The

Air Force An air force in the broadest sense is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army aviati ...

branch of the Royal Romanian forces in

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

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 The Romanian Air Force (RoAF) () is the air force branch of the Romanian Armed Forces. It has an air force headquarters, an operational command, five air bases, a logistics base, an air defense brigade, an air defense regiment and an ISR (Intel ...

). It provided support to land forces, carrying out

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 ...

and mounting air raids between other missions.

History

Before the war

The ARR was established on 1 January 1924 from the previous

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 ...

. This was followed by the formation of the Undersecretariat of State for the Air (''Subsecretariatul de Stat al Aerului'') within 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 ...

in 1932, then by the formation of the Ministry of Air and Navy in 1936 (which existed until 1940). Between 1920 and 1940, the Romanian military aviation saw a constant development, receiving new aircraft manufactured locally of either local design or under license. The increasing number of aircraft and pilots determined the air force command to convert the four existing Aviation Groups to Air Flotillas ( Air Wings) in 1929. By 1940 other flotillas were created as well. The Royal Romanian Air Force fought against the Magyar Királyi Honvéd Légierö (Royal Hungarian Air Force) before the Hungarian annexation of

Northern Transylvania Northern Transylvania (, ) was the region of the Kingdom of Romania that during World War II, as a consequence of the August 1940 territorial agreement known as the Second Vienna Award, became part of the Kingdom of Hungary (1920-1946), Kingdom ...

in 1940. Following some Hungarian incursions into Romanian airspace, the 51st Fighter Squadron of 1st Fighter Flotilla equipped with

Heinkel He 112 The Heinkel He 112 is a German fighter aircraft designed by Walter and Siegfried Günter. It was one of four aircraft designed to compete for the 1933 fighter contract of the ''Luftwaffe'', in which it came second behind the Messerschmitt Bf 1 ...

aircraft was brought to

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 ( ...

on the Someșeni airfield to supplement the 2nd Fighter Flotilla equipped with the older

PZL P.11 The PZL P.11 is a Polish fighter aircraft, designed and produced in the early 1930s by Państwowe Zakłady Lotnicze. Possessing an all-metal structure, metal-covering, and high-mounted gull wing, the type held the distinction of being widely cons ...

fighters. On 28 August 1940, a Heinkel flown by Lieutenant Nicolae Polizu-Micșunești shot down a Hungarian Caproni Ca.135 near

Berveni Berveni (, Hungarian pronunciation: ) is a commune of 3,331 inhabitants situated in Satu Mare County, Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borde ...

World War II

On Romania's entry into the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the ARR had 621 aircraft in its endowment. Of these, around 253 aircraft were organized into the Air Combat Group and fought alongside the

Luftwaffe The Luftwaffe () was the aerial warfare, aerial-warfare branch of the before and during World War II. German Empire, Germany's military air arms during World War I, the of the Imperial German Army, Imperial Army and the of the Imperial Ge ...

during the advance into

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

and

Crimea Crimea ( ) is a peninsula in Eastern Europe, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, almost entirely surrounded by the Black Sea and the smaller Sea of Azov. The Isthmus of Perekop connects the peninsula to Kherson Oblast in mainland Ukrain ...

, until the

Battle of Stalingrad The Battle of Stalingrad ; see . rus, links=on, Сталинградская битва, r=Stalingradskaya bitva, p=stəlʲɪnˈɡratskəjə ˈbʲitvə. (17 July 19422 February 1943) was a major battle on the Eastern Front of World War II, ...

. The Royal Romanian Air Force also carried out some reconnaissance and patrol missions over the

Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal sea, marginal Mediterranean sea (oceanography), mediterranean sea lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bound ...

alongside Bulgarian units. The ARR was tasked with the air defence of the

Ploiești Ploiești ( , , ), formerly spelled Ploești, is a Municipiu, city and county seat in Prahova County, Romania. Part of the historical region of Muntenia, it is located north of Bucharest. The area of Ploiești is around , and it borders the Ble ...

oil installations, and also Bucharest against Allied air raids, and to protect

Axis An axis (: axes) may refer to: Mathematics *A specific line (often a directed line) that plays an important role in some contexts. In particular: ** Coordinate axis of a coordinate system *** ''x''-axis, ''y''-axis, ''z''-axis, common names ...

convoys in the Black Sea. These units fought against the

USAAF The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

and RAF during their raids against Romania. The ARR flew aircraft from

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

and

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 ...

