1939 - 1940 - 1941 - 1942 - 1943 - 1944

• 10.1-8.11.41: Gen. GHEORGHE ROZIN;
• 8.11.41-23.4.42: Gen. GHEORGHE ZAHARESCU;
• 23.4.42-20.3.43: Gen. GHEORGHE IONESCU-SINAIA;
• 20.3.43-25.9.44: Gen. MIRCEA DIMITRIU.

STRUCTURE (details)

HISTORY.

• 23.07.41: Div. 13 Inf. crossed the Nistru near SOROCA.
• 27-29.7.41: it passed through the ''Stalin'' fortified line, with actions at Bieloci creek and Voditurcu (Vadu Turcului).
• 1-4.8.41: actions at Goraba and Molokiş.
• marching 170 km in 4 days, between Kosarka and Vorms.
• 18.8.41: the divisional cavalry reached the Bug (Div. 13 Inf. in the second echelon of Corpul 5).
• ?: 4 days of rest on the Bug, then in forced march towards ODESA.
• 21/22.8.41: a Soviet maritime and aerial landing in the Cebanka area, E of ODESA, obliged Div. 13 Inf. to withdraw S of Kubanka, between Kujalnik and Adjalik limans.
• 22-24.8.41: in action at Kubanka, it re-gained to the old positions.
• 25-31.8.41: actions at Gildendorf which pushed the Romanian front near by the ODESA harbour.
  • 26-31.8.41: the division was submitted to heavy maritime an aerial soviet attacks from the Black Sea ships.
  • 28.8.41: 3 battalions assigned to the Hagibei Detachment (see Div.1 Cavalerie).
• first half of 9.41: it seized the positions of Jilitşevka kolkhoz and of the Agro-Combinat forest.
• 17-20.9.41: again in action, approaching the ODESA harbour.
• 21/22-23.9.41: strong Soviet attack (of the 157^th Division), stopped with heavy lossed, E of Kujalnik Liman (on the line Gildendorf – Jilitşevka / Ilicevka kolkhoz – Kolendorovo railway station – the hill S of Kubanka). A battalion of Reg.22 Inf. in rout, therefore Div. 13 Inf. retreated 6 km with the loss of 1300 men and of the possibility to keep under direct fire the ODESA harbour (following the loss of the strategic point of Gildendorf).
• 16.10.41: Div. 13 Inf. reached the seaside, in front of the ODESA harbour.
• 30.10.41: in TIRASPOL (on the way home).

• Summer 42: mobilised.
• 8.8.42: the division disembarked at Stalingrad (during 15 days), assigned to Corpul 5.
• 14.9-18.11.42: it replaced the German 113^rd Inf.Div. on the positions W of Kleţkaia. Here it was submitted, for 2 months, to 32 Soviet attacks (in: 14/15, 18, 25, 26 and 27 September, 7, 8, 9, 13, 16, 18, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25/26, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 30/31 October, 1, 2, 4, 9, 9/10, 10, 12, 13, 14 and 17 November):
  • beginning 10.42: the villages Karaşenki and Podnishni were lost by Div.13 Inf.
  • as of 10.10.42: the division is deployed on a 18 km (22 km at the end of October) defence line.
  • 12.10.42: assigned to Corpul 4.
  • 14.10.42: Soviet attack for the seize of the heights between Raspopinskaia and Kletskaia.
  • 24-27.10.42: Soviet attack in the Kletskaia pocket. Reg. 89 Inf. abandonned its positions. Finally Div.13 Inf. returned to its old positions, except the village of Kletskaia, which remained occupied by the Soviets.
• Losses until 19.11.42: 84 officers (38,51%), 46 NCOs (47%), 3648 soldiers (51,3%).

