Royal Romanian Air Force

The Air Force branch of the Royal Romanian forces in World War II was officially named the Aeronautica Regală Română (ARR), or the Romanian Royal Aeronautics, though it is more commonly referred to in English histories as the Forțele Aeriene Regale ale României (Royal Romanian Air Force, FARR), or simply Forțele Aeriene Române (Romanian Air Force). It provided support to land forces, carrying out reconnaissance and mounting air raids between other missions.

Romanian Royal Aeronautics
Aeronautica Regală Română
Insignia
Active	1924 – 1947
Country	Kingdom of Romania
Allegiance	King of Romania
Type	Air Force
Role	Aerial warfare
Part of	Royal Romanian Armed Forces
Garrison/HQ	Bucharest
Nickname(s)	ARR
Colours	Yellow and Blue
Engagements	World War II Hungarian Invasion of Transylvania Eastern Front Western Allied Campaign in Romania Budapest offensive Bratislava–Brno offensive
Commanders
General Inspector of the Aeronautics	Carol II of Romania (1924-1925)
Minister of the Air and Navy	Radu Irimescu (1936-1938)
Insignia
Roundel
Insignia

Insignia

The roundel of the ARR was based on the national cockade 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. 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 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".

History

Before the war

The ARR was first established on 1 January 1924 from the previous Romanian Air Corps.

The Royal Romanian Air Force fought against the Magyar Királyi Honvéd Légierö (Royal Hungarian Air Force) before the Hungarian annexation of Northern Transylvania in 1940. Following some Hungarian incursions into Romanian airspace, the 51st Fighter Squadron of 1st Fighter Flotilla equipped with Heinkel He 112 aircraft was brought to Cluj on the Someșeni airfield to supplement the 2nd Fighter Flotilla equipped with the older PZL P.11 fighters. On 28 August 1940, a Heinkel flown by Lieutenant Nicolae Polizu-Micșunești shot down a Hungarian Caproni Ca.135 near Berveni.

World War II

See also: 1st Air Corps (Romania)

During the Second World War, the ARR fought alongside the Luftwaffe during the advance into Ukraine and Crimea, until the Battle of Stalingrad, when the Southern Luftwaffe Command was installed in Bucharest. It also carried out some reconnaissance and patrol missions over the Black Sea alongside Bulgarian units. The ARR was tasked with the air defence of the Ploiești oil installations, and also Bucharest against Allied air raids, and to protect Axis convoys in the Black Sea. These units fought against the USAAF and RAF during their raids against Romania.

The ARR flew aircraft from Germany and Poland, with their own and other foreign aircraft, as well as captured enemy aircraft. The main models of fighter aircraft used include the PZL P.24E, Hawker Hurricane, Heinkel He 112, Messerschmitt Bf 109E and G types, Messerschmitt Bf 110 (for night defence), IAR 80 and IAR 81 were also used. Luftwaffe interceptor units were also deployed in the area.

1944–1945

After the August 23, 1944 coup d'état, Romania turned against the Axis. The ARR, now allied with the Soviet Air Forces fought against German and Hungarian forces in Transylvania and Slovakia. 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. Between 4 September 1944 and the end of the war, 101 enemy aircraft were claimed in battle to the loss of 30 aircraft. 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.

Romanian Air Aces

Main article: List of World War II flying aces from Romania

Dress uniform of a wing commander (Căpitan-Comandor) 1930-40.

• Horia Agarici
• Constantin Cantacuzino
• Cristea Chirvăsuță
• Ioan Dicezare
• Tudor Greceanu
• Constantin Lungulescu
• Ioan Maga
• Ioan Mălăcescu
• Ion Milu
• Ion Mucenica
• Mihai (Leu) Romanescu
• Alexandru Șerbănescu
• Dan Valentin Vizanty

Structure

See also: List of Romanian Air Force units § WW2

Messerschmitt Bf 109E no 35 at Stalingrad, 1942.

• Corpul 1 Aerian, under orders of Luftwaffe, Luftflotte 4 – South Russia Front, 1943–44; Cioara-Doicești, Romania August 1944.
• Corpul 3 Aerian, summer 1944 – 25 October 1944

Fighter units

A Romanian Bf 109G-6, 1944.

• 1st Fighter Group (Grupul 1 Vânătoare)
  • 41st Fighter Squadron
  • 42nd Fighter Squadron
• 2nd Fighter Group (Grupul 2 Vânătoare)
  • 45th Fighter Squadron
  • 46th Fighter Squadron
• 5th Fighter Group (Grupul 5 Vânătoare)
  • 10th Fighter Squadron - 51st Fighter Squadron from October 1939
  • 11th Fighter Squadron - 52nd Fighter Squadron from October 1939
• 6th Fighter Group (Grupul 6 Vânătoare)
  • 62nd Fighter Squadron
  • 63rd Fighter Squadron
• 7th Fighter Group (Grupul 7 Vânătoare)
  • 53rd Fighter Squadron
  • 57th Fighter Squadron
• 8th Fighter Group (Grupul 8 Vânătoare) - from 1941 - 1943
  • 59th Fighter Squadron
  • 60th Fighter Squadron
• 9th Fighter Group (Grupul 9 Vânătoare)
  • 47th Fighter Squadron
  • 48th Fighter Squadron
• 1st Night Fighter Squadron (Escadrila 1 Vânătoare de Noapte)

Bomber units

Romanian Heinkel He 111H bombers.

