Romanian Generals

Victor · Post by **Victor** » 19 Sep 2002 14:09

Well, there aren't too many left in the army. maybe air force generals and amirals.

Victor · Post by **Victor** » 20 Sep 2002 14:14

1. Maj. gen. Emanoil "Pipitu" Ionescu was the CO of the 1st Air Corps from late 1943 until the end of the war. His air corps supported several Axis defensive actions and earned the admiration and gratitude of German generals like von Manteuffel or von Kleist. He received a RK probably for the support offered to the Grossdeutschland in the Battle of Targu-Frumos. Agaist the Axis, the Romanian air corps supported mainly the Romanian troops, but it also responded to calls from the Red Army.

2. Rear admiral Horia Macellariu was the Romanian officer in charge of Operation 60,000, which was suppose to bring home from Crimea all the Romanian and other Axis personnel. They managed to evacuate over 120,000 people. For this he received a RK.

Steen Ammentorp · Post by **Steen Ammentorp** » 20 Sep 2002 15:22

A comment to Victor’s remark above on the generals left in the army. Actually there were quite a few left. By October 25 1944 the army list counted 193 generals.
See http://www.generals.dk/Romania.htm for information on these, although it isn’t written in an epic style like Victors.

Anyhow I was wondering whether people would like a list of Romanian WWII generals from the air force and admirals of the navy?

Kind Regards
Steen Ammentorp
The Generals of World War II

David Thompson · Post by **David Thompson** » 20 Sep 2002 15:53

I would.

Steen Ammentorp · Post by **Steen Ammentorp** » 20 Sep 2002 17:51

This may not be complete, so if anybody can add something – please do so.

Air Force:
General de Escadra Aviator Constantin Argesanu
General de Escadra Aviator Traian Burduloiu (1894-1974)
General Commandant Aviator Constantin Celareanu (1890-1989)
General Commandant Aviator Ramiro Enescu (1891-1949)
General Commandant Aviator Ermil Gheorghiu (1896-1977)
General Inspector Aviator Emanoil Ionescu (1893-1949)
General Commandant Aviator Gheorghe Jienescu (1895-1971)
General Commandant Aviator Alexandru Sahini (1897-1974)
General Commandant Aviator Gheorghe Vasiliu (1892-1954)

Navy:
Amrial Petre Barbuneanu (1881-1979)
Contraamiral Alexandru Constantinescu
Viceamiral E. Ioan Georgescu (1891-1977)
Viceamiral Alexandru Gheorghiu (1890-1967)
Contreamiral Em. Gheorghe Koslinski (1889-1950)
Contraamiral Horia Macellariu (1894-1989)
Contraamiral T. Nicolae Pais (1886-1952)
Contraamiral August Roman (1892-1984)
Contraamiral Alexandru Stoianovici (1892-1951)

Kind Regards
Steen Ammentorp
The Generals of World War II

Victor · Post by **Victor** » 21 Sep 2002 07:27

I know there are more, but Desert Fox asked about notable Romanian generals, not every Romanian general. That is, if I understood correctly, generals that distinguished themslves in some specific occasion.

Steen Ammentorp · Post by **Steen Ammentorp** » 21 Sep 2002 07:45

Point taken. Victor – I had no doubt that you knew there where more generals, I just formulated my remark badly. Are you able ad additional names to the list of admirals and air force general?

Kind Regards
Steen Ammentorp
The Generals of World War II

Victor · Post by **Victor** » 21 Sep 2002 08:05

No, even though the air force is my string point I am not familiar with any other names. But that does not mean there aren't more.

Victor · Post by **Victor** » 21 Sep 2002 14:52

1. Brig. gen. Corneliu Carp was just a colonel when he took over the 8th Cavalry brigade from Corneliu Teodorini, just as the battle of Kerch started. He lead his brigade in its pocket clearing operations in the Kerch peninsula. He then went on with his unit to Stalingrad, where it was incorporated into the 4th Army, south of the city. The Soviet assault on 20 November forced the brigade to retreat and caused many casualties. He was relieved of command in January, and in July 1943 took over the 5th Motorized Cavalry Division and commanded it during the battles and in Moldavia* in 1944.

* in his citation for the Mihai Viteazu order 3rd class, his actions in Crimea with the 5th Cav. Div. are mentioned, but I did not find any record of the 5th being in Crimea. It may have been awarded for the 8th. But who knows?

