Let's Build the Romanian Third and Fourth Armies!!!

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David C. Clarke
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Let's Build the Romanian Third and Fourth Armies!!!

#1

Post by David C. Clarke » 23 Jun 2004, 20:56

Hi Folks! The Romanian Third and Fourth Armies, during the winter of 1942-1943, endured some of the hardest fighting on the Ostfront. Despite that, relatively little has been written in English about their organization, equipment, tactics and leadership.
Let's do our best, with the appropriate citiations to written authorities, to reconstruct these units in the crucial months of October, 1942 through February, 1943.

Best Regards,
David

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dragos
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#2

Post by dragos » 23 Jun 2004, 22:03

Let's start with the commanders.

Armata 3 română - general de armată Petre Dumitrescu
Corpul 1 armată - general de corp de armată Teodor Ionescu
Corpul 2 armată - general de corp de armată Nicolae Dăscălescu
Corpul 4 armată - general de corp de armată Constantin Sănătescu
Corpul 5 armată - general de corp de armată Aurelian Son
Divizia 5 infanterie - general de divizie Nicolae Mazarini
Divizia 6 infanterie - general de divizie Mihail Lascăr
Divizia 7 infanterie - general de brigadă Constantin Trestioreanu
Divizia 9 infanterie - general de divizie Constantin Panaitiu
Divizia 11 infanterie - general de brigadă Savu Nedelea
Divizia 13 infanterie - general de brigadă Gheorghe Ionescu-Sinaia
Divizia 14 infanterie - general de divizie Gheorghe Stavrescu
Divizia 15 infanterie - general de brigadă Ioan Sion
Divizia 1 cavalerie - general de brigadă Constantin Brătescu
Divizia 7 cavalerie - general de brigadă Gheorghe Munteanu
Divizia 1 blindată - general de divizie Gherghe Radu

Armata 4 română - general de corp de armată Constantin Constantinescu-Klaps
Corpul 6 armată - general de corp de armată Corneliu Dragalina
Corpul 7 armată - general de corp de armată Florea Mitrănescu
Divizia 1 infanterie - general de brigadă Ioan Mihăescu
Divizia 2 infanterie - general de brigadă Dumitru Tudose
Divizia 4 infanterie - general de divizie Barbu Alienescu
Divizia 18 infanterie - general de brigadă Radu Băldescu
Divizia 20 infanterie - gerneral de divizie Nicolae Tătăranu
Divizia 5 cavalerie - colonel Dumitru Popescu
Divizia 8 cavalerie - general de brigadă Radu Korne


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dragos
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#3

Post by dragos » 23 Jun 2004, 22:31

3rd Army organization

1st Army Corps
7th Infantry Division
11th Infantry Division

2nd Army Corps
9th Infantry Division
14th Infantry Division

4th Army Corps
13th Infantry Division
1st Cavalry Division
"Colonel Voicu" Detachment (since 11 November)*

5th Army Corps
5th Infantry Division
6th Infantry Division

3rd Army reserve
15th Infantry Division
7th Cavalry Division

Heavy artillery
2nd Heavy Artillery Regiment
4th Heavy Artillery Regiment
5th Heavy Artillery Regiment
8th Heavy Artillery Regiment
41st independent motorized Heavy Artillery Battalion

*) "Colonel Voicu" Detachment
12th Infantry Regiment
13th Light Infantry Battalion
611th Panzerjaeger Battalion (German)
54th Pioneer Battalion
3rd Artillery Battalion (of 41st Artillery Regiment - 13th Infantry Division)
1st Artillery Battalion (of 4th Heavy Artillery Regiment)
Last edited by dragos on 23 Jun 2004, 23:48, edited 3 times in total.

