Roumanian Nieuport 17, Please help with pilot info

This is the drawing from the preparatory artwork. Please notice than on the card it will be quite smaller. The artist is Vincenzo Auletta.

Attached Image

Plutionier Aviator Ioan Muntenescu. Brevet de pilot nr. 102 23 August 1916. Iarna si primavara urmeaza cursuri de perfectionare la scoala de pilotaj de la Barlad.

He fight in N.11 Squadron commanded by Captain Engineer Stefan Protopopescu, with coleagues like pilots: Egon Nasta, Vasile Craiu, Marin Popescu, Paul Magalea.


Maresalul Averescu says: "Nu te mai baga asa cu aeroplanul in mijlocul dusmanilor, ca poate sa se intample o nenorocire... un glonte ratacit si ..."

25 Octombrie 1917 - Marasesti - he shot down 2 airplanes, Paul Magalea - 1.

10 Noiembrie, with Vasile Craiu and Egon Nasta meet 3 Fokkers, and begin the fight. Above Cosmesti he is deadly wounded and broke the fight. He fall from 50 meters high on the aerodrome. He was only 23 years old. Post mortem it was given to him "Virtutea Militara" from gold.

At the end of Mai 1917 french-romanian squadron N.3 receive the first Nieuport N.17, adj. Revol - Tissot sustain the first fight Nieuport 17. Squadrons who receive that type of plane were N. 3, 10, 10 bis si 11.

Iama

Edit: Muntenescu was the only one from romanian pilot who shot downed 2 enemy planes in the same mission.

This post has been edited by Iamandi on March 09, 2005 08:36 am

Iamandi,
thanks so much for all the help. For the little I can do, I'd be glad to help divulgate the Romanian contribute to WWI and of this pilot. I also hope to publish a little site or a free magazine or both with the story of every airplane and pilot in my game - I'll let you know.

The only thing I really need at the moment is to know the name of the unit and the name of the Romanian Air Force at that time in Romanian (the Air Force or whatever - for Italian planes, for example, we distinguish between Royal Army and Royal Navy, andthe same for other countries). Can you please help? If I had to guess I'd write:

Plutionier Aviator Ioan Muntenescu Escadrila 11 Aviatie Român

But I am not a good guesser I fear! So correct me please.

Thanks so much!

A.

Plutonier (this is the rank) Aviator (at that time officers were from Infantry, Cavalry, Artiley, Navy, at base and make school for be pilot - and i don't know if Muntenescu was a Cavalrist, Artylerist, etc.) Ioan Muntenescu.

Romanian squadrons have the name of the plane who used, or of the planes in most number - were some mixt squadrons. So, Muntenescu fight in Escadrila Nieuport N. 11. Were Escadrila Nieuport N.3, Escadrila N. 10, etc.

If you want more data, do not hurry. Maybe Florin make some suplementary post in this topic, with more info's.

Anyway, Muntenescu was not the Ace of the romanians in ww1. It was an observer from Farman 40. In the aerodrome site are missing a lot - i think all of the romanian ww1 airwar. Il try to do more search, and to post some new things.

Iama

I would suggest Capitan av. Vasile Craiu from the Escadrila Nieuport 10 and then Escadrila Nieuport 11. His struggle with three Fokker Eindeckers on 15/28 June 1917 to save a Romanian Farman 40 is IMO the most outstanding episode of WW1 for the Romanian Air Force. He succeeded in saving the Farman and, even though wounded, he maneged to safely land his Nieuport behind Romanian lines.

At that momment Craiu was on Nieuport 11 or 17?

Iama

In that fight he used Ni-11.
After the war he died in accident with a Ni-17.

So, my suggestion is sustained by this fact. And Muntenescu was the only one who downed 2 planes in one mission. And In Modelism, at Nieuport N. 17 C1 article, was presented Muntenescu, not Craiu.

Iama

Ok gentlemen, so if nothing new comes out it will be

Plutionier Aviator Ioan Muntenescu Escadrila Nieuport N. 11 Corpul Aerian Roman

Thanks to everybody!

Andrea

So, you are claiming that on 10 November 1917 when he was killed, Muntenescu was flying the N. 17?

Well, Victor... our co-forumist can visit www.modelism.ro and can use the e-mail adress modelism@pcnet.ro and try to contact mr. Cristian Craciunoiu to ask why he choose/elect (*?) Muntenescu for that article. You, off course, can do the same thing - or can use another source to show us the mistake of Modelism.

Iama

Edit: I was only giving information from Modelism article with Nieuport 17 C1 and Ioan Muntenescu.

This post has been edited by Iamandi on March 10, 2005 07:25 am

And I am just looking for some writing on a little card for a game. I'd like to have it as accurate as we can, but I am not writing an historical essay. So this magazine is a good enough source for me. If anybody don't have any more accurate data.

Thanks a lot to everybody! You have been of great help.

Andrea

I asked you a simple question: did Muntenescu fly a Nieuport 17 or not? Please answer it.

I asked you a simple question: did Muntenescu fly a Nieuport 17 or not? Please answer it.

Well, it was the wrong door? I logged in a court? "Yes" or "No" questions make me to feel harasments... I will cry loud to admins, you know?

Well it seems Nieuport 17 was in Grupul II Aeronautic, Grup with N.3 and N.11 squadrons. Are enough chances for an yes, but i'l try to draw something to understand my point: tomorrow you buy an magazine were you read about Vizante ace, in an article were is presented Hawker Hurricane in ARR service. (i think Vizante not fly Hurris). And the answer, according to my explanation, is: i was not there at that momment, but i have a magazine named "Modelism" (that issue were is "Mircea") were is an article... SO, you have something from other source to infirm this?

Iama

In order to counterdict the information that Muntenescu flew a Nieuport 17 that day, first the information has to exist. Form what I could tell from your unclear answer it does not seem that the article in Modelism (btw who is the author?) cleary states that he did. Usually the articles/books on Romanian WW1 fighters refer to the Niueports as simply Nieuports, without mentioning 11 or 17. Basing the argument on the fact that Muntenescu's biography was presented in the same issue as the Nieuport 17 isn't IMO conclusive.