Romanian Legion in Siberia, Legiunea de tragatori

[jirka vrba]

25 th Nov 1918 Col. Eduard KADLEC (officer of Czechoslovak Legion) began to form in Irkutsk Rumunian Legion - Legiune de tragatori Transilvania-Bucovina.
It became operational in June 1919. Rumunians protected Transsiberian Railway between Nižně-Udinsk and Tajšet. Late 1919 they fought at tail and in battles at Saragul and Kujtun they defeated Bolsheviks.
In May 1920 they embarked ship Trans-os-Montes in Vladivostok. Through Singapore and Colombo Rumunians voyaged to Port Said. There they changed ship - new ship was Teutonic. 5 th july 1920 Teutonic arrived to Constanca.
14th July 1918 Col. Kadlec handed over the command.

Thats all

I´m interested in history of Czechoslovak Legion, and this story is interesting part of "Siberian Epic". If somebody know some details - please - write

[petru]

I know about that. Kiritescu mentions something about the romanian legion. They considered themselves part of the Royal Romanian Army, and when an armistice was settled between the Bolsheviks and the Czech the Romanians were moved from the rear in front. That’s what I remember, but I am sure I can find more.

Again, in the western books, only the Czech legion is mentioned.

[jirka vrba]

Legiune de tragatori Transilvania-Bucovina was not the first rumunian unit. It was formed from smaller units.
It was not only non-Czechoslovak unit. Polish 5. Rifle Division - 5. Dywizje Strzelców - capitulated nearby Kljukvena.

petru - If you´ll find - in future - some informations - I´ll be grateful ...

[jirka vrba]

In chronicles of 9. and 11. Czechoslovak Regiment is written:

After fights of mjr. Zemek group (11.Rgt, II./9.Rgt, I./10.Rgt, Latvian boan, 2./3.Lgt.Art.Rgt. and four arnored trains) with Bolshevick 5.Army nearby Nižněudinsk, they was replaced with Rumunians in Šaragul (3rd Feb 1920).

[petru]

There are about 5 pages, and I don’t have the time to translate everything. Here is an abstract of what contains. If you are interested I could scan the pages and send it to you (but they are in romanian).

In the autumn 1918 the Bolsheviks started attacking the Volga front defended by the 1st Czech division and groups of the counterrevolutionary army. The Romanian battalion from Samara defended the left flank. A second Romanian battalion at Celeabinsk was detached at Kurgan where they guarded the city, installing a Romanian headquarter.
At the beginning of the winter the front was retreated in the Urals, on lines easier to defend. The Romanian troops from Samara, Celeabinsk and Kurgan were concentrated at Petropavlovsk. Lacking superior officers, the leader was chosen as col. Kadletz. During the winter the Romanian corp was concentrated at Irkutsk.

The corp was organized in two battalions: “Horia” and “Marasesti”, two armoured trains with the same name, a reserve battalion, a pioneer company, a cavalry squadron and a headquarter company. At the beginning there were 2500 people, and later the number increased to 5000 with over 100 officers. It was created a committee (“the national Romanian committee from Russia”). At 24 august 1918 it was signed a convention with the Czechoslovak committee, recognizing the common interest. They edited a newspaper “Neamul Romanesc”, held over 40 conferences and organized a Romanian library. They were supposed to guard a sector of the Transiberian railway almost 1000 km long. They led 37 incursions at 150-800 km from their basses. They had over 60 dead and a significant number of wounded.

After the Kolceac defeat the Romanians embarked in trains (19 january 1920) and started to retreat towards east. They were the rearguard of the national troops.

At Nijni-Udinsk the Yugoslav legion was destroyed. The Czech troops from the 3rd division didn’t intervene and retreated fast. The Romanians formed the rearguard.

