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Constantin Cantacuzino (aviator)
Encyclopedia
Constantin Cantacuzino was a Romanian aviator, one of his country's leading World War II fighter ace
s, and a member of the Cantacuzino family
.
contest with his Bü 133 Jungmeister
and in 1941 was named chief-pilot of the Romanian national air transport company LARES
. Even though this was a comfortable and cozy job, he managed to get in the front line as a fighter pilot in the 53rd Fighter Squadron (equipped with Hurricane Mk. I
). After the capture of Odessa
, the Romanian Army reduced the number of front line troops. Bâzu was one of the reservists who were sent home. He retook his position at LARES. However he pulled some strings and managed to return to active duty in 1943. On 26 April 1943 he was remobilized and assigned to the 7th Fighter Group, which was equipped with the new Bf-109. On 5 May he arrived on the front line and was named commander of the 58th Fighter Squadron. On 29 June, he and his wingman engaged 4 Yak
s, 2 La-5s
and 4 Spitfire
s ,while trying to protect 3 Romanian Ju-88s. His wingman was badly hit and forced to return to base. He continued the fight on his own and shot down 2 Spitfires. He was also damaged, but managed to escape and make a belly landing. Unfortunately, two of the bombers were destroyed. In July he flew both day and night missions, even though his Gustav was not equipped for low-visibility flying. Bâzu tried to stop the Soviet night bombings of his airfield. The Germans protested, considered him a little mad, so he eventually gave up the night missions.
On 27 July 1943, he shot down the VVS flying ace Nikolay F. Khimushkin (11 kills).
Between 2 and 5 August he shot down 9 airplanes (4 Yaks and 5 Il-2s
), raising his score to 27. On 5 August he was alone on patrol and he encountered a Soviet formation about 40-50 planes strong (Il-2s and Yaks). He realized that he couldn't defeat all of them, but he could cause them some problems. He dove into the Il-2 formation and shot down 2 of them before he was attacked by the Soviet fighters. He managed to shake them off and shoot down one. The day of 16 August was an excellent day for the pilots of the 7th Fighter Group. They scored 22 confirmed kills and 5 probables, with Cantacuzino shooting down 3 (2 La-5s and 1 Il-2). On 28 August he received the Iron Cross
, 1st class.
In the autumn of 1943 Bâzu got sick and was interned in a hospital and was kept from the front so he could rest and recuperate. On 10 February 1944 he returned to active duty in the 7th Fighter Group, which was sent to the front with the Soviets in Moldova
. On 15 April, there was a USAAF raid and cpt. av. (r) Cantacuzino and his wingmen attacked the bomber formations and shot down 6 Liberators
(the prince got one himself). He continued flying missions against the VVS
and had a few victories.
In August 1944, Cantacuzino became the commander of the 9th Fighter Group, succeeding Captain Alexandru Şerbănescu
, who died on August 18.
After 23 August 1944, when Romania quit the Axis, the Luftwaffe
started bombing Bucharest
, from airfields close to the capital, which were still in German hands. The remains of the 7th and 9th Fighter Groups were brought in to protect the capital. Bâzu shot down 3 He-111s on this occasion.
Cantacuzino was then given a special mission: to transport Lieutenant-Colonel James Gunn III, the highest ranking American POW in Romania, to the airbase at Foggia
and then to lead back the USAAF airplanes that were coming to take the POWs home. He landed after two hours and 5 minutes of flight. He returned flying a Mustang because his Bf-109 Gustav couldn't be refueled. He needed only one flight to get used to it and dazzled the Americans with his aerobatics, which he couldn't help himself not to execute.
Cantacuzino was credited with 43 aerial victories (one shared) and 11 unconfirmed. According to the system in effect much of the war, his kill total was 69, highest in the Romanian Air Force
.
Times changed in Romania. The USSR imposed a communist regime that started confiscating private properties and imprisoning the old elite and all those who dared not to think like them. Bâzu lost all his land and soon his wife left him. He managed to escape to Italy in 1947 and then he settled down in Spain. There he was helped by the Romanian community to buy himself an airplane, in order to earn his living at air shows.
