The 2nd Guard Aviation Flotilla (), also known as ("2nd Guard Aeronautical Flotilla") was an Aviation Flotilla of the

Royal Romanian Air Force The Air Force branch of the Royal Romanian forces in World War II was officially named the (ARR, ), though it is more commonly referred to in English histories as the (Royal Romanian Air Force, FARR), or simply (Romanian Air Force). It provided ...

formed in 1929 following the general restructuring of the Air Force. In 1930, it became patroned by King

Carol II Carol II (4 April 1953) was King of Romania from 8 June 1930, until his forced abdication on 6 September 1940. As the eldest son of Ferdinand I of Romania, King Ferdinand I, he became crown prince upon the death of his grand-uncle, King Carol I, ...

, being designated as a Guard unit a year later.

History

5th Aviation Group

The 2nd Aviation Flotilla has its origins with the 5th Aviation Group (). On 10 December 1918, the command of the

Romanian army The Romanian Land Forces () is the army of Romania, and the main component of the Romanian Armed Forces. Since 2007, full professionalization and a major equipment overhaul have transformed the nature of the Land Forces. The Romanian Land Forc ...

Transylvania Transylvania ( or ; ; or ; Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Siweberjen'') is a List of historical regions of Central Europe, historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and ...

was established in

Sibiu Sibiu ( , , , Hungarian: ''Nagyszeben'', , Transylvanian Saxon: ''Härmeschtat'' or ''Hermestatt'') is a city in central Romania, situated in the historical region of Transylvania. Located some north-west of Bucharest, the city straddles th ...

. This Army Command was assigned a

reconnaissance In military operations, military reconnaissance () or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, the terrain, and civil activities in the area of operations. In military jargon, reconnai ...

squadron and a maintenance unit under the command of Major Athanase Enescu, forming . On 1 February 1919, the Group received a

Nieuport Nieuport, later Nieuport-Delage, was a French aeroplane company that primarily built racing aircraft before World War I and fighter aircraft during World War I and between the wars. History Beginnings Originally formed as Nieuport-Duplex in ...

Squadron which was stationed in

Someșeni Someșeni (formerly known as ''Someșfalău''; German language, German: ''Mikelsdorf''; Hungarian language, Hungarian: ''Szamosfalva'') is a largely residential neighbourhood of Cluj-Napoca, Romania. History In the 5th century, the area was inhab ...

, and on 15 February a Sopwith Squadron which was based in

Gherla Gherla (; ; ) is a municipality in Cluj County, Romania (in the historical region of Transylvania). It is located from Cluj-Napoca on the river Someșul Mic, and has a population of 19,873 as of 2021. Three villages are administered by the city: ...

. In March 1919, , nicknamed , consisted of three squadrons: , which eventually became after receiving

Bréguet 14 The Breguet XIV (in contemporary practice) or Breguet 14 is a French biplane bomber and reconnaissance aircraft of World War I. It was built in very large numbers and production continued for many years after the end of the war. The Breguet 14 w ...

aircraft, , and .

Transylvanian Saxon The Transylvanian Saxons (; Transylvanian Saxon: ''Siweberjer Såksen'' or simply ''Soxen'', singularly ''Sox'' or ''Soax''; Transylvanian Landler: ''Soxn'' or ''Soxisch''; ; seldom ''sași ardeleni/transilvăneni/transilvani''; ) are a people ...

airmen who enrolled in the

Romanian Air Corps The Romanian Air Corps or Aviation Corps (RAC) () was the air arm of the Romanian army until the formation of the Romanian Air Force. It was established on 1 April 1913 as the Military Aeronautics Service () and subordinated to the Engineer Insp ...

were also assigned to the 5th Aviation Group. The Group participated in the Hungarian-Romanian War. After the capture of

Budapest Budapest is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns of Hungary, most populous city of Hungary. It is the List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, tenth-largest city in the European Union by popul ...

on 4 August 1919, the Group was transferred to a base in the city, where it remained until September. The squadrons were then moved to

Kecskemét Kecskemét ( ) is a city with county rights in central Hungary. It is the List of cities and towns of Hungary, eighth-largest city in the country, and the county seat of Bács-Kiskun County, Bács-Kiskun. Kecskemét lies halfway between the ca ...

Lugoj Lugoj (; ; ; ; ; ) is a list of cities and towns in Romania, city in Timiș County, Romania. The Timiș, Timiș River divides the city into two halves: the "Romanian Lugoj" that spreads on the right bank, and the "German Lugoj" on the left bank. Th ...