• 1st Bomber Group (Grupul 1 Bombardament)
• 2nd Bomber Group (Grupul 2 Bombardament)
• 3rd Bomber/Dive Bomber Group (Grupul 3 Bombardament/picaj)
• 4th Bomber Group (Grupul 4 Bombardament)
• 5th Bomber Group (Grupul 5 Bombardament)
• 6th Bomber / Dive Bomber Group (Grupul 6 Bombardament/picaj)
• 8th Assault Group (Grupul 8 Asalt) - 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
• 18th Light Bomber Squadron

Reconnaissance Units

A preserved Junkers Ju 88D-1 in the National Museum of the United States Air Force, painted with the Romanian markings it carried during World War II.

• 1st Long Range Recon Group (Grupul 1 Recunoaștere Îndepărtată)
  • 1st Long Range Recon Squadron
  • 2nd Long Range Recon Squadron
  • 3rd Long Range Recon Squadron
  • 4th Long Range Recon Squadron
• 2nd Guard Aviation Flotilla (Flotila 2 Aviație de Gardă)
  • 1st Guard Group
  • 2nd Guard Group

Transport Units

• Air Transport Group (Grupul de Aero-Transport)
  • 105th Transport Squadron
  • 106th Transport Squadron
  • 107th Transport Squadron
  • 108th Light Transport Squadron - known as Escadrila Albă ("White Squadron")
  • 109th Glider Transport Squadron

Liaison Units

• 111th, 112th, 113th, 115th, 116th Liaison Squadrons (Escadrile de Legătură)

Aircraft companies

IAR 81 no. 91 in 1943.

• Arsenalul Aeronautic, 1919-1939, Bucharest
• Astra Aircraft Factory, 1923-1925, Arad
• Societatea Pentru Exploatări Tehnice (SET), 1923-1946, Bucharest
• Industria Aeronautică Română (IAR), 1925-1947 (re-established in 1968), Brașov
• Întreprinderea de Construcții Aeronautice Românești (ICAR), 1932-1951, Bucharest

Aircraft constructed under foreign license or assembled

• Messerschmitt Bf 109G (62 109Ga-6 converted from Ga-4 kits, 49 109Ga-2 and 13 109Ga-4 assembled by IAR between 1943 and 1948)
• SM.79B (36 IAR JRS-79B and 31 JRS-79B1 built by IAR)
• Fieseler Fi 156 Storch (80 ordered from ICAR)
• PZL P.24E (25 aircraft built by IAR)
• PZL P.11f (80 aircraft built by IAR)
• Potez 25 (built under license by IAR)

Enemy aircraft interned or captured

Further information: List of aircraft of the Romanian Air Force § Interned

As a result of the German-Soviet Invasion of Poland, a large number of Polish Air Force aircraft were interned in Romania. Also, some Soviet aircraft were captured during World War II, as well as a few American B-24 Liberator bombers.

Aircraft of RRAF

Main articles: List of aircraft of the Romanian Air Force § Interwar period, and List of aircraft of the Romanian Air Force § World War II

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:

Model	Type	Number	Armament
Proto 2	Training	25	Unarmed
SET 7K	Training, communication, observation	20	2 x 7.7 mm Lewis guns (twin mount)
SET 7KB	Reconnaissance and observation	20	2 x 7.7 mm Lewis guns (twin mount) 1 x 7.7 mm Vickers machine gun 6 x 12 kg bombs
SET 7KD	Communication	20	1 x 7.7 mm Lewis gun
Potez 25	Reconnaissance bomber	184	3 x 7.7 mm machine guns 200 kg of bombs
IAR 37	Light bomber	50	4 x Browning machine guns 12 x 50 kg bombs
IAR 38	Reconnaissance and artillery spotting	75	3 x Browning machine guns 24 x 12 kg bombs
IAR 39	Reconnaissance and light bomber	255	3 x Browning machine guns 24 x 12 kg bombs
Fieseler Fi 156	Reconnaissance and communications	46	1 x MG 15 machine gun
Fleet 10G	Training and communications	415	Unarmed
PZL P.11f	Fighter	95	4 x FN Browning machine guns 24 x 12 kg bombs (38) Grenade launchers (57)
PZL P.24E	Fighter	25	2 x machine guns 2 x 20 mm cannons 2 x 50 kg (110 lb) bombs Grenade launchers
Bf 109Ga-2	Fighter	49	1 x 20 mm/3 x 20 mm MG 151 cannons 2 x MG 17 machine guns 1 x 500 kg/4 x 50 kg bomb(s)
Bf 109Ga-4	Fighter	13	1 x 20 mm MG 151 cannon 2 x MG 17 machine guns 1 x 250 kg/4 x 50 kg bomb(s)
Bf 109Ga-6	Fighter	62	1 x 20 mm MG 151 cannon 2 x 13 mm MG 131 heavy machine guns 1 x 250 kg bomb
IAR 80	Fighter	50	4 x FN Browning machine guns
IAR 80A	Fighter	90	6 x FN Browning machine guns
IAR 80B	Fighter	50	2 x 13.2 mm FN Browning heavy machine guns 4 x FN Browning machine guns
IAR 80C	Fighter	60	2 x 20 mm Ikaria autocannons 4 x FN Browning machine guns
IAR 81	Fighter and dive bomber	50	6 x FN Browning machine guns (4 for 10 of them) 2 x 13.2 mm FN Browning heavy machine gun (10 of them) 1 x 225 bomb 2 x 50 kg bombs
IAR 81C	Fighter	150	2 x 20 mm MG 151 autocannons 2 x FN Browning machine guns 2 x Werfer-Granate 21 (tested on one aircraft in 1944)
JRS-79B	Bomber	36	5 x machine guns 1,575 kg of bombs
JRS-79B1	Bomber	31	1 x 20 mm Ikaria autocannon 7 x machine guns 1,400 kg of bombs
Savoia-Marchetti SM.62	Flying boat	5	4 x machine guns 600 kg of bombs

