Grandpa's stories about his fights ...

Hi Dragos,

Too bad you didn't have a chance to ask your grandfather about his war stories. When you get a chance, please do.
Anyway, the story you posted was very interesting.

I'll share a much shorter and less spectacular family story with you:

Sometime during the war (long before August 23, but I don't know exactly when and where), some Romanian troops caught a guy trying to escape through the front lines to the Soviet side. He was supposed to be executed, but somehow he ended up in front of my great-grandfather, who was the CO of the troops in the area. I don't know if my great-grandfather was in a good mood that day, or whether he took pity on him, but he thought the guy was just a poor nobody and he set him free.
In any case, the guy turned out to be Emil Bodnaras.
In 1956, my great-grandmother returned from a Siberian concentration camp, and she and my family had no place to live in (they were all living in a small appartment). She remembered about this incident and she called Bodnaras's office and gave her name and address. One hour later, a black Mercedes limo pulled up to her door and drove her to an audience with Bodnaras. He was very polite, respectful, and he asked how he can help her. Within a couple of days, our family was allocated a much larger place to live in and my great-grandmother's military vet/widow pension was reinstated.

Just a coincidence, but it goes to show how small the world is.

Yesterday at Tv I saw a old guy, from Iasi ,Who was the co of Nicolae Ceausescu .He used to kick him in the ass all time ,but also was not to hard with him.
You can imagine that the whole family lived in fear till 89.... 8)

[quote]Yesterday at Tv I saw a old guy, from Iasi ,Who was the co of Nicolae Ceausescu .He used to kick him in the ass all time [/quote]

That's hilarious. He literally used to kick him in the ass?

In any case, he was really lucky Ceausescu didn't remember him or couldn't find him. Or maybe he was just too embarrassed to face him again....

[quote]Yesterday at Tv I saw a old guy, from Iasi ,Who was the co of Nicolae Ceausescu .He used to kick him in the ass all time ,but also was not to hard with him.
You can imagine that the whole family lived in fear till 89.... 8)[/quote]

Nicolae Ceausescu was in prison during the war IIRC.

yeah i saw his cell in Doftana.
they should've kept him there.

Where did I wrote that he served in the war???????????????
I said CO that ment during his military service.
The old guy showed pictures with a handful of soldiers ,on a canon,Ceausescu between them. :loool:

2nd Lieutenant Cadet Serpescu Gheorghe

In August 1944, when the Russian troops started to break in Moldavia, the Officer Military School of Bacau moved to Arad by train. On 22 August there were already rumors about ending war against Russians. The German instructors left the unit by train. In the evening of 22, it was anounced the ending of the war against Soviet Unions, and start of the war against Hungarians and Germans. The mood in the unit was not too high, because they knew they were to be involved in battled, due to their position near Hungarian border. Even if they wanted to pay it back to Hungarians, they were not too happy to be allied with Russians. On 23 August, they moved on the route Arad - Toplita - Prunisor, where they started to dig in. The frontline went along a hill on the river Crisul Alb valley, with the river behind the hill. The school had four companies, my grandfather being second in command of the 4th Mortar Company, commanded by Lt. Dobrila. The companies were deployed in front and on top of the hill, and my grandfather remained with half of company (2 x 81.4 mm and 2 x 120 mm mortars) behind the hill. Soon, a cannonade started between both sides, Romanians firing with mortars, while Germans and Hungarians were firing with more precise infantry guns. My grandfather was coordinating the fire of the mortars on top of the hill, by looking through the telemeter and adjusting the fire by 50 meters. Hungarians assaulted several times, but were repulsed every time. My grandfather remebers that they often fired 80-100 rounds, and the barrels of the mortars turned red, and their base entered the ground 30-40 cm. It happened to fire at their own troops. There was a Romanian infantry column retreating, and they fired at it until they approached about 200-300 meters, and they saw them making desperate signs to cease fire. They saw columns of Romanian refugees, saying that Hungarians are burning their villages, and begging for help, but he felt sorrow they could not leave their positions. At some point, the company commander was hit, and yelled at my grandfather to come in his aid. When he arrived, my grandfather saw that the innards were pouring through the belly of Lt. Dobrila, being hit by a shrapnel. The man told my grandfather to take care of his horse, and to arrange to be returned to his mother, because it was his property. He was taken to a field hospital, where he died. They held the positions until October, when Russians relieved them. They left their postions under the enemy fire, as he could see Hungarians light of the firearms 300 meters away, and the branches of the trees falling over them. When they were moving to their garrisons, they met the Russian columns. From time to time, there was a Russian trooper, often riding a horse, asking them where to Berlin. They make joke of them, pointing left or right.