, and Arad to monitor the

Serbian Army The Serbian Army () is the land-based and the largest component of the Serbian Armed Forces. Its organization, composition, weapons and equipment are adapted to the assigned missions and tasks of the Serbian Armed Forces, primarily for operatio ...

activity on the Romanian border until 20 August 1920. In October of the same year, the Group was assigned a

Brandenburg Brandenburg, officially the State of Brandenburg, is a States of Germany, state in northeastern Germany. Brandenburg borders Poland and the states of Berlin, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony. It is the List of Ger ...

Squadron while was transferred to its original group, ''

Grupul 1 Aeronautic ''Grupul 1 Aeronautic'' ("1st Aeronautical Group" in English), also known as ''Grupul 1 Aviație'' ("1st Aviation Group") was one of the three groups of the Romanian Air Corps created following the aviation reorganization in the winter of 1916/19 ...

''. After the disbanding of the (M.C.G.), the Aviation was subordinated to the

Ministry of War Ministry of War may refer to: * Ministry of War (imperial China) ( 600–1912) * Chinese Republic Ministry of War (1912–1946) * Ministry of War (Kingdom of Bavaria) (1808–1919) * Ministry of War (Brazil) (1815–1999) * Ministry of War (Esto ...

, and the Aviation Groups were subordinated to the new Higher Directorate of Aeronautics. The name of the 5th Group was kept until 1923 when it was changed to the 2nd Reconnaissance Group. In 1928, the reconnaissance groups were renamed to aviation groups, with the 2nd Reconnaissance Group becoming the 2nd Aeronautical Group.

2nd Aviation Flotilla

The 2nd Aeronautical Group with its base at

Cluj Cluj-Napoca ( ; ), or simply Cluj ( , ), is a city in northwestern Romania. It is the second-most populous city in the country and the seat of Cluj County. Geographically, it is roughly equidistant from Bucharest (), Budapest () and Belgrade ( ...

kept its organization until 1929, when the

group A group is a number of persons or things that are located, gathered, or classed together. Groups of people * Cultural group, a group whose members share the same cultural identity * Ethnic group, a group whose members share the same ethnic iden ...

s were converted to

flotilla A flotilla (from Spanish, meaning a small ''flota'' ( fleet) of ships), or naval flotilla, is a formation of small warships that may be part of a larger fleet. Composition A flotilla is usually composed of a homogeneous group of the same cla ...

s with the increase in

aircraft An aircraft ( aircraft) is a vehicle that is able to flight, fly by gaining support from the Atmosphere of Earth, air. It counters the force of gravity by using either Buoyancy, static lift or the Lift (force), dynamic lift of an airfoil, or, i ...

and personnel. In June 1930, Prince

rented an airplane from

München Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...

in order to return to Romania. On the way, the aircraft ran out of fuel and had to perform an

emergency landing An emergency landing is a premature landing made by an aircraft in response to an emergency involving an imminent or ongoing threat to the safety and operation of the aircraft, or involving a sudden need for a passenger or crew on board to term ...

Izvoru Crișului Izvoru Crișului (; , ); is a commune in Cluj County, Transylvania, Romania. It is composed of four villages: Izvoru Crișului, Nadășu (''Kalotanádas''), Nearșova (''Nyárszó''), and Șaula (''Sárvásár''). The commune is located in the no ...

near Cluj. The aircraft was recovered by a military patrol from the 2nd Flotilla and Carol was flown with a military airplane by airmen from the Flotilla to

Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...

on 6 June. As a sign of gratitude to the aviators, Carol became the patron of the 2nd Flotilla after he gained the throne. He also founded the

Order of Aeronautical Virtue The Order of Aeronautical Virtue () is a Romanian military decoration created by King Carol II on 31 July 1930. Originally, the Order had three ranks: Knight, Officer and Commander, as well as a "Golden Cross" rank as the lowest one. The first t ...

for the same reason. With Carol's

patronage Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows on another. In the history of art, art patronage refers to the support that princes, popes, and other wealthy and influential people ...

, the Flotilla changed its name to the 2nd Aviation Flotilla "King Carol II", and it received distinctive

insignia An insignia () is a sign or mark distinguishing a group, grade, rank, or function. It can be a symbol of personal power or that of an official group or governing body. An insignia, which is typically made of metal or fabric, is a standalone sy ...

for the

uniforms A uniform is a variety of costume worn by members of an organization while usually participating in that organization's activity. Modern uniforms are most often worn by armed forces and paramilitary organizations such as police, emergency ser ...

