The process of reorganizing the Romanian army begun in the second half of December 1916, after its retreat in Moldova. In included the restructuring of the superior commands and the re-arming of the troops with modern weapons, the later associated with a process of intensive training for the use of newly arrived equipment, developed with the support of the members of the French Military Mission.

From the four armies existing in the beginning of the war, the structure of the Romanian army was reduced to two armies, the 1st Romanian Army disposed to the South and the 2nd Romanian Army to the North, both facing the Austro-German forces to the West. The 1st Army was under the command of Gen. Constantin Cristescu, the sub-chief of the Army General Staff (until 30 July/12 August, when he was replaced in command by Gen. Eremia Grigorescu) and the 2nd was lead by Gen. Alexandru Averescu. The 2nd Army (including the 2nd and 4th army corps) was in position and in contact with the enemy from the start of the campaign in 1916, while the 1st (including the 1st, 3rd and 5th army corps) was reconstituted from the forces which participated in the fighting from Muntenia in the last months of 1916. The equipment of the troops also consistently improved, since the beginning of 1917. The 2nd Army equipment was completed with the models of weapons used by the Romanian military until the beginning of the war (mainly Central Power-made or captured): Mannlicher 6,5 mm rifles, Maxim 6,5 mm MGs, Krupp field and heavy guns, while the 1st Army was reequipped with the weapons delivered by the Entente (Lebel 8 mm rifles, French 8 mm MGs, French and British heavy artillery (de Bange, Vickers heavy guns and howitzers); the Border-guards brigade received captured Austrian 8 mm Mannlichers. This option for rearming the troops of the two Romanian armies was not a random one, given the reluctance of Gen. Averescu to any disproportionate role of the French Mission and the relative “independence” from its influence he requested (and was granted), in organizing the army he commanded.

At the battalion, regiment and division level the number of available modern weapons increased radically: grenades (each platoon including a special “grenadier” squad), modern communication equipment, 24 heavy and 96 light MGs/regiment, the introduction of a howitzer regiment in the divisionary artillery. Also, all the troops received Adrian mod. 1915 helmets and gas masques. At the army level, the 4 heavy artillery regiments increased the number of batteries to 50, to which were added 15 trench mortars batteries. The two independent cavalry division continued to exist (2 brigades x 2 regiment each); their fire-power also increased. One squadron (from four) from each regiment fight on foot, because of the lack of horses. An independent Section of armored car was also created (Peugeot armored cars), destined to cooperate with the cavalry troops.

The Aeronautics Command was subordinated directly to the army HQ and included 12 squadrons: 6 observation-bombers (Farman), 4 fighters (Nieuport) and 2 bombers (Breguet-Michelin, Caudron). The aviation was reorganized, from 1/14 July 1917, in 3 aeronautics groups, each including two observation and one fighter squadrons and an observation balloons company. Also, along the German Drachens the balloon companies received French Caquot aerostats. The AA artillery comprised 120 guns (imported since 1916 or rapid-firing, small caliber field guns, transformed by the Romanian specialists).

In July 1917, the total effectives of the Romanian army were almost 700.000 men, from which 512.000 in the operation army. (207 infantry battalions, 60 reserve battalions, 110 cavalry squadrons, and 243 artillery batteries).

“The Romanian front” was under the command of King Ferdinand I of Romania. His aids were the Russian Gen. V. V. Zaharov (followed from 20 April/3 May 1917 by the Gen. D Scerbacev, after a short ad-interim command of Gen. P. A. Letciţki), the commander of the Rusian troops, and Gen. Constantin Prezan, the chief of Romanian Army General Staff. On the map, the front stretched from Vatra Dornei in the N to Movileni in the S-SE and from there it followed the Siret River as far as its confluence with the Danube and from that point the Danube up to the Black Sea. On that frontline, in the far N was positioned the Russian 9th Army, then to the S the Romanian 2nd, the Russian 4th, the Romanian 1st and in the far S, between Siret and Prut rivers, the Russian 6th army.

MAIN SOURCE: Istoria militara a poporului roman, Editura Militara, Bucuresti, 1988 (vol V).

This post has been edited by Agarici on March 22, 2006 06:41 pm