P.11

c N

o. 3

18, A

djut

ant S

tag.

Av.

Vic

tor

Dum

brav

ă, G

rupu

l 4 V

ânăt

oare

. Upp

er s

urfa

ces:

Dar

k O

live

Gre

en. U

nder

side

s: L

ight

Gre

y.

On

8 Ju

ly 1

941,

afte

r a d

ogfig

ht w

ith S

ovie

t I-1

6 fig

hter

s of 6

7 IA

P, D

umbr

avă

forc

e-la

nded

his

dam

aged

ex-P

olish

P.1

1c N

o. 3

18. I

t was

repa

ired

and

durin

g th

e sum

mer

of

1942

, it w

as o

n st

reng

th w

ith th

e Căl

ăraş

i Fig

hter

Avi

atio

n Sc

hool

. Acc

ordi

ng to

his

logb

ook

on 1

and

2 S

epte

mbe

r 194

2, E

lev A

v. Ba

ltă C

onst

antin

flew

P.1

1c N

o. 3

18 p

ract

is-in

g lo

ops,

stal

ls an

d Im

melm

ann

turn

s. (D

an A

nton

iu co

ll.) Belo

w: P

.11c

s on

stre

ngth

with

the

Călă

raşi

Figh

ter A

viat

ion

Scho

ol,

sum

mer

194

3. N

ote t

he y

ellow

pa

inte

d en

gine

cow

lings

and

spin

-ne

rs.

Righ

t: El

ev A

v. G

oila

v Ră

zvan

in th

e co

ckpi

t of P

.11c

No.

318

, Căl

ăraş

i ai

rfie

ld. s

umm

er 1

943.

(D

an A

nton

iu co

ll.)

18

SAMPLE

No.

4 w

as a

n ai

rcra

ft fro

m th

e ba

tch

of th

e fiv

e orig

inal

Pol

ish-

mad

e P.2

4es r

ecei

ved

in 1

939.

P.24

e N

o. 4

, Esc

adri

la 6

1, G

rupu

l 6 V

ânăt

oare

, Buc

hare

st-O

tope

ni. U

pper

sur

face

s: D

ark

Eart

h (~

FS 3

0118

) and

Dar

k G

reen

. Und

ersi

des:

Sky

Blu

e.

34

SAMPLE

Hur

rica

ne M

k I N

o. 4

, Lt.

de re

zerv

ă Av

. Con

stan

tin

“Bâz

u” C

anta

cuzi

no,

Esca

drila

53

, Gru

pul 5

Vân

ătoa

re, M

amai

a ai

rfie

ld, J

uly

1941

. Upp

er s

urfa

ces:

Dar

k G

reen

and

D

ark

Eart

h, u

nder

sur

face

s: fu

sela

ge a

lum

iniu

m d

ope,

bla

ck r

ight

win

g an

d w

hite

on

the

left

win

g.

No.

4 w

as th

e airc

raft

of th

e fut

ure t

op-ra

nkin

g ac

e (69

vic

torie

s) Co

nsta

ntin

“Bâ

zu”

Can-

tacu

zino

in Ju

ly 1

941.

His

tota

l sco

re fo

r the

19

41 ca

mpa

ign

was

four

conf

irmed

vic

torie

s (S

B bo

mbe

rs).T

his p

artic

ular

pla

ne w

as th

e onl

y Ro

man

ian

Hur

rican

e sho

t dow

n in

air

com

bat.

On

12 S

epte

mbe

r 194

1, a

fter c

laim

ing

2 SB

bo

mbe

rs n

ear G

ross

-Lie

bent

hal,

Căpt

.Av.

Ioan

“P

uiu”

Roş

escu

was

shot

dow

n an

d ki

lled

by

I-16

fight

ers o

f 69

IAP.

The

cam

oufla

ge is

RAF

ty

pe “A

”. N

otice

the l

ack

of n

atio

nal m

arki

ngs

on th

e rud

der.

