12. The Romanian Armed Forces Situation

[dragos]

by Petre Otu

As soon as he seized the power, Ion Antonescu pointed out that his priority goals were to strengthen the national military potential, to reorganize and increase the combat capability of the armed forces. The underlying concept was "a smaller but powerful army", "with a balanced strength, disciplined and well-trained", able to meet "the Romanian realities and the modern technical requirements". Efforts were also made to equip the armed forces with modern equipment, but the results could not critically change the inherited situation.

After nine months of intensive activity, in June 1941, Romania possessed an operational strategical capability which fully corresponded to the demographical, economic, financial possibilities of the Romanian State in its configuration without its territories stolen in summer 1940. According to the April 1941 census, Romania's population counted 13,535,757 inhabitans out of which 6,674,248 were male persons (49.3%). Based on calculations made by military analysts, the mobilising potential amounted to 2.2 milion persons (32.9% of the male population, 16.2% of the total population). On June 22, 1941, the mobilisation plan included: 1,139,594 people, out of which 39,476 officers, 57,002 NCOs and 1,043,116 soldiers. At the same date, the Romanian mobilising elements were the following; the General Headquarters, 3 army commands, 11 corps comands, 214 operational services units, 41 inland commmands, units and formations.

On June 22, 1941, all Land Army, Air and Navy forces were mobilised. But virtually the Decree confined to Moldova (the 3rd and 4th Armies) and II Corps forces.

The Romanian Eastern Front forces on June 22, 1941 were the: infantry battalions - 151; cavalry squadrons - 53; armour battalions - 4; A.T. companies -32; A.D.companies -19; gun batteries -203; howitzer batteries -61; heavy how-itzer batteries -27.

The Romanian military strength mobilised on June 22, 1941: the 3rd and 4th Armies, the II Army Corps - 325,685 people; the non-mobilised interior area - 314,259 people; at the disposal of the General Headquarters - 46,310 people.

Total forces - 686,244 people. Available mobilisation forces -2,200,000 people.

The Air Force, composed of the Operational and Internal Air Forces, was made up of the following combat forces: 3 observation flotillas, 3 fighter flotillas; 3 bomber flotillas, 4 long range reconnaissance squadrons, one seaplane flotilla. The total aircraft amounted to 852 of various types, including 502 aircraft in the Operational Air Force and 350 in the Internal Air Force. The Combat Air Group, directly subordinated to the "General Antonescu" Armies Group, possessed 209 serviceable aircraft. The total strengths were 2,357 officers, 3,219 NCOs, 163 civilian employees and 37,688 soldiers, amounting to 43,427 people.

The Navy contained: the Naval Division, the Danube Division, the Sulina Naval Detachment, the Upper Danube Sector etc. The Navy strengths, at the outbreak of war, amounted to 15,113 people, as follows: 1,002 officers, 780 junior officers, 257 NCOs and 13,474 soldiers and seamen. In June 1941, Romanian Navy was made up of 39 main combat ships, 22 sea and 17 river ships. The Naval force included, among other ships, 4 destroyers, 1 submarine ("Delfinul"), 3 gun-ships; the Danube river force had at its disposal 7 monitors and 8 patrol boats.

Although our armed forces were modest as compared to the great powers' armies we joined or we fought against, the Romanian Armed Forces fully committed themselves on June 22, 1941 to the epos of remaking the eastern border of the homeland.

[Dan Po]

in acording with Romanian General Headquarter, the romanian army lost in the eastern front 624,740 men :

71,585 KIA
230,280 WIA
297,821 MIA .

In therms of material losses, at 30 june 1944 Section 4 of GHQ concluded the fallowings :

348,579 rifles
11,950 SMGs
5,049 MGs
3,093 mine throwers (mortars) cal 50mm, 60mm, 81,4mm and 120mm
1,855 AT guns cal 37mm and 47 mm
261 AT guns cal 50mm and 75mm
881 field and mountain guns and howitzers
73 heavy guns
81 heavy howitzers
276 AA guns
172 tanks and armored vehicles
639 cars
2,445 trucks
909 motocycles.

Here are not included the heavy (material) losses wich was suffered during the Iasi-Chisinau offensive in august 20, 1944.

[rcristi]

[quote]by Petre OtuOn June 22, 1941, all Land Army, Air and Navy forces were mobilised. But virtually the Decree confined to Moldova (the 3rd and 4th Armies) and II Corps forces.
[/quote]

From your post I understand that the 3rd and 4th Armies were drafted from Moldavia... what about the rest of them?

Thx

[dragos]

[quote]From your post I understand that the 3rd and 4th Armies were drafted from Moldavia... what about the rest of them?

Thx[/quote]

The units that were subordinated to these armies HQ were not drafted only from Moldavia. But as being deployed in Moldavia, they received the order of mobilisation on 22 June, 0 hours. The 1st Army remained with peace time effectives.

[Victor]

[quote] in acording with Romanian General Headquarter, the romanian army lost in the eastern front 624,740 men :

71,585 KIA
230,280 WIA
297,821 MIA . [/quote]

This count excluded the men of the Tudor Vladimirescu Division from the total number of MIAs

The official count for MIAs was 309,533. One should note however that this figure included about 130,000 men taken POWs by the Red Army after 24 August, when Romania was not at war with the SU. They continued to do so until September.

Until 20 August 44 there were 163,015 MIAs.

[Dan Po]

[quote]The official count for MIAs was 309,533. .[/quote]

How many of them become KIP ("P" from prison) ?

I read in a book writen by a former romanian POW in russia that roughly 60% from italians, 50% from germans, 40% from romanians and hungarians and 25 % from finnish POWs died in Russia till the liberation.

[Victor]

[quote][quote]The official count for MIAs was 309,533. .[/quote]

How many of them become KIP ("P" from prison) ?

[/quote]

Rather difficult to say.
By September 1947, 89,696 men returned from the SU (including the men in the 2 volunteer divisions). Another 13,120 Romanains taken POWs as part of teh Hungarian army were repatriated. others continues to come in the following years, but I haven't seen a complete statistic.