1st Romanian Volunteer Division Tudor Vladimirescu

[Panzermahn]

Hi,

After the Romanian defected to the Soviets, the Romanian Bolsheviks created a division to fight against the Axis forces in 1944 and the name of this division is known as "Tudor Vladimirescu" division.

Anyone had more info on this division, history and OoB?

Thanks for any help

Regards
Panzermahn

[eiserne kreuz]

Pressed for time at moment. info gleaned fromthe excellent Charles C. Sharp series on the Soviet OOB in WWII.
Division had:
Rifle Regiments 1,2,3
Art.Regt.1
A/T Battn.1
Engineer Battn.1
Medical Battn.1
Recce Cpy.1
Truck CPY.1
Signals Cpy.1

[eiserne kreuz]

This actually tarted forming before the defection of Rumania! 28.11.43 in Moscow MD at Seletskii Camp. 15.3.44 official title received as "1st Rumanian Volunteer in the name of Tudor Vladimireskii" Rifle Division. By 1.4.44 division organised with same TOE as Soviet Guards Rifle Division. 7.5.44 Division received flag and officially formed.
More to follow.

[eiserne kreuz]

Sorry for delay. Division went to Rumanian front on 29.8.44, served in 2nd Ukrainian Fronts Mobile Group near Bucharest. Later fought in Hungary under Soviet 27th Army, and awarded honorific title of 'Debrecenskikh' or Debrecen- where it had distinguished itself on 19-20.10.44.In 3.45 back to Bucharest as a reserve and also to keep a firm grip on the capital after return of regular Rumanian troops after the war ended. Hope this is of some use to you.

[Panzermahn]

Hi eiserne Kreuz,

Thank you very much for these infos. Really appreciate it!!

Regards
Panzermahn

[Victor]

The 1st Romanian Volunteer Division Tudor Vladimirescu was created on 2 October 1943 after many pleads made by the Romanian Communists exiled in the USSR, led by Ana Pauker. The men were recruited from the POWs in the Soviet camps. The prospect of a better life than that enjoyed in the camps and of the promissed return home meant that there were enough soldiers willing to join it. Obviously books published in Romania during the 1948-1989 period underlined the soldiers' "desire to fight fascism and free the country of Antonescu's dictatorship", the main motivation was more related to survival and longing for home than to "Communist ideals". The main problem of the recuiters was the lack of officers willing to join the division. Thus sergents and NCOs had to receive a quick officer course by 1 February 1944 in order ensure the neccessary staff. As political officers were used 500 Communists of Romanian citizenship, exiled in the USSR previoous to the war.

The first CO was col. Nicolae Cambrea, the former chief of staff of the 5th Infantry Division, captured at Serafimovich on 22 November 1942. He was released from the Suzdal camp and took over the TV division on 15 November 1943 and began organizing it.

The OoB was that of a Soviet rifle division:
- 1st, 2nd and 3rd Panduri Regiments (the panduri were a volunteer corps commanded by Tudor Vladimirescu, which served in the Russian Army during the 1806-1812 Russo-Turkish War); each regiment had 3 rifle battalions (3 rifle companies, one machine-gun company and one 82 mm mortar company each), one AT rifle company (36 pieces), one 120 mm mortar battery (6 pieces), one 76.2 mm gun battery (6 pieces), one 45 mm AT gun battery (6 pieces)
- 1st Artillery Regiment: two battalions of 76.2 mm guns (24 pieces) and one 122 mm howitzers battalion (12 pieces)
-AT Battalion
-Pioneer Battalion
-Recon Company
-Communications Company
The weapons and equipment were Soviet, but the rank insignias were Romanian.

Because the Red Army was approaching Romanian territory, the preparations were hurried up. It took the oath on 30 March 1944 and the following day it was sent to the front and subordinated to gen. Malinovsky's 2nd Ukrainian Front. The division arrived at Vapniarka on 23 April, but since the Soviet offensive had run out of steam and the front stabilized, it didn't get to see any action and was put in reserve and the political officers started a propaganda campaign on the Romanian territory (the northeastern corner of the country) under Red Army control.

After the Jassy-Kishinev Operation began, the TV division was ordered to occupy Iasi on 21 August and Romania's capitulation two days later avoided the undesirable situation of a Romanian-Romanian fight. On 28 August, 150 vehicles were assigned to it in order to get to Bucharest as fast as possible. Malinovsky probably counted on the propaganda potential it had. Thus, the advanced echelon saw its first combat action against a small German force at Bulbocea, near Vaslui. The rest of the division egaged another German unit on 31 August, on the Ciunta Hill, near Deleni. Teh motorized detachment entered Bucharest on 31 August 1944. But because the order was secured by the Romanian Government and the division could not be used in this role, it was sent to the front in Transylvania.

To be continued, after I get back.

[Panzermahn]

Victor,

Thanks a lot for the detail info you provided. Greatly appreciate it!

Regards
Panzermahn

[tooz]

Does anyone know if these guys were equipped with Russian uniforms and weapons or did they wear Romanian uniforms and use Romanian weapons?

[Anatol]

They had the Soviet weapon, regular structure of the Soviet division of guards,
National regimentals made in the Soviet Union from an English material with a special sign of a division.

[georgica]

This Division take pride and claimed that they freed the capital Bucharest of germans , Russians said they did. The truth is that Bucharest was eliberated before Russians got there. Tudor Vladimirescu Division is still activ today serving Romania.