Gheorghe Rasoviceanu, military career, biography(family,death)

The source is Dumitru Preda, Vasile Alexandrescu, Costica Prodan, In apararea Romaniei Mari - Campania armatei romane din 1918-1919, Ed. Enciclopedica, 1994.

I will post tommorow (15 December) a short description of the road of the 9th Vanatori Regiment, from what I can extract from the book.

I have to make some points about transylvanian volunteer regiments:

There were 3 regiments raised by romanian transylvanians on 1917-1918:
Reg 1 Inf Turda
Reg 2 Inf Alba Iulia
Reg 3 Inf Avram Iancu (raised in 1918)

This regiments were build up from former romanians who served in AH army and were POWs on Darnitza, Ukraine.

The volunteer regiment Horea (later known as "Beius") was raised in 11 february 1919 ONLY from moti people from Apuseni Mountains.
Order of batle for Volunteers Regiment Horea:
1st batalion "Brad" - comander captain Dragoi Alexandru
2nd batalion "Baia de Cris" - comander major Stoica Mihai - KIA on Dealul Mare
3rd batalion "Abrud-Campeni" - comander major Banciu Sabin.

Each batalion consisted of 4 infantry companies and 1 machineguns company.
The names of batalions designated the areas from where its soldiers were raised.

The Horea infantry regiment of motz volunteers had also, excepting the 3 infantry batalions cited above:
1 regimental HQ
1 field artilery battery
1 company combat engineers
half company of transmissions
1 field gendarme company
1 field hospital
auxiliary services

Total: 120 oficers, more than 4000 soldiers with 4 canons.

This regiment has nothing to do with Odorhei area or regiment

In February 1919, two infantry divisions were raised using the former Transylvanian Volunteer Corps (including the 3 regiments mentioned by you): the 16th and the 18th Infantry Divisions p,lus some extra "unorganic regiments".

According to the same source quoted in my previous post, on 27 March 1919 the units raised from Transylvania were:
- 16th Infantry Division: 306 officers and 10,284 soldiers
- 18th Infantry Division: 368 officers and 10,842 soldiers
- Brasov Gendarme Regiment: 47 officers and 1,618 soldiers
- Cluj Gendarme Regiment: 40 officers and 1,495 soldiers
- Arad(Deva) Gendarme Regiment: 28 officers and 1,245 soldiers
- Beius Infantry Regiment: 104 officers and 2,537 soldiers
- Horea Odorhei Regiment: 45 officers and 1,268 soldiers
- 1st Volunteer Regiment Avram Iancu: 101 officers and 2,803 soldiers
- 2nd Volunteer Regiment Alba Iulia: 80 officers and 1,792 soldiers

The primary source is quoted as microfilm P II.5.188, c. 730-756

I also find it strange to have a regiment from Odorhei called Horea.

To Victor:

Regimentul de voluntari Horea, afterwards named "Beius" is cited to be raised from Tara Motilor from multiple sources.
I never found even the smallest reference as the one form the microfilm you mentioned.
Also, the dates are totaly diferent; Horia regiment from Motzi was raised between 11 to 19 february 1919.

Also, "Horia" and "Beius" regiment is the same one. More than that, it was imposible to raise in March 1919 a regiment from Beius area, since this town was in the hungarian controled area.

I am curious what sources are the references for that microfilm.

At the beginning of 1919, the General Staff decided to increase the number of troops in the part of Transylvania that was under Romanian control in order to strengthen its position and prepare for the advance to the Satu Mare – Carei – Oradea – Arad line.

The 9th Vanatori Regiment commanded by col. Gheroghe Rasoviceanu was part of these forces. It was transported by rail from Bucharest to Deva at the beginning of February, taking up positions northeast of the city.

At the end of March the General Staff redeployed the troops in Transylvania for a projected advance towards the West. The 2nd Vanatori Division was to organize itself on three columns: the main column from Brad on the Crisul Alb Valley and two secondary columns on the Mures Valley and on the Crisul Negru Valley. The column on the Crisul Negru Valley was to be followed by the General Sachelarie Detachment (11th Infantry Regiment and a couple of batteries). The vanatori had to advance to Salonta, while gen. Sachelarie had to join the 6th Division south of Oradea.

