Zatreanu, the CO of the 2nd tank Regiment, wrote in the proposal for decoration that the actions of this officer had a very important role in the success of this regiment (which had received four citations from the Soviet command during its less than two months campaign). As a side note, the personal relations between the colonel and Dumitru were not very good. He received the highest Romanian wartime award: the Mihai Viteazul Order 3rd class with swords. He also found out that he had been promoted to lieutenant in February, but because he was on the front, under Soviet command, the news got lost in the bureaucracy. After the war he continued to serve in the army as tank instructor, until 1953 when he resigned (still a lieutenant, even though he was the chief of operations of a tank brigade!!) * over 130,000 Romanian soldiers were taken as POWs by the Soviets in Moldavia after 24 August, even when Romanian troops were fighting side by side with the Soviets in Transylvania. It is estimated that 75,000 died in Soviet camps. |
| Posted by: druzhina November 25, 2003 04:35 pm |
| WOW! FANTASTIC info! Thanks SOmuch!
druzhina |
| Posted by: mabadesc November 25, 2003 05:53 pm |
| Great info, great story! Thanks, Victor.
Do you know if he is still alive? |
| Posted by: Victor November 26, 2003 09:06 am |
| Romanian language members canbuy his memoirs here:
http://www.nemira.ro ("Tancuri in flacari") I do not know if he is still alive. |
| Posted by: Victor December 11, 2004 03:08 pm |
| I decided to reactivate this topic because I want to gather more info on Romanian tankers, as, unlike the glamorous pilots and observers of the ARR, there has been little written about them and very few are known. It is true that the tanks weren't employed by the Romanian army in WW2 on a very large scale, due to limited resources, but they are, I believe, an interesting chapter of our history and deserve more attention. So, if you have stories, names etc. related to Romanian tankers in WW2 post it here. |
| Posted by: Dénes December 11, 2004 03:36 pm |
| The best source - short of looking in the archives - is Monitorul Oficial or Monitorul Ostirii, which list the decorations awarded to the soldiers, sometimes including the reasons as well. Col. Dénes |
| Posted by: REGAL UNIFORMA COLECTOR December 11, 2004 07:08 pm |
| Here is a photo of a Tank commander (unknown) leading a tank column on the move with the German army. It was taken 4-14-1944 by German press photographer Heinrich Hoffman, Berlin. |
| Posted by: REGAL UNIFORMA COLECTOR December 11, 2004 08:37 pm |
 Unknown tank commander, Lieutenant, somewhere in Russia, Oct. 1941. |
| Posted by: REGAL UNIFORMA COLECTOR December 11, 2004 08:48 pm |
 Targoviste Armored Tank School staff officers and instructors. The School Commanding Colonel is seated in the center of the first row. He wears the Order of Michael the Brave. Photo taken late 1930's. |
| Posted by: Iamandi December 13, 2004 07:00 am | ||
It is a BT-7 russian tank? Iama |
| Posted by: Victor December 13, 2004 07:04 am |
| Yes, it is probably a captured tank. |
| Posted by: Victor December 18, 2004 07:43 pm |
| Cpt. Radu Balacescu was born on 12 December 1913 in Bucharest. He graduated the Cavalry Officer School in Targoviste in 1933 and, after serving several years in the 5th Rosiori Regiment, he went to the Special Cavalry School in Sibiu, which he finished second out of 46 officers. He took part in the 1941 campaign on the Eastern front with the 9th Rosiori Regiment Regina Elena from the 6th Cavalry Division, as squadron CO, fighting in Bessarabia, Western Ukraine, all the way to North of the Sea of Azov, where lt. Balacescu distinguished himself during the fights at Adamovich and Oblitovshnaya. He was awarded the Mihai Viteazul Order 3rd class for his deeds during that battle. In 1942 the 6th Cavalry Division was involved in the August offensive in the Caucasus. Cpt. Radu Balacescu was wounded by a mortar shell in the battles around Temryuk. He was admitted in the Military Academy. In 1943, when he was again on the front, he was wounded at the liver. He returned to Romania and graduated from the Military Academy in 1944 and was assigned to the Mechanized Troop Command. After 23 he was sent to the front with the rest of the Mechanized Corps (the former Mechanized Troop Command), at his own request, after growing tired of the desk job he had received since early 1944. On 7 September he acted as liaison to the General Niculescu Mechanized Group, located at Cornesti (in Transylvania), between