. In 1931, it received the status of a guard unit and was renamed to the 2nd Guard Aviation Flotilla "King Carol II" (). As a Guard unit, the Flotilla received the following tasks: during peacetime, apart from the training of specialized personnel and

aircrew Aircrew are personnel who operate an aircraft while in flight. The composition of a flight's crew depends on the type of aircraft, plus the flight's duration and purpose. Commercial aviation Flight deck positions In commercial aviatio ...

s, the Flotilla was to ensure the reception of the King on arrival in the

garrison A garrison is any body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it. The term now often applies to certain facilities that constitute a military base or fortified military headquarters. A garrison is usually in a city ...

, escorting him to all parades and solemnities, and send some officers to certain ceremonies; during wartime, the Flotilla was to be used on the front according to the M.C.G. requirements. Also in 1931, the official anniversary of the Flotilla was set to 6 June. The organization of the 2nd Guard Aviation Flotilla in 1932 was as follows: *Reconnaissance Group (), with three reconnaissance squadrons () *Fighter Group (), with two fighter squadrons (), a specialist squadron, a maintenance squadron, and a deposit squadron. In 1932, the battle flag of the unit was decorated with the Golden Cross rank of the Order of Aeronautical Virtue. In November 1936, the aviators of the 2nd Reconnaissance Squadron executed a "raid" to

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

on the Cluj-

Lwów Lviv ( or ; ; ; see #Names and symbols, below for other names) is the largest city in western Ukraine, as well as the List of cities in Ukraine, fifth-largest city in Ukraine, with a population of It serves as the administrative centre of ...

- Demblin-

Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...

Radom Radom is a city in east-central Poland, located approximately south of the capital, Warsaw. It is situated on the Mleczna River in the Masovian Voivodeship. Radom is the fifteenth-largest city in Poland and the second-largest in its province w ...

Jarosław Jarosław (; , ; ; ) is a town in southeastern Poland, situated on the San (river), San River. The town had 35,475 inhabitants in 2023. It is the capital of Jarosław County in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship. History Jarosław is located in the ...

-Cluj route with an IAR-built

Potez 25 Potez 25 (also written as Potez XXV) was a French twin-seat, single-engine sesquiplane designed during the 1920s. A light multi-purpose Strike fighter, fighter-bomber, it was designed as a line aircraft and used in a variety of roles, including F ...

. On the mobilization order in September 1939, the Flotilla consisted of four Air Corps Commands () with the 1st Long Range Reconnaissance Squadron equipped with the

Bristol Blenheim The Bristol Blenheim is a British light bomber designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company, which was used extensively in the first two years of the Second World War, with examples still being used as trainers until the end of the war. ...

; the 11th, 12th and 13th Observation Squadrons; and the 111th and 112th

Liaison Liaison or Liaisons may refer to: General usage * Affair, an unfaithful sexual relationship * Collaboration * Co-operation * Liaison, an egg-based thickening used in cooking Arts and entertainment * Liaisons (''Desperate Housewives''), a 2007 ...

Squadrons.

After the Second Vienna Award

When the

Second Vienna Award The Second Vienna Award was the second of two territorial disputes that were arbitrated by Nazi Germany and the Kingdom of Italy. On 30 August 1940, they assigned the territory of Northern Transylvania, including all of Maramureș and part of Cri ...

was signed, the 2nd Aviation Flotilla was still deployed at Someșeni. Following this, it was relocated to

Mediaș Mediaș (; , , Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Medwesch''/''Medveš''/''Medwisch'', ) is the second largest municipiu, town and municipality in Sibiu County, Transylvania, central Romania. Geography Mediaș is located in ...

, but it retained the same organization. With the reorganization of the Romanian military in 1940, the Flotilla was disbanded and its squadrons were redistributed to other units. On the establishment of the Air Combat Group () on 22 June 1941, the 2nd Guard Aviation Flotilla appeared again with the 1st and 2nd Guard Groups and the 11th, 12th, 13th, and 14th Observation Squadrons. The headquarters were located at Sihlele. On 1 July 1941, the 2nd Guard Aviation Flotilla was put at the disposal of the Air Command of the 4th Army. The Air Combat Group was disbanded at the end of the 1941 campaign.

References

Bibliography