1939 - 1940 - 1941 - 1942 - 1943 - 1944

• 1.6.40-16.3.42: Gen. brigadă EMANOIL BÂRZOTESCU;
• 16.3-23.4.42: Gen. brigadă IOAN MIHĂESCU;
• 23.4-12.5.42: Gen. brigadă ALEXANDRU SAIDAC;
• 12.5-1.8.42: Gen. brigadă (from 25.10.42 Gen. divizie) CONSTANTIN PANAIŢIU;
• 1.8.42-20.3.43: Gen. brigadă IOAN MIHĂESCU;
• 21.3.43-25.8.44: Gen. brigadă ALEXANDRU SAIDAC (taken as POW by the Russians between 25.8-24.9.44).

STRUCTURE (details)

HISTORY.

• Strength as of 20.9.1941: 326 Officers, 364 NCOs, 15211 militarymen; 1338 waggons, 6686 horses, 72 oxes, 15 motorcycles, 86 bicycles; 13437 weapons, 415 machine rifles, 32 antitank guns, 132 field guns.
• 17-25.9.41: transported to the front, NW of ODESA, assigned to Corpul 5.
• 27/28.9.41: it replaced the Div.13 Inf. in the sector of Simanovka, Kubanka, Kremidovka.
• 29.9.41: actions at the Height 58, at Staraia Dufinovka.
• 2.10.41: action at Kremidovka.
• 6-8.10.41: action at Kubanka and the Height 51,4.
• 16.10.41: some forwarded units reached the Black Sea seaside.