• 19.11.42, 5.30 hr: a huge Soviet armoured offensive in Div.13 Inf. sector, on a 18 km front at Kletskaia, between Podnishni and Raspopinskaia; the divisional HQ is during the morning at Salamakovski. At 13.00 hr. the division's front is broken (at the junction between Reg. 7 Dor. and Reg.89 Inf.), the Soviet tanks enters Gromki and the Soviets seized until dark Gromki, Ievstratovski and Kalmikov.
• Detaşament Voicu:
  • Some units of Div.13 Inf., organised as 'Detaşamentul ''Voicu'' managed to escape from the encirclement and to withdrew towards SE (assigned 19.11.42 to Corpul 4).
• Grupul Lascăr, Coloana Sion
  • The rests of Div.13 Inf. were assigned to Div.6 Inf. and Div. 15 Inf., and actioned further on in the frames of the Lascăr Group.
  • 21.11.42: Reg.22 Inf. is at Verhne Cerenski (together with Reg.7 Inf?.) and remained without command, as Div.13 Inf. withdrew to Oblivskaia.
  • Some 250 men, commanded by Colonel Râmniceanu, also escaped from the encirclement and merged with the Sion Column (commanded by Gen. Ioan Sion) up to Bol. Donşcinka (arrived here 23.11.42), and then they took part to the defence of the villages Mal. Doncinskaia, Rusakov and Cernişevskaia.
  • 24.11.42: the Lascăr Group (togehter with all the encircled Div.13 Inf. units) surrendered.
  • 25.11.42: the rests of the Sion Column were sent to the new Armata 3 defensive front SW of the Cir (Tacinskaia area); the move was conducted with difficulties through Şutov.
• 20.11.42: the non-encircled formations of Div.13 Inf. were moved towards Kubanska and Oblivskaia (they will escape with the divisions archive), togheter with Corpul 4 service formations.
• 21-28.11.42: the Corpul 4 new mission is to organise a defensive on the Cir, between Oblivskaia and Griznovski; the main forces are those of Div.13 Inf..
• 29.11.42: the defence on the Cir was taken over by the Germans.

• Losses between 18-25.11.42: 209 officers, 41 NCOs, 6614 soldiers.

  Awards:

  • 13 ''Mihai Viteazu'' Orders;
  • 83 ''Steaua României'' Orders;
  • 181 ''Coroana României'' Orders;
  • 4 ''Regina Maria'' Orders;
  • 191 ''Virtutea Militară'' Medals;
  • 54 ''Meritul Sanitar'' Medals;
  • 135 ''Crucea Serviciului Credincios'';
  • 395 ''Serviciul Credincios'';
  • 2269 ''Bărbăţie şi Credinţă'';
  • 17 German ''Eiserne Kreuze'' Orders.

• 2.12.42: the Div.13 Inf. operational activity ceased, the HQ arrived at Novo-Nikolaevsk.
• 3.12.42: assigned to Corpul 5, regrouped in the area Rudakof, Pogorelof, Krutenski.
  • Three operational companies were assigned to Corpul 2, at Verh. Svetşenikof.
  • other units actioned with Detasamentul ''colonel Aurel Moldoveanu'' in the bridgehead of Forştad.
• 21-29.12.42: the rest of Div.13 Inf. moved to the area Alexeieva, Orlovka.
• from here, they continued the march to the W in the frames of Gruparea nr. 1 (commanded by Gen. Ionescu-Sinaia).

• Spring 44: remobilised for the Moldavian front, N of TECUCI.
• 21.4.44: assigned to Corpul 7, with the mission to forbid the Soviet advance to TECUCI and to the valleys of Behreci and Zeletin.
• 20.5.44: regrouped NE of ROMAN.
• 5.6.44: assigned to Corpul 5, Div.13 Inf. replaced Div.4 Inf. on the ''Traian'' position: E of Miclăuşeni / IS, between Brătuleşti / IS and Osoi / IS (S of TÂRGU FRUMOS).
• 20-22.8.44: the division resists to the Soviet offensive.
• 23.8.44: finally, it withdrew to Bogzeşti / NT (E of PIATRA NEAMŢ), then along the Tazlău valley.
• 25.8.44: arrested by the Soviets and regrouped in the area Racova, Ilişeşti / NT, Făgeţel, Gura Văii / NT (E of PIATRA NEAMŢ).
• 2.9.44: disarmed by the Soviets, S of Broşteni: the officers and the troop were directed to ROMAN, the commander and the HQ to BACĂU.
• 21.9.44: the rests of Div.13 Inf. (which were not arrested by the Soviets), merged with the recruits units (Div.13 Inf.Instrucţie).

HQ LOCATIONS. (abbreviations)

OPM Numbers (see the OPM list)

© Grecu Dan-Simion 2000