Soviet troop garrisons in Romania?, location of Soviet & Romanian troops

Hello. I hope this topic is germane enough for this forum. Does anyone know where exactly the Soviet troops were stationed in Romania in the 1950s?

Specifically, were there Soviet troop garrisons in the cities of Timisoara, Cluj, Iasi, and Bucharest?

If so, were these troops located right in the center of these cities and clearly visible to the population, or were they on the outskirts?

Please share your thoughts, and if you can recommend sources to consult, I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you very much.

Regards,

Nikolai Kiselev
Moscow State University

At the time of their retreat in 1958, Soviet troops were deployed at follows:
- Galati – 2430
- Focsani – 2232
- Ramnicu Sarat – 1730
- Braila – 2486
- Constanta – 9016
- Timisoara – 9657
- Cocargia – 2117
- Ianca – 2957
- Ploiesti – 1402

The source is a report sent by the Soviet commanders to the Romanian government, which was needed because all Soviets were to be awarded the "Liberation from fascism" medal.

According to this article http://stindard.ro/historicum/2002-soviet.pdf
Soviet units were stationed at Timisoara, Arad, Radna, Lipova, Bascov (Arges county), Ploiesti, Crangul lui Bot (Prahova county), Focsani, Ramnicul Sarat, Braila, Galati, Constanta, Mamaia-sat, Mangalia, Basarabi, Medgidia.

The headquarters of the occupation army were in Bucharest.

Airforce units were stationed at Otopeni, Boboc, Alexeni, Cocargeaua, Ianca, M. Kogalniceanu, and a maritime HQ at Constanta.

At Timisoara it appears that four Soviet military units were stationed in the city (tanks, infantry, artillery and communications) with at least 9657 military and civilian personnel.

Romania, 1958; The Beginning of the End? (or was it Hungary, 1956, the more oft cited? )

Many thanks to all of you - Dragos, Dragos03, and Cnflyboy - for taking the time to research this question for me. Excellent work!

By any chance is it mentioned in this article about how many Russian men were in the Bucharest-based HQ? (My Romanian is not too good).

Several things interest me:

1) It appears that the largest contingent was in Timisoara (9657), but one would think that the largest troop force would be in the capital, Bucharest. That's why I'm curious to know how large the headquarters was.

2) That there were no Soviet troops stationed directly in Cluj, since it is the capital city of Transylvania, with a large Hungarian minority.

3) It's also interesting that there were no troops in Iasi, considering the fact that it is one of the major university cities in Romania.

Please share your thoughts. And again, thank you for your help.

Regards,

Nikolai

Hallo everybody,
I posted on the topic 'Russian military presence in Romania' the information found on internet (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Group_of_Forces) reguarding the soviet intervention in the Hungarian Revolution in 1956
'On October 24, 1956 the 33rd Guard 'Kherson' Mechanized Division, previously stationed in Romania near the Romanian-Hungarian border ...entered Hungary'
I posses some informations that this Division was stationed in the Arad-Timisoara-Lugoj area and, after the hungarian episode, returned in 1957 to his stabile garrisons in Romania, until it's retreat in USSR in summer 1958. In Arad a soviet Tank or Mechanised Regiment was stationed in the Maria-Theresa buid fortification near the city center called 'Cetate'. If enybody knowes more please post it.

Privet Nikolai,
The large number of soviet troops stationed in Timisoara is due to the Yugoslav " threat"

That and not only: communist leaders' paranoia about Timisoara! Funny thing Ceausescu was right!

This post has been edited by MMM on April 09, 2009 03:21 pm

To me it seems in 1940-1950-ies there was an airfield just southeast of the Cetatea garison, is this correct?

Jeroen

Dragos, Nikolai or others!

Which soviet airforce units were in Romania in 1945-1958?
Which military unit had post nummer 51539?

Spasiba
Jeroen

According order 11098 of 29 may 1945 third ukrain front was reformed into southern group of soviet forces with locations in Romania and Bulgaria.
So part of 17th Soviet air army was relocated from Hungary to Rumania and Bulgaria or partly already there. Possible units included fighter regiments numbers 194th, 288th, 295th, 13 and 14th guards, Il2 units 136th 189th and 306th.
Bomber units 244th and 262th night bombers. Can anyone help with exact locations of units and regiments?

Jeroen

Dear Nikolai

Was the 17th air army renumbered some time later, as I believe 2th air army became 59th army in Hungary, by what order?
A transport unit of 17th was 18th independent transport air regiment, which other such special units supported the 17th, where was its aerodrome in Romania?
Do you have later orbats for the soviet forces in Romania in 1949/1950 or 1955 or 1958?
balshoi spasiba

Jeroen
University v.H. Utrecht

This post has been edited by Jeroen on April 14, 2009 07:31 am

Hallo everybody,
Since I recently got a possible TO&E of the soviet army from Romania around 1955, I share it with you, if somebody find it useful and give us more details.
So, around 1955 the 10th Independent Mechanised Army placed in Romania had the following ground units : the 19th Tank Division, the 4th and 33th Guards Mechanised Divisions and the 19th and 20th Mechanised Divisions. As I said earlier the 33th Guard Mechanised Division from Timisoara intervene in october 1956 in Hungary and returned only in summer 1957 back in Romania. The location of the other soviet divisions is unknown to me but their origin seems to be this:
- the 10th Independent Mechanised Army is born from the 37th Independent Army who in 1945 had 3 corps and a total of 9 divisions.
- the 19th Tank Division originated from the 19th Tank Corps
- the 4th Guards Mechanised Division from the 4th Guards Mechanised Corps
- the 33th Guards Mechanised Division from the 49th Guards Corps
- the 19th Mechanised Division from the 78th Corps
- the 20th Mechanised Division from the 21th Corps
If anybody can offer more details please share it.

Thanks Andreas

Nikolai, do you have access to russian archives or material from it, possible Orbat from those days, or other publication in russian historical journals, Red star gazeta from that period, etcetera..?

Jeroen

Well not the 50-ies, but the 40-ies, but just came across this.

A number of soviet military came to Bucuresti October 28th, 1940 to observe the Germans that had arrived two weeks before.
source KTB OKW i 130

It might be helpfull for you Nikolai?