Alexandru Serbanescu
Encyclopedia
Alexandru "Alecu" Şerbănescu (17 May 1912, Coloneşti
, Olt County
- 18 August 1944, Ruşavăţ
, Buzău County
) was a leading Romania
n fighter
pilot and flying ace
in World War II
. In the spring of 1942 he was assigned as a pilot
to the 7th Fighter Group, which fought with the German forces against the Soviet Union on the Eastern Front
, including Stalingrad
. He flew mostly IAR-80 and Messerchmitt Bf-109 fighters.
and the Infantry
Officers School at Sibiu
in 1933 and was soon appointed the commander of the 3rd Mountain Troops
battalion, located at Braşov. In 1942, he joined the Air Force Flight School in Ghimbav
and became soon a fighter pilot within the 7th Fighter Group.
. Şerbănescu distinguished himself in the fierce battles during the retreat from the airfields around Stalingrad. When Soviets broke the German and Romanian defenses in November 1942 and approached the Romanian airfield where the 7th Fighter Group was stationed, Şerbănescu successfully organized the defense of the airbase against the Allied forces, helped by his infantry experience. He had at his disposal only two anti-aircraft guns (one Rheinmetall
37mm and one 75mm Vickers
-Reşiţa gun), the 20mm guns on the Bf-109Es and a company of ill-equipped and trained soldiers. The Romanians' camouflaged positions and well-led defense stopped the Soviet tanks attacking the airfield for two days. The Bf 109's 20 mm guns were used as antitank weapons on the ground (by lifting the airplane's tail on barrels), this being a unique case of airplane-tank duel. On November 23, 1942 the Romanians evacuated eight Bf-109E (another 3 were lost while they tried to take off under fire). Each airplane carried two or three people in the cockpit. After this, what remained of Şerbănescu's unit was stationed on the Morozovsk
aya airfield and was soon withdrawn to Romania for rest and recuperation.
, Order of Michael the Brave
, 3rd Class. On October 23, the 9th Fighter Group replaced the battle-exhausted 7th Fighter Group, but Şerbănescu and the other aces remained. He kept fighting and shooting down airplanes of the Allies and, as a result, he was named the Group's commander on February 13, 1944. In May 1944 the Red Army entered Romania and occupied northern Bessarabia
and northern Moldavia
, but they were stopped after some fierce fighting (see also: Battle of Târgul Frumos
), in which the pilots also played a very important role. On June 11, Şerbănescu shot down his first USAAF aircraft, a B-17 Flying Fortress, his 45th victory. This was followed by two Allied P-51 Mustang
s shot down on July 31 and on August 4 respectively, which were his last kills.
Dobran and Adjutant
Dârjan tried to clear his tail, it was too late. His last words were: "My boys, I'm going down...". Apparently his radio wasn't functioning properly and he could not hear his wingmen's warnings. Following Şerbănescu's death, all Romanian fighters were issued orders to refrain from engaging the Americans until a new strategy would be adopted. Five days later, on August 23, 1944, a coup d'état led by King Michael of Romania
deposed Marshal Ion Antonescu
and Romania switched to the Allied side.
During his entire piloting career, he was credited with 47 confirmed victories (and 8 probable) in aerial combat which, with eight unconfirmed, yielded 55 points in the Romanian scoring system, second only to Constantin Cantacuzino
with 69.
bears his name and passes very close to Aurel Vlaicu Airport. Each year, on 18 August, veterans, air force officers and aviation enthusiasts gather at his tomb to commemorate him. On August 18, 2004, the 30th Honor Guard Regiment commemorated, with military honors, the sixty years that had passed since Capt. Şerbănescu was killed in action.
On December 1, 2006, the 95th Air Base
of the Romanian Air Force
received the honorific title Cpt. Av. Alexandru Şerbănescu.
Colonesti
Coloneşti may refer to several places in Romania:* Coloneşti, a commune in Bacău County* Coloneşti, a commune in Olt County...
, Olt County
Olt County
Olt is a county of Romania, in the historical regions of Oltenia and Muntenia . The capital city is Slatina.- Demographics :In 2002, it had a population of 489,274 and the population density was 89/km²....
- 18 August 1944, Ruşavăţ
Viperesti
Vipereşti is a commune in Buzău County, Romania. It is composed of six villages: Muscel, Pălici, Ruşavăţ, Tronari, Ursoaia and Vipereşti....
, Buzău County
Buzau County
Buzău is a county of Romania, in the historical region Muntenia, with the capital city at Buzău.-Demographics:In 2002, it had a population of 496,214 and the population density was 81/km².*Romanians – 97%*Roma – under 3% declared, and others....
) was a leading Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n fighter
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
pilot and flying ace
Flying ace
A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an "ace" has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more...
in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. In the spring of 1942 he was assigned as a pilot
Fighter pilot
A fighter pilot is a military aviator trained in air-to-air combat while piloting a fighter aircraft . Fighter pilots undergo specialized training in aerial warfare and dogfighting...
to the 7th Fighter Group, which fought with the German forces against the Soviet Union on the Eastern Front
Eastern Front (World War II)
The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of World War II between the European Axis powers and co-belligerent Finland against the Soviet Union, Poland, and some other Allies which encompassed Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945...
