Alexandru Șerbănescu
| Alexandru Şerbănescu | |
|---|---|
Alexandru Şerbănescu
|
|
| Nickname(s) | Alecu |
| Born |
17 May 1912 Coloneşti, Olt County |
| Died | 18 August 1944 (aged 32) Ruşavăţ, Buzău County |
| Allegiance |
 Kingdom of Romania
|
| Service/branch |
Romanian Army Romanian Air Force |
| Years of service | 1933-1942 (Army) 1942-1944 (Air Force) |
| Rank | Captain |
| Unit | 7th Fighter Group |
| Commands held | 57th Fighter Squadron 9th Fighter Group |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards |
Order of Michael the Brave Order of the Star of Romania Iron Cross |
Alexandru "Alecu" Şerbănescu (17 May 1912 in Coloneşti, Olt County – 18 August 1944 in Ruşavăţ, Buzău County) was a leading Romanian fighter pilot and flying ace in World War II. In the spring of 1942 he was assigned as a pilot to the 7th Fighter Group, which fought with the German forces against the Soviet Union on the Eastern Front, including Stalingrad. He flew mostly IAR-80 and Messerchmitt Bf-109 fighters.
He graduated from the Military College at Târgovişte and the Infantry Officers School at Sibiu in 1933 and was soon appointed the commander of the 3rd Mountain Troops battalion, located at Braşov. In 1942, he joined the Air Force Flight School in Ghimbav and became soon a fighter pilot within the 7th Fighter Group.
The 7th Fighter Group was detached in 1942 to the Stalingrad front. Şerbănescu distinguished himself in the fierce battles during the retreat from the airfields around Stalingrad. When Soviets broke the German and Romanian defenses in November 1942 and approached the Romanian airfield where the 7th Fighter Group was stationed, Şerbănescu successfully organized the defense of the airbase against the Allied forces, helped by his infantry experience. He had at his disposal only two anti-aircraft guns (one Rheinmetall 37mm and one 75mm Vickers-Reşiţa gun), the 20mm guns on the Bf-109Es and a company of ill-equipped and trained soldiers. The Romanians' camouflaged positions and well-led defense stopped the Soviet tanks attacking the airfield for two days. The Bf 109's 20 mm guns were used as antitank weapons on the ground (by lifting the airplane's tail on barrels), this being a unique case of airplane-tank duel. On November 23, 1942 the Romanians evacuated eight Bf-109E (another 3 were lost while they tried to take off under fire). Each airplane carried two or three people in the cockpit. After this, what remained of Şerbănescu's unit was stationed on the Morozovskaya airfield and was soon withdrawn to Romania for rest and recuperation.
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Wikipedia