the 8th Motorized Cavalry Division and the 9th Infantry Division, facing troops from the Hungarian 2nd Armored Division. Because the less experienced Romanian tankers were hesitating to attack the village, he took personal command of the detachment and, in cooperation with troops from the 34th Infantry Regiment, he entered the village and retook it, destroying two enemy tanks. During the night, a Hungarian counterattack retook the village. On 8 September cpt. Balacescu received again the command of a detachment that had to take the village. With two tanks, one commanded by him and the other by plut. Trifan Colan, he advanced to the center of the village where the machines were immobilized by several Faustpatrone hits. Cpt. Balacescu and several of the crewmembers that survived continued to fight from the houses nearby, while trying to return to the Romanian positions. He was wounded by machine-gun fire in the left hip and shoulder and in the belly. He managed to crawl into the courtyard of the Eastern Orthodox church, where he reportedly was killed by two locals. He was later awarded the Mihai Viteazul Order 3rd class with swords , being among the 19 men who received both the 1941 and the 1944 models during WW2. |
| Posted by: Iamandi December 20, 2004 08:44 am |
| How succesfull was CKD LT-38/TNHP P38, or T38 like romanians he named this tank, in romanian service? Tankists whith experience from Skoda LT 35, had some happynes for this advanced tank (comparing to LT35). LT-38 posses a more powerfull gun... I know this was obsolete when was included in romanian service, but against light tanks like T-60, T-70, Stuart, or light armored vechicles it was enough. In figths were T-34 were not involved... And another question - when was first time used, or send to front line this tank? Iama |
| Posted by: Victor December 20, 2004 08:05 pm |
| Cpt. Ioan Cernea was born on 28 January 1900 in Galata, near Iasi/Jassy. In 1943 he was the CO of the 55th Tank Company, equipped with T-38 tanks (Romanian designation for the Skoda LT 38), which was subordinated to the Mountain Corps. On 1 November 1943, the 4th Ukrainian Front started the first offensive in Crimea. It managed to establish a bridgehead south of the Sivash Sea. This bridgehead was contained by the Romanian 23rd and 24th Mountain Battalions, the 2nd Battalion/4th Artillery Regiment and 37th AT Company (from the 1st Mountain Division) and 15th Mountain Battalion and 53rd Tank Company (from the 2nd Mountain Division), which were under command of col. Grigore Balan, the deputy CO of the 2nd Mountain Division. The tank company arrived at Karanky during the night of 3/4 November 1943. The following day, cpt. Cernea led his 12 tanks against the Soviet positions on Hill 19.2 and overran them, advancing 9 km northwards. His tank was hit probably by an AT gun and he was killed. By the end of November 1943, his company had lost 9 out of 12 tanks. Cpt. Cernea was later awarded the Mihai Viteazul Order 3rd class posthumously. |
| Posted by: Iamandi December 21, 2004 06:53 am | ||
CKD or TNHP (LT 38/ Pz38) Iama |
| Posted by: Victor December 21, 2004 06:57 am |
| Yes. |
| Posted by: Mareşal Boboescu December 23, 2004 07:44 pm |
| I recomend the work of Col. Constantin Ucrain "Tanchistii". It is a work which gives a detail of a lot of romanian tank aces startig from General Ioan Sion. HONOR ET PATRIA Ml. B. |
| Posted by: Victor December 23, 2004 07:56 pm |
| Well, could you list some of them? I do not mean the generals or colonels, who weren't actually armor experts (gen. Sion died at Chernishevskaya as CO of the 15th Infantry Division), but the lesser ranks: captains, lieutenants that commanded companies and platoons. |
| Posted by: Victor December 24, 2004 09:56 am |
| Other tank commanders that received the Mihai Viteazul 3rd class: 1. lt. Dinu Marin Georgescu, from the 2nd Tank Regiment, KIA on 17 July 1941. 2. slt. (r ) Gheorghe Sotir, from the 1st Tank Regiment, who distinguished himself at Tomai, Vosnicei, Plahteevka and Lihtental, where he was eventually killed in action in his tank. 3. cpt. Nicolae Mitu, from the 1st Tank Regiment, who commanded the attack that captured Franzfeld on 24 August, during the battle of Odessa. 4. slt. (r ) Alexandru Oltei, from the 1st Tank Regiment, who commanded a tank platoon in the fights around Franzfeld on 24 August. 5. cpt. Florea Parvanescu, from the 1st Tank Regiment, who distinguished himself in the fights at Osinovsky during November 1942, whern the 1st Armored Division was struggling to escape destruction at Stalingrad. |