, including Stalingrad
Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad was a major battle of World War II in which Nazi Germany and its allies fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad in southwestern Russia. The battle took place between 23 August 1942 and 2 February 1943...
. He flew mostly IAR-80 and Messerchmitt Bf-109 fighters.
Early military career
He graduated from the Military College at TârgovişteTârgoviste
Târgoviște is a city in the Dâmbovița county of Romania. It is situated on the right bank of the Ialomiţa River. , it had an estimated population of 89,000. One village, Priseaca, is administered by the city.-Name:...
and the Infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
Officers School at Sibiu
Sibiu
Sibiu is a city in Transylvania, Romania with a population of 154,548. Located some 282 km north-west of Bucharest, the city straddles the Cibin River, a tributary of the river Olt...
in 1933 and was soon appointed the commander of the 3rd Mountain Troops
Vânatori de Munte
The vânători de munte |Huntsmen]]) are the elite mountain troops of the Romanian Land Forces. They were first established as an independent Army Corps in 1916 during World War I, and became operational in 1917 under Corpul de Munte designation....
battalion, located at Braşov. In 1942, he joined the Air Force Flight School in Ghimbav
Ghimbav
Ghimbav is a town in Braşov County, Transylvania, central Romania. It is located in the centre of Romania, 5 miles west of Braşov.-History:The town was first mentioned in a letter written in 1420 by King Sigismund of Luxembourg...
and became soon a fighter pilot within the 7th Fighter Group.
Eastern front
The 7th Fighter Group was detached in 1942 to the Stalingrad frontBattle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad was a major battle of World War II in which Nazi Germany and its allies fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad in southwestern Russia. The battle took place between 23 August 1942 and 2 February 1943...
. Şerbănescu distinguished himself in the fierce battles during the retreat from the airfields around Stalingrad. When Soviets broke the German and Romanian defenses in November 1942 and approached the Romanian airfield where the 7th Fighter Group was stationed, Şerbănescu successfully organized the defense of the airbase against the Allied forces, helped by his infantry experience. He had at his disposal only two anti-aircraft guns (one Rheinmetall
Rheinmetall
Rheinmetall AG is a German automotive and defence company with factories in Düsseldorf, Kassel and Unterlüß. The company has a long tradition of making guns and artillery pieces...
37mm and one 75mm Vickers
Vickers
Vickers was a famous name in British engineering that existed through many companies from 1828 until 1999.-Early history:Vickers was formed in Sheffield as a steel foundry by the miller Edward Vickers and his father-in-law George Naylor in 1828. Naylor was a partner in the foundry Naylor &...
-Reşiţa gun), the 20mm guns on the Bf-109Es and a company of ill-equipped and trained soldiers. The Romanians' camouflaged positions and well-led defense stopped the Soviet tanks attacking the airfield for two days. The Bf 109's 20 mm guns were used as antitank weapons on the ground (by lifting the airplane's tail on barrels), this being a unique case of airplane-tank duel. On November 23, 1942 the Romanians evacuated eight Bf-109E (another 3 were lost while they tried to take off under fire). Each airplane carried two or three people in the cockpit. After this, what remained of Şerbănescu's unit was stationed on the Morozovsk
Morozovsk
Morozovsk is a town and the administrative center of Morozovsky District of Rostov Oblast, Russia, located on the Bystraya River , northeast of Rostov-on-Don. Population:...
aya airfield and was soon withdrawn to Romania for rest and recuperation.
Back to Romania
On March 29, 1943, Şerbănescu was appointed commander of the 57th Fighter Squadron, equipped with the new Messerschmitt Bf-109G, and promoted to the rank of Captain. Between June and August 1943 he shot down 28 Allied aircraft, and received the highest Romanian military decorationMilitary decoration
A military decoration is a decoration given to military personnel or units for heroism in battle or distinguished service. They are designed to be worn on military uniform....
, Order of Michael the Brave
Order of Michael the Brave
The Order of Michael the Brave is Romania's highest military decoration, instituted by King Ferdinand I during the early stages of the Romanian Campaign of World War I, and was again awarded in World War II...
, 3rd Class. On October 23, the 9th Fighter Group replaced the battle-exhausted 7th Fighter Group, but Şerbănescu and the other aces remained. He kept fighting and shooting down airplanes of the Allies and, as a result, he was named the Group's commander on February 13, 1944. In May 1944 the Red Army entered Romania and occupied northern Bessarabia
Bessarabia
Bessarabia is a historical term for the geographic region in Eastern Europe bounded by the Dniester River on the east and the Prut River on the west....
and northern Moldavia
Moldavia
Moldavia is a geographic and historical region and former principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between the Eastern Carpathians and the Dniester river...
