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

[Victor]

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

It had roughly 4,000 men.

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: ?

It lost over 10,000 men, so we can safely assume it had 11-12,000 men.

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: ?

It had 13,448 men.

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

It had roughly 14-15,000 men.

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

Same as above.

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

Some 13-14,000

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

It had 15,848 men.

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

It had 6,535 men.

[dragos]

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

The 48th Panzer Corps had only 62 medium tanks (Pz III and Pz IV). The Soviet South-Western Front had 720 medium and heavy tanks.

[David C. Clarke]

Victor wrote:

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.

Hi Victor, yes, I think that such a list would be very valuable on this Thread and would enhance the Forum's knowledge of the Romanian Army.

I must say that you and Dragos are doing an excellent job and I believe this Thread will become a great reference point for those unfamiliar with the Romanian Army.

Best Regards,
David

[dragos]

1st Romanian Armored Division (18 November 1942)

Organization:
1st Tank Regiment
3rd vânători moto (motorized infantry) Regiment
4th vânători moto (motorized infantry) Regiment
1st Motorized Artillery Regiment
Motorized Specialties Group
Motorized Pioneers Battalion
Motorized Reconnaissance Group
AA Company
AT Battalion
Signal Company
Services
Traffic Platoon
MP Company

Equipment:
262 light machineguns
56 heavy machineguns
8 13.2-mm AA machineguns
18 20-mm AA guns
52 47-mm AT guns
9 50-mm AT guns
9 75-mm AT guns
20 60-mm mortars
8 81.4-mm mortars
12 120-mm mortars
17 flamethrowers
12 105-mm field guns
24 100-mm field howitzers
109 R-2 tanks
11 T-3 tanks
11 T-4 tanks
2 light tanks (captured)
10 SdKfz 222 armored cars
8 SPW 251 carriers

[Victor]

Here is a list for the infatry divisions active in 1942 and their home garrisons, including for regiments.

1st Infantry Division: Timisoara
85th Infantry Regiment: ?
93rd Infantry Regiment Closca: Arad
5th Vanatori Regiment: Timisoara
1st Artillery Regiment Regele Carol I: Timisioara
38th Artillery Regiment: Timisioara

2nd Infantry Division: Craiova
1st Dorobanti Regiment Dolj: Craiova
26th Dorobanti Regiment Rovine: Caracal?
31st Dorobanti Regiment Calafat: Calafat
9th Artillery Regiment: Craiova
14th Artillery Regiment: Craiova

3rd Infantry Division: Pitesti
4th Dorobanti Regiment Arges: Pitesti
30th Dorobanti Regiment Muscel: Campulung Muscel
1st Vanatori Regiment Principele Mostenitor Ferdinand: Pitesti
6th Artillery Regiment: Pitesti
15th Artillery Regiment: Salcia

4th Infantry Division: Bucharest
5th Dorobanti Regiment Vlasca: Giurgiu
20th Infantry Regiment Teleorman:Targu Magurele
21st Infantry Regiment Ilfov: Bucharest
2nd Artillery Regiment: Bucharest
10th Artillery Regiment: Giurgiu

5th Infantry Division: Buzau
8th Dorobanti Regiment Buzau: Buzau
9th Dorobanti Regiment Ramnicu Sarat: Ramnicu Sarat
32nd Dorobanti Regiment Mircea: Ploiesti
7th Artillery Regiment: Buzau
28th Artillery Regiment: Ramnicu Sarat

6th Infantry Division: Focsani
10th Dorobanti Regiment Putna: Focsani
15th Dorobanti Regiment Razboieni: Piatra Neamt
27th Dorobanti Regiment Bacau: Bacau
11th Artillery Regiment: Focsani
16th Artillery Regiment: Bacau

7th Infantry Division: Roman
14th Dorobanti Regiment Roman: Roman
16th Dorobanti Regiment Baia-Maresal Josef Pilsudski: Falticeni
37th Infantry Regiment Alexandru cel Bun: Botosani
4th Artillery Regiment: ?
8th Artillery Regiment: Botosani

8th Infantry Division: Cernauti
29th Infantry Regiment Dragos: Dorohoi
7th Vanatori Regiment Eremia Movila: ?
8th Vanatori Regiment Grigore Ghica: Lipcani
12th Artillery Regiment: Cernauti
17th Artillery Regiment: Lipcani