(Romania's best composer
and a world class violin
ist). Constantin went to high-school in Bucharest. He loved motor sports and he could afford to practice them all the time. He was an excellent biker, winning several races, and driver. He set a new record on the Paris-Bucharest race. He also played tennis
and was the captain of the Romanian ice hockey
team at the World Championship in 1933.
He was the father of novelist Oana Orlea.
Combat missions: 608
Fighter Ace
Fighter Ace was a massively multiplayer online computer game in which one flies World War II fighter and bomber planes in combat against other players and virtual pilots...
s, and a member of the Cantacuzino family
Cantacuzino family
The Cantacuzino or Cantacuzène family is an old boyar family of Wallachia and Moldavia, a branch of Greek Kantakouzinos family, allegedly descended from the Byzantine Emperor John VI Cantacuzenus. No definite genealogical links between Byzantine Greek and Romanian Cantacuzinos have been established...
.
World War II
In 1939 he won the national aerial aerobaticsAerobatics
Aerobatics is the practice of flying maneuvers involving aircraft attitudes that are not used in normal flight. Aerobatics are performed in airplanes and gliders for training, recreation, entertainment and sport...
contest with his Bü 133 Jungmeister
Bücker Bü 133
|-See also:-Bibliography:* König, Erwin. Bücker Bü 133 "Jungmeister" . D-86669 Stengelheim, Germany: Unitec Medienvertrieb e.K.,...
and in 1941 was named chief-pilot of the Romanian national air transport company LARES
TAROM
S.C. Compania Națională de Transporturi Aeriene Române TAROM S.A., doing business as TAROM Romanian Air Transport, is the flag carrier and oldest currently operating airline of Romania. The brand name is an acronym for...
. Even though this was a comfortable and cozy job, he managed to get in the front line as a fighter pilot in the 53rd Fighter Squadron (equipped with Hurricane Mk. I
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
). After the capture of Odessa
Odessa
Odessa or Odesa is the administrative center of the Odessa Oblast located in southern Ukraine. The city is a major seaport located on the northwest shore of the Black Sea and the fourth largest city in Ukraine with a population of 1,029,000 .The predecessor of Odessa, a small Tatar settlement,...
, the Romanian Army reduced the number of front line troops. Bâzu was one of the reservists who were sent home. He retook his position at LARES. However he pulled some strings and managed to return to active duty in 1943. On 26 April 1943 he was remobilized and assigned to the 7th Fighter Group, which was equipped with the new Bf-109. On 5 May he arrived on the front line and was named commander of the 58th Fighter Squadron. On 29 June, he and his wingman engaged 4 Yak
Yak
The yak, Bos grunniens or Bos mutus, is a long-haired bovine found throughout the Himalayan region of south Central Asia, the Tibetan Plateau and as far north as Mongolia and Russia. In addition to a large domestic population, there is a small, vulnerable wild yak population...
s, 2 La-5s
Lavochkin La-5
|- See also :- References :NotesBibliography* Abanshin, Michael E. and Nina Gut. Fighting Lavochkin, Eagles of the East No.1. Lynnwood, WA: Aviation International, 1993. ISBN unknown....
and 4 Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
s ,while trying to protect 3 Romanian Ju-88s. His wingman was badly hit and forced to return to base. He continued the fight on his own and shot down 2 Spitfires. He was also damaged, but managed to escape and make a belly landing. Unfortunately, two of the bombers were destroyed. In July he flew both day and night missions, even though his Gustav was not equipped for low-visibility flying. Bâzu tried to stop the Soviet night bombings of his airfield. The Germans protested, considered him a little mad, so he eventually gave up the night missions.
On 27 July 1943, he shot down the VVS flying ace Nikolay F. Khimushkin (11 kills).
Between 2 and 5 August he shot down 9 airplanes (4 Yaks and 5 Il-2s
Ilyushin Il-2
The Ilyushin Il-2 was a ground-attack aircraft in the Second World War, produced by the Soviet Union in very large numbers...
), raising his score to 27. On 5 August he was alone on patrol and he encountered a Soviet formation about 40-50 planes strong (Il-2s and Yaks). He realized that he couldn't defeat all of them, but he could cause them some problems. He dove into the Il-2 formation and shot down 2 of them before he was attacked by the Soviet fighters. He managed to shake them off and shoot down one. The day of 16 August was an excellent day for the pilots of the 7th Fighter Group. They scored 22 confirmed kills and 5 probables, with Cantacuzino shooting down 3 (2 La-5s and 1 Il-2). On 28 August he received the Iron Cross
Iron Cross
The Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
, 1st class.
