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| WorldWar2.ro Forum > Eastern Front (1941-1944) > 5th Mountain Battalion Avram Iancu |
| Posted by: Panzer Meyer July 22, 2005 09:11 am |
| hello people, first photo- just a check-up : 5th Mountain battalion staff in a 1938 photo. http://www.imageshack.us |
| Posted by: Panzer Meyer July 22, 2005 10:31 am |
| 5th mountain battalion, parade uniforms, Abrud 1938. My grandfather is the second on the right. http://www.imageshack.us |
| Posted by: Panzer Meyer July 22, 2005 10:40 am |
| another photo from the instruction, 1938 http://www.imageshack.us |
| Posted by: Panzer Meyer July 22, 2005 10:48 am |
| instruction photo, about 1938, probably Abrud http://www.imageshack.us |
| Posted by: Agarici July 22, 2005 11:10 am |
| Nice photos, nice uniforms. Does anybody know, were they still using the Mannlicher rifles (last two photos)? |
| Posted by: Agarici July 22, 2005 11:19 am |
| Of which mountain brigade was the 5th battalion part of? In what operations were they involved on the Eastern&Western fronts? |
| Posted by: dragos July 22, 2005 11:21 am |
| As you can see in these photos too, the Mannlicher rifle seems to have been the standard training rifle at that time. This time, the photos are dated 1939/1940. http://www.worldwar2.ro/forum/index.php?showtopic=516 Panzer Meyer, your photographs are outstanding, so I advise you to post smaller images and with copyright text over them, otherwise you risk to have them copied and used all over the Internet. |
| Posted by: dragos July 22, 2005 11:23 am | ||
You should use the search function on the home page of the site (the keyords 'Avram Iancu' should do it) The answer is: 3rd Mountain Division. |
| Posted by: C-2 July 22, 2005 11:28 am |
| Nice photos! Would be nice and easy to look at if they'll be smaller.... |
| Posted by: Agarici July 22, 2005 11:38 am | ||||
Thanks Dragos... I should, but it's so much easy to ask...  However, I'm exhausted by writing the "Romania 1940 - the Possible War" posts.  |
| Posted by: Panzer Meyer July 22, 2005 12:11 pm |
| thanks Dragos. well, about the photos and the copyright: I don't know, maybe I am a little bit out-of-date but I do not intend to restrict acces on them. the story was that these photos were kind of lost for 65 years, so now that I found them (and managed to scan them) I am happy to share. I thought about making them smaller, but it seems to me that some of the original beauty will be lost. for the Oob of the 5th Mountain Battalion, I will annex my grandfather's personal fiche. Hope it will help. All I know is that after 23 August 1944 (the battalion was involved in heavy fights around Targu Neamt- I hope I am not wrong) all of them were taken prisoners and hurried to Russia. My grandfather managed to escape by crossin Prut River swimming and walking on foot until Ramnicu Sarat. as you can see, he was decommisioned in mid-September 1944 and never took part in the fights on the Western Front. shortly after, my grandparents divorced- so I was not in the possition to find out many other facts...unfortunately. again, I am sorry because the photos are quite big but I choose the settings for the scan at a higher resolutin- I was afraid not to loose some quality. I am expecting thechnical comments and advices (about scanning and uploading photos) ok, so here the personal fiche of grandpa http://www.imageshack.us |
| Posted by: Victor July 22, 2005 01:31 pm |
| He was probably part of 105th Mountain Battalion/103rd Mountain Command when captured, because the 5th Mountain Battalion was with the 3rd Mountain Division near Beius in the summer of 1944. However, the mountains troops interned near Targu-Neamt were of the 104th Mountain Command. Strange. Nevertheless, very good photos. |
| Posted by: Carol I July 23, 2005 07:58 am | ||
Probably taken on the day of the funeral of Queen Maria. |
| Posted by: Carol I July 23, 2005 08:05 am | ||
Hi A solution would be to post only the thumbnail in the message and to link it to the full photo. The way you have to write the address (e.g., for the file of your grandfather) is: <URL=http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/4425/foaiematricola1hq.jpg><IMG>http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/4425/foaiematricola1hq.th.jpg</IMG></URL> where you obviously replace '<' by '[' and '>' by ']'. Notice the extra '.th' (in bold) in the address for the thumbnail. The result of the above lines is: http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/4425/foaiematricola1hq.jpg |
| Posted by: Jeff_S July 25, 2005 02:31 pm | ||
I know this question will be hopelessly simple for many of our Romanian members, but it's not obvious to me, so I will ask. In the original picture which started the thread, there is an officer in the bottom row, center, in a substantially different uniform than his comrades -- dark blue or black, with one row of gold buttons down the center of his jacket. What uniform is that and what is his role? Thanks in advance. |