| Posted by: Iamandi December 24, 2004 10:33 am |
| Who read this books... Any memories / storyes with fights between LT-35, LT-38, Renault R-35 (romanian variants of this tanks) and tanks superior to them, like T-34? 37 and 45 m.m. against sloped armour... At what distance can do something this guns? Was figths with superior machines.. how it say - "evitate" Iama |
| Posted by: REGAL UNIFORMA COLECTOR January 08, 2005 05:12 pm |
 Anyone have any ideas about this photo ? A woman tanker, 2nd Lieutenant - WW2 Wears a cavalry uniform with tanker badge. Mechanized cavalry. |
| Posted by: Victor January 09, 2005 07:31 am |
| Maybe she just photographed herself in the husband's/boyfriend's uniform. I have such a photo in the family album: my great-grandmother in her husband's uniform. |
| Posted by: REGAL UNIFORMA COLECTOR January 09, 2005 06:04 pm |
 I do not know if I agree with this woman wearing her husbands uniform. Here is another photo of this person. I wonder if during the War, woman were recruited as officers to fill a shortage of men officers who went to war in Russia ? |
| Posted by: Iamandi January 09, 2005 06:11 pm | ||
Uniform fits ok on her. This picture give more help to try a conclusion. What chances were to his husband to have much the same dimension with her? But.. tankists in general are not big mans, because are not have too much space in tanks. Clear, is not a propaganda like picture. Is a domestical one - from margins of the pictures, i conclude. Try to resize the picture... Force a little in resolution... Make a zoom and try to see what had under the "veston". If is not a uniform official piece, is like Victor say. If it is a piece of uniform... But is hard to believe that we had women as tankists in ww2! Iama |
| Posted by: REGAL UNIFORMA COLECTOR January 09, 2005 06:14 pm |
 Another example of a woman officer. Posing with her husband. Amsor and Niky Draghiescu both 2nd Lieutenants, Infantry. Dated Feb.23, 1943. Husband wears button hole ribbon of German Iron Cross and the Michael the Brave Unit Citation aguilette. Niky wears an open collar shirt just like the woman tanker. However, pant legs are worn outside of the boots / shoes. Perhaps had a regimental administrative role ? |
| Posted by: REGAL UNIFORMA COLECTOR January 09, 2005 06:18 pm |
 Last photo. Dated May 18, 1943. Woman officer 2nd Lieutenant wearing an Infantry uniform but dressed more like a male officer with pants tucked into boots and a button up shirt and tie. |
| Posted by: Iamandi January 09, 2005 06:24 pm |
| Woman wearing pant in boots!?!? I think im in a way to be off topic.... But Why? A women to walk in heavy boots or shoes ("ghete"- cum se zice) is a disatvantage. Her muscular mass is not make to use this for long time. And in front conditions, a women in army boots is ... the last secret weapon... Well, maybe is time to stop myself... Iama PS - I never see such thing you posted here! |
| Posted by: REGAL UNIFORMA COLECTOR January 09, 2005 06:37 pm |
| I have alot of photos of women in the Romanian military. A few common treads in most of these photos during WW1 and WW2 were related to Military training or schools, Cavalry, and Administration. Alot of the photos identify large cities were they were taken like Bucharest. I do not have any photos or evidence that woman during the war participated in actual combat. |
| Posted by: Dénes January 09, 2005 06:47 pm | ||
I believe that women were not allowed to perform front-line duty, only secondary tasks. The closest a Rumanian woman got to combat was the aviatrixes of the so-called 'White Squadron', who ferried wounded in their small airplanes from the frontline to the rear area. Gen. Dénes |
| Posted by: REGAL UNIFORMA COLECTOR January 09, 2005 07:12 pm |
| Under what circumstance would a woman have been awarded a tanker badge ? Would this badge have been awarded because she had the same training as the men at the Mechanized tanker school or did she get to wear the badge because she was in administration at the tanker school ? |
| Posted by: Victor January 13, 2005 06:59 pm |
