"The Romanian mountain troops used during the Second World War a variety of advanced weapons, adapted to the combat against infantry or tanks, beginning with the machine guns to anti-tank guns. The mountain troops were tasked with the most difficult missions because of their particular training (Special Forces). They could appear suddenly in the middle of the night, passing easily the natural obstacles like mountains or the defense works and attacking behind the enemy lines. During the winter, because of their white camouflage wear, they were almost "invisible" for the enemy. That is why the mountain troops from the Romanian Mountain Corps were surnamed "
the white phantoms" both by the Axis and Soviet armies.
As far as I know, the troops of the Captain Aurelian Lupescu (the commander of the prestigious 21st Mountain Battalion) used the light machine gun 7.92 mm
ZB (1500m range at 828m/s muzzle velocity) produced in Czechoslovakia and the German 7.92mm
Maschinengewehr (2000m at 755m/s).
I have two photos with the mountain troops using these weapons on the battlefields.
Maschinengewehr 7,92mm used by a mountain troops ranger of the 21 Battalion
ZB 7,92mm light machine gun operated by two mountain troops in the Battle for Oradea
photo: GeneralMociulschi.ro
Concerning the artillery, the mountain troops used field guns but also howitzers (because of their projectiles trajectories with a steep angle of descent in the mountainous terrain). The Skoda howitzer 150mm had 15km range at a 570m/s muzzle velocity of the shell (42kg). The vertical field of fire was between -5 to +70 degrees. The presence of such weapons inside the arsenal of the mountain troops provided a certain autonomy in the organizing of the artillery fire against enemy positions. The barrages could be light or moderate. A light barrage amounted to seven or eight shells every ten minutes and a moderate one was fourty shells a minute. For the close combats the mountain troops used 81,4 mm Brandt mortars, too.
Field howitzer model 1934
photo: courtesy of col. (R) Gh.Suman
The mountain troops used perhaps in certain operations some special vehicles like this
Panzerkampfwagen 38 I could saw recently on a photo. Capable to develop a speed up to 42km/h this German light tank produced in Czechoslovakia (with 8-25mm armor) had a range about 230km. In the pages of the Battle for Oradea there is mentioned by the general Mociulschi how his deputy commander, the colonel Constantinescu, reached the first line by such a vehicle with mountain troops crew. I mention that such missions were rather occasionally. In the picture below you can observe the Romanian cross emblem on the turret of the tank.
Romanian mountain troops on a Panzerkampfwagen 38 light tank
photo: WorldWar2.ro
Not only such means of transportation were used by the Romanian mountain troops. The ski was another way to reach quickly a target and to accomplish any mission on the landscapes covered with snow.
Mountain troops of the 10th Battalion ready for a combat skiing trial
photo: GeneralMociulschi.ro
Because of the lack of communication lines in the mountainous areas, the mortars and the supplies could be transported using the horses.
Mortars and ammunition on the mountain troops' horses
photo: GeneralDumitrache.ro
The vital orders could be delivered in time because of the cooperation with the Romanian Royal Air Forces. In the image below there is a fighter produced in Romania (
IAR80). Its speed was more than 500 km/h and the maximum operational ceiling 11000m for a range about 700km. You can observe the cross emblem of the Romanian Army, on the fuselage of the plane.
Romanian IAR80 fighter landed near the mountain troops positions "
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