On 7 April the move was canceled. Two days before, the General Staff, counting on the support of French forces in the Banat had reorganized the troops deployment. The 1st Vanatori Division was to take over the 2nd Vanatori Division’s positions, while the latter had to move in the Halmagiu – Brad – Deva area. On 11 April its area of deployment was restricted to the Halmagiu – Brad region (excluding Brad) and the Beius Volunteer Regiment was assigned to it, because it only had 244 officers and 5,805 troops.

The 2nd Vanatori Division was part of the Southern Group, which received the task of assisting the main advance of the stronger Northern Group. The division had to attack with the main column on the Crisul Alb Valley and with the secondary one on the Crisul Negru Valley. A regiment and an artillery battery from the 1st Vanatori Division were subordinated to it and formed the Zam Detachment, which had to advance on the Mures Valley. The first objective was the line Beius – Sebis – Radna, where it had to stop.

The Romanian troops were ready to commence the advance in the morning of 16 April, but during the night of 15/16 April, Hungarian forces attacked in the sector of the Northern Group. After repulsing them, the Romanian troops began their advance.

The 2nd Vanatori Division had to take the Ciuci – Guranhont pass and then split in two columns on the Crisul Alb and Negru Valleys. The mission to take the pass was given to the 4th Vanatori Brigade (9th and 10th Regiments). Col. Dumitru, the brigade’s CO, placed one battalion from each regiment in the first line and a battalion from the Beius Volunteer Regiment in the second line. Six batteries and one section were assigned as artillery support. In the same time, the other battalion of the 9th Regiment and a battalion from the Beius Regiment, supported by two batteries, which went around the enemy’s northern flank and, after several hours, managed to defeat the forces in the Magulicea – Varfurile area, enabling the 10th Vanatori Regiment to capture the pass. Another two flank maneuvers were carried out by the 2nd and 3rd Vanatori Regiments on the southern flank, where they occupied Guranhont, respectively Talagiu.
After the pass was taken, the 9th Vanatori Regiment formed the Col. Rasoviceanu Detachment together with elements of the Beius Regiment. Its mission was to advance in the direction of Dealu Mare and then take Vascau. The Detachment failed to reach its objective due to the stubborn resistance it encountered at Carpinet, where fighting lasted until 2 am, when the Hungarians retreated towards Vascau. The fighting was fierce during the first day. The official communiqué mentioned over 300 enemy soldiers were buried in the Crisul Alb sector.

On 17 April, the Rasoviceanu Detachment continued the advance. The 9th Vanatori and the Beius Regiments had to conduct several flanking maneuvers, in order to overcome the enemy resistance, like the difficult deployment of artillery on the Brusturului Mounatin. The 2nd Vanatori Division managed to advance around 30 km. The Rasoviceanu Detachment reached Vascau.

On 18 April, the detachment attacked from Vascau along the valley to the northwest. A violent clash took place on the Tarcaia – Saliste de Beius line. In the evening, elements of the Beius Regiment entered the city with the same name, followed by the rest of the Rasoviceanu Detachment.

The advanced continued, despite of the Easter celebrations, and in the night of 19/20 April, col. Rasoviceanu reached Salonta after a forced march. The following day he planned to join the attack on Oradea, but because the Hungarians had evacuated the city, only elements of the 6th and 7th Divisions entered the city.

Because it considered that only the Northern Group could achieve numerical superiority, the Transylvanian Troops Command (maj. gen. Mardarescu) decided to keep the Southern Group on the defense. On 22 April, the 2nd Vanatori Division occupied the Salonta – Zerind line in order to secure the left flank of the 6th Division. Only the Rasoviceanu Detachment was engaged in several skirmishes with Hungarian troops.

