Romanian anti-tank guns in 1941?

The 1st Armored Division was subordinated to the German 11th Army in Bessarabia and the encounter with the Soviet "heavy tanks" (described as such in the official reports, like I already mentioned) was on 4 and 5 July, before the 11th TD was sent to the front near Uman. In fact, the Soviet tanks had overran German, not Romanian positions. The 1st Tank Battalion was used for a counterattack.

If the 11th TD was active in Northern Bessarabia in that time interval it is possible for elements of the two units to meet in this specific combat.

Just out of interest, when did the Romanian forces capture the two T28s that were placed in the square in Bucharest?

Was this later in the campaign?

Also, were there many 25mm anti tank guns in the Romanian army? I have not seen them mentioned before.

The 1st Armored Division was subordinated to the German 11th Army in Bessarabia and the encounter with the Soviet "heavy tanks" (described as such in the official reports, like I already mentioned) was on 4 and 5 July, before the 11th TD was sent to the front near Uman. In fact, the Soviet tanks had overran German, not Romanian positions. The 1st Tank Battalion was used for a counterattack.

If the 11th TD was active in Northern Bessarabia in that time interval it is possible for elements of the two units to meet in this specific combat.

Victor!

I shall cite data in what "points" was 2 MC. on July, 4-6th.

4 JULE

Counterstroke on Kostesti

----------------------------

Fights - Bratseni, Mosen

Defensive fights - Oknul-Alb, Michaleni, Roskani, Tyrk.

5 JULE

Michaleni, Oknul-Alb, Rakaria - 6-00 - morning

6 JULE

11 TD - Nikoreni

-------------------

I shall repeat a question. Whether history D1B is published?


Whether Romanians had fights with the Soviet tanks on June, 25th in area Petresti? This day 11TD
Has lost 7 tanks.

Regards

Alex

4 July - "Bratseni" is very similar to "Bratuseni".

There is a book about the 1st Armored Division in WW2 published some years ago by the Army's publishing house, but I do not have it and it's not available for sale. There is another one about the entire history of Romanian armor, which I have. Hopefully, in a couple of years there will also be a new book, in English, on which me and dragos03 are working on.

I found only a mention of a tank attack on 24 June at Badarai and Sculeni where ttroops from the Romanian 8th Infantry Division and the German 198th Infantry Division held a bridgehead over the Prut. Maybe the 2nd MC's attack on 25 June was made against German positions.

Hard to say exactly when. It definately happened during 1941, because in 1942 the remaining T-28s were concentrated in Northern part of the Eastern Front.

According to a discussion I had on this subject on AHF, the 18th MC received 5 T-28s at the end of July. Maybe siome of these T-28s eventually ended up in the Ukraine where they were captured by Romanian troops.

The 1st Armored Division used 25 mm AT guns in the 1941 campaign, but found them of little use against tanks, like I already said. Furthermore, they had to be carried by trucks, as it was almost impossible to tow them at speeds higher than 6 km/h.

There is one picture at the history museum of Buzau (not exhibited, but in the storehouse) with Romanian soldiers examining a T-28 hull. It may have been captured in the area operations of the 8th Infantry Regiment Buzau in 1941.

The Slovaks also had some T28s that they captured at some time in 1941, I remember reading that the Germans did not allow them to display them.

I will look up the reference.

The T28 seems to have been a favourite captured tank for displays, possibly because it is very impressive looking. Is it possible that the Romanians were given some by the Germans specifically to put on display? Or that they found them in a depot, or in a railway terminus etc. as they had run out of fuel?

I have a question about the uniform of the motorised infantry, but I will put up another post.

The British Army also carried it's 25mm guns in the backs of trucks because of the towing problems.

When the larger anti-tank guns came available (50mm pak 38 75mm pak 40 & 75mm resita) were the lighter 37mm & 47mm used as infantry guns.

They were still used as AT guns, the 37&47 mm calibers have a rather small HE shell, I see no point in using them as infantry guns as the army was already short on AT guns (the larger AT guns were never in sufficient numbers).

Thanks Mircea, it must of been dreadful facing T-34/85 with 37mm Bofors anti-tank guns but if its all you have got thats it.

de ce toti vorbesc engleza

Because I am English, and I dont speak Romanian, is it a big deal for you.