My grandfather was awarded with "Barbatie si Credinta cu spade clasa a 3-a"

Amazing stories.

It would be pretty cool if some of you could make some articles for the website.
I'm interested in that, and with your permission I would eventually (if i've got enough informations around it) make a Combat Mission scenario recreating one of the fights :ro:

Thanks,
:beer: Paulus :beer:

PS : If you don't know what is 'Combat Mission' (a wargame), I'm gonna post a topic about it on the forum.

the dora/gustav cannon was viewed by the germans as a unit in itself .. :
it was commanded by a general and had a staff of around 1000 ( i think .. ) ...

I have heard an interesting story from one of my friend's grandfather. He was a machinegunner and fought both fronts. He used to say that the Russian mg were crap compared to the German ones. Anyway, he told once how he and his group (platoon?) came across some weird Soviet transport which they seized. The Soviets had in their trucks a load of cans which resembled the "Nivea" handcream boxes and which contained something that looked like a thick brownish paste. The prisoners reported that the transport was intended to get to some Russian unit and that the cream is supposed to be mixed with water and drunk just before the attack. They also said that the soldiers wouldn't feel fear or pain after having that mixture and the "cream" was highly addictive :shock: I am not sure what that could have been but I suspect it was some sort of amphetamine formulation. Maybe they got the idea from the Americans because they used to manufacture huge quantities of amphetamines for the Army use during the WW2.

[quote]They also said that the soldiers wouldn't feel fear or pain after having that mixture and the "cream" was highly addictive[/quote]

Quite possible, although I thought the Soviets' drug of choice for their soldiers was alcohol.

Still, many countries used psychotropic substances for their armies (to some extent).
Finnish soldiers were issued large quantities of amphetamines, as well as combinations of cocaine/morphine. The amphetamines or cocaine were stimulants and provided energy and aggressiveness, while morphine put them into a state of euphoria or "well-being".
Some german units were also provided similar stimulents, although to a lesser extent.

Does anyone know if Romanian soldiers were given anything before attacks? Like alcohol, or pills, etc...

QUOTE

Does anyone know if Romanian soldiers were given anything before attacks? Like alcohol, or pills, etc...

Nothing was officially distributed except food and cigarettes.

Hi everyone!


I start with the story of my grand-uncle Major Moisescu Ioan - a Mihai Viteazu recipient for bravery on western front - as depicted in some very interesting documents I found, belonging to him, military report orders (Ordin la raport) he received as commander of the 1-st Batalion,94-th Infantry Regiment, 19-th Infantry Division. Then something on my grandfather (Lt. Chifulescu Mircea), and one of his brothers, who fought in a tank unit (Chifulescu Ioan). Another of his brothers was a pilot and has a topic in the ARR forum (Chifulescu Virgil Florea).

(I hope the following days I will scan some photos and the documents)

I have two such Report Orders (Ordin la raport), and other documents I will entirely translate and post in this topic.

Please do the same because in such an order, as you probably know already, you can find copies after more Day Orders, about more units and operations and maybe one of us could find something about his relative in others documents/stories. So... names, more names, please!

Here is the first part of one of the documents I found:


..............................................................................................

"94th Infantry Regiment
Military Postal Office no 631.