The 6th Infantry Division and the 7th Rosiori Regiment reinforced the Southern Group, which had to prepare for the offensive towards Békéscsaba by 25 April. The advance began and the 2nd Vanatori Division did not encounter strong resistance, (like the Sachelarie Detachment did, for example). On 26, col. Rasoviceanu took Békés after a brief skirmish, while the bulk of the division occupied Békéscsaba.

The final objective of the Romanian advance was the Tisza. The 2nd Vanatori Division had a clash with an enemy armored train on the railroad between Békés and Gyoma, which it forced to retreat using its artillery. On 28 April it reached the Szarvas – Gyoma area. The following day it crossed the Cris and occupied Mezötúr and Túrkeve and on 30 April it headed towards Szolnok in cooperation with the 6th Infantry Division.

You misunderstood. It is a listing of the strength of the Transylvanian units on 27 March 1919. I didn't say that all those units were raised on 27 March. If you read carefully , you will see that I wrote that the units were raised in February 1919.

The military archives in Bucharest have photocopies of the files in Pitesti on microfilm. This is why the source is given with its microfilm archive reference and not file archive reference.

The subject of the volunteer Transylvanian troops isn't too clear to me, so I can't give an answer. I just posted what I found. However, this subject would deserve better exposure.

For Victor,

Thank you for these details. I presume everything is from source already quoted by you.

To Victor:

I readed very carefully your post above citing the microfilm.
It was not a misunderstanding from my part, as i refered only to Horia volunteer regiment.
Your source says that 2 divisions were raised on february 1919, FROM PREVIOUS EXISTING UNITS. Horia was a brand new unit!
The divisions stated has nothing to do with Horia reg.

On the other hand, your source says about Horia AND (sic!) Beius reg., which is a great confusion of units, since it is the same unit. Also, the number of soliders is not the same as from my sources.

I'm not trying to argue with you, I just want also a constructive discussion, to compare the sources and to bring the real light over this volunteer units.

Also, I saw very often the confusion between Horia - Beius regiment, in fact beeing the same unit, not 2 diferent units.

For Beius,

I try to understand, but it's rather hard for me to see the light.

First you say >:

Afterwards you say:

Please identify sources of both your qoutes.
Simple to double strength for Beius Regiment in spring of 1919, that’s typical Romanian !

"It" in the second quote refers to the 2nd Vanatori Division, which only had 244 officers and 5,805 troops. The Beius Regiment was a welcomed reinforcement, not to mention the extra motivation this unit had when fighting for their own homes.

The misunderstanding I was reffering to was related to the date of 27 March, which you understood that I claimed it was the date those units were raised on. See this:

And unfortunately you again misunderstood what I wrote. I never said the Horia/Beius Regiment was part of the 16th or 18th Infantry Divisions. In fact it is clearly written:

And the list goes to mention the strength of the two divisions in March 1919 and that of the independent Transylvanian regiments, among which the Beius Regiment is included. I thought it was rather clear.

A possible explanation for the listing could be that the Horia name was mistakenly written in the original document on the line of the Odorhei Regiment, instead of the Beius one.

Regarding numbers, the 4,000 you quoted could be referring to the total number of men serving in that unit during its existence, not the total number of men at one time.

The number of soldiers from Horea Regiment was as I say, 4000, AT THE BEGINING!

My source: Dr Ioan Suciu, the man who was in charge to raise this unit.
Citing:" In the evening of 19 february 1919, dr Ioan Suciu reported to his superior, President of <<Consiliul Dirigent>>>, that Apuseni Mountains raised Volunteer Corp Horia, consisting of: head-quarter, 3 batalions each of 4 infantry companies and 1 machinegun company, 1 fieldcanons batery, 1 combat engineers company, 1/2 transmisions company, 1 fieldgendarmerie company, 1 field hospital and logistic services, with a total of 120 oficers, more than 4000 soldiers with 4 canons, and this Corp ocupied Vata de Jos region, the elder historical border of Arad, and from this date, no hungarian soldier crossed it, only as POW."

Read more at http://www.darnick.com/halmagiu/anexe4.html
At least there it is written in romanian, so misunderstanding will be avoided.

This post has been edited by 21 inf on December 16, 2007 02:44 pm