Tanks, their impact in Romania

What was the impact of the use of tanks on the western front, in Romania? In contemporary newspapers or later published memoirs. What was its impact in the military doctrine. Were there romanians who touched on this subject during WWI or immediately after?

thank you

Hi Imperialist,

I think the answer may lie in the book "Forta de Soc".

Cheers,

Sid.

Any author or publishing house details?

thanks

Hi Imperialist,

From memory, it was published in paperback by the Editura Militara in the early 1980s. It was, as you might expect, quite shy about 1941-44, but was more expansive about the earlier (and later) period.

There was also an article in the Journal of Slavic (formerly Soviet) Military Studies a few years ago on the Romanian Armoured Division in the 1941 campaign. That also discussed pre-war Romanian armoured developments, but mostly in the 1930s. There is an index for this journal somewhere on the internet.

Cheers,

Sid.

http://journalsonline.tandf.co.uk/link.asp?id=110532

Hi Imperialist.

Dragos03 and Dragos say that the author of "Forta de Soc" was Col. Tudor Gheorghe and the year of publication was 1982.

Cheers,

Sid.

The first tanks of the Romanian Army were aquired in 1919. They were Renault FT-17s that had belonged to several French battalions of the Oriental Army operating in the Odessa area. The first instructors were French and the entire doctrine was French. The tanks were seen just as means of supporting the infantry.

During the interwar period, there was an officer who proposed a new doctrine, but he had the same success as Charles de Gaulle had with his.

Also if possible try finding the book: Locotenent-Colonel Marin Manafu, "Pregatirea apararii nationale", Bucharest, 1929.

Yes, I first searched the site and found that article about the FT-17s.

Sid, Victor and Dragos, thank you for your suggestions, I'll see if I can find and buy those books.

take care

Early picture of a Romanian FT-17 tank, probably one of the first tanks to enter the country shortly after the war (1919).

It still has the French number on it.


Picture from my colection.

PS I can post a bigger resolution picture if somebody wants.

You can blow up only the section with the tank in it.