Need info on Romanian Tank Unit

"2nd tank battalion 1st Armoured division" was the 2nd Battalion of the 1st Tank Regiment and was equipped with R-2s. Agarici's explanation with 2nd Battalion/2nd Tank Regiment is more plausible IMO.

The time could be early 1944.

From the website (:

Who knows exactly when and where we received the T-38 ( in March or in May-June)?


If we agree for the date (written on the picture) that is corect ( at least the month looks corect)
And we have the above information for the year 1943.
We can assume that the batalion went to the crimean front in February-March with the existing materials ( R-35 tanks) and later in May-June 1943 received the T-38 tanks from the germans directly on the front.

Any opinions about this teory ?

This post has been edited by Cantacuzino on December 12, 2011 10:50 am

There was no point in transporting that much equipment to the front only to be shipped back home in a couple of months.

If I recall correctly (will confirm this evening) the 2nd Tank Regiment organized some independent R-35 companies that served on the front in Moldova in 1944. IMO this could be it.

But are you sure that at that time ( February '43) was known about future german tanks T38 supply ? And btw. a couple of months in the war is not like a couple of months in the peace times . The enemy don't wait for you to get new supplies
To solve this problem we must know if the date ( and the legend : ready for the front) written on the backside of the pictures is corect or not.

This post has been edited by Cantacuzino on December 12, 2011 12:09 pm

I made some research for the Malmaison buliding ( wich still exist today) and it match 99% the building in the picture.

The angle (of the first picture) was taken est side of the building where it start the rail traks ( see the old map) the barraks behind the R -35 are paralell with Dambovitza river.
I have counted 26 windows of the second floor (est side) of the building from Alexei picture.
On today building i have counted also 26, but three windows were obturated.
See picture below.


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This post has been edited by Cantacuzino on December 12, 2011 01:29 pm

Another observation is that the south side of the building was demolished after the war.





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This post has been edited by Cantacuzino on December 12, 2011 01:26 pm

I found another information possible related to the pictures

On 18 February 1945 a rail transport ( nr 50.124) started to move from Bucharest ( Malmaison garrison) to the west front with Reg.2 commanded by Col Zatreanu. The 2nd batalion ( R-35) was commanded by Maior Gheorghe Truta.

This post has been edited by Cantacuzino on December 12, 2011 09:04 pm

"2nd tank battalion 1st Armoured division" was the 2nd Battalion of the 1st Tank Regiment and was equipped with R-2s. Agarici's explanation with 2nd Battalion/2nd Tank Regiment is more plausible IMO.

The time could be early 1944.

i agree with the 2nd Redg 2nd battalion, but wheren't they replaced in 43-44 with PzIV = T-4?
With training elements still having R-35/s half of which were by that stage upgraded to R35/45.
The R35's should probably be half armed with 45mm guns by 1943.

The tank battalion in the Crimea was operated by the Cavalry, wasn't it? and it certainly didn't send the R-35's there.

As far as I remember, some R35 units of 2 Tank Regiment were sent in 1943 in Basarabia and Transnistria, as support units to the 1 and 2 Security Divisions, they returned in 1944 to 2 Tank Regiment and were only employed after 23 August 1944 both in Romania and in Slovakia
The T38 units were trained in Crimea, as the 50 used T38 were delivered there, the tanks used as tank support for cavalry units

I checked it and the 2nd Tank Regiment sent the 1st and 2nd R-35 Companies to bolster the 3rd and 4th Armies on the front in Moldova at the beginning of August 1944. So it's not it, as the photos show clearly a cold period. Perhaps the beginning of 1941, prior to the beginning of the war?

Is there anyway of determining the whereabouts of the R35/45's during the August 44 period?