, with their own and other foreign aircraft, as well as captured aircraft. The main models of fighter aircraft used include the PZL P.24E,

Hawker Hurricane The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft of the 1930s–40s which was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd. for service with the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was overshadowed in the public consciousness by ...

, Heinkel He 112,

Messerschmitt Bf 109 The Messerschmitt Bf 109 is a monoplane fighter aircraft that was designed and initially produced by the Nazi Germany, German aircraft manufacturer Messerschmitt#History, Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (BFW). Together with the Focke-Wulf Fw 190, the ...

E and G types,

Messerschmitt Bf 110 The Messerschmitt Bf 110, often known unofficially as the Me 110,Because it was built before ''Bayerische Flugzeugwerke'' became Messerschmitt AG in July 1938, the Bf 110 was never officially given the designation Me 110. is a twin-engined (de ...

(for night defence),

IAR 80 The IAR 80 was a Romanian World War II low-wing monoplane, all-metal monocoque fighter and ground-attack aircraft. When it first flew, in 1939, it was comparable to contemporary designs being deployed by the airforces of the most advanced ...

and IAR 81 were also used. Luftwaffe interceptor units under the command of '' Jagdfliegerführer Rumänien'' were also deployed in the area. The bomber force mainly consisted of Romanian-built IAR 79s, and German supplied

Heinkel He 111 The Heinkel He 111 is a German airliner and medium bomber designed by Siegfried and Walter Günter at Heinkel Flugzeugwerke in 1934. Through development, it was described as a wolf in sheep's clothing. Due to restrictions placed on Germany a ...

Junkers Ju 87 The Junkers Ju 87, popularly known as the "Stuka", is a German dive bomber and ground-attack aircraft. Designed by Hermann Pohlmann, it first flew in 1935. The Ju 87 made its combat debut in 1937 with the Luftwaffe's Condor Legion during the ...

s, and

Junkers Ju 88 The Junkers Ju 88 is a twin-engined multirole combat aircraft designed and produced by the German aircraft manufacturer Junkers Aircraft and Motor Works. It was used extensively during the Second World War by the ''Luftwaffe'' and became one o ...

Henschel Hs 129 The Henschel Hs 129 was a ground-attack aircraft designed and produced by the German aircraft manufacturer Henschel Flugzeugwerke AG. Fielded by the ''Luftwaffe'' during the Second World War, it saw combat in Tunisia and on the Eastern Front. ...

attack aircraft An attack aircraft, strike aircraft, or attack bomber is a tactical military aircraft that has a primary role of carrying out airstrikes with greater precision than bombers, and is prepared to encounter strong low-level air defenses while pr ...

were also used. From 1943, airplanes purchased from the

German armed forces The (, ''Federal Defence'') are the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. The is divided into a military part (armed forces or ''Streitkräfte'') and a civil part, the military part consists of the four armed forces: German Army, ...

such as the Bf 109G, He 111, Hs 129, Ju 87 and Ju 88 maintained German ownership to better facilitate replacement of losses in combat and accidents.

1944–1945

After the 23 August 1944 coup d'état, Romania turned against the Axis. The ARR, now allied with the

Soviet Air Forces The Soviet Air Forces (, VVS SSSR; literally "Military Air Forces of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics"; initialism VVS, sometimes referred to as the "Red Air Force") were one of the air forces of the Soviet Union. The other was the Sovie ...

fought against German and Hungarian forces in

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 ...

and

Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia ( ; Czech language, Czech and , ''Česko-Slovensko'') was a landlocked country in Central Europe, created in 1918, when it declared its independence from Austria-Hungary. In 1938, after the Munich Agreement, the Sudetenland beca ...