In the autumn of 1943 Bâzu got sick and was interned in a hospital and was kept from the front so he could rest and recuperate. On 10 February 1944 he returned to active duty in the 7th Fighter Group, which was sent to the front with the Soviets in Moldova
Moldova
Moldova , officially the Republic of Moldova is a landlocked state in Eastern Europe, located between Romania to the West and Ukraine to the North, East and South. It declared itself an independent state with the same boundaries as the preceding Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1991, as part...
. On 15 April, there was a USAAF raid and cpt. av. (r) Cantacuzino and his wingmen attacked the bomber formations and shot down 6 Liberators
B-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
(the prince got one himself). He continued flying missions against the VVS
VVS
VVS is a three letter acronym which may refer to:* Very Very Slightly Included, a way of describing the clarity of a diamond* Vulvar vestibulitis syndrome, a syndrome of vulvodynia associated with chronic disease* V. V. S...
and had a few victories.
In August 1944, Cantacuzino became the commander of the 9th Fighter Group, succeeding Captain Alexandru Şerbănescu
Alexandru Serbanescu
Alexandru "Alecu" Şerbănescu was a leading Romanian 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...
, who died on August 18.
After 23 August 1944, when Romania quit the Axis, the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
started bombing Bucharest
Bucharest
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....
, from airfields close to the capital, which were still in German hands. The remains of the 7th and 9th Fighter Groups were brought in to protect the capital. Bâzu shot down 3 He-111s on this occasion.
Cantacuzino was then given a special mission: to transport Lieutenant-Colonel James Gunn III, the highest ranking American POW in Romania, to the airbase at Foggia
Foggia
Foggia is a city and comune of Apulia, Italy, capital of the province of Foggia. Foggia is the main city of a plain called Tavoliere, also known as the "granary of Italy".-History:...
and then to lead back the USAAF airplanes that were coming to take the POWs home. He landed after two hours and 5 minutes of flight. He returned flying a Mustang because his Bf-109 Gustav couldn't be refueled. He needed only one flight to get used to it and dazzled the Americans with his aerobatics, which he couldn't help himself not to execute.
Cantacuzino was credited with 43 aerial victories (one shared) and 11 unconfirmed. According to the system in effect much of the war, his kill total was 69, highest in 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...
.
After World War II
After the war ended, Cantacuzino was demobilized and returned to LARES.Times changed in Romania. The USSR imposed a communist regime that started confiscating private properties and imprisoning the old elite and all those who dared not to think like them. Bâzu lost all his land and soon his wife left him. He managed to escape to Italy in 1947 and then he settled down in Spain. There he was helped by the Romanian community to buy himself an airplane, in order to earn his living at air shows.
Personal life
He was born in Bucharest. His father was Mihai Cantacuzino and his mother Maria Rosetti; they were both from old Romanian noble families. After his father died, Maria Rosetti married for a second time with George EnescuGeorge Enescu
George Enescu was a Romanian composer, violinist, pianist, conductor and teacher.-Biography:Enescu was born in the village of Liveni , Dorohoi County at the time, today Botoşani County. He showed musical talent from early in his childhood. A child prodigy, Enescu created his first musical...
(Romania's best composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and a world class violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
ist). Constantin went to high-school in Bucharest. He loved motor sports and he could afford to practice them all the time. He was an excellent biker, winning several races, and driver. He set a new record on the Paris-Bucharest race. He also played tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
and was the captain of the Romanian ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team at the World Championship in 1933.
He was the father of novelist Oana Orlea.
Units served
- 5 July - 31 October 1941 - 53rd FighterFighter aircraftA 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...
Squadron - 26 April 1943 - 31 May 1944 - 7th Fighter Group
- 31 May 1944 - 9 May 1945 - 9th Fighter Group
Combat missions: 608
See also
- Alexandru ŞerbănescuAlexandru SerbanescuAlexandru "Alecu" Şerbănescu was a leading Romanian 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...
- 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...
- List of World War II air aces
- 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...