| Back on topic. Cpt. Florea Parvanescu (mentioned in the list above) was born on 11 March 1910 at Turnu Magurele. In November 1942 he commanded the 8th Medium Tank Company of the 1st Tank Regiment/1st Armored Division. On 20 November 1942, his company attacked Soviet troops near the Winterlager farm in cooperation with the 4th Medium Tank Company. One artillery battery, 4 AT guns and numerous mortars were destroyed. Seven T-34s counterattacked his company and he destroyed 4 of them. On 23 November 1942, at Ossinovsky, for seven hours, he stopped the charge of Soviet cavalry that could have infiltrated behind the 3rd Motorized Vanatori Regiment. On 26 November 1942, at 3 km south of Chernicheskaya, he led a formation of six tanks without infantry or artillery support against enemy positions north and norteast of the vilage and destroyed 4 AT guns, 10-12 AT rifles, numerous mortars and machine-guns. The same day he entered with 2 tanks under the command of hptm. Mielenhausen, in the attack on Varlamov to clear a German panzergrenadier company. The mission succeeded and the company was saved. As mentioned above, cpt. Parvanescu was awarded the Mihai Viteazul Order 3rd class for his deeds during late 1942. Source: Tanchistii by col. dr. Constantin Ucrain and lt. col. Dumitru Dobre. |
| Posted by: REGAL UNIFORMA COLECTOR January 23, 2005 02:41 am |
 Captain Stelian Simionescu Cercul Recrutare - Dambovita Circa 1935 |
| Posted by: REGAL UNIFORMA COLECTOR January 23, 2005 02:46 am |
 Note the hand embroidered bullion tank collar insignia. |
| Posted by: REGAL UNIFORMA COLECTOR January 23, 2005 02:51 am |
 Officer graduating class of future tank commanders, armor tanker school, Targevista. Circa 1934-1938. |
| Posted by: REGAL UNIFORMA COLECTOR January 23, 2005 02:55 am |
 Same class of officers at the Armor tanker school, Targevista. Note the black leather jackets and pants. |
| Posted by: REGAL UNIFORMA COLECTOR January 23, 2005 02:58 am |
 Note tank on top of flatbed truck. |
| Posted by: Victor January 23, 2005 06:47 am |
| Great photos as usual. The training center was at Targoviste from what I know. I never heard of a Targevista. |
| Posted by: mihai January 23, 2005 01:39 pm | ||
This is grea piece as usual. Mihai |
| Posted by: mihai January 23, 2005 01:41 pm | ||
This type of Tanh carrier is French, You can see the style in 1940Frnchcampange. Mihai |
| Posted by: REGAL UNIFORMA COLECTOR January 23, 2005 04:12 pm | ||
Simply a spelling error. We all know that it is Targoviste. |
| Posted by: REGAL UNIFORMA COLECTOR January 23, 2005 04:32 pm | ||
The tank in the center has the nickname painted on the side named "PLEVNA". The tank to the far right has the nickname of "SIREL". |
| Posted by: REGAL UNIFORMA COLECTOR January 23, 2005 04:36 pm | ||
It could also be the name "BIREL". I can only see half of the first letter in the photo. |
| Posted by: dragos January 23, 2005 05:15 pm | ||||
SIRET would make more sense. |
| Posted by: Dénes January 24, 2005 04:40 pm |
| Shouldn't these photos be rather posted in the 'Tank photos' thread? I just posted two photos over there. Gen. Dénes |
| Posted by: dragos January 24, 2005 04:44 pm | ||
My mistake. It has been corrected. |
| Posted by: Victor January 24, 2005 10:01 pm |
| Cpt. Arcadie Duceac was born on 30 August 1909 in Dragoiesti. In December 1942 campaign he commanded a tank company made up of the remains of the 1st Tank Regiment from the fighting in November 1942. His unit was assigned to support the 3rd Motorized Vanatori Regiment on the Chir front. On 19, 21 and 22 December he intervened while the regiment was defending the heights south of Chernichevskaya and caused many casualties to the enemy. During the retreat southwards on 24 December 1942, his company formed the rearguard and managed to hold the enemy for 8 hours, also allowing the 22nd Panzer Division to retreat. During the fighting near Solotovsky on 25 and 26 December, cpt. Arcadie Duceac counterattacked together with the 1st Battalion/3rd Motorized Vanatori Regiment the Soviet troops that had managed to enter the northwestern corner of the village. He drove his tank in the enemy lines and destroyed 4 mortars that were firing upon the village. The tank was set on fire by enemy AT weapons, but he brought it back to Romanian lines and then evacuated it to be repaired. He was awarded the Steaua Romaniei Order Knight class with Virtute Militara ribbon, for his actions during the 1942 campaign. In August 1944 he was on leave when the Jassy-Kishinev started and did not see any fighting. According to the memoirs of lt. Ion S. Dumitru (read the first story in the thread) he encountered him on the front, where he attempted to take over several stray formations retreating south, including that of Dumitru. The situation ended in direct conflict between the two. It is obvious his memoirs, that Ion Dumitru did not like him at all and considered him a poor officer. But that may have been