Righ

t: Ad

j. Av

. Pom

uţ C

onst

antin

sitti

ng o

n th

e hor

izon

tal s

tabi

lizer

of H

urric

ane N

o. 4

. N

ote t

he la

ck o

f nat

iona

l mar

king

on

the r

udde

r an

d th

e fish

ing

net u

sed

for c

amou

flage

. (Em

il G

eorg

escu

Pho

to v

ia D

an A

nton

iu )

Left

: Adj

. Sta

g.Av

. (r)

Pom

uţ C

onst

antin

, Es

cadr

ila 5

3 Vâ

năto

are,

stan

ding

nea

r Hur

-ric

ane N

o. 4

, Mam

aia

airf

ield

, sum

mer

of

1941

. Not

e the

ring

gun

sigh

t and

roun

d m

irror

, ty

pica

l det

ails

for t

he H

urric

anes

in R

oman

ian

serv

ice.

(Em

il G

eorg

escu

Pho

to v

ia D

an A

nton

iu )

51

SAMPLE

He

112E

No.

4, S

lt.A

v. M

oscu

Teo

dor,

Esca

drila

51,

Gru

pul 5

Vân

ătoa

re, R

âmni

cul

Săra

t air

field

, Jun

e 19

41. G

rau

RLM

02/

63 o

vera

ll.

On

22 Ju

ne 1

941,

Slt

.Av.

Teod

or M

oscu

flyi

ng H

e 112

E N

o. 4

surp

rised

two

Rata

s tha

t wer

e jus

t tak

ing-

off f

rom

Is

mai

l airf

ield

and

shot

one

dow

n. H

e the

n sa

w a

noth

er

I-16,

whi

ch w

as co

min

g di

rect

ly a

t him

, and

fire

d ag

ain.

Th

e Sov

iet a

ircra

ft w

as h

it an

d w

ent d

own

in th

e Dan

ube.

With

seve

ral S

ovie

t airc

raft

on h

is ta

il, M

oscu

’s ai

rcra

ft w

as

hit.

How

ever

, he m

anag

ed to

out

man

oeuv

re th

em a

nd fi

re

on o

ne o

f the

atta

cker

s, be

fore

he a

nd h

is w

ingm

an A

dj.A

v. Pa

vel C

onst

antin

hea

ded

for h

ome.

His

final

tally

for t

he

day

was

two

conf

irmed

vic

torie

s and

one

pro

babl

e. H

e 112

N

o. 4

was

pai

nted

RLM

63

Gra

u ov

eral

l with

the e

ngin

e co

wlin

g an

d fu

sela

ge b

and

pain

ted

yello

w. T

he sp

inne

r was

pa

inte

d 1/

3 ye

llow

and

2/3

bla

ck. “

Plut

o”, t

he em

blem

of

Gru

pul 5

Vân

ătoa

re w

as p

aint

ed u

nder

the c

ockp

it on

bot

h sid

es o

f the

fuse

lage

.

Slt.A

v. M

oscu

Teo

dor p

osin

g ne

ar h

is H

e 112

No

4 w

ith w

hich

he o

btai

ned

two

conf

irmed

vic

torie

s and

one

pro

b-ab

le vi

ctor

y on

the f

irst d

ay o

f the

Bes

sara

bian

cam

paig

n. (M

oscu

Pho

to v

ia D

an A

nton

iu)

On

22 Ju

ne 1

941,

H

e 112

No.

4 su

ffere

d m

inor

dam

age i

n a

fierc

e co

mba

t with

seve

ral

I-16s

. Slt.

Av. M

oscu

Te

odor

wea

ring

a bl

ack

flyin

g su

it is

leani

ng o

n th

e airc

raft.

(M

oscu

Pho

to v

ia D

an

Anto

niu)

.

59

SAMPLE

IAR

80M

No.

151

, Adj

.Av.

Stan

a Va

sile

, Esc

adri

la 4

6, G

rupu

l 4 V

ânăt

oare

, Mol

da-

vian

Fro

nt, A

ugus

t 194

4. U

pper

sur

face

s: D

ark

Oliv

e G

reen

. Und

ersi

des:

Lig

ht G

rey

poss

ibly.