At 3 february 1920 in Sergul rail station there troops from the Marasesti battalion and several trains from the 3rd division. Several km west the Bolshevik vanguard reached the Asei rail station with three battalions, some cavalry and 2 guns. A Romanian cavalry reconnaissance troop is defeated. The prisoners are killed when they refused to give information. During the night the Russians attacked from the north-west from the Traktovaia village. A Czech battalion left the train and retreated. The Bolsheviks attack the Romanians in the rail station. They resisted and the Russians are thrown towards the large highway to Moscow. The second day the Romanians and the Czech blew up the station and started to retreat towards east. During the night they had 8 dead and 8 wounded. A second try to surround the Romanian legion at Kuitun didn’t succeed. The Romanians formed the rearguard blowing up stations, stations water supplies, cut the telegraph etc. The moral was high. The armistice offers were rejected because they considered themselves part of the Romanian army, which was fighting the Soviets on the Dnister.

At 7 february 1920 the Czechoslovaks signed an armistice with the Bolsheviks, under the conditions that the Bolsheviks would keep 50 km distance from the rearguard troops. The Romanians were also part of the armistice, and they were replaced in around lake Baikal, guarding the railway up to Transbaikalia, where the line was occupied by Japanese troops. The Czech took over the Irkutsk guard.

At Harbin the contacted major V Cadere sent from the country to help the repatriation. In spring 1920 the Romanians reached Vladivostok. In august 1921 the arrival of the first group of Transylvanian volunteers was celebrated at Brasov.

[Carol I]

It seems that the Romanian philatelic magazine Filatelia has also published an article about the Romanian Legion in Siberia:

Traian Serendan: Mărturii despre legiunea voluntară română din Siberia [Documents on the Romanian Volunteers' Legion of Siberia] - Filatelia No.7-8 (543-544), Jul.-Aug. 2001, pp.14-15

[jirka vrba]

Thank you Petru,
Very interesting and useful info.

I´d like to write some english sentences about Col. Eduard KADLEC (he is interesting person - he served in Belgian colonies and in 1915 he was commander of Fort XI of Festung Przemysl...) and about retreat of Czechoslovak Legion in 1920 ... but I´m short of time...


I don´t speak romanian. If you have some pictures or maps od OdB I´ll be gratefull if you ĺl send me anything - vrbici@atlas.cz

[jirka vrba]

foto of Eduard KADLEC
http://www.army.cz/avis/vojenske_rozhledy/.../2001_3/169.htm

[jirka vrba]

I wrote some english sentences about Col. Eduard KADLEC here http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php...=52245&start=15
It is under construction

[Klemen]

QUOTE

I wrote some english sentences about Col. Eduard KADLEC herehttp://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=52245&start=15

Belgian colonies? Was he in the Belgian colonial police or in the Force Publique?! :roll: I couldn't find any Kadlec listed in my old Belgian book about Belgian Colonial Army in Katanga during WW1. Only what appears to be mostly Flemish and Danish officers.

lp,

Klemen

[jirka vrba]

I don´t know if my terms are right - my english is not so good...

1909 ?regional administrator? - Administrateur territorial - in Belgian Congo - Ponthierville, then Kasong and then Kil
1913 ?senior regional administrator? - Administrateur territorial principal - in sector Mongala and then in sector Likame in eastern Congo.
In Aug 1914 he was on holiday in Czech

[Klemen]

QUOTE

1909 ?regional administrator? - Administrateur territorial - in Belgian Congo - Ponthierville, then Kasong and then Kil 1913 ?senior regional administrator? - Administrateur territorial principal - in sector Mongala and then in sector Likame in eastern Congo.

Now that's highly interested!!! It appears he was in the civilian service of the Belgian Congo and not a military service as I previously assumed. Great stuff, Jirka! Thanks! :wink:

BTW: Force Publique is the official title for the Belgian Colonial Army in Belgian Congo.

By the way: Did you get my PM mail from some weeks ago? I believe you have been looking for some info about 1st Yugoslav Volunteer Division in Dobrudzha 1916, haven't you? There is a good and long article about the rebellion of Croatian and Slovenian soldiers in that division in 1916. Interested? :roll:

lp,

Klemen

[jirka vrba]

:keep:

*j*

[Klemen]

I take this means "yes".... I'll send you the address via PM right away... It is an article in several parts....

lp,

Klemen

[jirka vrba]

thanx

*j*