. During initial combat with the Germans over Bucharest, the ARR claimed 22 German aircraft shot down, including three Me 323 Gigant, and a further five other aircraft destroyed on the ground, while losses amounted to four Romanian aircraft in the air and 30 on the ground. The total number of German aircraft destroyed until 30 August was 59, mostly bombers. Several ships were also sunk on the

Danube The Danube ( ; see also #Names and etymology, other names) is the List of rivers of Europe#Longest rivers, second-longest river in Europe, after the Volga in Russia. It flows through Central and Southeastern Europe, from the Black Forest sou ...

by Romanian He 111 and Ju 87 bombers. Between 4 September 1944 and the end of the war, 126 enemy aircraft were claimed in battle to the loss of 30 aircraft. The total number of lost aircraft was around 176, mainly due to accidents. The last official victory of the ARR happened on 25 February 1945, when Adjutant Constantin Nicoară shot down a Bf 109K-4. A Soviet Yak-3 which engaged two Romanian Bf 109s together with another Yak-3, was also shot down on 4 May 1945. The victory was not officially credited in Romanian documents.

Post-war

After the return of the Romanian aviation units from the front on 12 August 1945, the ARR was reorganized by order of the

Allied Control Commission Following the termination of hostilities in World War II, the Allies were in control of the defeated Axis countries. Anticipating the defeat of Germany, Italy and Japan, they had already set up the European Advisory Commission and a proposed Far ...

. The new organization included the following units: the 1st Fighter Flotilla equipped with Bf 109 fighters, the 2nd Fighter Flotilla equipped with IAR 80/81 fighters, the 3rd Assault Flotilla with

attack aircraft, the 4th Dive Flotilla with

dive bombers, the 5th Heavy Bomber Flotilla with

and IAR 79 bombers, the 6th Information Flotilla with IAR 39 reconnaissance aircraft, the Hydroaviation Flotilla, the 7th Air Transport Flotilla and the Aerostation Flotilla, all under the command of the Aviation Division. By 1946, the ARR had 953 aircraft of various types in service, however, following the conditions imposed by the Paris Peace Treaties of 1947 that number had to be reduced to 150 aircraft – 100 combat aircraft, 50 training aircraft. In 1948, the

Romanian Armed Forces The Romanian Armed Forces ( or ''Armata Română'') are the military forces of Romania. It comprises the Land Forces, the Naval Forces and the Air Force. The current Commander-in-chief is Lieutenant General Gheorghiță Vlad who is managed by ...

began reorganizing based on the

Soviet model Soviet-type economic planning (STP) is the specific model of centralized planning employed by Marxist–Leninist socialist states modeled on the economy of the Soviet Union. The post-''perestroika'' analysis of the system of the Soviet econom ...

. The Air Force was reorganized in 1949 with the establishment of the Aviation Command and the flotillas being converted to aviation regiments following the

Soviet Air Force The Soviet Air Forces (, VVS SSSR; literally "Military Air Forces of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics"; initialism VVS, sometimes referred to as the "Red Air Force") were one of the air forces of the Soviet Union. The other was the Sovie ...

model.

Romanian Air Aces

* Horia Agarici * Constantin Cantacuzino * * * Ioan Dicezare * * * * * * * * * Alexandru Șerbănescu *

Structure

* Corpul 1 Aerian, under orders of

Luftflotte 4 ''Luftflotte'' 4For an explanation of the meaning of Luftwaffe unit designation see Luftwaffe Organisation (Air Fleet 4) was one of the primary divisions of the German Luftwaffe in World War II. It was formed on 18 March 1939, from Luftwaffenkomm ...

– South

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

Front, 1943–44; Cioara-Doicești, Romania August 1944. *Corpul 2 Aerian, 1 April 1944 – 18 August 1944, renamed Corpul 3 Aerian *Corpul 3 Aerian, 18 August 1944 – 3 December 1944 Fighter units Romanian Bf 109G