Aircraft Markings

• 
  Roundel used for aircraft and vehicles from 1924 to 1941, 1944 to 1950.
• 
  Marking used by the Air Force, and the Army from 1 May 1941 to 3 September 1944.
• 
  Cross used only on the IAR-80/81.

Bibliography

• Axworthy, Mark (September–October 1999). "Flank Guard: Romania's Advance on Stalingrad, Part Two". Air Enthusiast (65): 72–75. ISSN 0143-5450.
• Bernád, Dénes (July 1999). "Courrier des Lecteurs" [Readers' Letters]. Avions: Toute l'aéronautique et son histoire (in French) (76): 15–16. ISSN 1243-8650.
• Bernád, Dénes (May 1999). "Histoire des forces aeriennes royales roumaines pendant la Seconde Guerre Mondiale" [History of the Royal Romanian Air Force During the Second World War]. Avions: Toute l'Aéronautique et Son Histoire (in French) (74): 7–13. ISSN 1243-8650.
• Bernád, Dénes (June 1999). "Histoire des forces aeriennes royales roumaines pendant la Seconde Guerre Mondiale". Avions: Toute l'Aéronautique et Son Histoire (in French) (75): 7–14. ISSN 1243-8650.
• Bernád, Dénes (20 June 2003). Rumanian Aces of World War 2. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-535-8.
• Passingham, Malcolm & Noël, Jean (September 1989). "Les avions militaires roumains de 1910 à 1945" [Romanian Military Aircraft from 1910 to 1945]. Le Fana de l'Aviation (in French) (238): 34–40. ISSN 0757-4169.
• Passingham, Malcolm & Noël, Jean (October 1989). "Les avions militaires roumains de 1910 à 1945 (2)" [Romanian Military Aircraft from 1910 to 1945, Part 2]. Le Fana de l'Aviation (in French) (239): 14–21. ISSN 0757-4169.
• Passingham, Malcolm & Noël, Jean (November 1989). "Les avions militaires roumains de 1910 à 1945 (3)" [Romanian Military Aircraft from 1910 to 1945, Part 3]. Le Fana de l'Aviation (in French) (240): 14–22. ISSN 0757-4169.
• Passingham, Malcolm & Noël, Jean (December 1989). "Les avions militaires roumains de 1910 à 1945 (4)" [Romanian Military Aircraft from 1910 to 1945, Part 4]. Le Fana de l'Aviation (in French) (241): 33–36. ISSN 0757-4169.
• Passingham, Malcolm & Noël, Jean (January 1990). "Les avions militaires roumains de 1910 à 1945 (5)" [Romanian Military Aircraft from 1910 to 1945, Part 5]. Le Fana de l'Aviation (in French) (242): 40–43. ISSN 0757-4169.
• Passingham, Malcolm & Noël, Jean (February 1990). "Les avions militaires roumains de 1910 à 1945 (6)" [Romanian Military Aircraft from 1910 to 1945, Part 6]. Le Fana de l'Aviation (in French) (243): 38–42. ISSN 0757-4169.
• Passingham, Malcolm & Noël, Jean (March 1990). "Les avions militaires roumains de 1910 à 1945 (7)" [Romanian Military Aircraft from 1910 to 1945, Part 7]. Le Fana de l'Aviation (in French) (244): 37–41. ISSN 0757-4169.
• Passingham, Malcolm; Noël, Jean (April 1990). "Les avions militaires roumains de 1910 à 1945 (8)" [Romanian Military Aircraft from 1910 to 1945, Part 8]. Le Fana de l'Aviation (in French) (245): 42–46. ISSN 0757-4169.

External links

• Official site of the Romanian Air Force