First Army (Romania)
Encyclopedia
The First Army was a field army
of the Romanian Land Forces
, active from 1916 to 2000.
The First Army took part in the Romanian actions during the First World War (see Romania during World War I). During Operation Munchen
when Romania entered the Second World War in June-July 1941, the First Army was in the interior of Romania while the Third and Fourth Armies formed the main Romanian assault force. The First Army comprised at the time the 1st Army Corps (2nd
, 11th, 30th, 31st IDs, 6th Army Corps and 7th Army Corps. (Romanian Artillery p.117)
In August 1944, the Red Army
entered Romania
after driving back Army Group South
from the region. On August 23, Marshal
Ion Antonescu
was dismissed by King
Michael I
, and Romania
declared war on Germany
and Hungary
some days later. The Soviets took control of the oilfields in the Ploieşti
area, and the Romanian Army was used to fight German
forces on the Eastern Front
.
The First Army became one of the Romania
n armies fighting for the Red Army
on the Eastern Front. In its campaign from August 1944 to May 1945, the Romanian Army lost some 64,000 men killed. At the Battle of Debrecen
in October 1944, where Romanian units played a key part in the overall Soviet offensive, the First Army consisted of the 4th Army Corps with the 2nd Infantry Division
and the 4th Infantry Division
, and the 7th Army Corps with the 9th Infantry Division
and 19th Infantry Division. The 7th Army Corps, with the 2nd and 19th Infantry Divisions and what was reported as the 9th Cavalry Division, then took part in the Siege of Budapest as part of the Red Army's 3rd Ukrainian Front
.
The last offensive the First Army took part in in World War II
was the Prague Offensive
in May 1945. During the Prague Offensive, the First Army operated together with the Romanian Fourth Army
as part of the Soviet 2nd Ukrainian Front. Marshal
Ivan Koniev, the commander of the First Ukrainian Front, was the main Soviet commander in the area. Together with Marshal
Georgy Zhukov
's First Byelorussian Front, Koniev had launched the great attack on April 16 that resulted in the fall of Berlin
and Soviet victory on the Eastern Front.
The offensive started on May 6, a few days before the end of the war. German resistance in the east was now limited to small pockets scattered across Germany
, Czechoslovakia
, and Austria
. The remnants of Army Group Center held the remaining German-controlled areas in the east. In the attack on Prague
, German resistance was crushed in the city, and the Soviet, Romanian
, and Polish
forces entered the city on May 9. Czech
partisan
s had been fighting the Germans
there for a few days.
By May 11 and 12, all remaining German pockets of resistance in the east were crushed.
General Ioan Mihail Racoviţă
may have commanded the 1st Army from May 1946 to December 1947.(Ro-wiki)
One 1989 reported order of battle was:
1st RVA Army HQ - Bucharest, RU:
Another likely more accurate report has the army comprising the 1st Mechanised Division and the 57th Tank Division, both at Bucharest
, plus mountain brigades and possibly a tactical missile brigade.
The First Army was redesignated the 1st Territorial Army Corps in 2000 and the 1st Infantry Division (Romania) in 2008.
Field army
A Field Army, or Area Army, usually referred to simply as an Army, is a term used by many national military forces for a military formation superior to a corps and beneath an army group....
of the Romanian Land Forces
Romanian Land Forces
The Romanian Land Forces is the army of Romania, and the main component of the Romanian Armed Forces. In recent years, full professionalisation and a major equipment overhaul have transformed the nature of the force.The Romanian Land Forces were founded on...
, active from 1916 to 2000.
The First Army took part in the Romanian actions during the First World War (see Romania during World War I). During Operation Munchen
Operation München
Operation München was the codename of a joint German-Romanian offensive in World War II, with the primary objective of re-capturing Bessarabia, ceded by Romania to the Soviet Union a year before. The operation concluded successfully after 24 days of fighting.Axis formations involved included the...
when Romania entered the Second World War in June-July 1941, the First Army was in the interior of Romania while the Third and Fourth Armies formed the main Romanian assault force. The First Army comprised at the time the 1st Army Corps (2nd
2nd Infantry Division (Romania)
The 2nd Infantry Division is an infantry division of the Romanian Land Forces.It was part of the 1st Army Corps during the mobilisation of 1877, during the Romanian War of Independence. It was at the Battle of Plevna in 1877 as part of the 2nd Operational Corps. During the Second World War it...
, 11th, 30th, 31st IDs, 6th Army Corps and 7th Army Corps. (Romanian Artillery p.117)
In August 1944, the Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
entered 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...
after driving back Army Group South
Army Group South
Army Group South was the name of a number of German Army Groups during World War II.- Poland campaign :Germany used two army groups to invade Poland in 1939: Army Group North and Army Group South...
from the region. On August 23, Marshal
Marshal
Marshal , is a word used in several official titles of various branches of society. The word is an ancient loan word from Old French, cf...
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...
was dismissed by King
Monarch
A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...
Michael I
Michael I of Romania
Michael was the last King of Romania. He reigned from 20 July 1927 to 8 June 1930, and again from 6 September 1940 until 30 December 1947 when he was forced, by the Communist Party of Romania , to abdicate to the Soviet armies of occupation...
, and 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...
declared war on Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
some days later. The Soviets took control of the oilfields in the Ploieşti
Ploiesti
Ploiești is the county seat of Prahova County and lies in the historical region of Wallachia in Romania. The city is located north of Bucharest....
area, and the Romanian Army was used to fight German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
forces 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...
.