2. Brig. gen. Ion Etimiu started the war as a lt. col. In the 1st Armored Division. After the unit suffered heavy losses in the siege of Odessa, the remaining tanks and several motorized infantry and artillery battalions were reorganized into the "Lt. Col. Eftimiu" Detachment (later, the 1st Assault Detachment) which saw heavy action in the fights near Dalnik. It was the first unit to enter the city on 16 October and capture the Soviet rear-guard. Promoted to colonel he was the Chief of staff of the Cavalry Corps in 1943-44, for which he received hid MV order 3rd class. He finally got his command in July 1944 with the 6th Cavalry Division with which he participated in the fights around Bucharest and Ploesti after 24 August. His unit was disbanded as the armistice required

3. Lt. gen. Radu Gherghe was the CO of the 1st Armored Division during the battle of Stalingrad. His division was launched together with the German 22nd against the Soviet forces advancing through the breaches in the 3rd Army. But because the two units attacked uncoordinated and the Romanians had only 11 Mk. IVs and 11 Mk. IIIs and the rest mainly R-2s (in total 133 tanks) the unit was encircled. Between 21 and 24 November he struggled to get out and finally made it. The unit took part in the Wintergewitter Operation. The new lt. gen. was appointed in April 1944 CO of the 1st Corps which would be deployed on the front in Moldavia. After the Soviet offensive began he managed to pull back his corps and escape encirclement. His divisions were later reassigned and took part in the operation in Transylvania.

4. Lt. gen. Nicolae Macici was the CO of the 2nd Corps, which was deployed in the Danube Delta at the beginning of the war. It took part in the operations in southern Bessarabia, after forcing the Danube. In November 1941 he was appointed commander of the Romanian army which remained home: the 1st Army. He was promoted to lt. gen. in 1942. In August 1944, when Romania quit the Axis and later joined the Allies, he suddenly found himself on the new frontline. His troops managed repulse Axis attacks or pull back in some areas, but generally they managed to hold the mountain passes open, until the Soviets arrived. Then 1st Army was involved in the offensive in western Romania and then eastern Hungary and into Slovakia. He was relieved of command on 12 February 1945.

More to come.

The Desert Fox · Post by **The Desert Fox** » 21 Sep 2002 15:30

What was the fate of many of these Generals under a Soviet dominated post war Romania. How many where able to forge post war careers in the military? Did any of them achieve postions of importance in the armed forces of the Warsaw pact?

regards
The Desert Fox

Victor · Post by **Victor** » 21 Sep 2002 16:09

Most perished in prisons or were forgotten.

There was a funny episode with general Dascalescu, who went back to work on his piece of land and after some years looked like an ordinary old peasant. Walking to his field, he stopped to rest. Close to him was a platoon training. He gave the young officer some advice. He was very surprised to see that old peasent talk so well about military training and terms. He was then astonished to find in front of him a Romanian general, who commanded the 4th Army. Apparently he ordered his soldiers to line up and salute the general.

Ovidius · Post by **Ovidius** » 22 Sep 2002 10:06

Victor wrote:Most perished in prisons or were forgotten.

But others, both officers and generals of the Royal Romanian Army, were used by the Communist regime.

Guess how did they choose who dies/is imprisoned and who remains in the army(combat career against the Soviets does not count, many of those who were kept further in the Army had been decorated on the Eastern Front).

(Hint: given the identity of the 1940s-1960s Communist leaders, the reason begins with a "T": T***********).

~Ovidius

Victor · Post by **Victor** » 22 Sep 2002 10:45

1. Lt. gen. Constantin Pantazi was the Minister of Defense for 2 and a half years during Antonescu’s rule. A highly decorated cavalry and mountain troops WWI captain, he was fist appointed secretary of state in the MoD and in January 1942 MoD. He regularly inspected units on the frontline and tried to take care as well as he could of the equipping problems. Romania mustered the most numerous non German forces on the Eastern front, sometimes thousands of kilometers from home and that was also thanks to his efforts. He was arrested together with Antonescu and sent to Russia. After the war he was put on trial in Romania and sentenced to life in prison, where he died.

2. Lt. gen. Gheorghe Rozin was another highly decorated (MV order) WWI officer. At the beginning of Operation Barbarossa he commanded the 13th Infantry Division in its Bessarabian campaign in 1941, as part of the German 11th Army. In 1943 he was promoted to maj. gen. and assigned to the command of the 4th Corps and in early 1944, the new lt. gen. became the CO of the Mechanized Corps, with which he participated in the Transylvanian campaign with success, managing to stop and then push back the Hungarian 2nd Armored Division and SS Florian Geyer Cavalry Division.

Victor · Post by **Victor** » 22 Sep 2002 10:46

Tha...Tha...That's all folks!

The Desert Fox · Post by **The Desert Fox** » 22 Sep 2002 10:47

Did any senior Romanian officers suceed in escaping to the west and out of the hands of the communists who came into power? Some foreigners who fought for the Axis escaped to Spain or central america for example. Did any senior Romanian officers have similiar luck in finding a new life in another country?

regards
The Desert Fox

Axis History Forum

Romanian Generals

The post war fate of Romanian Generals

Did any escape to the West?