his subjective opinion. In the March-May 1945 campaign of the 2nd Tank Regiment as part of the Soviet 27th Tank Brigade in Czechoslovakia and Austria, cpt. Duceac commanded the 1st Company/2nd Tank Battalion, equipped with the ancient Renault R-35 tanks. During the first action of his unit he supported the attack on Dol. Pial carried out by the 43rd Rifle Regiment/93rd Rifle Division on 26 March. The attack succeeded. It also stopped a German counterattack by infiltrating and destroying the artillery group that supported it. But the company lost several tanks and two of its officers. His company suffered more casualties the following days. On 17 April he took over a mixed tank company made up of the remains of the regiment: one T-4 (Pz IVH) platoon, one TAs (Stug IIIG) platoon and one R-35 platoon. At the time, the 2nd Tank Regiment was supporting the 4th Rifle Division. On 18 April it captured Wilfersdorf and on 19 Aspern. At 1800 hours german tanks and infantry attacked the Romanian company, but they were repulsed, loosing two tanks, one SPW, two AT guns and 12 machine-guns, most of the kills probably being achieved by the T-4 platoon of slt. Iosif Forgaci. The Germans retreated towards Eibenstahl. The following the fighting continued around that location. The company repulsed another counterattack, damaging two German tanks and two SPWs, while loosing a R-2 tank. Later that day, the Romanian company received the task to flank the German positions. The mission succeeded withoput problems, because apparently the Germans thought the tanks where reinforcements (Pz IVH and Stugs). The 27th Tank Brigade returned to Czechoislovakia and between 25-30 April, cpt. Duceac's company was engaged near Musov-Nova Ves, supporting the 409th Guards Division, in some bitter fights with German infantry and Panthers (tanks that have little to fear from Duceac's unit). On 7 May 1945, the mixed tank company, reduced to several T-4s and R-35s took part in the initial fights of Operation Prague near Pasohlavki. After that the fighting practically ended as the advance wasn't challanged any more, as the war in Europe was close to its end. Cpt. Duceac was awarded the Mihai Viteazul Order with swords 3rd class after the war. Although he lost many tanks while commanding the 1st Company/2nd Battalion, I must also take into account that the R-35s were obsolete in 1945 and easy prey for German AT weapons. At the command of the mixed company, which included modern medium tanks and support guns, cpt. Duceac obtained better results, even though he apparently did not "lead from the tank". |
| Posted by: Victor January 26, 2005 03:21 pm |
| I have added further details to the short story on lt. Alexandru Velican. On 20 November 1942, during the attempt of the 1st Armored Division to link up with the 22nd Panzer Division, of which it had been isolated the previous day, the Romanian tankers were engaged in several heavy fights with Soviet mechanized forces. Slt. Alexandru Velican was a T.3 platoon leader in the 1st Tank Regiment. That day, the Romanian Pz IIIs were fighting around Winterlager farm. He led his platoon in the Soviet artillery position, destroying a battery, several AT guns, mortars and AT rifles. The regiment was counterattacked by Soviet armor after noon. By 1500 hours he had already destroyed 2 T-34s, when his tank was hit by an AP shell and the driver was killed. However, he remained in his tank with the rest of the crew and continued to fight until they ran out of ammo. He destroyed another T-34, raising the total to three that day. The following day, slt. Velican distinguished himself once again, by destroying an AT gun and several AT rifles and repulsing a Soviet attack on the regiment's flank, during the retreat towards Bol. Donchinskaya. He was later awarded the Mihai Viteazul Order 3rd class. Another two officers who who received the Mihai Viteazul Order 3rd class for the fighting around Winterlager on 20 November 1942 were cpt. Victor Stroescu, the CO of the tank company (posthumously) and slt. Gheorghe Budu, whose exploits are unknown to me however. By the summer of 1944, Alexandru Velican had been promoted to the rank of locotenent (1st lt.) and was CO of the 1st Company/1st Battalion of the 1st Tank Regiment from the 1st Armored Division of brig. gen. Radu Korne. On 20 August 1944, when the Red Army launched the Jassy-Kishinev Operation, the 1st armored Division executed a counterattack in the flank of the Soviet forces that had penetrated the front line. The 1st Tank Regiment, isolated