The Air Force branch of the Royal Romanian forces in World War II was officially named the (ARR), or the Romanian Royal Aeronautics, though it is more commonly referred to in English histories as the (Royal Romanian Air Force, FARR), or simply (Romanian Air Force). It provided support to land forces, carrying out reconnaissance and mounting air raids between other missions.
Insignia
The roundel of the ARR was based on the national cockade of Romania. During World War Two, from 1941 to 1944, the national cockade was reduced in size and placed in the center of a four-M cross, the seal of King Michael I of Romania. These crosses came in different types and sizes as there was no standard model. The markings were placed on the fuselage as well as on the upper and lower wings, and the national colours were painted on the tail. According to Axis regulations, the engine cowling, the under-surfaces of the wingtips and a vertical band on the fuselage ahead of the tail were painted in yellow. After Romania joined the Allies, the crosses were changed back to the tricolor roundels on the fuselage and wings, and the yellow markings were painted white as "Allied identification markings".
History
Before the war
The ARR was first established on 1 January 1924 from the previous Romanian Air Corps.
The Royal Romanian Air Force fought against the Magyar Királyi Honvéd Légierö (Royal Hungarian Air Force) before the Hungarian annexation of Northern Transylvania in 1940. Following some Hungarian incursions into Romanian airspace, the 51st Fighter Squadron of 1st Fighter Flotilla equipped with Heinkel He 112 aircraft was brought to Cluj on the Someșeni airfield to supplement the 2nd Fighter Flotilla equipped with the older PZL P.11 fighters. On 28 August 1940, a Heinkel flown by Lieutenant Nicolae Polizu-Micșunești shot down a Hungarian Caproni Ca.135 near Săcueni.
World War II
During the Second World War, the ARR fought alongside the Luftwaffe during the advance into Ukraine and Crimea, until the Battle of Stalingrad, when the Southern Luftwaffe Command was installed in Bucharest. It also carried out some reconnaissance and patrol missions over the Black Sea alongside Bulgarian units. The ARR was tasked with the air defence of the Ploiești oil installations, and also Bucharest against Allied air raids, and to protect Axis convoys in the Black Sea. These units fought against the USAAF and RAF during their raids against Romania.
The ARR flew aircraft from Germany and Italy, with their own and other foreign aircraft, as well as captured enemy aircraft. The main models of fighter aircraft used include the PZL P.24F, Hawker Hurricane, Heinkel He 112, Messerschmitt 109E and G types, Messerschmitt 110 (for night defence), IAR 80 and IAR 81 were also used. Luftwaffe interceptor units were also deployed in the area.
1944–1945
After King Michael's Coup, Romania turned against the Axis. The ARR, now allied with the Soviet Air Forces fought against German and Hungarian forces in Transylvania and Slovakia. During initial combat with the Germans over Bucharest, the ARR claimed 22 German aircraft shot down, including three Me 323 Gigant, and a further five destroyed on the ground, while losses amounted to four Romanian aircraft in the air and 30 on the ground. Between 4 September 1944 and the end of the war, 101 enemy aircraft were claimed in battle to the loss of 30 aircraft. A Soviet Yak-3 which engaged two Romanian Bf 109s together with another Yak-3, was also shot down on 4 May 1945. The victory was not officially credited in Romanian documents.
Romanian Air Aces
Horia Agarici
Mihai (Leu) Romanescu
Constantin Cantacuzino
Cristea Chirvăsuță
Ioan Dicezare
Alexandru Șerbănescu
Dan Valentin Vizanty
Structure
Corpul 2° Aerian, Luftflotte 4, South Russia Front, Winter of 1943-44. Corpul 1° Aerian, Cioara-Dolcesti, Romania August 1944; under orders of Luftwaffe, Luftflotte Kommando 4 with commands in Debrecen, Hungary.
Fighter units
1st Fighter Group () 41st Fighter Squadron 42nd Fighter Squadron 2nd Fighter Group () 45th Fighter Squadron 46th Fighter Squadron 5th Fighter Group () 10th Fighter Squadron - 51st Fighter Squadron from October 1939 11th Fighter Squadron - 52nd Fighter Squadron from October 1939 6th Fighter Group () 62nd Fighter Squadron 63rd Fighter Squadron 7th Fighter Group () 53rd Fighter Squadron 57th Fighter Squadron 8th Fighter Group () - from 1941 - 1943 59th Fighter Squadron 60th Fighter Squadron 9th Fighter Group () 47th Fighter Squadron 48th Fighter Squadron 1st Night Fighter Squadron ()