*1st Fighter Group () **43rd Fighter Squadron **63rd Fighter Squadron **64th Fighter Squadron *2nd Fighter Group () **65th Fighter Squadron **66th Fighter Squadron **67th Fighter Squadron **50th Fighter Squadron *3rd Fighter Group () **41st Fighter Squadron **44th Fighter Squadron **49th Fighter Squadron *4th Fighter Group () **45th Fighter Squadron **46th Fighter Squadron *5th Fighter Group () **51st Fighter Squadron - 10th Fighter Squadron until October 1939 **52nd Fighter Squadron - 11th Fighter Squadron until October 1939 ** 53rd Fighter Squadron * 6th Fighter Group () **59th Fighter Squadron **61st Fighter Squadron **62nd Fighter Squadron *7th Fighter Group () **56th Fighter Squadron **57th Fighter Squadron **58th Fighter Squadron *8th Fighter Group () - from 1941 – 1943 **41st Fighter Squadron **42nd Fighter Squadron **60th Fighter Squadron * 9th Fighter Group () **47th Fighter Squadron ** 48th Fighter Squadron **56th Fighter Squadron *1st Night Fighter Squadron () Bomber units *1st Bomber Group () **71st Bomber Squadron **72nd Bomber Squadron *2nd Bomber Group () **82nd Bomber Squadron **83rd Bomber Squadron *3rd Bomber/Dive Bomber Group () **73rd Bomber/Dive Squadron **81st Bomber/Dive Squadron **85th Bomber/Dive Squadron *4th Bomber Group () **76th Bomber Squadron **78th Bomber Squadron *5th Bomber Group () **77th Bomber Squadron **79th Bomber Squadron **80th Bomber Squadron *6th Bomber / Dive Bomber Group () **74th Bomber/Dive Squadron **86st Bomber/Dive Squadron **87th Bomber/Dive Squadron *7th Light Bomber Group () **17th Light Bomber Squadron **18th Light Bomber Squadron *8th Assault Group () - formed from the 8th Fighter Group **41st Assault Squadron - ex-41st Fighter Squadron **42nd Assault Squadron - ex-42nd Fighter Squadron **60th Assault Squadron - ex-60th Fighter Squadron Reconnaissance Units *1st Long Range Recon Group () **1st Long Range Recon Squadron **2nd Long Range Recon Squadron **3rd Long Range Recon Squadron **4th Long Range Recon Squadron *1st Guard Group () **11th Observation Squadron **12th Observation Squadron *2nd Guard Group () **13th Observation Squadron **14th Observation Squadron *19th, 20th, 21st, and 22nd Observation squadrons Transport Units *Air Transport Group () **105th Transport Squadron **106th Transport Squadron **107th Transport Squadron ** 108th Light Transport Squadron - known as ("White Squadron") **109th Glider Transport Squadron Liaison Units *111th, 112th, 113th, 115th, 116th Liaison Squadrons ()

Aircraft companies

Arsenalul Aeronautic Arsenalul Aeronautic ("Aeronautical Arsenal" in English) in Bucharest was the first factory with an aeronautical profile in Romania. Its activity took place between 1919 and 1939. ''Arsenalul Aeronautic'' manufactured three models of aircraft: Han ...

, 1919-1939,

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 ...

* Astra Aircraft Factory, 1923-1925, Arad *

Societatea Pentru Exploatări Tehnice ''Societatea Pentru Exploatări Technice'' or SET ("Technical Development Society") was a Romanian aircraft manufacturer. It was the second biggest Romanian pre-war aircraft manufacturer, after Industria Aeronautică Română (IAR). History The ...

(SET), 1923-1946,

Industria Aeronautică Română Industria Aeronautică Română (IAR) (now IAR S.A. Brașov), or Romanian Aeronautic Industry in English, is a Romanian aerospace manufacturer. It is based in Ghimbav, near Brașov, Romania. IAR was founded in 1925 with the aid of the Romanian g ...

(IAR), 1925-1947 (re-established in 1968),

Brașov Brașov (, , ; , also ''Brasau''; ; ; Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Kruhnen'') is a city in Transylvania, Romania and the county seat (i.e. administrative centre) of Brașov County. According to the 2021 Romanian census, ...

Întreprinderea de Construcții Aeronautice Românești Întreprinderea de Construcții Aeronautice Românești (ICAR, also icar) (Romanian Aeronautical Design Enterprise), was a Romanian aircraft manufacturer. The company produced aircraft of its own design and under license. History Întreprinderea ...