from the rest of the division, engaged a Soviet armored spearhead at 1 km south of Scobalteni on the road from Dobroscani to Podu Iloaiei. In fact just the 1st Tank Battalion and the regimental command platoon – all the T-4 tanks available. The 2nd Battalion equipped with Stug IIIGs did not take part in the action. Lt. Velican’s company held the right flank of the regiment and was the first to enter the battle, because of the dominant position of the hill he was positioned on. The Soviet AT guns and tanks hidden in the outskirts of Scobalteni damaged and immobilized 3 tanks from his company. He stopped the advance and adopted a defensive formation. Soon JS-1 heavy tanks appeared in the Soviet lines and four of them advanced toward the Romanian lines in open field, but were knocked out by the concentrated fire of the 1st and 2nd Tank Companies. The fighting continued until nightfall and the regiment was eventually encircled. During it broke the encirclement and retreated southwards. However, in the process, the columns got separated. Lt. Velican ended up with only 7 tanks under his command and in the following days fought delay actions. He later met up with 3 stray Stug IIIGs and in the evening of 23 August, at Pildesti, with elements of the 2nd and 3rd Tank Companies (14 tanks), under the command of slt. Ion Dumitru. Together they continued the retreat south after 24 August, until they encountered other tanks of the regiment and lt. Col. Gheorghe Matei, the deputy commander. On 25 August they reached Tazlau, where the armored group linked uo with the 7th Heavy Artillery Regiment. The following day they were interned in a POW camp. |
| Posted by: Victor January 26, 2005 03:48 pm |
| Cpt. Constantin Neagu was born on 2 June 1910 in Luncani, Bacau county. In November 1942 he was the CO of the 3rd Tank Company/1st Tank Battalion, equipped with R-2 tanks (Skoda LT VZ 35). Early in the morning of 20 November, his company replaced the 1st Tank Company as the 1st Tank Regiment's forward detachment. It took part in the attack on Winterlager farm and cleared all enemy resistance encountered, allowing the motorized vanatori to continue their advance. On 24 November, his company was sent from Osinovska to Oserkiy to help the 3rd Motorized Vanatori Regiment disengage the Soviet cavalry and retreat. He destroyed the Oserkiy farm and the troops defending it, as well as several cavalry squadrons trying to cut off the retreat path of the Romanian motorized infantry. |
| Posted by: Victor January 26, 2005 03:48 pm |
| And from the ranks of the "forgotten heroes" (the NCOs that unfortunately don't get as much publicity as the officers): serg. maj. Stefan Raducu, born on 26 December 1912 in Grecesti, Dolj county. He was a tank commander, most likely a T-4 (Pz IV), given his achievements. During the fights at Donchinsky (probably on 22 November 1942) he destroyed two T-34s and two AT guns. During the attack on reference point 302, while attacking another AT gun, his tank was destroyed and he was gravely wounded. He won the Virtutea Militara Medal 1st class (war version), the highest Romanian military award for NCOs. The source is the same: Tanchistii by Constantin Ucrain and Dumitru Dobre. |
| Posted by: Victor February 03, 2005 07:02 pm |
| Cpt. Octavian Miclescu was born on 26 October 1909 in Roman. He was the CO of a R-2 tank company in the 1st Tank Regiment, during the 1941 campaign. On 8 August 1941, during the fights north of Odessa, he engaged with his company a Soviet motorized company retreating towards Zhiminova. He was wounded at the right shoulder during the fights, but his unit managed to capture 10 cars and 170 POWs. For this action he received the Steaua Romaniei Order Knight class with Virtute Militara Ribbon. Same source. |
| Posted by: Dénes February 03, 2005 08:22 pm |
| Did anyone try to contact the tank veterans still alive? It would be fascinating to hear their war stories first hand... Gen. Dénes |
| Posted by: Victor February 15, 2005 06:24 pm |
| Well I managed to find out more details on one of the tank commanders mentioned earlier to have distinguished themselves in November 1942 and won the Mihai Viteazul Order 3rd class. Slt. (2nd lt.) Gheorghe Budu was born on 24 november 1916 in Focsani. During 1942, he was the commander of a medium tank platoon. On 20 november, during the fights at Winterlager farm, he destroyed two T-34s and four AT guns. Several days later, at Donchinsky he destroyed the enemy forces that were preventing the 1st Battalion to advance further. He took part in the attack at resistance point 302 (south of Chernichevskaya), taking out several mortars and two AT guns. At Valamov, with two tanks, he helped a German Panzergrenadier unit break out of the encirclement. |