No. 1819
1944, November, 17

To 1st Batalion

REPORT ORDER

I. The officers below received medals as follows:

Day Order (Ordin de zi) no. 97/16.XI.1944
"Romanian Star 5th class with spades and Military Virtue ribbon and oak leaves:
- Maj. Isaia P. Mircea
- Capt. Bacila V. Vasile
- Capt. BAsturea P. Mihail
- Capt. Prescurea N. Ioan
- Capt. Stan I. Florea
- Lt. Tudor C. Ioan
- Slt. active Paunescu N. Teodor
- Slt. rez Surcel M. Petre

II. Below you will find a copy of the order no. 8021/12.XI.1944 of 19th Inf. Div. for you to learn its contents and to report if necessary to the Personnel Office (Biroul Mobilizare) until 20.XI.1944, attaching the list of names.

(The order referred to a 10 days leave for some categories of graduates of some special high schools of arts and crafts (de meserii, industriale si profesionale - as in Romanian language) because they had to participate to a selection/exam in Bucharest.

III. All such workers who are orderlies for the officers are to be changed of their duties immediately.

IV. Below you will find a copy of the letter of thanks from Gen. col. Sumilov, the commander of the 7th Soviet Guard Army addressed to Gen commander of the 7th army corp for the fights of his units and the rejection of all enemy attacks.

COPY:

To Army Corp General, commander of the 7th army corp:

Please transmit to generals, officers, NCO's and soldiers, my thanks for the fights of these last days, for the rejection of the attacks of german-hungarian occupants. I am sure that the army corp led by you will continue the fight even better, for our common interests, the victory on german-hungarian occupants.

Signed
Commander. 7th Sov. Guard Army Gen. col. Sumilov

V. Below you will find a copy of Day Order no. 21./10 Nov 1944, of the 19-th Infantry Division to be known by all.

Day Order 21 10.Nov. 1944
Copy

In the heavy fights over Tisa river, culminating with the victories from Minszent, Kistelek, Alpar and Cegled the following men and units especially distinguished themselves:

- General Mosteoru Grigorie, commander of the 19-th Infantry Brigade, who ordered the first line with energy and skill, staying day and night in the middle of the troops, giving them in time the right impulse.

-Colonel Iliescu Ilie, commander of the artillery of the 7-th Army Corp, who helped all the time the infantry by the massive and adequate fire.

- The 7-th Heavy Artillery Regiment, under the full of energy and wise command of Colonel Danacu Vasile, helped in time and in perfect comradeship, our infantry

- The 94-th Infantry Regiment, under the command of Colonel Ionescu N. Ioan fought with bravery at the Minsdszent bridgehead, especially the 1st Batalion, under the command of Major Moisescu Ioan.

With great impetus, even after long and hard marches from Kistelek to Sarvasi and then from Sarvasi to Szentes, they attack the enemy at Alpar, pushing him to the North and successfully made a breakthrough to the ally units, encircled in that town.

They reject all enemy attacks and firmly keep the advanced position of Nor Alpar (T.N. - probably North of Alpar).
With the same energy they continue the attacks and occupy one by one the ordered targets, pushing the enemy to the North East of Cegled.

On 8-th of November 1944 they resist with energy to a powerful enemy counter-attack made with 17 tanks and backed by 2nd German Infantry Regiment."

I have found the following information regarding the operations of the 2nd Bacau reserve officer school:

On 17 September 1944, the fights grew in intensity, the enemy sending more troops north of Crisul Alb managed to encircle the 3rd Company of the 1st Battalion, in the village of Cardand. The company escaped over night without any losses, using diversion tactics and with the help of villagers.

Heavy fights took place at Prunisor. The 2nd Company (my grandfather's 4th company was supporting with mortar fire) stopped cold three consecutive assaults of an enemy three times superior, thus denying the access towards Sebes.

Source: Istoria infanteriei romane II, Bucuresti, 1985

My gradfather also recalled that when they had to leave their positions, one of the soldiers of his company returned because they forgot in place a piece of a dismantled mortar. He was caught by some Hungarian soldiers, which, after beating him, put him to dig his own grave with the bayonet. Fortunatelly for him, a German soldier arrived at the scene, saving him from a certain death. Neverheles, he was taken POW but was recovered after some time in a liberated town in Transylvania. He was badly beaten but alive.