Begi

nnin

g on

29

July

194

4, th

e 2nd

Aer

ial C

orps

ord

ered

that

Gru

pul 4

Vân

ătoa

re b

e equ

ippe

d w

ith

IAR

80M

s (“M

” fo

r Mau

ser)

and

its st

reng

th o

f 32

airc

raft

was

com

plem

ente

d w

ith a

ircra

ft re

ceiv

ed

from

1st

and

6th

Figh

ter G

roup

s. St

ana’

s per

sona

l em

blem

, a “

skul

l and

cros

sbon

es”,

was

chal

ked

on th

e fus

elag

e und

er th

e coc

kpit.

In th

is ai

rcra

ft, o

n 10

Aug

ust 1

944,

Sta

na sh

ot d

own

a So

viet

Ai

raco

bra

near

Iaşi.

Adj.A

v. St

ana

Vasil

e, E

scad

rila

46, G

rupu

l 4 V

ânăt

oare

, pos

ing

for t

he ca

mer

a ne

ar h

is IA

R 80

M

No.

151

ado

rned

with

his

pers

onal

embl

em, a

skul

l and

cros

sbon

es. (

Răzv

an B

ujor

coll.

)

88

SAMPLE

Bf 1

09E-

3 N

o. 1

4, W

.Nr.

2491

“D

or D

e D

ucă”

(“R

eari

ng to

go”

), Es

cadr

ila

57, G

rupu

l 7 V

ânăt

oare

, Buc

hare

st-P

iper

a, s

umm

er 1

942.

Upp

er s

urfa

ces:

D

unke

lgrü

n R

LM 7

1. U

nder

side

s: L

icht

blau

RLM

65

On

4 Au

gust

1941

, Slt.

Av.

Clop

oţel

Ovi

diu

in E

mil

No.

14

was

invo

lved

in a

n ae

rial b

attle

with

6 R

atas

whi

le on

pat

rol w

ith C

pt. A

v. Bo

cşan

, alo

ngsid

e Lt.

Av. D

i Ces

are a

nd A

dj. A

v. Fi

ru, n

orth

of T

aslik

. Clo

poţe

l man

aged

to

shoo

t dow

n on

e Rat

a bu

t his

oil t

ank

was

hit

and

he fo

rce-

land

ed n

orth

of G

rigor

iopo

l. “D

or d

e Duc

a” w

as re

cove

red

and

sent

to A

SAM

-Pip

era

for r

epai

rs.

Dam

aged

afte

r a fo

rced

land

ing

near

Grig

orio

pol,

Bf 1

09E-

3 N

o. 1

4 “D

or d

e Duc

ă” w

as d

isman

tled

and

load

ed o

n a

truc

k fo

r tra

nspo

rt to

ASA

M P

iper

a re

pair

shop

, sum

mer

194

1. (J

osé F

erna

ndez

coll.

)

118

SAMPLE

Bf 1

09G

a-2

“Whi

te A

”, C

ăpit

an A

v. (r

) Con

stan

tin

“Bâz

u’’ C

anta

cuzi

no,

Esca

drila

57,

Gru

pul 7

Vân

ătoa

re, M

ay 1

944.

Upp

er s

urfa

ces:

Gra

uvio

lett

R

LM 7

5. U

nder

side

s: L

icht

blau

RLM

76

The I

AR B

raşo

v-as

sem

bled

mac

hine

“W

hite

A”

was

the p

erso

nal m

ount

of C

pt. A

v. Ca

ntac

uzin

o be

twee

n Ap

ril a

nd M

ay 1

944.

On

15 A

pril

1944

, the

Rom

ania

n Ac

e cla

imed

one

B-2

4 Li

bera

tor a

nd o

n 28

Apr

il 19

44 o

ne

Sovi

et Y

ak fi

ghte

r. D

urin

g th

e mon

th o

f May

, he s

hot d

own

two

Sovi

et A

iraco

bras

and

four

Yak

figh

ters

. For

ty-tw

o vi

ctor

y ba

rs w

ere p

aint

ed in

whi

te o

n th

e ver

tical

stab

ilize

r with

a re

d st

ar a

dded

abo

ve ea

ch b

ar. C

anta

cuzi

no

finish

ed th

e war

with

56

conf

irmed

and

13

prob

able

vict

orie

s.

