Genera Platon Chirnoaga

Platon Chirnoaga from what I see was a man of exceptional abilities, a real leader, a patroit and admired and reccomended by all of his superiors.

I would like to find out more about him from 1941-1944 campaign (Sevastopol campaign 1942) , because most of the information on him I could find is his role in the "National Army" when he commanded romanian troops against the russians until the very last day of the war.


This is the only image of him I could find.


national army in exile (Source)

This post has been edited by Der Maresal on January 21, 2005 04:40 pm

He wrote a book about the war. You can find it in the stores with old books downtown, if you're lucky.

Unfortunately, he did not detail at all his career in the Rumanian National Army after Nov. 1944, when he was taken POW around Debrecen, in Hungary.

Gen. Dénes

This post has been edited by Dénes on January 21, 2005 07:24 pm

I posted the following on Chirnoaga in both Romanian and English so that the reader can see both the original and my translation of it.

In Romaneste
General Platon Chirnoagă (1894 - March 1974) a fost considerat de toti istoricii militari drept un ofiter destoinic si un mare comandant. General de brigada din 1944, decorat cu ordinele "Coroana Romaniei", "Steaua Romaniei", Crucea de Fier" germana clasa II (1941) si clasa I (1942), Platon Chirnoagă a ocupat pe rind functile de sef operatii in stastul Major al Armatei 3, subsef de stat major al Armatei 3, comandant al Regimentului 7 artilerie grea si comandant al Diviziei 4 Infanterie.

In etapa antisovietica a razboiului, a fost caracterizat ca ?inzestrat cu cele mai frumoase insusiri de inteligenta, judecata si caracter, cu un simt operativ foarte dezvoltat, cu un temperament linistit, dar destul de energic? de catre generalul Petre Dumitrescu. Generalul Avramescu, in urma asediului final asupra Sevastopolului, cind Platon Chirnoaga a comandat gruparea de artilerie a Corpului de Munte, il descria ca ?ofiter superior valoros si foarte bine pregatit pentru comanda superioara, cu exceptionale calitati.

"Datoria mea a fost sa caut o solutie."

Pe 20 octombrie 1944, in urma grelelor batalii duse la vest de Tisa, la Veczeny, unde Divizia 4 infanterie a fost introdusa de sovietici intr-un cap de pod, a fost capturat de germani. In urma anchetei s-a demonstrat ca ?generalul Chirnoaga s-a purtat ca un brav?, conducind personal lupta timp de doua zile.
?Ceea ce m-a framintat din chiar primele cinci minute ale prizonieratului a fost sa ma fixez asupra datoriei mele de roman de aici inainte. (...) Cind tara noastra era invadata de hoardele rusesti, cind era condusa de un guvern obligat sa execute cererile si vointa invadatorului; cind stiam ca de acest invadator nu vom scapa decit numai daca va fi invins, ce trebuia sa fac eu? Sa accept in pasivitate pozitia de prizonier pina la sfirsitul razboiului sau sa gasesc o formula de a lupta mai departe contra rusilor??, scria Platon Chirnoaga in memoriile sale.

Pina la capat impotriva rusilor

Dupa o scurta perioada de prizonierat in lagarul de la Lückenwald, in apropiere de Berlin, generalul Platon Chirnoaga decide sa se alature guvernului de la Viena, constituit la 10 decembrie 1944, unde ocupa portofoliul de ministru de razboi. Sub comanda sa ia nastere Armata Nationala, generalul punind conditiile ca legionarii sa execute ordinele superiorilor lor si sa renunte la salutul legionar, iar trupele sa lupte numai contra rusilor si sa nu fie trimise impotriva propriilor frati. Dupa terminarea razboiului si o perioada scurta de prizonierat angloamerican, generalul se stabileste in Germania, unde a decedat in martie 1974, fiind inmormintat la Stuttgart. In exil a publicat lucrarea ?Istoria politica si militara a razboiului Romaniei contra Rusiei sovietice: 22 iunie 1941 - 23 august 1944.

Sursa
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In English:

General Platon Chirnoagă (1894 - March 1974) was considered by all military historians as an outstanding officer and a great commander. General of a Brigade since 1944, decorated with the orders "Crown of Romania", "Star of Romania", Iron Cross 2nd class (1941) and Iron cross Ist Class (1942), Platon Chirnoagă first occupied the posts of operations chief in the general staf of the 3rd Army, state subordinate of the 3rd Army, commander of 7th Heavy Artillery Regiment and commander of the 4th Infantry Division.

In the antisoviet campaign of the war, he was characterised by General Petre Dumitrescu as having the greatest intellectual abilities, judgement and character, with a highy developed operative sense, with a calm yet energetic temper.
General Avramescu, after the final siege of Sevastopol, when Platon Chirnoaga commanded the artillery group of the mountain corps described him as a superior, valuable and very well suited for the superior command, with exceptional qualities.

"My duty was to find a Solution"

On October 20, 1944 after the heavy battles west of the Tisa, at Vaczeny, where the 4th Infantry Division was thrown into battle at a bridgehead by the Soviets, Chirnoagă was captured by the germans. After the investigation, it was proven that Chirnoagă acted bravely, leading the battle himself personally for two days.
"What bothered my mind even during the first five minutes of my captivity was
to focus on my duties as a Romanian, from now on....When our land was invaded by the Russian hordes, when it was governed by a Government obliged to obey the demands and the will of the invader; when we knew that from this invader we would not get rid of unless he was defeated, what was I supposed to do?
To accept passively my role as prisoner until the end of the war, or to find a formula and keep continuing fighting against the russians?? wrote Platon Chirnoagă in his memories.

'Until the bitter end against the Russians'

After a short period of captivity in the Lückenwald camp, near Berlin, General Platon Chirnoaga decided to join hands with Government at Vienna, formed on December 10th 1944, where he ocupied the position of minister of war. Under his command, the National Army is born, the general himself setting the rules down, that the Legionaires obey superior orders, and give up the legionary salute, and that the troops fight only against the Russians and not be send to fight against their own bothers. After the end of the war, and a short period of anglo-american detention, the General would remain in Germany where he died in March 1972, being burried at Stuttgart. In exile he published the work "Istoria politica si militara a razboiului Romaniei contra Rusiei sovietice: 22 iunie 1941 - 23 august 1944"[ The Military History of Romania's war, against Soviet Russia, 22 June 1941, 23 August 1944].

* His book is high on my list for "things to look for" , as is his grave in Stuttgart. *

Source

This post has been edited by Der Maresal on January 21, 2005 08:16 pm

a short biography

Attached Image

A long list (this is just 1/5 th of the list) with those wanted by the SecurityService Postwar: Chirnoaga is one of them:



Attached Image

He was taken POW south of Szolnok, some 10 km SSW of Debrecen.

Sorry if I may seem ignorant but i am not rumanian and the topic is relñatively new for me :

Did he hold a rank in the waffen -SS ?

Was the rumanian National Army the same than the two rumanian SS regiments ???