Grupul 1 Aeronautic


Grupul 1 Aeronautic, also known as Grupul 1 Aviație was one of the three groups of the Romanian Air Corps created following the aviation reorganization in the winter of 1916/1917. After the war, the Group was eventually transformed into the 1st Reconnaissance Group, then into the 1st Aviation Flotilla in 1929.

History

After the reorganization of the Romanian Air Corps in the winter of 1916/1917, under the advice of the French Military Mission, 3 Aeronautical groups were created. Each composed of 2 reconnaissance and 1 fighter squadrons and each assigned to a Romanian or Russian army. Grupul 1 Aeronautic with its headquarters at Bacău was assigned to the 2nd Romanian Army.
The group, commanded by Major Sturdza, was composed the following squadrons:
  • Escadrila F.2 - commanded by Captain, then by Captain Panait Cholet
  • Escadrila F.6 - commanded by Cpt. Scarlat Ștefănescu
  • Escadrila N.1 - commanded by Cpt.

Campaign of 1917

Grupul 1 Aeronautic together with Grupul 2 Aeronautic contributed to the Battle of Mărăști. On 15 August 1917, the airmen of the group carried out 18 reconnaissance, bombing missions, photographing the enemy positions on the front of the 2nd Romanian Army.
In preparation for an offensive on the Oituz Valley, the airmen of Grupul 1 Aeronautic executed numerous reconnaissance missions between 3 - 7 September 1917, the fighter pilots of N.1 squadron continued patrolling the front-line, engaging aircraft of the Central Powers. On 8 September, airmen of the F.2 and N.1 squadrons engaged enemy aircraft over Târgu Ocna, and Slănic. The next day, managing to shoot down 3 aircraft. Between 9 - 12 September, 18 combat missions were completed, with dogfights being carried out in 12 of them. Two enemy aircraft were brought down, while the reconnaissance squadrons managed to photograph the whole front between Cireșoaia-Cașin and the.
From 22 September 1917, Grupul 1 Aeronautic was composed of:
  • Escadrila F.2 and Escadrila N.1 - with the aerodrome at Borzești
  • Escadrila F.6 - at Gârbovanul

1918

From January 1918, Grupul 1 Aeronautic was commanded by Maj. Athanase Enescu. All squadrons of the group were located at Bacău. Following Order no. 275/1918, the squadrons of the group were moved to auxiliary airfields, closer to the front-line in Bessarabia.

1919

In 1919, the N.1 and B.4 squadrons, part of Grupul 1 Aviație commanded by Major Ștefan Protopopescu, set their base at Chișinău, in order to support the Romanian troops of Grupul general Popovici. (Escadrila N.10, which was part of Grupul 3 Aeronautic, was also sent to the front, being based at Cernăuți. All 3 squadrons executed mainly reconnaissance and bombing missions. The S.2 Squadron which was previously part of the 1st Group, was assigned to the newly formed 5th Aviation Group in Transylvania. It returned to the Group in 1920.

1920–1929

By 1920, the group was located in Iași, where it would be named the 1st Reconnaissance Group. In 1928, all reconnaissance groups were renamed to aviation groups, the 1st Reconnaissance Group being renamed to the 1st Aviation Group. With the increase in increase in aircraft and personnel, the aviation groups were converted to flotillas.

1st Aviation Flotilla

The newly established 1st Aviation Flotilla comprised an observation and reconnaissance group, a fighter group, and also specialty squadrons. Around 1938–1939, the flotilla was transformed into the 1st Information Flotilla. It consisted of the 19th, 20th, 21st, and 22nd Observation squadrons, and was equipped with IAR 37, 38, and 39 airplanes.