the "23 August 1944" moment in Bucharest

people, is so hard to find some info. about this moment ... I try to find out the german units which was in Bucharest in those days ... and I don't speak about the Romanian army ... looks that here nothing happened.
When you try to find a german soldier which fight in Romania you are lost.
Have we any chance? This is the question!
Hertha

The only unit I can identify was the 500th Paratrooper Battalion of the Brandenburg Divsion, which triedto destroy aircraft on the Otopeni airfield. The rest were probably administration units, staff and their guard companies, AA units etc. For Romanian units try looking here: http://www.wwii.home.ro/trans.htm

You probably have troubles finding German veterans, mostly because the majority were taken prisoners and then they were given to the Soviets at their "request". How many of these returned to Germany after the war is unknown.

Victor,

I learned that between 24/08/44 and 27/08/44 there were made 30 000 german prisoners only in Bucarest and its suburbs. Is it correct?

Is it true that some Romanian soldiers weretaken prisoner on the 23-rd of august 1944, and in the days that folowed?
In what I have heard some Romanian units were made prisoners by the reds on the 23-rd and the days that followed whitout any real reason, just because they fought in URSS.

QUOTE

In what I have heard some Romanian units were made prisoners by the reds on the 23-rd and the days that followed whitout any real reason, just because they fought in URSS.

The number of Romanian soldiers taken prisoners by the Soviet Army between August 23 and August 27 is estimated to be between 100.000 and 150.000.

They were taken prisoner illegally, since Romania had verbally agreed to the SU alliance and had stopped fighting against Soviet troops since the 23rd-24th.

While it is true that the armistice was not officially signed until a couple of weeks later in September, there was absolutely no reason for the SU to commit this treasonous act. Romania had committed to the new alliance and proved it by not fighting against Soviet troops and by allowing them freely to enter and move within Romania since the 23rd.

Interesting forum.
GP

Hertha,

If you are searching for a certain individual, wouldn't be better to start the search in Berlin? The archives containing every single German soldier, dead, wounded or missing, are accessible in Berlin.

In your place, I would go to www.feldgrau.net, which is the Forum of www.feldgrau.com, and I would ask there what is the name of these archives, what German ministry manages them, and if these official German authorities have a website, or telephone number, or postal address.

Regards.

I`m interested in any information/links/literature about troops/organization/operations/etc of the romanian army/garnizon in Bucharest at/arround 23 aug 1944, expecialy any information regarding General Iosif Teodorescu.
Thanks.

I came back, because I saw some reply (did not expect) and because there are still many people in my situation, looking for German soldiers, without much hope rest and because the people which wait for more than 60 years are most of them (if not already) in the end of their life’s. My grandfather was a German soldier - driver- in Luftwaffe (at Baneasa) starting with '42 till 43. He was before in Afrika Korps under Rommel command. During the time he was here, he meets my grandmother and they had a beautiful love story during the war. They never had the chance to marry but the relative of my grand mother which meet him, told me that he was dreaming about a " going all together in Germany and have a quiet life"" (most of them are now dead). The "23 August" moment in Bucharest, destroy all. He let my grandmother home with all his documents and told her that he will be back soon. She never had another chance to see him or hear about him anything. She tries to find him everywhere, but at one hospital after days of searching, a Russian soldier takes all her documents and threat her. At that moment she was pregnant (my father was born in December) and she had a shock. From that moment she refuses to remember anything. There was left one photo from him, but they burn it in '50'-'60's being afraid of the security services of that time. Before '89 my father try to find him using the emigrant connection to Germany at the Red Cross (rotes kreutz), after '89 we try again (I was bigger) to all organization and records able to be found in Romania. Once we received an answer from rotes kreutz, which they found 2 people that could be him, but this info is not allowed to us. I did try myself to find it now for years on the net - but I had not any success. My problem is that all we know about him is his little name, that he was blond, had blue dark eyes and was around 22, born in Prussia and have a sister. In fact almost nothing but I still have the hope that with little help I can find him. Or maybe somebody will read this. My father is already old ... he never stop dreaming about him, I never stop because most of me is coming from him. And I still hope that he was shoot at Banes (the headquarter of Luftwaffe in Bucharest) better than prisoner in Russia. I bet there are "Thousands of Stories" like this and people dreaming.
Hertha

For Ostwind,

The coup d'etat was masterminded by Michael I and his military and civilian aides (they are "the brain"). However, the "weapon" was gen. Iosif Teodorescu, commander of Bucharest garrison.
For his biography, info in the book "Drama generalilor romani (1944-1964)" by Alesandru Dutu and Florica Dobre - 1997.
Also interesting is biography of another top plotter, Gen. Gheorghe Mihail, in same book.

This post has been edited by mateias on January 12, 2008 08:32 pm