9th Infantry Division: Constanta
34th Infantry Regiment Constanta: Constanta
36th Infantry Regiment Vasile Lupu: Constanta
40th Infantry Regiment Calugareni: Ferdinand (presently Mihail Kogalniceanu)
13th Artillery Regiment: Constanta
18th Artillery Regiment: Constanta

10th Infantry Division: Braila
23rd Infantry Regiment Ialomita:Calarasi
33rd Dorobanti Regiment Tulcea: Tulcea
38th Infantry Regiment Neagoe Basarab: Braila?
3rd Artillery Regiment Franta: Braila
20th Artillery Regiment: : Calarasi

11th Infantry Division: Slatina
2nd Dorobanti Regiment Valcea: Ramnicu Valcea
3rd Dorobanti Regiment Olt: Slatina
19th Infantry Regiment Romanati: Caracal
21st Artillery Regiment: Slatina
26th Artillery Regiment: Curtea de Arges

13th Infantry Division: Ploiesti
7th Dorobanti Regiment Prahova: Targoviste (until 1938 in Ploiesti)
22nd Infantry Regiment Dambovita: Targoviste
89th Infantry Regiment: Brasov
19th Artillery Regiment: Ploiesti
41st Artillery Regiment: Brasov

14th Infantry Division: Balti (moved to Iasi in June 1940)
13th Dorobanti Regiment Stefan cel Mare: Iasi
39th Infantry Regiment Petru Rares: Floresti
6th Vanatori Regiment: Balti
24th Artillery Regiment: Ungheni
29th Artillery Regiment: Balti

15th Infantry Division: Chisinau (moved to Vaslui? In June 1940)
25th Infantry Regiment Maresal Constantin Prezan: Husi
12th Infantry Regiment Cantemir: Barlad
10th Vanatori Regiment: Tighina
23rd Artillery Regiment: ?
25th Artillery Regiment: ?

18th Infantry Division: Sibiu
18th Dorobanti Regiment Gorj: Targu Jiu
90th Infantry Regiment: Sibiu
92nd Infantry Regiment Decebal: Orastie
35th Artillery Regiment: Sibiu
36th Artillery Regiment: Targu Jiu

19th Infantry Division: Turnu Severin
94th Infantry Regiment: Orsova
95th Infantry Regiment Imparatul Traian: Turnu Severin
96th Infantry Regiment: Caransebes
37th Artillery Regiment: Turnu Severin
42nd Artillery Regiment: Lugoj

20th Infantry Division: ? (it used to be Targu Mures until August 1940)
82nd Infantry Regiment: ?
83rd Infantry Regiment Tribunul Solomon Balint: ?
91st Infantry Regiment Alba Iulia-Regele Ferdinand I: Alba Iulia
39th Artillery Regiment: ?
40th Artillery Regiment: ?

21st Infantry Division: Galati
11th Dorobanti Regiment Siret: Galati
35th Dorobanti Regiment Matei Basarab: Cetatea Alba
24th Infantry Regiment Tecuci: Tecuci
5th Artillery Regiment: Barlad
30th Artillery Regiment: Chisinau

[David C. Clarke]

Excellent Victor!!! Thanks much, I don't think I've ever seen this information before!!!

Put yourself in for a ForumKreuz, 1st Class!!!

Best Regards,
David

[Marcus]

Excellent info posted in this thread!

/Marcus

[David C. Clarke]

My limited resources give me this information regarding Romanian First Armored Division:

November 19, 1942:

Strength: 12,196 men
Operational AFVs:
84--R-2
19--Pz. III+IV
2 Captured Soviet tanks
Unserviceable AFVs:
37--R-2
3--Pz.
Detached unit--one motorized Skoda 100mm howitzer Battalion supporting 1st Cavary Division.
Commander: General Radu Gherghe
Operations(?) Officer: Major Mavrici

Can anyone supply more information about the Division's command structure?

I also have the Soviet SW Front as containing 730 tanks at the start of the offensive.

