Postwar usage of Bf 109 in Romania, everything

Gentlemen, it's a shame that there is almost no information/photos regarding the usage of this fighter after 1945 - or I can't find any.
After all, it was our best plane until the jets arrived.
So let's try to establish some facts in this thread.

(If moderators see fit, please move this to post-ww2 forum.)

First of all, I'd like to know how many Bf109s survived the war, and what was the numbers breakdown:
-how many IAR-build
-how many German built
-how many captured from the Germans and pressed into service by the ARR following 23 Aug 44

Regarding IAR built 109s this is what I found in various threads on the forum:

*15 Ga-4 and 60 Ga-6 (why Ga, not G?) built between early 1944 and 1947 from a mix of Romanian and German parts, all new.
*Serials in the 301-375 range.
*In active service until 1954, scrapped in 1955

I assume that G-4s had serials from 301 to 315 and the G-6 from 316 to 375?
Was the camouflage standardized on them? - high demarcation line, black serial on tail, roudels size,...
Was the "teardrop" machine gun panel used from the beginning on all IAR G-6 or retrofitted?

Which were the units operating them, and where were they based?

I read that the Grupul 9 planes when they came back from the front in July 45 were based at Popesti-Leordeni in the frame of the 1st Fighter Flotilla.
They were also mentioned later in connection with the airfields at Rosiorii de Vede (?) and Craiova

Regarding the camo/serials/roundels:

when was the white fuelage band and white wingtips removed?
when was the star roundel introduced? 10 August 1950 - is that correct?
what was the camouflage - light blue/grey overall or green with the light blue/grey underside? - I've seen color profiles with both variants
was serial numbers colour standardized before or only after the introduction of the star roundel - being red than.

Sorry for the long post...

This post has been edited by Zapacitu on November 01, 2007 05:12 pm

'a' stands for Ausland, i.e. aircraft assembled/manufactured outside the IIIrd Reich.

The rest of the information you gathered is correct.

Please note that the Rumanian Communist regime wanted to get rid of the 'nazi' aircraft type as soon as possible. Therefore, details on the post-war activity of the Bf 109G is sketchy, at best.

Gen. Dénes

Well, at least I've got the Ga desigation sorted out. Thank you

Now, two pictures I have. This one shows fighter pilot Constantin "Titi" Manolache (who later became a top civilian aerobatics pilot) in front of his Bf 109 at Craiova, in 1951. The camo looks like a single shade of green on top and side surfaces with light blue or grey on the bottom, with a clear demarcation line between them.

Source is "Orizont Aviatic"


One year later, however, the planes from Craiova were light blue or grey overall, as it is clearly illustrated by this Ga-6 defected to Yugoslavia on 5 July 1952, together with his wingman. Both aircraft were put into service with the Yugoslav Air Force, and the pilots received polytical asylum. Does anybody know their names, or the serial of the other plane? Or any more details at all?

The leader was Capt. Gh.Gheorghiu and his G-6 was nr 363. In the picture the nr 319 probably was his wingman plane (i don't have his name).
They were 4 in patrol climbing to 5000m. Lt. Cocsis had an engine failure at 800m and returned to the field. Lt. Aliesei couldn't reach 5000m (engine boosting problem) and lost his leader. From 5400m Gheorghiu and his wingman dive and landed in Yugoslavia. (info from AIRMAG -Le Messerschmitt roumains)

This post has been edited by Cantacuzino on November 02, 2007 04:06 pm

Although I already knew this photo for several years now, it's still the only one I've seen (so far) where the full aircraft, including all markings, can be seen.

Gen. Dénes

I believe that a recent picture on ebay, see

Foto Flugzeug Me 109

might be very the same airplane. Unfortunately the photo is marked with a big X sign hiding the serial number but everything else certainly look the same. Since nobody is standing around, it allows a good view of the so-called Brasov Bulges, also shown in a close-up.

Pierre

Hello Pierre,

Yes indeed is the same plane "319" but it's more clear the "IAR Brasov bulges".
The price of bidding start (75 euro) it's quite high.

From the Communist era magazines I remember that 222 German planes were captured in the days following August 23, 1944. What I learned after 1989 is that all those planes were confiscated by our new "great friend", Soviet Union.

This is an open subject for people who know much more than me in this field.

The way I wrote my previous post gives room to some confusion.
What I wanted to mention is those Germans airplanes were captured by the Romanians, then the Russians took the planes from them, even though Romania became an ally of Soviet Union.