, but they were stopped after some fierce fighting (see also: Battle of Târgul Frumos
Battle of Târgul Frumos
The Second Battle of Târgu Frumos, part of the First Jassy-Kishinev Offensive, was a military engagement primarily between the Wehrmacht and Red Army forces in May 1944, near Iaşi, Romania....
), in which the pilots also played a very important role. On June 11, Şerbănescu shot down his first USAAF aircraft, a B-17 Flying Fortress, his 45th victory. This was followed by two Allied P-51 Mustang
P-51 Mustang
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...
s shot down on July 31 and on August 4 respectively, which were his last kills.
Death
On August 18, 1944, Alexandru Şerbănescu took off on his last mission. On that day, he and his twelve wingmen, together with twelve other fighters from the 9th Fighter Group, attacked a swarm of Mustangs and Lightnings. When LieutenantLieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
Dobran and Adjutant
Adjutant
Adjutant is a military rank or appointment. In some armies, including most English-speaking ones, it is an officer who assists a more senior officer, while in other armies, especially Francophone ones, it is an NCO , normally corresponding roughly to a Staff Sergeant or Warrant Officer.An Adjutant...
Dârjan tried to clear his tail, it was too late. His last words were: "My boys, I'm going down...". Apparently his radio wasn't functioning properly and he could not hear his wingmen's warnings. Following Şerbănescu's death, all Romanian fighters were issued orders to refrain from engaging the Americans until a new strategy would be adopted. Five days later, on August 23, 1944, a coup d'état led by King Michael of Romania
King Michael's Coup
King Michael's Coup refers to the coup d'etat led by King Michael of Romania in 1944 against the pro-Nazi Romanian faction of Ion Antonescu, after the Axis front in Northeastern Romania collapsed under the Soviet offensive.-The coup:...
deposed Marshal Ion Antonescu
Ion Antonescu
Ion Victor Antonescu was a Romanian soldier, authoritarian politician and convicted war criminal. The Prime Minister and Conducător during most of World War II, he presided over two successive wartime dictatorships...
and Romania switched to the Allied side.
During his entire piloting career, he was credited with 47 confirmed victories (and 8 probable) in aerial combat which, with eight unconfirmed, yielded 55 points in the Romanian scoring system, second only to Constantin Cantacuzino
Constantin Cantacuzino (aviator)
Constantin Cantacuzino was a Romanian aviator, one of his country's leading World War II fighter aces, and a member of the Cantacuzino family.-World War II:...
with 69.
Legacy
Today, a boulevard in BucharestBucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
bears his name and passes very close to Aurel Vlaicu Airport. Each year, on 18 August, veterans, air force officers and aviation enthusiasts gather at his tomb to commemorate him. On August 18, 2004, the 30th Honor Guard Regiment commemorated, with military honors, the sixty years that had passed since Capt. Şerbănescu was killed in action.
On December 1, 2006, the 95th Air Base
RoAF 95th Air Base
The Romanian Air Force 95th Air Base Captain Alexandru Şerbănescu is located near the city of Bacău, in Bacău County....
of the Romanian Air Force
Romanian Air Force
The Romanian Air Force is the air force branch of the Romanian Armed Forces. It has an air force headquarters, an operational command, four air bases and an air defense brigade...
received the honorific title Cpt. Av. Alexandru Şerbănescu.
See also
- List of World War II flying aces from Romania
- Horia AgariciHoria AgariciCaptain Horia Agarici was a Romanian aviator and World War II flying ace.Born in Lausanne, Switzerland, Agarici lived much of his youth in Iaşi, then attended flying schools in Bucharest and Tecuci , becoming a bomber pilot in the Romanian Air Force...
- Constantin CantacuzinoConstantin Cantacuzino (aviator)Constantin Cantacuzino was a Romanian aviator, one of his country's leading World War II fighter aces, and a member of the Cantacuzino family.-World War II:...
- Romanian Air ForceRomanian Air ForceThe Romanian Air Force is the air force branch of the Romanian Armed Forces. It has an air force headquarters, an operational command, four air bases and an air defense brigade...
Further reading
- Dénes Bernád, Rumanian Aces of World War 2, Osprey PublishingOsprey PublishingOsprey Publishing is an Oxford-based publishing company specializing in military history. Predominantly an illustrated publisher, many of their books contain full-colour artwork plates, maps and photographs, and the company produces over a dozen ongoing series, each focusing on a specific aspect of...
, Botley, OxfordshireBotley, OxfordshireBotley is a village in the civil parish of North Hinksey, just west of the Oxford city boundary in the English county of Oxfordshire. It was in Berkshire until 1974, when it was transferred to Oxfordshire...
, 2003 ISBN 1-84176-535-X - Vasile Tudor, Un nume de legenda - Cpt. av. erou Alexandru Şerbănescu (A legendary name, Captain Alexandru Şerbănescu), Editura MODELISM, 1998.
- Ion Bucurescu, Aviaţia Română pe Frontul de Est şi în apărarea teritoriului Vol. I; II (Romanian Aviation on Eastern Front and defending the national territory), Editura Fast Print, 1994.