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#4

Post by dragos » 23 Jun 2004, 22:42

4th Army organization

6th Army Corps
1st Infantry Division
2nd Infantry Division
18th Infantry Division
20th Infantry Divsion
1st Heavy Artillery Regiment
47th Heavy Artillery Battalion
in reserve:
6th Cavalry Regiment (5th Cavalry Division)
27th Pioneers Battalion

7th Army Corps
4th Infantry Division
5th Cavary Division
8th Cavalry Division
7th Heavy Artillery Regiment
in reserve:
57th Reconnaissance Group
57th Pioneers Battalion

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dragos
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#5

Post by dragos » 23 Jun 2004, 23:05

Divisions organization

5th Infantry Division
8th Infantry Regiment
9th Infantry Regiment
32nd Infantry Regiment
5th Light Infantry Battalion
7th Artillery Regiment
28th Artillery Regiment
5th Signal Company
5th Reconnaissance Group
5th AT Company
5th AA Company
5th Pioneers Battalion
75mm AT Battery
in November added:
991st Infantry Battalion

6th Infantry Division
10th Infantry Regiment
15 Infantry Regiment
27th Infantry Regiment
6th Light Infantry Battalion
11th Artillery Regiment
16th Artillery Regiment
6th Signal Company
6th Reconnaissance Group
6th AT Company
6th AA Company
6th Pioneers Battalion
75mm AT Battery

15th Infantry Division
10th Infantry Regiment
25th Infantry Regiment
15th Light Infantry Battalion
23rd Artillery Regiment
15th Signal Company
15th Reconnaissance Group
15th AT Company
15th AA Company
15th Pioneers Battalion
75mm AT Battery

1st Cavalry Division
1st Cavalry Regiment
2nd Cavalry Regiment
12th Cavalry Regiment
1st Horse Artillery Regiment
1st Signal Company
1st Mechanized Company
1st AT and AA Company
1st Machinegun Company
1st Pioneers Company
1st 120mm Mortars Company
in November added:
992nd Infantry Battalion
15th Light Infantry Battalion


7th Cavalry Division
5th Rosiori Regiment
11th Calarasi Regiment
11th Rosiori Regiment
5th Horse Artillery Regiment
7th Signal Company
7th Mechanized Company
7th AT and AA Company
7th Machinegun Company
7th Pioneers Company
7th 120mm Mortars Company
Last edited by dragos on 23 Jun 2004, 23:47, edited 2 times in total.

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David C. Clarke
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#6

Post by David C. Clarke » 23 Jun 2004, 23:24

This is a Great Start Dragos!!! :D
I hope to join in tonight when I'm home.

(P.S., I've been advised that this Thread should be moved to the "Axis Nations" Section.)
Best Regards, David

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Victor
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#7

Post by Victor » 23 Jun 2004, 23:33

Nitpicking. :D
The 5th Infantry Division also had assigned to it the independent 991st Infantry Battalion, manned by former convicts. Another two such battalions were sent to the 3rd Army: the 992nd and 993rd to the 7th Infantry Division and the 1st Armored Division respectively.

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#8

Post by dragos » 23 Jun 2004, 23:43

Victor,

According to my sources, in November 1942 the 992nd Battalion was assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division.

PS. I have edited and moved the 991 and 992 battalions from corps to divisions.

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#9

Post by dragos » 24 Jun 2004, 00:44

I will come back tomorrow with the deployment of troops in the eve of the Soviet offensive.

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Victor
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#10

Post by Victor » 24 Jun 2004, 08:47

The independent battalions were sent to the front as following:
991st to the 5th Infantry Division on 1 September
992nd to the 7th Infantry Divison on 18 September
993rd to the 1st Armored Division on 31 October

3rd Army on 19 November 1942, from south to north:
- 4th Corps on the Kletskaya Valley
- 1st Cavalry Division (15 km)
- 13th Infantry Division (18 km)
- 5th Corps on the Tsaritsa Valley
- 6th Infantry Division (17 km)
- 5th Infantry Division (20 km)
- 2nd Corps on the Tsutskan Valley
- 14th Infantry Division (17 km)
- 9th Infantry Division (18 km)
- 1st Corps on the Kriushka Valley
- 11th Infantry Division (17 km)
- 7th Infantry Division (20 km)

Army Reserve: 7th Cavalry Division and 15th Infantry Division
Army Group Reserve: 48th Panzer Corps: 1st Romanian Armored Division (about 120 tanks) and 22nd Panzer Division (about 40 tanks)

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#11

Post by David C. Clarke » 24 Jun 2004, 15:52

My apologies guys, but my home cable internet service chose last night to break down, so I was off-line all last night and am still off-line at home.

