The Romanian Army: 7. Cavalry Brigade.

The Romanian Royal Army
1939-1945
BRIGADA / DIVIZIA 7 CAVALERIE (Bg. / Div.7 Cav.)

7^th Cavalry / Division Brigade

1939 - 1940 - 1941 - 1942 - 1943

COMMANDERS.

10.1-25.7.41: Col. Gheorghe Săvoiu.
25.7-5.8.41: Col. Cristu Cantuniar.
5.8-14.10.41: Col. Mihail Râmniceanu.
14.10.41-20.3.43: Col. Gheorghe Munteanu.

STRUCTURE (details)

Escadron 45 Transmisiuni

Pluton 45 Poliţie

Escadron 45 Artilerie Antitanc

Escadron 45 Artilerie AA

Escadron 45 Pioneri Călări

Regimentul 11 Roşiori Moto (1941-43)

Regimentul 12 Roşiori (1941)

Regimentul 9 Călăraşi (1941)

Regimentul 11 Călăraşi Moto (1942-43)

Regimentul 5 Artilerie Călăreaţă (1941-43)

Grup 45 Servicii details

ASSIGNMENTS TO HIGHER UNITS.

11.39-22.6.41	Corp 2 Armată
7.41	Corpul 3 Armată
7.08-12.09.41	Corp 11 Armată, Armata 4.
3.09.41	Armata 3 (reserve).
23.09-16.10.41	Corp 4 Armată.
2.10.41	Corp 1 ?, Armata 4.
5-18.11.42	Armata 3 (reserve).
19-27.11	Corp 2 Armată.
27-29.11.42	German 48^th Panzer Corps
3-22.12.42	Corp 2 Armată

ATTACHED UNITS.

DETACHED UNITS

DEPLOYMENT AREA / OPERATIONAL PERIOD.

.39-8.41	Romania	7.41- -
8-10.41	Transnistria	8-10.41
11.41-8.42	Romania	-
10.42-1.43	Stalingrad	10.42-1.43-
-3.43	Romania	-3.43

HISTORY.

ROMANIA

1939.

14.3.39: the partial mobilisation in garrisons.
as of 15.11.39: grouped in the second line, between Constanţa and Mangalia

1940.

9.40: deployed along the southern frontier in Dobroudja, between the Danube and cca. Adamclisi.

1941.

22.6.41: always in Dobroudja, during its regroupment in the area Basarabi, Cobadin, Bărăganul.

ROMANIA (Bessarabia, occupied by USSR)

beginning of 7.41: sent to the Bessarabian front in the area of Sărăţeni, Troiţa Nouă (assigned to Corpul 3).

16.7.41: in action to the south, on the direction Sărăţeni - the forest S of Hârtoape, but it was stopped by strong Soviet resistances on the line Bulgărice, Beştemac. Counter-attacked from Sălişte and continuously bombed, Bg.7 Cav had to withdrew towards Mingir (together with the units of Div.1 Grăn, from the area between Manucbeevka and Sărăţica Nouă).

TRANSNISTRIA

28.07-9.08: after the liberation of Bessarabia, it received defence missions on the lower Nistru and security missions along the Black Sea seaside and the Nistru bank.
end of 8.41: moved west of Dalnik.
2.9.41: introduced in the frontlines between Josefsthal and Tatarka.
14/15.9.41: the Brigade started to follow the retreating enemy.
17.9.41: it reached the Black Sea seaside, in Suhoi area.
5/6.10.41: it passed Suhoi Liman.

ROMANIA

after the end of the Odesa Campaign, Bg.7 Cav. returned in Romania.

1942.

