Vânători de munte: Difference between revisions

*Vânători de munte*
Vânători de munte
Active	Since 1916
Country	Romania
Branch	Romanian Land Forces
Type	Mountain troops
Size	Two brigades
Garrison/HQ	2nd Mountain Troops Brigade - Brașov; 61st Mountain Troops Brigade - Miercurea Ciuc
Insignia
Shoulder patch

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The vânători de munte (Romanian pronunciation: [vɨnəˈtorʲ de ˈmunte], transl. "Mountain Huntsmen") are the elite mountain troops of the Romanian Land Forces. They were first established as an independent Army Corps in 1916 during World War I, and became operational in 1917 under Corpul de Munte designation.^[1]

History

Origins and World War I

In 1883, the Mountain Artillery was formed with one battery assigned to each of the four Army Corps. In 1913 and 1915, two divisions of Mountain Artillery were formed, each with 4 batteries. These were further integrated into the 1st Mountain Artillery Regiment in 1916, with the headquarters in Târgu Jiu. Another 8 batteries were added to the Regiment before Romania's entry in World War I.^[2]

Despite several initiatives starting in 1889,^[2] the first mountain troops were formed in November 1916. Through Order no. 294, the Military School of Skiing was transformed in the "Corps of Mountain Hunters" (Corpul Vânătorilor de munte). It was organized in three battalions, each with three companies. In January 1917, the Corps was reorganized into the "Mountain Hunter Battalion" (Batalionul Vânătorilor de Munte). It consisted of 5 infantry companies, 2 machine gun companies and a wireless telegraphy section.^[1] Each company took a nickname: the 1st was nicknamed Tigrii, the 2nd Șoimii, the 3rd Haiducii, the 4th Leii, and the 5th Pandurii, while the 1st and 2nd machine gun companies were nicknamed Smeii and Balaurii respectively. This tradition was kept until after the Second World War.^[3]

The Mountain Hunter Battalion first saw combat during the Third Battle of Oituz. The vânători de munte companies were deployed at Cireșoaia and Coșna, where between 20th and 26 August they fought against the Württemberg mountain battalion of the German Alpenkorps, winning the engagement. The Germans eventually managed to take the two peaks, but failed to break the Romanian lines further.^[3] On 30 October 1917, the Battalion was transformed into a Regiment, and Prince Carol was named as its honorific commander. From March 1919, the Regiment participated in the Hungarian–Romanian War.^[4]

Interwar to World War II

In 1923, the first two vânători de munte divisions were formed: the 1st Division at Brașov, and the 2nd Division at Bistrița. The foundations of training, rules and principles of fighting in the mountains were also laid out.^[1]

The Romanian vânători de munte saw action in World War II on the Eastern Front in some of the harshest battles — including the sieges of Sevastopol and Stalingrad — where their performance lived up to their reputation: virtually all their commanders from brigade level and up received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, with general Mihail Lascăr being the first foreigner to receive Oak Leaves on 22 November 1942 (see List of foreign recipients of the Knight's Cross). The greatest single achievement of the vânători de munte was the capture of Nalchik on 2 November 1942, the farthest point of the Nazi Germany advance into the Caucasus. This victory earned Romanian Brigadier General Ioan Dumitrache the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.^[5] After the coup d'état of 23 August 1944, the vânători de munte fought on the Soviet side, notably in the Tatra Mountains.^[6]

After the end of the war, one of the first measures taken by the Soviets in occupied Romania was to disband the mountain troops. Shortly after the Soviet occupation troops left Romania in 1958, the vânători de munte were re-established again as a distinct branch of Communist Romania's People's Ground Forces.^[1]

There are currently two brigades operational, one subordinated to the 2nd Infantry Division (the 2nd Mountain Troops Brigade "Sarmizegetusa"),^[7] and another one subordinated to the 4th Infantry Division (the 61st Mountain Troops Brigade "General Virgil Bădulescu"). Mountain troops units participated in the occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan.^[8]

Image gallery

Romanian mountain troops 1970s
Vânători de munte during a military competition
Troops from the 2nd and 61st Mountain Troops Brigade during a military competition
A soldier with the 17th Vânători de munte Battalion fires an M240B machine gun with a U.S. Marine of the Black Sea Rotational Force, during a live-fire exercise in the Carpathian Mountains, 2014
An Arctic Cat Prowler used by the 21st Mountain Hunters Battalion "General Leonard Mociulschi" during a training exercise, 2017

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Vânători de munte". forter.ro (in Romanian). Romanian Land Forces. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
^ ^a ^b Suman 2014, pp. 14–15.
^ ^a ^b Suman 2014, pp. 16–19.
^ Suman 2014, pp. 20–21.
^ Spencer C. Tucker, World War II: The Definitive Encyclopedia and Document Collection (5 volumes), ABC-CLIO, 2016, p. 1422
^ Axworthy, Mark; Scafeș, Cornel I.; Crăciunoiu, Cristian (1995). Third axis, fourth ally: Romanian armed forces in the European war, 1941–1945. London: Arms and Armour. p. 64. ISBN 1-85409-267-7. OCLC 32552622.
^ Constantin, Gabriel (24 November 2022). "Vânătorii de munte la exercițiul "Gordian knot 2022" din Grecia". isp.forter.ro. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
^ "La kilometrul zero al infanteriei". www.rft.forter.ro (in Romanian). Archived from the original on 19 January 2015. Retrieved 19 January 2015.