| Posted by: Dénes February 15, 2005 06:59 pm |
| Let me repeat the question I posted a while ago: Did anyone try to contact the tank veterans still alive? It would be fascinating to hear their war stories first hand... Gen. Dénes |
| Posted by: Robert February 16, 2005 12:53 am | ||
Hungary tried to buy Panthers and/or a license to build them, and in the end did get two Tiger I's and thee Panthers (unless I have my numbers reversed). The Germans refused to sell the Hungarians any Panthers or Tigers in any reasonable numbers and asked for a fortune just for licensing rights. It does say something about the short-sightedness of German policy towards its allies that the Hungarians were still using Turans in 1944 and 1945, and that the Romanians didn't have much better. |
| Posted by: Dénes February 16, 2005 01:45 am |
| Actually, the Hungarian Army received more Panthers and Tigers (including a dozen originally intended for the Rumanians, but eventually delivered to the Hungarians in early September 1944, who subsequently used them in battles in Transylvania). Nevertheless, this doesn't detract anything to what you've stated above. Gen. Dénes |
| Posted by: Robert February 16, 2005 02:23 am |
| I'm curious what your source is, Denes. Unless I'm mistaken, the Squadron (?) book on Eastern Front armor only gives the Hungarians a very small number of Pz V and VI, less then a half dozen of both types. |
| Posted by: Dénes February 17, 2005 05:15 pm |
| Robert, there is a new book under work related to this topic. That will shed light to many unknown areas related to the Honvédség in W.W. 2 and will clarify errors currently circulated in various publications, including the mentioned Squadron/Signal title. Gen. Dénes |
| Posted by: Chandernagore February 18, 2005 06:17 pm | ||
Denes, Have you more information on this ? (author, title, expected publication date....) ? I'm surprised the Germans gave away Panthers and Tigers to their allies. |
| Posted by: Dénes February 18, 2005 06:36 pm | ||
Not yet. When I'll know more, I'll post it on this site. Dénes |
| Posted by: Victor February 27, 2005 09:02 am |
| Another NCO: serg. maj. Atanase Manolescu, born on 26 November 1916 in Foisor, Dolj county. In 1942 he was a tank commander in the 1st Tank Regiment, most likely of a medium tank subordinated to slt. Gheorghe Budu's platoon. On 20 November, during the fights near Winterlager farm, he destoryed two T-34 tanks and two AT guns. On 28 November, south of Chernichevskaya, during the attack on Height 302, he took out 4 LMGs and two AT guns. At Varlamov, he destroyed six MGs and one AT gun. For his exploits he received the highest military award for NCOs: the Virtutea Militara Medal war version 1st class. |
| Posted by: Barbosu March 02, 2005 02:15 am |
| Is there a book on Romanian tank units? or a roster of tank commanders? I will try to find out some info on another grand-uncle of mine, CHIFULESCU IOAN. I have a photo of him from 1940, with tank insignia. Thanks, Barbosu |
| Posted by: Cantacuzino March 02, 2005 07:33 am | ||
Hi B, can you post the picture of your grand-uncle Chifulescu Ioan. Dan. |
| Posted by: Barbosu March 02, 2005 12:13 pm |
| I try to scan some pics today with all three Chifulescu brothers (Mircea, my grand-father, Virgil-Florea the pilot and Ioan, the "tankist"). I no longer have a scanner and I have to ask for help. Also I will try to contact my cousin (in the USA) to ask him for pictures of his grand-father. Barbosu |
| Posted by: Barbosu March 03, 2005 12:31 am |
| Ok. I am back finally with pictures. As I said, one of my grand-father's brother was in a tank unit. Chifulescu Ioan (IIRC) was a captain, as seen in the picture. On his chest there is the tank insignia. I don't know the unit he was in. On the back of the picture is written: 15.XII.1940 Any info on him will be appreciated. 1.000s Thanks, Barbosu |
| Posted by: Victor October 24, 2005 01:54 pm |
| He doesn't seem to have taken part in the 1941 campaign, but since the spring of 1942 he appears in the 1st Tank Regiment. During the fighting in November 1942, cpt. Ioan Chifulescu commanded the 7th Tank Company of the 1st Tank Regiment. |
| Posted by: Victor November 08, 2005 07:27 am |
