| Unit Name: | Romanian Royal Aeronautics |
| Native Name: | Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Aeronautica Regală Română |
| Dates: | 1924 – 1947 |
| Allegiance: | King of Romania |
| Type: | Air Force |
| Role: | Aerial warfare |
| Command Structure: | Royal Romanian Armed Forces |
| Garrison: | Bucharest |
| Nickname: | ARR |
| Colours: | Yellow and Blue |
| Battles: | |
| Commander1: | Carol II of Romania (1924-1925) |
| Commander1 Label: | General Inspector of the Aeronautics |
| Commander2: | Radu Irimescu (1936-1938) |
| Commander2 Label: | Minister of the Air and Navy[1] |
| Identification Symbol Label: | Roundel |
| Identification Symbol 2 Label: | Insignia |
The Air Force branch of the Royal Romanian forces in World War II was officially named the Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Aeronautica Regală Română (ARR), or the Romanian Royal Aeronautics, though it is more commonly referred to in English histories as the Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Forțele Aeriene Regale ale României (Royal Romanian Air Force, FARR), or simply Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Forțele Aeriene Române (Romanian Air Force). It provided support to land forces, carrying out reconnaissance and mounting air raids between other missions.
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".[2]
The ARR was first established on 1 January 1924 from the previous Romanian Air Corps.[3]
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 Berveni.[4]
See also: 1st Air Corps (Romania). 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 Poland, with their own and other foreign aircraft, as well as captured enemy aircraft. The main models of fighter aircraft used include the PZL P.24E, Hawker Hurricane, Heinkel He 112, Messerschmitt Bf 109E and G types, Messerschmitt Bf 110 (for night defence), IAR 80 and IAR 81 were also used. Luftwaffe interceptor units were also deployed in the area.
After the August 23, 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 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 other aircraft 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.
See main article: article and List of World War II flying aces from Romania.
Fighter units
Bomber units
Reconnaissance Units
Transport Units
Liaison Units
Aircraft constructed under foreign license or assembled
As a result of the German-Soviet Invasion of Poland, a large number of Polish Air Force aircraft were interned in Romania. Also, some Soviet aircraft were captured during World War II, as well as a few American B-24 Liberator bombers.
See main article: article.
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:[7] [8]
| Model | Type | Number | Armament | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Training | 25 | Unarmed[9] | ||
| Training, communication, observation | 20 | 2 x 7.7 mm Lewis guns (twin mount) | ||
| Reconnaissance and observation | 20 | 2 x 7.7 mm Lewis guns (twin mount) 1 x 7.7 mm Vickers machine gun 6 x 12 kg bombs | ||
| Communication | 20 | 1 x 7.7 mm Lewis gun | ||
| Reconnaissance bomber | 184 | 3 x 7.7 mm machine guns 200 kg of bombs | ||
| Light bomber | 50 | 4 x Browning machine guns 12 x 50 kg bombs | ||
| Reconnaissance and artillery spotting | 75 | 3 x Browning machine guns 24 x 12 kg bombs | ||
| Reconnaissance and light bomber | 255 | 3 x Browning machine guns 24 x 12 kg bombs | ||
| Reconnaissance and communications | 46 | 1 x MG 15 machine gun | ||
| Fleet 10G | Training and communications | 415 | Unarmed | |
| PZL P.11f | Fighter | 95 | 4 x FN Browning machine guns 24 x 12 kg bombs (38) Grenade launchers (57) | |
| Fighter | 25 | 2 x machine guns 2 x 20 mm cannons 2 x 50 kg (110 lb) bombs Grenade launchers | ||
| Fighter | 49 | 1 x 20 mm/3 x 20 mm MG 151 cannons 2 x MG 17 machine guns 1 x 500 kg/4 x 50 kg bomb(s) | ||
| Fighter | 13 | 1 x 20 mm MG 151 cannon 2 x MG 17 machine guns 1 x 250 kg/4 x 50 kg bomb(s) | ||
| Fighter | 62 | 1 x 20 mm MG 151 cannon 2 x 13 mm MG 131 heavy machine guns 1 x 250 kg bomb | ||
| Fighter | 50 | 4 x FN Browning machine guns | ||
| Fighter | 90 | 6 x FN Browning machine guns | ||
| Fighter | 50 | 2 x 13.2 mm FN Browning heavy machine guns 4 x FN Browning machine guns | ||
| Fighter | 60 | 2 x 20 mm Ikaria autocannons 4 x FN Browning machine guns | ||
| Fighter and dive bomber | 50 | 6 x FN Browning machine guns (4 for 10 of them) 2 x 13.2 mm FN Browning heavy machine gun (10 of them) 1 x 225 bomb 2 x 50 kg bombs | ||
| Fighter | 150 | 2 x 20 mm MG 151 autocannons 2 x FN Browning machine guns 2 x Werfer-Granate 21 (tested on one aircraft in 1944) | ||
| Bomber | 36 | 5 x machine guns 1,575 kg of bombs | ||
| Bomber | 31 | 1 x 20 mm Ikaria autocannon 7 x machine guns 1,400 kg of bombs | ||
| Flying boat | 5 | 4 x machine guns 600 kg of bombs |