76. The Elimination of the German Presence

by Colonel ® dr. Gheorghe Romanescu

Begun in the night of August 23/24, 1944, the military actions of the Romanian Army rapidly spread throughout the Romaian territory; thus, a true strategic surprise was accomplished, to the prejudice of the German Commands and troops. At Malini and Valea Seaca, in the Northern Moldavia, as soon as they heard on the radio the news about the change made by Romania, the frontier guards led by Colonel Nistor Teodorescu firmly turned their arms against
the 3rd German Mountain Division’s troops; in a few hours only, they took more than 350 prisoners and captured a large quantity of armament. Their action was like “a thunderbolt which came unexpectedly” - as the former commander of the German division recognized himself in his written memories.

The Romanian troops wrote other pages of history during the fights carried it in Bucharest between the 24-26 of August. The soldiers of the Mounted Guard Regiment (Regimentul de Garda Calare), of the 4th Rosiori (Red Cavalry), 2nd Calarasi (Horsemen), of 6th and 21st Infantry Regiments, five Gendarmery batallions, the recruit units, all of them materially and morally backed by the people of Bucharest, defeated, one by one, the resistance positions of the Germans at the Ilfov Prefect’s Office, at the High School of War (today’s High Military Studies Academy) and in many other places; in the same time, they thwarted enemy’s efforts to break through city’s barriers, thus trying to help their encircled comrades. Although the German Air Force bombed and destroyed a great number of buildings and houses - including the National Theatre Building - killing hundreds and thousands of people, children, aged men,women, all these actions proved to be useless. On August 26, in the Romanian capital, the German troops existed only as prisoners of war. North of Bucharest,in Baneasa Forest, at Stefanesti, Tunari, Otopeni the fights continued till August 28. The tankmen of the Armoured Detachment, who were called hurriedly from the Training Centre in Targoviste, the soldiers of the 9th Infantry Division, who came by train from Dobrudja, the Gendarmery units, the artillery men, the engineers, the air fighters assailled together the fortified points and positions of the enemy’s defence and annihilated a group of roughly 3,000 men, thus eliminatting a real danger which hang over Bucharest from north.

At Ploiesti, in Prahova Valley, at Moreni, Baicoi, Boldesti and Campina, in the Paharniceasca, Margineanca and Tiganeasca Forests, the fights continued up to August 31. Here, the 5 A.A. Division’s troops, led by General Kuderna, and also those which were under the command of Generals Teschner and Appel, totalizing about 25,000 men, were successively encircled, then annihilated or taken as prisoners of war by the infantry, cavalry and artillery men from the 5th Territorial Corps, commanded by General Constantin Vasiliu-Rascanu. A great number of German soldiers, who tried to escape running to the mountains, were intercepted and captured by the young students of the Infantry Officers School No.1 from Slanic. Hence, in only a few days, the Romanian troops, helped by the oil-industry workers, mopped up this region of a high economical and military importance, thus giving to the war economy of the III Reich “the biggest strike, we may say the decisive strike”, as it is written in the book “World War 1939-l945”, printed in Germany after 1945.

Three days before, on August 29, the fights carried on by the Romanian troops in the region between the Sea and the Danube river, where roughly 15,000 German fighters were on positions, forming coast artillery sections (the most powerful was “Tirpitz” section, south of Constanta), anti-aircraft and air units, motorized assault subunits, garrison companies etc., have also been successively accomplished. The tight cooperation which existed all the time between the Maritime and Fluvial Commands and the II Army Corps, with its 2nd and 9th Infantry Divisions shifted in Dobrudja, the spirit of initiative and the rapidity proved by the Romanian troops during their actions had as a result the liquidation of the German forces in Constanta, Mamaia, Eforie, Mangalia, Negru-Voda, Topraisar, Cobadin and in many other places. Concomitantly, on the Danube river were captured or sunk a great number of German ships.

With the same will and courage acted the Romanian troops in the Craiova region. Here, in different points and places, were disposed roughly 4,600 German military men. Accord to the plan conceived by the 1st Territoral Corps (commander, General Marin Manafu) the effort destined to liquidate enemy's forces was made in the southern sector of Oltenia region. The fights, which began in the evening of August 24 and finished in one week, were intense in the following areas: Simian, Turnu Severin, Gura Vaii, Varciorova. All the attempts made by the Germans to open their way on the Danube River’s Valley, towards Orsova, with the hope they would be helped by some other forces, disposed in Yugoslavia, were useless. During the fights carried out in the southern parts of Oltenita distinguished themselves, through their courage and their rapidity, the soldiers of the 3rd Rosiori (Red Cavalry) Regiment, from the 5th Training Cavalry Division and those of the 95th Regiment from the l9th Infantry Division, who gained an important victory against enemy's troops, with the help of the peasants from the neighbouring localities.

Concomitantly, the German garrisons, totalizing roughly 10,000 men, were liquidated in several localities and areas in the southern Transylvania and
in Banat. Through heavy fights, firmly led, Brasov, Sibiu, Sighisoara, Aiud, Timisoara, Arad, Resita, Anina and other cities were completely mopped up. As an example, in Brasov, the units of the Mountain Corps, commanded by General Ion Dumitrache, concomitantly with the action destined to reject a few Hungarian offensive actions from Sf. Gheorghe, have captured ar annihilated the German troops which were disposed in the main points of Brasov: Harman and Prejmer railway stations, the Bod radio station, the Ghimbav village and airdrome. Also, 57 workers from Uzinele Vechi (Olda Industrial Units), led by artilery Lieutenant Marin Nastase (who had just arrived there to take over the repaired armament) helped the Romanian soldiers. Integrated in the “Blue Artillery Section”, they entered by fight Prejmer, then supported with their fire the Mountain Corps’ soldiers actions at Doboli and Podu Olt.

