The Air Force branch of the Royal Romanian forces in World War II was officially named the Aeronautica Regală Română (ARR, lit.'Romanian Royal Aeronautics'), though it is more commonly referred to in English histories as the Forțele Aeriene Regale ale României (Royal Romanian Air Force, FARR), or simply Forțele Aeriene Române (Romanian Air Force). It provided support to land forces, carrying out reconnaissance and mounting air raids between other missions.
History
Before the war
The ARR was established on 1 January 1924 from the previous Romanian Air Corps.[2] This was followed by the formation of the Undersecretariat of State for the Air (Subsecretariatul de Stat al Aerului) within the Ministry of War in 1932, then by the formation of the Ministry of Air and Navy in 1936 (which existed until 1940). Between 1920 and 1940, the Romanian military aviation saw a constant development, receiving new aircraft manufactured locally of either local design or under license.[3] The increasing number of aircraft and pilots determined the air force command to convert the four existing Aviation Groups to Air Flotillas (Air Wings) in 1929.[4] By 1940 other flotillas were created as well.
On Romania's entry into the Second World War, the ARR had 621 aircraft in its endowment. Of these, around 253 aircraft were organized into the Air Combat Group and fought alongside the Luftwaffe during the advance into Ukraine and Crimea, until the Battle of Stalingrad.[3] The Royal Romanian Air Force 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 Ploieștioil 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.
After the 23 August 1944 coup d'état, Romania turned against the Axis. The ARR, now allied with the Soviet Air Forces fought against German and Hungarian forces in Transylvania and Czechoslovakia. 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 other aircraft destroyed on the ground, while losses amounted to four Romanian aircraft in the air and 30 on the ground.[7] The total number of German aircraft destroyed until 30 August was 59, mostly bombers. Several ships were also sunk on the Danube by Romanian He 111 and Ju 87 bombers.[8] Between 4 September 1944 and the end of the war, 126 enemy aircraft were claimed in battle[a] to the loss of 30 aircraft. The total number of lost aircraft was around 176, mainly due to accidents.[3][9] The last official victory of the ARR happened on 25 February 1945, when Adjutant Constantin Nicoară shot down a Bf 109K-4.[10] 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.[11]
Post-war
After the return of the Romanian aviation units from the front on 12 August 1945, the ARR was reorganized by order of the Allied Control Commission. The new organization included the following units: the 1st Fighter Flotilla equipped with Bf 109 fighters, the 2nd Fighter Flotilla equipped with IAR 80/81 fighters, the 3rd Assault Flotilla with Henschel Hs 129 attack aircraft, the 4th Dive Flotilla with Junkers Ju 87 dive bombers, the 5th Heavy Bomber Flotilla with Junkers Ju 88 and IAR 79 bombers, the 6th Information Flotilla with IAR 39 reconnaissance aircraft, the Hydroaviation Flotilla, the 7th Air Transport Flotilla and the Aerostation Flotilla, all under the command of the Aviation Division.[3][12] By 1946, the ARR had 953 aircraft of various types in service, however, following the conditions imposed by the Paris Peace Treaties of 1947 that number had to be reduced to 150 aircraft – 100 combat aircraft, 50 training aircraft.[13]
Aircraft manufactured in Romania from 1924 until the end of World War II
All of the aircraft listed below were completed before the end of World War II. Prototypes are omitted from the list. Unless specified otherwise, all aircraft machine guns have the caliber of 7.92 mm:[23][24]
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".[26]
Roundel used for aircraft and vehicles from 1924 to 1941, 1944 to 1949.
Marking used by the Air Force, and the Army from 1 May 1941 to 3 September 1944.
Axworthy, Mark (September–October 1999). "Flank Guard: Romania's Advance on Stalingrad, Part Two". Air Enthusiast (65): 72–75. ISSN0143-5450.
Antoniu, Dan (2014). Illustrated History of Romanian Aeronautics. ISBN978-973-0-17209-6.
Bernád, Dénes (July 1999). "Courrier des Lecteurs" [Readers' Letters]. Avions: Toute l'aéronautique et son histoire (in French) (76): 15–16. ISSN1243-8650.
Bernád, Dénes (May 1999). "Histoire des forces aeriennes royales roumaines pendant la Seconde Guerre Mondiale" [History of the Royal Romanian Air Force During the Second World War]. Avions: Toute l'Aéronautique et Son Histoire (in French) (74): 7–13. ISSN1243-8650.
Bernád, Dénes (June 1999). "Histoire des forces aeriennes royales roumaines pendant la Seconde Guerre Mondiale". Avions: Toute l'Aéronautique et Son Histoire (in French) (75): 7–14. ISSN1243-8650.
Moroșanu, Teodor Liviu; Melinte, Dan (2010). Romanian Fighter Colours 1941-1945. MMPBooks. ISBN978-83-89450-90-6.
Passingham, Malcolm & Noël, Jean (September 1989). "Les avions militaires roumains de 1910 à 1945" [Romanian Military Aircraft from 1910 to 1945]. Le Fana de l'Aviation (in French) (238): 34–40. ISSN0757-4169.
Passingham, Malcolm & Noël, Jean (October 1989). "Les avions militaires roumains de 1910 à 1945 (2)" [Romanian Military Aircraft from 1910 to 1945, Part 2]. Le Fana de l'Aviation (in French) (239): 14–21. ISSN0757-4169.
Passingham, Malcolm & Noël, Jean (November 1989). "Les avions militaires roumains de 1910 à 1945 (3)" [Romanian Military Aircraft from 1910 to 1945, Part 3]. Le Fana de l'Aviation (in French) (240): 14–22. ISSN0757-4169.
Passingham, Malcolm & Noël, Jean (December 1989). "Les avions militaires roumains de 1910 à 1945 (4)" [Romanian Military Aircraft from 1910 to 1945, Part 4]. Le Fana de l'Aviation (in French) (241): 33–36. ISSN0757-4169.
Passingham, Malcolm & Noël, Jean (January 1990). "Les avions militaires roumains de 1910 à 1945 (5)" [Romanian Military Aircraft from 1910 to 1945, Part 5]. Le Fana de l'Aviation (in French) (242): 40–43. ISSN0757-4169.
Passingham, Malcolm & Noël, Jean (February 1990). "Les avions militaires roumains de 1910 à 1945 (6)" [Romanian Military Aircraft from 1910 to 1945, Part 6]. Le Fana de l'Aviation (in French) (243): 38–42. ISSN0757-4169.
Passingham, Malcolm & Noël, Jean (March 1990). "Les avions militaires roumains de 1910 à 1945 (7)" [Romanian Military Aircraft from 1910 to 1945, Part 7]. Le Fana de l'Aviation (in French) (244): 37–41. ISSN0757-4169.
Passingham, Malcolm; Noël, Jean (April 1990). "Les avions militaires roumains de 1910 à 1945 (8)" [Romanian Military Aircraft from 1910 to 1945, Part 8]. Le Fana de l'Aviation (in French) (245): 42–46. ISSN0757-4169.
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![Cross used only on the IAR-80/81.[26]](File:Roundel_of_Romania_(1941%E2%80%931944).svg)
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