(ICAR), 1932-1951,

Aircraft constructed under foreign license or assembled *

G (62 109Ga-6 converted from Ga-4 kits, 49 109Ga-2 and 13 109Ga-4 assembled by IAR between 1943 and 1948) * SM.79B (48 JRS-79B and 38 JRS-79B1 built by IAR) *

Fieseler Fi 156 Storch The Fieseler Fi 156 ''Storch'' (, "stork") is a liaison aircraft designed and produced by the German aircraft manufacturer Fieseler. Its nickname of '' Storch'' was derived from the lengthy legs of its main landing gear, which gave the aircraft ...

(80 ordered from ICAR) * Fleet 10G (40 by built by IAR, 80 by SET and 285 by ICAR) *

f (95 aircraft built by IAR) * PZL P.24E (25 aircraft built by IAR) *

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 ...

(217 built under license by IAR) * Savoia-Marchetti SM.62 (5 built by IAR and ICAR)

Enemy aircraft interned or captured

As a result of the

German-Soviet Invasion of Poland The invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign, Polish Campaign, and Polish Defensive War of 1939 (1 September – 6 October 1939), was a joint attack on the Republic of Poland by Nazi Germany, the Slovak Republic, and the Soviet ...

, a large number of

Polish Air Force The Polish Air Force () is the aerial warfare Military branch, branch of the Polish Armed Forces. Until July 2004 it was officially known as ''Wojska Lotnicze i Obrony Powietrznej'' (). In 2014 it consisted of roughly 26,000 military personnel an ...

aircraft were

interned Internment is the imprisonment of people, commonly in large groups, without Criminal charge, charges or Indictment, intent to file charges. The term is especially used for the confinement "of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects ...

in Romania. Also, some Soviet aircraft were captured during World War II, as well as a few American

B-24 Liberator The Consolidated B-24 Liberator is an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and some initial production aircraft were laid down as export models desi ...

bombers.

Aircraft of RRAF

Aircraft manufactured in Romania from 1924 until the end of World War II

All of the aircraft listed below were completed before the end of World War II. Prototypes are omitted from the list. Unless specified otherwise, all aircraft machine guns have the caliber of 7.92 mm:Mark Axworthy, London: Arms and Armour, 1995, ''Third Axis, Fourth Ally: Romanian Armed Forces in the European War, 1941–1945'', pp. 239-272

Aircraft Markings

The roundel of the ARR was based on the national

cockade A cockade is a knot of ribbons, or other circular- or oval-shaped symbol of distinctive colours which is usually worn on a hat or cap. The word cockade derives from the French ''cocarde'', from Old French ''coquarde'', feminine of ''coquard'' (va ...

of Romania. During World War Two, from 1941 to 1944, the national cockade was reduced in size and placed in the center of a four-M cross, the seal of King

Michael I of Romania Michael I ( ; 25 October 1921 – 5 December 2017) was the last King of Romania, reigning from 20 July 1927 to 8 June 1930 and again from 6 September 1940 until his forced abdication on 30 December 1947. Shortly after Michael's birth, his f ...

. These crosses came in different types and sizes as there was no standard model. The markings were placed on the fuselage as well as on the upper and lower wings, and the

national colours National colours are frequently part of a country's set of national symbols. Many states and nations have formally adopted a set of colours as their official "national colours" while others have '' de facto'' national colours that have become well ...

were painted on the tail. According to Axis regulations, the engine cowling, the under-surfaces of the wingtips and a vertical band on the fuselage ahead of the tail were painted in yellow. After Romania joined the Allies, the crosses were changed back to the tricolor roundels on the fuselage and wings, and the yellow markings were painted white as "Allied identification markings". Image:Roundel of Romania.svg, Roundel used for aircraft and vehicles from 1924 to 1941, 1944 to 1949. Image:Roundel of the Romanian Air Force (1941–1944).svg, Marking used by the Air Force, and the Army from 1 May 1941 to 3 September 1944. Image:Roundel of Romania (1941–1944).svg, Cross used only on the IAR-80/81.

Ranks and insignia

;Officers ;Enlisted/Non-commissioned officers

Notes

References

Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

External links

Official site of the Romanian Air Force
{{Romanian military Romanian Air Force Military history of Romania during World War II