Romanian 1st Armored Division commanders, 1940-1941

[CNE503]

Hello,

In a document from 16. Panzer-Division Tätigkeitsbericht, there is a mention of a colonel "Costelinescu" as "Kdr. mot. Mech. Brigade", which was the term used by Germans for the Romanian 1st Armored Division early 1941.
But as far as I know, the first commander of this unit was general de brigada Nicolae Stoenescu (as of January 19th, 1941) but this officer was called to the office of finance minister on January 27th, 1941. He was replaced by colonel Ioan Sion, formerly head of the 2nd Artillery Brigade (until September 1940) and then director of ordnance in the office of the undersecretary for supplies (Subsecretariatului de Stat al Aprovizionării).
I found nothing about this colonel Costelinescu. Could anyone help me to find something about him?

Regards,
CNE503

[steppewolf]

I never heard of this colonel from Armored units. I run a search in Romanian but I couldn't find anything on him.

The best Romanian online sources I know about this topic says that the commanders of the division were:

Brigadier General Ioan Sion
27 January 1941 - 10 January 1942
Major General Radu Gherghe
11 January 1942 - 20 March 1943
Major General Nicolae Stoenescu
21 March 1943 - 4 April 1944
Brigadier General Radu Korne
5 April 1944 - 14 September 1944

http://worldwar2.ro/generali/?language=en&article=229
http://www.geocities.ws/dangrecu/D1B.html

Some motorized infantry brigades existed before 1941 as well, here's a list:

http://www.geocities.ws/dangrecu/BgIAc.html

IMHO it wasn't any armored division before 1941 to consider somebody its commander...

I still need to check something some books back home but I don't think I'll find out much.

[CNE503]

Hello,

I'm quite positive that in January and February 1941, what was still - according to the Germans - the "motorized mechanized Romanian Brigade" (rumänisches mot. mech. Brigade) was officially headed by "General Stoneuescu" (wrongly spelled for Stoenescu), for the time being finance minister. His deputy was colonel Postelnicescu.
A document from the tank regiment of 13. Panzer-Division states it clearly: "Am 18. und 20. Februar 1941 haben zwischen mir und dem Stellvertretenden Kommandeur der rumänisches motorisiert mechanisiert Brigade eingehende Besprechungen über Planung und Durchführung der Ausbildung stattgefunden.
Der eigentliche Kommandeur der motorisiert mechanisiert Brigade ist der General Stoneuescu, zZt Finanzminister, sein Vertreter für die Zeit seiner Ministertätigkeit ist Oberst Postelnicescu." (Abschrift/Ausbildung der rum. mot. mech. Brigade, Lehr-Panzer-Regiment 4 Abt.Ia Nr.70/41 g. v.26.2.1941, NARA T315 R639 file 701).

Nicolae Stoenescu is a well-known officer: https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicolae_Scarlat_Stoenescu

But I couldn't find anything about this colonel Postelnicescu (spelled in another document from 16. Panzer-Division as Costelinescu).
Has anyone something about a colonel Postelnicescu or Costelinescu who was deputy commander for the Romanian only armored unit at this time?

CNE503

[VJK]

Hi,

All I have is a colonel Constantin Postelnicescu commanding the 3rd Cavalry Brigade in 1940.

Best regards,

VJK

[CNE503]

Hello VJK,

It should be the one.
Has anyone something else about this officer (a first name for instance)?

I found him there:
http://paulgoma.free.fr/paulgoma_pdf/pd ... e_2008.pdf ("Azi 1 Iulie 1940, ora 9,40, dupa unele greutati si lipsuri s-aterminat scurgerea peste podul de pe Prut, Braniste-Stefanesti, a Brig.de Cav. comandata de Dl. Colonel Postelnicescu. Brigada are lipsa mai multi ofiteri si trupa si materiale");
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/ ... r._179.pdf ("Colonelii prevrazuti mai jos, setrec din oficiu. In pozitiunea de rezerva, pe data de 31 August 1942, prin apli-carea art. 25, punctul b, alin. 1 din legea asupra pozitiunii ofiterilor repartizandu-se ca ofiteri de rezerva: [...] Cavaleria / Postelnicescu D. C-tiu").

Regards,
CNE503

[VJK]

Hi,

If you read my post carefully , you'll see that I gave his first name - Constantin.

Best regards,

VJK

[CNE503]

So sorry about that VJK, you did it and I missed it.
Thank you very much for your help.
Regards,
CNE503