Best Regards,
David

[David C. Clarke]

Also, I have a chart reflecting the relative states of motorization in Infantry Divisions of the Romanian Army, as compared to the German and Soviet Armies. For the Romanian Army in 1942, the official allotment of an infantry division was:

16,097 men
202 motor vehicles
1,615 Horse-drawn vehicles
7,902 Horses
Ratio, men/vehicles: 80/1

There is a note that while this was the official establishment, on October 25th 1942, Romanian Infantry Divisions had an average of only 102 motor vehicles, including motorcycles.

Best Regards,
David

[Victor]

I only managed to find data for several units.

Endowment:
1st Cavalry Division (data are for its losses at Stalingrad, which were almost all it had)
6,175 rifles
271 pistols
243 LMGs
66 HMGs
57 mortars
39 guns
6,804 horses
603 carts
106 vehicles
5 R-1 light tanks

7th Cavalry Division (March 1942)
5,404 rifles
242 LMGs
62 HMGs
42 mortars
47 guns
2,748 horses
436 carts
136 vehicles

5th Infantry Division (August 1942)
7,490 horses
1,262 carts
153 vehicles
12,196 rifles
340 LMGs
112 HMGs
53 ATGs
20 AAGs
114 mortars
48 artillery pieces

6th Infantry Division (losses at Don's Bend)
5,115 horses
10,965 rifles
337 LMGs
147 HMGs
30 ATGs
139 vehicles

7th Infantry Division (losses at Don's Bend)
6,910 rifles
294 LMGs
98 HMGs
96 mortars
88 guns
646 carts
49 vehicles

14th Infantry Division (August 1942)
13,421 rifles
354 LMGs
122 HMGs
102 mortars
116 guns
7,541 carts
1,273 carts
105 vehicles

15th Infantry Division (August 1942)
13,410 rifles
394 LMGs
112 HMGs
446 revolvers
512 SMGs
232 guns
7,324 horses
1,247 carts

[dragos]

More on the 1st Armoured Division

1st Tank Regiment organization:
2 battalions:
- 3 companies
- medium tanks company (11 T-3/11 T-4)

Motorized Specialties Group organization:
Reconnaissance Group
1st Motorcycle Company
2nd Motorcycle Company
Antitank Company (47-mm)
Heavy Weapons Battalion
AA Company (20-mm)
Antitank Company (75-mm)
Specialities Company
Vânători Company

I could find the following commanders:
Division commander - General de divizie Radu Gherghe
Second in command - Colonel Alexandru Pastia
1st Tank Regiment - Colonel Emilian Ionescu
3rd Vânători Regiment - Colonel Constantin Nistor
Motorized Specialties Group - Colonel Otto Benedict
Reconnaissance Group - Locotenent Constantin Husărescu

[Victor]

4th Motorized Vanatori Regiment CO lt. col. Gheorghe L. Popescu.
Col. Alexandru Pastia, the deputy commander of the 1st Armored Division, was severely WIA by an artillery shell on 21 November and died quickly after that.

[Michi]

Thanks DCC!!

As this is a very clear title line, it was very easy to find.
(you may remember my problems with your PzVbd 700 topic)


Here are some of my contributions to the 3rd & 4th Romanian Armies:
Part 1: The 1st Armored/Tank Division (Romanian)


First row: 18/11/1942
Second row: 20/11/1942
Third row: 30/11/1942
Datas in brackets: The Day Before


1st Armored/Tank-Division (Romanian):
operational:......(??) ??.............(122) 108..........(12) 03
Pz II:............... (??) ??......................--..................--
Pz 35(t):.......... (??) ??......................87.................--
Pz III/50kz:..... (??) --......................--..................--
Pz III/50lg:..... (??) --.......................--.................--
Pz III/75kz:..... (??) ??..................... 10.................02
Pz IV/75kz:..... (??) --.......................--.................--
Pz IV/75lg:..... (??) ??.......................11.................01
PzBefWg:........ (??) --.......................--.................--

14 tanks lost on 19/11/1942
07 tanks lost on 29/11/1942

18/11/1942:
no datas given
20/11/1942:
no datas given
30/11/1942:
in longer overhauling/repairs service: 27



MfG Michi
Pz 38(t) changed to Pz 35(t)

[dragos]

Michi,

The 1st Romanian Armoured Division did not have Panzer 38(t) at that date (they were delivered to Romanian Army starting with May 1943).

[Michi]

Hello Dragos,


Thanks, indeed they were Pz 35(t).
I will correct it on my list.


MfG Michi