15.3.42: reorganised as Divizia 7 Cavalerie. Strength: 227 Officers, 193 NCOs, 6115 soldiers, 5604 weapons, 242 machine rifles, 62 machine guns, 42 mortars, 47 guns, 2748 horses, 436 waggons, 136 motorvehicles.
STALINGRAD
10?.42: deployed in the 3^rd Army reserve, 15 km behind the frontlines (Krasev-Pronin); here it made a defensive system (in the area Pronin - Blinovski - Staro Senjutkin - Varlamof - Chochlaschev), with the mission to forbid the valley of Ţuţkan.
18.11.42: assigned to Corpul 2.
19.11.42: facing the soviet offensive, it repulsed an attack at Blinovski (with Reg. 5 Roşiori, from Div.9 Cav.), trying to stop the enemy's advance along the Balşoi valley. After the Soviets seized Blinovski, Reg.11 Călăraşi and Reg.5 Roşiori retreated to Staro Senjutkin and the rest of Div.7 Cav was in defence on the heights S of Staro Pronin, accross the Ţuţkan valley.
20.11.42: its strength is now of about 4-5 companies, an artillery battery with 3 guns and a heavy 105 mm battery. It received from Corpul 2 the order to organise an unique command of the units of Pronin, but it had to withdraw towards Malakov, then to Şohlacev (inclusively its units from Staro Senjutkin).
21.11.42: it received another order to organise the resistance of the Cir river, between SE Riabukin and the junction with Ţuţkan valley.
22.11.42: its units (with only 100 men each) defended bravely the Cir, specially at Kutelnikof and Cernişevskaia, where they were submitted to armoured soviet attacks, pushed to the south (Reg.11 Călăraşi and II / Reg.11 Roşiori were pratically destroyed). The Division, only with the strength of a squadron, reached in the evening the communication Cernîşevskaia – Morozovsk, 16 km N of Kutelnikovo.
23.11.42: a detachment of 310 men was on the hills 10 km N-E Kutelnikov, closing the communication Cernîşevskaia – Kuteinikov, meanwhile Reg.5 Roşiori with 140 men was on the hills N-E Veaceslavov.
27-29.11.42: assigned to the German 48^th Panzer Corps, it actioned at Paramanov and Cistiakovka.
4.12.42: it seized Miasosovici (subordinting also the 'Group Lt-col Oppeln').
23.12.42: assigned to Hollidt Group, it was deployed on a single defence line of soldiers, in the area cca. Morozovsk.
24.12.42: Corpul 2 was nearly encircled by the Soviet advance along the Bistraia valley – Gnîlaia, to Morozovsk.
27.12.42: withdrawn in the area Bistri (after 40 days of continuous fight).
28.12.42: asked by the Hollidt Group, Div.7 Cav took over the defence of Cernikov (where german depots were located), with Reg.11 Roşiori, Reg. 11 Călăraşi and Gr.61 Cc; it repulsed all the Soviet attacks, thus 28 German 'Iron Crosses' were awarded to the Division. It resisted here until 2.1.43, being the last Great Unit which kept the defence lines on the Cir.

1943.

2.1.43, 10.00 Hour: Div.7 Cav stopped the fire and retrated towards Morozovskaia, Tacinskaia.
4.1.43: in the evening it passed the Donetz.
then it continued the march on foot, 175 km in 76 hours, up to the area of Repnaia (5 km W of Forstadt). After a short rest, it resume the march to the east, in the frames of the 'Group General Trestioreanu'.

ROMANIA

It came back to Romania with 182 officers, 165 NCOs, 4621 soldiers, 4213 weapons, 129 machine rifles, 31 machine guns, 31 mortars, 24 guns, 2396 horses, 345 waggons, 125 motorvehicles.

20.3.43: disbanded and merged with Div.1 Cavalerie, under the name of Divizia 1/7 Cavalerie (which was disbanded too in 31.7.1943, in the favor of Div.1 Cavalerie, which took its personnel, weaponery and materials).

HQ LOCATIONS. (abbreviations)

.39-.40

Constanţa

OPM Numbers (see the OPM list)

7.40	39
6-11.41	21
9-11.42	185

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