| Posted by: Panzer Meyer July 25, 2005 03:45 pm | ||
Hi A solution would be to post only the thumbnail in the message and to link it to the full photo ok, thanks for the tip with thumbnail. I am trying now to post a picture with my grandfather and his orderly on the Eastern Front, winter 1942/1943. I would appreciate if somebody could help me "track" the front activity of the 5th Mountain Battalion (as I showed before, my grandfather was part of the campaign between July 1942/June 1943 - anybody has idea where the battalion fought during this period) http://img281.imageshack.us/my.php?image=front1p4eu.jpg |
| Posted by: Panzer Meyer July 25, 2005 03:57 pm | ||
Hello Jeff_S. I hope I am not wrong, but the officer you were asking about was responsible with the logistic, ranked lieutenant (the original Romanian term is "administrator" roghly equivalent with "manager" - I am sure there is another world describing his position into a battalion). In any case, I am sure that he and my grandfather were good friends, so I will ask and post more as soon as I will have the answer. Now, another one from the winter 1942/1943, Eastern front. Again, I would appreciate any help regarding the campaign of the 5th Mountain Battalion during this winter, maybe the photos will provide some hints. Also, I am not aware of the significance of the construction in this photo- an observation position maybe? http://img269.imageshack.us/my.php?image=front6p3iq.jpg |
| Posted by: Panzer Meyer July 25, 2005 04:00 pm |
| another photo from the same area, winter 1942/1943- mountain troops on march http://img166.imageshack.us/my.php?image=front7p1ty.jpg |
| Posted by: Panzer Meyer July 25, 2005 04:01 pm |
| and another one, this time from behind http://img166.imageshack.us/my.php?image=front8p3gq.jpg |
| Posted by: Jeff_S July 25, 2005 04:34 pm | ||
Thanks for the quick response. A supply officer? That makes more sense than anything I was thinking. (I was thinking possibly a medical officer, or more strangely "Adm" = "admiralty" and he was a navy officer on some sort of exchange. Weird I know, but it did explain the blue uniform). So "Adm" = "administrator". BTW, "administrator"... "administrative"... "administration" are all English words, and you do see positions described that way today, though we would be more likely to just say "supply officer" now. His collar insignia is somewhat like that of the U.S. Navy's Supply Corps, though they wear it on the sleeve of the uniform coat. Friends with the supply officer, eh? That can be useful, especially around inspection time when you have shortages to make up.  Re. the tower, I've seen pictures of towers somewhat like that used to mark routes in the mountains. It does not seem to offer much as an observation post, or as shelter, and I see no radio antenna or attachment for signal flags. But I'm sure someone on the site is more knowledgable about that. |
| Posted by: Victor July 25, 2005 05:01 pm |
| Panzer Mayer, you can follow the campaigns of the 5th Mountain Battalion by reading the biography of the 3rd Mountain Division's CO: maj. gen. Leonard Mociulschi (http://www.worldwar2.ro/operatii/?article=14). You also have two articles (available only in English though) on the fights in the Taman bridgehead and in the Crimea in 1943/44, here: http://www.worldwar2.ro/operatii/?language=en&article=13 http://www.worldwar2.ro/operatii/?article=14 As for the wooden structure, are you sure they are on the front? |
| Posted by: Carol I July 25, 2005 05:29 pm | ||
It looks like the marking of a geodesic point. |
| Posted by: Agarici July 25, 2005 05:41 pm | ||||
Or like a meteorological observation point (a shelter for thermometers, barometers and so on). The today’s meteorological observation points from the vicinity of the meteorological observation stations look pretty much like this construction. |
| Posted by: Carol I July 25, 2005 05:43 pm |
| Panzer Mayer, could you please tell me what is the badge worn under the decorations by the fifth officer from the right in the photo below? Thanks. http://img305.imageshack.us/img305/4986/parada1p4rs.jpg |
| Posted by: Carol I July 25, 2005 05:47 pm | ||
Those are usually placed at a height which allows easy access (e.g., the level of the chest or head). The wooden structure in the photo seems much higher than that. |
| Posted by: Agarici July 25, 2005 06:02 pm | ||||
You're right, but who knows...? I just wanted to add another possibility on the list. Also, the photo was taken from a lower level than the level of the construction, so this may seem to us higher than it really was. |
| Posted by: Carol I July 25, 2005 06:38 pm | ||||
Could be, but if I remember right those old shelters also look different.
