General Gheorghe Avramescu

From a (Net)book of Vadim Udilov (former KGB Maj.Gen.)
The CounterSpy's Notes. A look from inside (Zapisky kontrrazvedchika. Vzglyad iznutry), 1994
Chapter : War without front

The Operation "The Friends"
Soviet SMERSh organs have developed a large and long-term operation against underground nationalist and fascist groups, sent from Germany and operating in Romania....
Spies investigated: Schmidt, Gunner, Helmuth ...
......
Q: Whom from the conspiracy you know ?
A: I personally know Petrascu, also I know the followings: Gen.Avramescu, Gen.Dragalina, Gen.Aldea.
.....
Shmidt also confessed that he and The Iron Guard has counted on support from Radescu Prime Minister, ministers Negulescu and Penescu, Maniu and Bratianu, chief of the Security Service Stanescu, commanders of the garrison Bucuresti, Sibiu, Brasov and Craiova and a reactionary part of the Romanian Army officers.
......
True, the names of the generals-conspirators were known to the Soviets before. Gen.Avramescu appeared repeatedly on Gunner radiograms sent by "Helmuth" to RSHA office Vienna. From these radiograms it was possible to get definitive conclusions.
.....
Gunner to Strunk 18/01/1945:
"... On Jan.13 meet Avramescu on the front. Previously, by the baronesse Strudza, I learned Avramescu will be removed from the Army. They still not decided. If it will be so, we lose a great chance, because he agreed with all issues. His position against the Soviet authorities apparently unhurt.”
.....
RSHA, from Gunner:
"Gen.Avramescu promoted as Army General, CO of the Ro. 4th.A. Tomorow he goes to the front. Excellent relationship with Avramescu. He is ready for any cooperation with us. At the request of the The Iron Guard he went to the front, but promises that, if necessary, he will assume also political tasks. We are in a close relationship with Avramescu through a permanent liaison officer."
......
Sometimes, when they were serious problems, the Allies were obliged to pass something to us. So it was with the information on Gen.Avramescu.
......
In early Jan.1945, the head of OSS, Gen.Donovan, by the representative of the U.S. military mission in the USSR, Gen.Deane, sent an official letter to the Soviets, in which he warned of a possible failure of the Gen.Avramescu troops.
Here is that letter:
Office of Strategic Services, Washington : "Early Nov.1944, the Germans received information that Gen.Avramescu could pass to the German side with some units. It is said that in early Nov. he tried unsuccessfully to pass to Germans with his family. In an effort to suport him, the Germans organized a meeting between their military officials, Horia Sima and Prince Sturdza’s son (a relative of Avramescu)... Thus, Horia Sima together col.Steinhauzer, met in early Nov. at the "South Army Group” the generals von Grolman and Friesner. It was agreed that for the coordination of all operations in Romania, it must be set up a central command, similar to a government ... Later Horia Sima met Sturdza and the Germans in Budapest. At this meeting, Sturdza said Gen.Avramescu will not be able to bring any unit, except for his family ... "
......
The phrase of the decision to create a Command for Romania alerted the Soviets. Possibly, the readiness of the underground anti-Soviet forces was at a level that the Germans concluded they need to create a special command. The data gathered points Gen.Avramescu as an active participant in the conspiracy, and his mandate on command of a Romanian Army on the Soviet-German front had serious consequences.....
They decided to remove Avramescu, Dragalina and others from positions of command, to deprive them of their ability to use Romanian military units to support a Guard rebellion. It was decided to withdraw him for Bucharest, by the Allied Control Comitee, apparently consider his candidacy for high office in the Ministry of Defense. During this time, we gather additional material on his traitorous activities, and finally get him out of the game....
Avramescu has been advised of the possibility of being called to Bucharest for talks on promotion. This, by his liaison became known to the German resident Gunner.
.....
RSHA for Shtrunk : "Urgent this telegram sent to Horia Sima. Avramescu leave from the front to enter the government as minister. Our chances of success grow.”
......
German involvement became apparent in the telegram-directive, submitted on 10 Mar.1945 from RSHA Vienna to Petrascu. Radiogram was received by the agent "Helmut" and came to the Soviets.