| Further on Ioan Chifulescu. While commanding the 7th Company, on 22 November 1942, during the 1st Armored Division's breakout of encirclement, he distinguished himself at Donchinsky, where his company took out a Soviet cavalry squadron and he personally destroyed two AT rifle sections. |
| Posted by: Barbosu November 08, 2005 09:48 am |
| Hi everybody. I was away from this forum for a long time, but I'm glad to find you again. Thanks Victor for all information you found on my relatives and I am happy to find out that they were brave soldiers. Thank you also for the pages about pilot Virgil Chifulescu from Sorin Tulea's book. I will come back as soon as I can to meet you all here, on the forum. Barbosu |
| Posted by: C-2 November 08, 2005 11:52 am |
| Did you recived the photos I sent you? |
| Posted by: Victor November 11, 2005 01:10 pm |
| C-2, please keep the private discussions for PMs. |
| Posted by: Victor November 12, 2005 12:00 pm |
| I have found out that cpt. Ioan Chifulescu was the commander of teh 1st Tank Regiment's AA Company during the 1941 campaign. So let's review all that information on him we have so far. Cpt. Ioan Chifulescu joined the Army in 1929 and by 25 October 1939 he had reached the rank of captain. In 1941 he was serving in the 1st Tank Regiment, as the commander of the regiment's AA Company, consisting of two platoons equipped with 20 mm Gustloff AA guns. During the fighting in July and August, his men have claimed 12 aircraft shot down (8 bombers and 4 fighters). During the spring of 1942 he was in charge with the Tatra truck presentation course for recruits. For the autumn campaign at Stalingrad, cpt. Chifulescu received the command of the 7th Company/1st Tank Regiment, equipped with the obsolete R-2 tanks ( Pz-35(t) ). He led this unit in the fighting in November 1942, during Operation Uranus. On 20 November, during the 1st Armored Division's counterattack at Winterlager farm, the 7th Company was in the first line and was also the first one to reach the heights near the farm after crushing through the Soviet infantry positions. Cpt. Chifulescu destroyed a mortar battery that was firing on the Romanian infantry advancing with the tanks. Two days later, during the 1st Armored Division's breakout of encirclement, during the fight with the Soviet 8th Cavalry Corps at Donchinsky, his company took out an enemy cavalry squadron and he personally destroyed two AT rifle sections. Following the 1942 campaign, the 1st Armored Division returned back home to Romania. For one and a half years it was reorganzied and requipped anmd went into battle again in August 1944. Cpt. Ioan Chifulescu was assigned to the division's HQ in an administrative position. In October, when the division was disbanded according to the armistice requirements, cpt. Chifulescu was sent to the Mechanzied Training Center. |
| Posted by: Skyline February 07, 2021 01:35 pm |
| Salutare! Victor,te rog frumos,ma poti ajuta sa gasesc informatii despre Sergent RADU ION contingent 1939 din Regimentul 1 Tancuri (Regimentul 1 Care de lupta). Este,adica a fost,fratele bunicii mele. Detin un Extras din Registrul starii civile pentru morti pe anul 1943 in care e specificat urmatorul lucru:"Mort in razboi la 20 noiembrie 1942,in UCRAINA,langa ferma Winterlager,ranit mortal de proiectil anticar." Am rasfoit internetul si nu am reusit sa aflu unde a fost aceasta ferma Winterlager dar ma indoiesc ca se afla pe teritoriul Ucrainei si ca este o eroare in acest extras cu privire la locatia ei. Sunt singurele informatii pe care le am despre el dar imi doresc sa aflu mai multe. |
| Posted by: Skyline February 08, 2021 08:29 pm |
| Victor,please can you help me find information about Sergeant RADU ION,1939 contingent,from the 1st Tank Regiment. He was my grandmother's brother. I have an extract from the register of civil status for deaths for the year 1943 in wich it is specified :'' Died in the war on 20 November 1942 in Ukraine near the Winterlager farm,mortally wounded by anti-tank projectile" I searched the internet for information about the Winterlager farm and I didn't find anything but I don't think it was in Ukraine and that there is an error in the document regarding the location.I think the Winterlager farm was in Russia. From the stories of those who were his comrades and survived,the family learned that on November 20,1942,they were engaged in battle at the Elbow of the Don Russia and that he died there. Now reading your posts,I think that maybe he was part of Captain Chifulescu Ioan's company. I really want to find out more information about him,anything,date of birth,etc. |