http://img269.imageshack.us/img269/4396/front6p3iq.jpg The man to the right of the wooden structure appears to stand almost between its legs, so he might be used as reference for height. Besides, all the other men are situated in front of the structure, so their apparent height is increased relative to that of the wooden structure. |
| Posted by: Carol I July 25, 2005 07:12 pm | ||
It looks similar to the badge of the 42nd Obuziere Regiment.  Originally http://www.worldwar2.ro/forum/index.php?showtopic=525&view=findpost&p=19612 by REGAL UNIFORMA COLECTOR |
| Posted by: Panzer Meyer July 27, 2005 12:52 pm | ||
Sorry Carol I but for the moment I do not know the answer. I saw what posted REGAL UNIFORMA COLECTOR- to be honest I am a little bit puzzled, because I so not see the connection between a Mountain Battalion and an artillery one (do not take this as a denial of the explanation posted). I will do further researches. Now, a photo of the 5th battalion HQ in Abrud, about 1938 http://img41.imageshack.us/my.php?image=tibi7cazarmap7xn.jpg |
| Posted by: dragos July 27, 2005 01:48 pm |
| Great photos ! |
| Posted by: mabadesc July 27, 2005 06:23 pm |
| Superb photos, indeed! Panzermeyer, would you happen to have any pictures that also show the brigade commander or the commander of the Mountain Corps? Like maybe when your grandfather is receiving a medal from them, or during an inspection? If you do, please post them. Thanks... |
| Posted by: Panzer Meyer July 28, 2005 11:52 am | ||
ok, I dug a little and I discovered some photos- I am not sure of their timing ('42/'43 or spring '44), and also I do not know for sure who is the commanding officer in the photos. Maybe some of you guys do have any idea- I am waiting. first one is not very conclusive, but I posted it anyway, because I thought it can still offer some hints http://img251.imageshack.us/my.php?image=front31p6xb.jpg another one, I guess from the same location, same period http://img251.imageshack.us/my.php?image=front38p9hc.jpg and the last one http://img251.imageshack.us/my.php?image=front41p5mz.jpg my grand father appears in the first two photos, behind the commanding officer (he has some sort of white paper or maps in his hands) |
| Posted by: Panzer Meyer August 17, 2005 05:05 pm |
| came back with some other detalis regarding the officers of the 5th Mountain Battalion- see pic on page 1: according to my grandmother memories, the following officers died on the Eastern Front: - cpt. Stein Friederich - Cpt. Oscar Bievel - cpt. Sanziana Teodor and also the coomanding officer of the battalion, col, Maldarescu (I hope I am not wrong) not shown in the 1938 photo. I will come back with details and moro photos as soon as possible. |
| Posted by: 21 inf July 17, 2007 04:07 pm |
| For people who may concern, it was a book published in comunist era about the fighting of 5th mountain battalion Avram Iancu,but of course it was about only the western campaign, against fascism. The book title is : Batalionul de moti Avram Iancu. |
| Posted by: 21 inf August 14, 2007 06:14 am |
| Since I dont have enough time right now, I post it only in Romanian, I'll translate it into english later today: "Botezul Batalionului Avram Iancu. [1 september 1924, Gaina Mountain] Dupa terminarea ceremoniei religioase dela troita, a urmat solemnitatea conferirii numelui de „Avram Iancu", batalionului de vânatori de munte din Abrud, care se afla în careu pe platou. Regele Ferdinand, adresându-se trupei, a rostit urmatoarea cuvântare: „V'am adunat azi aici pe frumosul colt al Tarii Motilor, stropit de sângele atâtor eroi, cari au luptat si cari au cazut pe câmpul de onoare pentru ceeace le era totdeuna lucrul cel mai sfânt — iubirea de neam — spre a cinsti pe cel mai mare dintre eroii acelor timpuri grele de lupta, facând ca numele lui sa fie în veci în amintirea scumpei mele armate. Am ales batalionul de vânatori de munte din Abrud, pentru a da unei trupe din România întregita numele lui Avram Iancu. Pentru voi este o mare cinste si sunt sigur ca veti sti sa va aratati totdeuna demni de numele acestui mare erou. Voi stiti cine a fost Avram Iancu. El a luptat si a suferit pentru ideia întregirei poporului român. Amintirea lui este înca vie în toata tara si mai ales în coltul acesta unde el singur cu motii sai a stiut sa reziste trupelor ungare, împiedecândule de a patrunde în aceste vai. Sa saditi adânc în inimele voastre calitatile acelora cari au condus la biruinta si sa urmati pilda acestui erou". Ministrul de razboiu a cetit înaltul decret, prin care s'a decis ca aceasta unitate se va numi de aci înainte: „Batalionul 5 vânatori de munte Avram Iancu". Apoi s'a primit defilarea batalionului, A. S. R. Principele Carol a defilat la dreapta primului pluton. " source: Tinutul Halmagiului, Monografie, Traian Mager, 1935 |