But, a few quick questions:

Were Romanian Army units territorially recruited? That is, would it be likely that men from one area of the country would be found in a certain division? Did any of the divisions have particular pre-war garrison homes?
Did Romanian units have Divisional insignia for their vehicles, etc.?

Best Regards,
David

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dragos
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#12

Post by dragos » 24 Jun 2004, 17:22

Victor wrote:The independent battalions were sent to the front as following:
991st to the 5th Infantry Division on 1 September
992nd to the 7th Infantry Divison on 18 September
993rd to the 1st Armored Division on 31 October
Probably 992nd Battalion was reassigned in November, because it was deployed in the left wing of 1st Cavalry, together with the 15th Light Battalion.

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#13

Post by dragos » 24 Jun 2004, 17:30

David C. Clarke wrote:Were Romanian Army units territorially recruited? That is, would it be likely that men from one area of the country would be found in a certain division?
Yes, they were territorially recruited, but at regiment level.
David C. Clarke wrote:Did Romanian units have Divisional insignia for their vehicles, etc.?
No.

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#14

Post by dragos » 24 Jun 2004, 18:40

3rd Army disposition on 18 November 1942

1st Cavalry Division
Location: eastern shoulder of Kletskaya bulge
Front width: 15 km
Disposition: ?
Effective: ?

13th Infantry Division
Location: western shoulder of Kletskaya bulge
Front width: 14 km
Disposition: all battalions in line
Effective: ?

"Colonel Voicu" Detachment
Location: western shoulder of Kletskaya bulge
Front width: 4 km
Disposition: ?
Effective: ?

6th Infantry Division
Location: between Raspopinskaya and foothills north of Boskovski
Front width: 17 km
Disposition: 4 battalions in line, 3 battalions in reserve
Effective: ?

5th Infantry Division
Location: between the ridge west of Zariza valley and Raspopinskaya
Front width: 20 km
Disposition: 6 battalions in line, 2 battalions in reserve
Effective: ?

14th Infantry Division
Location: between Hill 220 and Bolsoi village
Front width: 17 km
Disposition: 4 battalions in line, 3 battalions in reserve
Effective: ?

9th Infantry Division
Location: between Bolsoi village and Hills 226, 228
Front width: 18 km
Disposition: ?
Effective: ?

11th Infantry Division
Location: Kryusha Valley
Front width: 17 km
Disposition: 5 battalions in line
Effective: ?

7th Infantry Division
Location: western end of the 3rd Army
Front width: 21 km
Disposition: 6 battalions in line
Effective: ?

15th Infantry Division
Location: Verhny-Solomakovsky
Front width: -
Disposition: reserve of 3rd Army
Effective: 433 officers, 391 junior officers, 13,586 soldiers

7th Cavalry Division
Location: Blinovsky - Pronin
Front width: -
Disposition: reserve of 3rd Army
Effective: ?

Heavy artillery distribution
1st Corps - 41st Heavy Artillery Battalion
2nd Corps - 2nd Heavy Artillery Regiment
4th Corps - 4th Heavy Artillery Regiment
5th Corps - 5th and 8th Heavy Artillery Regiments
"Colonel Voicu" Detachment - one battalion of 4th Heavy Artillery Regiment

Total amount of 75-mm AT guns for the 3rd Army: 48

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#15

Post by Victor » 24 Jun 2004, 20:24

David C. Clarke wrote:
But, a few quick questions:

Were Romanian Army units territorially recruited? That is, would it be likely that men from one area of the country would be found in a certain division? Did any of the divisions have particular pre-war garrison homes?
Did Romanian units have Divisional insignia for their vehicles, etc.?

Best Regards,
David
Yes, the infantry divisions were territorially recruited and had pre-war garrison homes. I can make a list if you are interested. Their regiments were usually from the same geographical area as the division's garrison city, if not from the same city.

There were no divisional insignias, but there were regimental insignias for officers.
Last edited by Victor on 24 Jun 2004, 20:41, edited 1 time in total.

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