Cant

acuz

ino

prou

dly

pose

s nea

r the

the r

udde

r of h

is Bf

109

Ga-

2 “W

hite

A”

deco

rate

d w

ith th

e 42

vict

orie

s gai

ned

by sp

ring

1944

. (D

an A

nton

iu co

ll.)

153

SAMPLE

Bf 1

10D

-4 2

Z+N

W W

.Nr.

3711

, Lt.

Av. M

ihai

l Brâ

ncov

eanu

, Esc

adri

la 5

1 Vâ

năto

are

de N

oapt

e (1

2./N

JG 6

) Zili

ştea

air

field

, Aug

ust 1

943.

Upp

er

surf

aces

Gra

uvio

lett

RLM

75.

Und

ersi

des

Lich

tbla

u R

LM 7

6.

Dur

ing

the n

ight

of 1

0 Au

gust

1943

, Bf 1

10D

-4 2

Z+N

W sc

ram

bled

follo

win

g re

port

s of w

aves

of e

nem

y ai

rcra

ft ap

proa

ch-

ing

Niş

in Y

ugos

lavi

a. T

he a

ircra

ft w

as fl

own

by S

lt. A

v. M

ihai

l Brâ

ncov

eanu

, a p

rince

from

an

old

fam

ily o

f Rom

ania

n ru

lers

and

rece

ntly

mar

ried

to th

e dau

ghte

r of t

he S

pani

sh a

mba

ssad

or to

Buc

hare

st. T

he cr

ew a

lso in

clude

d ra

dio-

oper

ator

M

aist

ru P

ăun

Busu

ioc a

nd re

ar-g

unne

r Mai

stru

Dum

itru

Gol

ogan

. Due

to th

e lac

k of

expe

rienc

e with

radi

o-as

siste

d di

rect

ion

findi

ng, t

hey

beca

me l

ost a

nd in

the e

nd, t

hey

had

to la

nd w

ithou

t any

fuel

near

Sin

aia.

The

two

tech

nica

l offi

cers

ba

iled

out a

nd p

arac

hute

d to

safe

ty, b

ut th

e pilo

t los

t his

life w

hen

the a

ircra

ft hi

t the

gro

und.

Thi

s par

ticul

ar p

lane

was

the

only

Bf 1

10D

on

stre

ngth

with

Esc

adril

a 51

.

Bf 1

10F-

4 2Z

+AW

W.N

r. 50

84, p

ilot

Lt. A

v. Io

n Si

mio

n an

d re

ar-g

unne

r C

onst

anti

n O

ctav

ian,

Esc

adri

la 5

1 Vâ

năto

are

(12/

NJG

6),

Oto

peni

air

-fie

ld, J

une

1944

. Upp

er s

urfa

ces

Gra

uvio

lett

RLM

75.

Und

ersi

des

Lich

-tb

lau

RLM

76

Pain

ted

over

all R

LM 7

6 Li

ght G

rey

with

the f

usel

age b

and

and

spin

ner t

ips i

n ye

llow

RLM

04.

It is

pos

sible

that

the l

ower

w

ing

tips w

ere a

lso p

aint

ed y

ellow

RLM

04.

Thi

s Bf 1

10F-

4 w

as fi

tted

with

FuG

202

Lich

tens

tein

rada

r. T

his i

s the

onl

y kn

own

pict

ure o

f a B

f 110

in R

oman

ian

serv

ice w

earin

g th

e Mich

ael C

ross

mar

king

s. Al

l oth

er B

f 110

s in

Rom

ania

n se

rvice

w

ere s

uppo

sedl

y w

earin

g G

erm

an m

arki

ngs.

The R

oman

ian

Bf 1

10F-

4 ni

ght f

ight

ers o

f 12.

/ NJG

6 w

ere m

ainl

y us

ed in

the

defe

nce o

f Plo

ieşt

i aga

inst

15th

USA

AF d

ay a

ttack

s with

seve

re lo

ses a

nd n

o sig

nific

ant o

utco

me.

179

SAMPLE