The First Army became one of the 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 armies fighting for the Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
on the Eastern Front. In its campaign from August 1944 to May 1945, the Romanian Army lost some 64,000 men killed. At the Battle of Debrecen
Battle of Debrecen
The Battle of Debrecen, called by the Red Army the Debrecen Offensive Operation, was conducted by the 2nd Ukrainian Front on the Eastern Front of World War II...
in October 1944, where Romanian units played a key part in the overall Soviet offensive, the First Army consisted of the 4th Army Corps with the 2nd Infantry Division
2nd Infantry Division (Romania)
The 2nd Infantry Division is an infantry division of the Romanian Land Forces.It was part of the 1st Army Corps during the mobilisation of 1877, during the Romanian War of Independence. It was at the Battle of Plevna in 1877 as part of the 2nd Operational Corps. During the Second World War it...
and the 4th Infantry Division
4th Infantry Division (Romania)
The 4th Infantry Division Gemina is one of three major units of the Romanian Land Forces, with its headquarters in Cluj-Napoca. Until June 15, 2008 it was designated as the 4th Territorial Army Corps "Mareşal Constantin Prezan" .-Structure in April 2007 :This structure was in force when the...
, and the 7th Army Corps with the 9th Infantry Division
9th Mechanized Brigade (Romania)
The 9th Mechanized Brigade "Mărăşeşti" is a mechanized infantry brigade of the Romanian Land Forces.The unit was initially formed in 1879, after the Romanian War of Independence, as Divizia Activa de Dobrogea ...
and 19th Infantry Division. The 7th Army Corps, with the 2nd and 19th Infantry Divisions and what was reported as the 9th Cavalry Division, then took part in the Siege of Budapest as part of the Red Army's 3rd Ukrainian Front
3rd Ukrainian Front
3rd Ukrainian Front was a Front of the Red Army during World War II.It was founded on 20 October 1943, on the basis of a Stavka order of October 16, 1943, by renaming the Southwestern Front. It included 1st Guards Army, 8th Guards Army, 6th, 12th, and 46th Armies and 17th Air Army...
.
The last offensive the First Army took part in 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...
was the Prague Offensive
Prague Offensive
The Prague Offensive was the last major Soviet operation of World War II in Europe. The offensive, and the battle for Prague, was fought on the Eastern Front from 6 May to 11 May 1945. This battle for the city is particularly noteworthy in that it ended after the Third Reich capitulated on 8 May...
in May 1945. During the Prague Offensive, the First Army operated together with the Romanian Fourth Army
Romanian Fourth Army
The 4th Infantry Division Gemina is one of three major units of the Romanian Land Forces, with its headquarters in Cluj-Napoca. Until June 15, 2008 it was designated as the 4th Territorial Army Corps "Mareşal Constantin Prezan" .-Structure in April 2007 :This structure was in force when the...
as part of the Soviet 2nd Ukrainian Front. Marshal
Marshal
Marshal , is a word used in several official titles of various branches of society. The word is an ancient loan word from Old French, cf...
Ivan Koniev, the commander of the First Ukrainian Front, was the main Soviet commander in the area. Together with Marshal
Marshal
Marshal , is a word used in several official titles of various branches of society. The word is an ancient loan word from Old French, cf...
Georgy Zhukov
Georgy Zhukov
Marshal of the Soviet Union Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov , was a Russian career officer in the Red Army who, in the course of World War II, played a pivotal role in leading the Red Army through much of Eastern Europe to liberate the Soviet Union and other nations from the Axis Powers' occupation...
's First Byelorussian Front, Koniev had launched the great attack on April 16 that resulted in the fall of Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
and Soviet victory on the Eastern Front.
The offensive started on May 6, a few days before the end of the war. German resistance in the east was now limited to small pockets scattered across Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
, and Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
. The remnants of Army Group Center held the remaining German-controlled areas in the east. In the attack on Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, German resistance was crushed in the city, and the Soviet, Romanian
Romanian Armed Forces
The Land Forces, Air Force and Naval Forces of Romania are collectively known as the Romanian Armed Forces...
, and Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
forces entered the city on May 9. Czech
Czech people
Czechs, or Czech people are a western Slavic people of Central Europe, living predominantly in the Czech Republic. Small populations of Czechs also live in Slovakia, Austria, the United States, the United Kingdom, Chile, Argentina, Canada, Germany, Russia and other countries...
partisan
Partisan (military)
A partisan is a member of an irregular military force formed to oppose control of an area by a foreign power or by an army of occupation by some kind of insurgent activity...
s had been fighting the Germans
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
there for a few days.
By May 11 and 12, all remaining German pockets of resistance in the east were crushed.
General Ioan Mihail Racoviţă
Ioan Mihail Racovita
Ioan Mihail Racoviţă was a Romanian Major General during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.He may have commanded the First Army ...
may have commanded the 1st Army from May 1946 to December 1947.(Ro-wiki)
One 1989 reported order of battle was:
1st RVA Army HQ - Bucharest, RU:
- 1st Mechanised 'Tudor Vladimirescu' DivisionTudor Vladimirescu DivisionThe Tudor Vladimirescu Division was a Soviet-organized division of Romanians that fought against Germany and Hungary during the final year of World War II.-Creation:...
(Cat A) - Bucharest, RU: see TO&E #4 with T-55, BTR-60, S-60, D-30, D-20 - 57th (?) RVA Tank Div (Cat A) - Bucharest, RU: see TO&E #5 with T-72, T-55, BMP-1, BTR-60, SA-6, D-30, D-20*1st RVA Mountain Brigade (Cat A) - North of Bucharest, RU: 2 regiments
- 1st RVA Artillery Brigade - Bucharest, RU: 36 M-46, 36 D-20
Another likely more accurate report has the army comprising the 1st Mechanised Division and the 57th Tank Division, both at 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....
, plus mountain brigades and possibly a tactical missile brigade.
The First Army was redesignated the 1st Territorial Army Corps in 2000 and the 1st Infantry Division (Romania) in 2008.