This post has been edited by Petre on September 16, 2014 09:43 am

The messages could very well have been an "intelligence intoxication" from the Axis side. I personally find it hard to believe that Avramescu was contemplating such actions, given the overall military situation of the time and the sheer difficulty of such an operation in the given conditions. He was one the most experienced Romanian front commanders at the time.

01/02 November 2010 Moscow
International Conference on "Personality and social group in the past and present of the Central and Eastern Europe: biographies, prosoprographies, group portraits"
Organizers: the Commission of Historians of Russia and Hungary, the Institute for Scientific Information on Social Sciences, Institute of Slavic Studies
Tatyana Pokivaylova (Institute of Slavic Studies) presented : "The mystery of the death of the 4th Romanian Front(?) commander, Gen.G.Avramescu March 3, 1945"
(Tatyana Pokivaylova is specialised in romanian issues). Text not found.

Perhaps this was the reason for his untimely demise, then!
re: Pokivailova: she's quite a competent researcher - based on what I've read from her (in "Magazin Istoric", in the recent years). The confusion might come from the organisation of the Red Army in "Fronts" (practically, Army Groups) which also comprised the Romanian troops.

General Avramescu's tunic with two straps for injury :
http://www.vedomstva-uniforma.ru/mundir6/krank2/28.html
http://www.vedomstva-uniforma.ru/mundir6/krank2/29.html

Found on the Web this dialogue :
http://vif2ne.ru/rkka/forum/arhprint/8059

This post has been edited by Petre on January 05, 2012 07:56 pm

I think it will be a mistake to speculate what has really
happened to Avramescu, I also believe that ZAMO
archives will not release any info as they work
against fees and given the importance of the case they will
even increase the cost......which by the end of the day
and in long run their material may prove useless.

From biographies of Gen.Trofimenko who was
under Malinovsky and commanded the 27 army
is indirectly clear that SMERSH was eagger to eliminate
the Rumanian Army leadership which posed headaches
to the Russian command and those who potentially
posed an ideological threat . I doubt that Avramescu
was ever sent to Siberia but shot on spot by NKVD-
SMERSH on something Berya has approved or was
knowledgeable about,period.Trofimenko died early 1953.

http://imageshack.us/content_round.php?pag...mupload&newlp=1

The photo is from the mentioned bios and the Rumanian
General on right corner who seems to be Churchills
double is unknown to me. Avramescu rarely chreered
or smilled on any of his photos...may have felt the troubles
to come ahead...which ended so bad for him and his family.

Alex K

PS : For further research I suggest two books I have
though I am lacking the time for deeper study:

"FROM HITLER'S DOORSTEEP " (Intel reports Allen Dulles 1942-45)
"HITLER's FORGOTTEN ALLY"

This post has been edited by yugit on January 10, 2012 10:58 am

This post has been edited by Petre on January 10, 2012 07:20 pm

If remains were reburied in Rumania a pathological test
would have immediately revealled if a personal weapon
or an acft gun were involved ...isnt it ?

A romanian medical examination of remains of general Avramescu was made when he was exhumated in order to be moved in Romania and a full medical report was written.

This post has been edited by 21 inf on January 11, 2012 07:09 am

Well then is all clear and concluded .

I dont know the results of the latest romanian medical examinations of the remains.

But some people (M.Dogaru ?) claimed it was no med. exam. And others said the remains had no clothes in his grave.

All :

From the same memoires I cited before, is absolutely
clear that there was no aerial activities of the enemy
on that perimeter of the front as far as the Germans
and Hungarians Air Forces were concerned. This type
of Katyn type elimination pattern fits SMERSH and
the Stalin prosecutor Vishinksy who was very often
scanning the Rumanian leadership while often in
Rumania. The single mistery remains the sudden
execution without a trial, the Russians must have
feared something real serious.

One thing though , from some books related to
Abwehr and Rumanian secret service 44/45 is
obvious that Avramescu was highly regarded by
the Germans and sooner or later he would been
executed anyways. SMERSH was fully knowledgeable
about this

I personally spoke with one romanian officer who was eyewitness at the medical exam performed when Avramescu was undigged for repatriation.