• 10.1.42: finally the Order from the German "South" Army Group reached the division: it had to group in the area DNEPROPETROWSK, ZAPOROZHE. The move was accomplished by foot and by train, along a 400 km route, on a -30 -40 C frost. Div. 1 Inf. was introduced in the front (without its artillery, which remained at MARIUPOL) in PAVLOGRAD area (E of Dnepropetrowsk), between the remnants of the German 100^th and 298^th Infantry Divisions, assigned to the German 11^th Corps.
• 29.1.42: Div. 1 Inf. received defence missions between Kokovka and Samoilovka.
• 1.2.42: it counterattacked from the above sector, together with units from the German 298th Division and repulsed the enemy (which previously occupied the railway station and the village of Samoilovka, and organised some resistance positions on the line Kokovka, Nikolaevka, Samoilovka).
• 1-13.2.42: engaged in heavy fightings for the conquer of Kristapovka (20 km S of LOZOWA) and Samoilovka (15 km S of LOZOWA), then in advance towards Lozowa.
• 14.2.42: after 6 days of actions, Div. 1 Inf. took part to the German 11^th Corps offensive towards LOZOWA, deployed on a 15 km-wide frontline.
• 20.2.42: direct attacked by two Soviet cavalry divisions, the division front was broken with the Soviets advancing up to Sofievka (10 km SE of LOZOWA), behind Reg.85 Inf.
• up to 22.2.42: withdrawn S of Novo Alexandrovka, on the line Vasilievka, Samoilovka (15 km SW of LOZOWA).
• 23.2.42: Div. 1 Inf. counterattacked and repulsed the Soviets up to the line Dimitrievka (on the Bereka valley, 40 km W of IZJIUM) - Alexandrovka (this line was held up to the middle of May).
• 10.5.42: still on the defence line Dimitrievka, Mihailovka (10 km NE of LOZOWA), Samoilovka, assigned to Corpul 6.
• 13-20.5.42: Div. 1 Inf. repulsed more Soviet attackes.
• 20.5.42: the division took part to the German offensive S of CHARKOW, when it seized Alexandrovka, Novo Uplatnoe, Proletarski, Dimitrovka, Domaha, LOZOWA.
• then in advance to the North, S of Andreevka (on the Bereka valley), taking part to the annihilation of the encircled Soviet group (26.5.42).
• 10.6.42: following the Charkov Battle, Div. 1 Inf. went to the reserve of the German "Kortzfleisch" Group, in the area Gusarovka, Volobuevka, Veseli (then it passed to the reserve of the German "Strecher" Group).
• 22.6.42: the division protected the flank of the German 1^st Mountain Division during the cross of the Donez river.
• 8.7.42: reassigned to the Romanian Corpul 6, it forced the Oskol river at Lotovaia, Svatovo and Senkovo; then in action on the direction Senkovo - Svatovo, it arrived in the evening 6 km E of Svatovo.
• 6-13.8.42: Div. 1 Inf. followed the enemy to the Don, with heavy fightings in the area Kapinski, Vasilievka.
• 21.8.42: it forced the Mişkova river and advanced to STALINGRAD, with actions in the Vasilievka area.
• 3.9.42: deployed on a defence line between the lakes of Barmanzak and Şarpa (in the sector: Plotopitamnek, Ţaţa, V Bol. Ciapurniki), with the mission to protect the right flank and the back of the German 4^th Panzer Army, during its advance towards Stalingrad.
• 8/9-9/10.11.42: Reg. 85 Inf. was replaced (and passed to the reserve) by Reg.90 Inf (of Div.18 Inf.).
• 20.11.42: the Soviet offensive broked the division's resistance positions and seized Plodovitoie. Some troops of the right flank were repulsed from their positions of Mali Derbetî - Tundutovo, and all links with them lost (consequentely they will be assigned to Div.4 Inf.). The division was situated with its right flank on the old position S of the Barmanţak Lake and with its left flank at 4 km SE of Tundutovo.
• 21.11.42: the division (with its right flank, namely the Palade Detachment with 3 batallions, located on the old line Mali Derbetî - Tundutovo, and with its left flank in the area Goncearovski-Vodinski) tried to rebuild the units for defence.
• 22.11.42: the divisional front deployed accross the road N of Goncearovski, with elements towards Vodeno; submitted to Soviet attacks on the Aksai direction, the rearguard pushed to the Aksai valley.
• 23.11.42: the decimated division saw all its bridges of Aksai taken by the Soviets (as well as the village Aksai itself).
• 13-14.12.42: the regrouping of Divizia 1/2 Infanterie (an ad-hoc unit formed from the remnants of the Divisions 1 and 2 Infanterie) in the area Krîlov-Şebalin (assigned to Corpul 6, German "Hoth" Group, preparing the "Wintergewitter" Operation).
• 16.12.42: divisional reorganization in the area Kajenkin – Baldakin – Grekov.
• 18.12.42: the division re-assigned to Corpul 7.
• 22.12.42: introduced in the frontlines at the left of Div.4 Inf., in the area Somin Ekin, E of the junction of Şamkurka and Kenkria valleys.
• during the second soviet offensive, the division withdrew on the line Konuka, Salsk, Kenkria (line which was also broken by the Soviets in the morning of 27.12.42).
• 27.12.42: Corpul 7 repulsed from Kajenkin and Kiselevka, with the division scattered and its remnants retreating to Sirotski.
• 29 (31).12.42: the division with only 200-300 men with 2-3 batteries (6 field guns and 3 heavy guns).

• 2.4.44: remobilised and deployed on the Moldavian front, on the heights N of IAŞI, N of Podu Iloaiei / IS, assigned to Corpul 5.
• 3-27.5.44: assigned to the German 57^th Corps, N of TÂRGU FRUMOS / IS.
• 28.5-20.8.44: reassigned to Corpul 5, on the "Dacia" position, along the Bahlui river.
• 20.8.44: heavily attacked by the Soviets.
• 23/24.8.44: the Group "colonel Pretorian" withdrawn N of BACĂU and at Mărăşeşti / VN, then towards the garrisons in Banat. The other half of the division (Group "general Saidac") sent truce envoys to Buhuşi / BC, at the Gen. Terentiev, but the Soviets asked the disarmement in the evening of 24.8.44.
• 9.9.44: the remnants of the division merged with Div.1 Inf. Instrucţie.

• Awards:
  • The "Mihai Viteazul" Order, IIInd Class: Reg.5 Vânători, 85 and 93 Infanterie (1943);
  • The "Steaua României" Order, IIIrd Class: Reg.38 Artilerie (1943).

HQ LOCATIONS. (abbreviations)

OPM Numbers (see the OPM list)

© Grecu Dan-Simion 2000-2001