Registering the fulfilment of this actions - the mopping up of the internal zone of the country - the chief of General Headquarters wrote on gust 31, 1944: “During 8 days of heavy fights, carried out especially in Bucharest, Ploiesti, Calarasi, Slobozia zones, in Simian-Gura Vaii (Mehedinti) and Vintu de Jos (Alba Iulia) regions, wherein the material superiority was on the enemy’s side, the units from within the country (the recruit divisions and all
the military officer schools - both for those in active service and those in reserve), and also parts of the armies’ units wich have participated before in the operations on the Eastern front, succeeded to frustrate enemy’s strong resistance and mopped up the national territory (the part under the jurisdiction of the Govemment set up on August 23), impeding their attempts to create a defensive front on the Carpathians Mountains”.

Indeed, the rapid and victorious action of the Romanian Army’s forces had as a result the liberation of the central, southem and south-eastern parts of
the country, areas totalizing roughly 150,000 square kilometres. In the fights carried on during August 1944, the Romanian troops killed more than 5,000 German military men and took 56,455 prisoners of war, among them 14 generals, 1,421 officers and 4,088 NCOS, which represented the equivalent of about six hostile divisions. Simultaneously, out of the vehicles and Weapons destroyed during the fights, great quantities of armament of different sorts were captured, and also vehi cles, depots, 222 aircrafts, 438 fluvial warships (other 60 being sunk) etc.

The Romanian soldiers, from private to general, proved their spirit of patriotism, high moral and combative qualities, sparing no efforts for their Motherland liberty and independence. The victory gained in August 1944 costed the lifes and the blood of more than 8,500 soldiers and officers, dead and Wounded.

Well.....
Again that nastase guy....
From all "the heavy" fightings only one "hero" name is mentioned....
From all the fighting all over romanian teritory.
Strange that till that day he never did a single brave action.
Crap!!!!!!!

Soon we'll study about nastase at school and we gonna name streets on him.
I sugest to change the name of Magheru blvd with his name.

This post has been edited by C-2 on June 04, 2011 10:10 am

Something from russian web-sites :
The units of the Soviet 27.A. and 6.Tk.A., breaking the enemy's rearguard on the way to Brasov, with almost no resistance quick overcame the Transylvanian Alps and on 4 Sep. occupied this town. The German Command did everything to keep Brasov in their hands. On the outskirts of the city were set up defenses and, in addition, the garrison was replenished with new and new reinforcements from the Hungarian troops.
To carry out the seizure of Brasov with minimal losses, it was decided to launch an offensive evasive action whit units and troops, walked from north-west of the city. This disoriented the enemy, he was clearly mistaken. But our main and sudden strike followed from the south. We saw the traces of a hasty getaway from the garrison of Brasov. The railway station was filled with fuel tanks, military equipment, ammunition and food supplies. Near the margins on their firing positions were guns and shells. The enemy even had no time to destroy the bridges. All that day on the road from Ploiesti to Brasov, passing Transylvanian Alps, moved the flow of Soviet troops. Coming in the area of Brasov, our forces have threatened the rear of the German-Hungarian forces defending the passes through the eastern Carpati, thereby forcing them to depart. Sep.5, passing the Carpatian through Ploiesti and Brasov, the 23 Tk Corps went to the Eastern passes and joined the troops of the 2.Ukr.Fr.


This post has been edited by Petre on June 04, 2011 08:27 am

Brasov was cleared of German forces by the 2nd Mountain Division by 25 August, long before any Soviet force had crossed the Carpathians.

You are wrong!
Brasov was cleared by nastase single handed.

OFF-TOPIC:

I suggest we manufacture a war hero's past for Băsescu's old man (since he was an army officer, as far as I know), and erect him a statue from public subscription somwhere in down-town Bucharest. The rock-solid anticommunism of the son should have been inherited from somewhere, and we should not deny the father the hero status just because, perhaps, he did not have the chance to be, phisically, on the frontline. I bet he'd have fought any enemies, if only given the chance.

This way everyone will be happy, I hope, and we'll have another consistent argument to beg "Cârmaciul" to (please) stay our President for life...

This post has been edited by Agarici on June 04, 2011 11:25 am

I was talking about adrian nastase's old man.....

Source https://historyrussia.org/
Rumynskaia Armia

Extrase din Jurnalul Rapoartelor de Lupta(?) ale A.4 rom. 28 aug. 1944.
[...]
10.00.
St.maj al A.4 rom a fost în pericol sa fie dezarmat de trupele germane ale gen. Gerstemberg si Stahel, care se deplaseaza de la Fierbinti în directia Gherghitza, pentru a traversa pe podul de la Draganesti, iar de acolo la Buzau.
[...]
13.00.
Coloanele germane au ajuns la trecerea de la Draganesti. De la St.maj al A.4 a venit la Draganesti col. Dragomir, pentru a invita pe gen. german Gerstemberg la Comandantul A.4, gen. Steflea, pentru discutii.
14.00.
Imediat ce gen. Gerstemberg a plecat din dispozitivul trupelor proprii, a fost facut imediat prizonier si obligat sa dea trupelor sale ordin sa predea armele. Dezarmarea trupelor germane a început la 17.00 cu fortele C.6 A rom.
17.30.
Gen. Gerstemberg si gen. Stahel au fost trimisi cu un convoi de ofiteri la SMG la Bucuresti, ca prizonieri.
[...]
Materiale ale Inst. Istorie mil. al M.Ap. - Fed. Rusa,
Fond 203, Opis 245, Dosar 9, p. 128-129.