Bibliography

Suman, Gheorghe (2014). "Vânătorii de munte | Primul război mondial". Tactică și Strategie (in Romanian).

External links

(in Romanian) Presentation of the vânători de munte on the Land Forces' website
(in English) Unofficial page
(in English) "The Mountain Troops"

[forter-1] "Vânători de munte". forter.ro (in Romanian). Romanian Land Forces. Retrieved 3 November 2022.

[FOOTNOTESuman201414–15-2] Suman 2014, pp. 14–15.

[FOOTNOTESuman201416–19-3] Suman 2014, pp. 16–19.

[FOOTNOTESuman201420–21-4] Suman 2014, pp. 20–21.

[5] Spencer C. Tucker, World War II: The Definitive Encyclopedia and Document Collection (5 volumes), ABC-CLIO, 2016, p. 1422

[6] Axworthy, Mark; Scafeș, Cornel I.; Crăciunoiu, Cristian (1995). Third axis, fourth ally: Romanian armed forces in the European war, 1941–1945. London: Arms and Armour. p. 64. ISBN 1-85409-267-7. OCLC 32552622.

[7] Constantin, Gabriel (24 November 2022). "Vânătorii de munte la exercițiul "Gordian knot 2022" din Grecia". isp.forter.ro. Retrieved 11 January 2024.

[8] "La kilometrul zero al infanteriei". www.rft.forter.ro (in Romanian). Archived from the original on 19 January 2015. Retrieved 19 January 2015.

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{Short description|Mountain infantry of the Romanian Army}}
+{{Italic title}}
-{{distinguish|Vânători (military unit)}}
-{{refimprove|date=February 2017}}
+{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2017}}
+{{Distinguish|Vânători (military unit)}}
 {{Infobox military unit
-|unit_name= Mountain Huntsmen
+|unit_name=''Vânători de munte''
-| native_name =Vânători de munte
 |image=Romanian Mountain Troops National Day 2007.jpg
 |caption=
@@ Line 11: / Line 11: @@
 |branch={{army|Romania}}
 |type= [[Mountain troops]]
-|role= [[Close-quarters combat]]<br>[[Cold-weather warfare]]<br>[[Forward observer]]<br>[[Mountain warfare]]<br>[[Raid (military)| Raiding]]<br>[[Reconnaissance]]<br>[[Urban warfare]]
 |size=Two brigades
 |current_commander=
-|garrison=[[2nd Mountain Troops Brigade]] - [[Brașov]]<br>[[61st Mountain Troops Brigade]] - [[Miercurea Ciuc]]
+|garrison=[[2nd Mountain Troops Brigade]] - [[Brașov]]<br />[[61st Mountain Troops Brigade]] - [[Miercurea Ciuc]]
 |ceremonial_chief=
 |ceremonial_chief_label=
@@ Line 26: / Line 25: @@
 |notable_commanders=
 |anniversaries=
+|identification_symbol=[[File:Emblema Vânătorilor de Munte.jpg|border|160px]]
+|identification_symbol_label=[[Shoulder patch]]
 }}
-The '''''Vânători de Munte''''' ({{IPA-ro|vɨnəˈtorʲ de ˈmunte}}, [[English language|English]] translation: '''Mountain [[Huntsmen (military)|Huntsmen]]''') are the elite mountain troops of the [[Romanian Land Forces]]. They were first established as an independent [[Army Corps]] in 1916 during [[World War I]], and  became operational in 1917 under ''Corpul de Munte'' designation.<ref name="forter">{{cite web|url=https://forter.ro/content/v%C3%A2n%C4%83tori-de-munte|title=Vânători de munte|lang=ro|publisher=[[Romanian Land Forces]]|website=www.forter.ro|access-date=November 3, 2022}}</ref>
+The '''''vânători de munte''''' ({{IPA|ro|vɨnəˈtorʲ de ˈmunte}}, {{translation|"Mountain [[Huntsmen (military)|Huntsmen]]"}}) are the elite mountain troops of the [[Romanian Land Forces]]. They were first established as an independent [[Army Corps]] in 1916 during [[World War I]], and  became operational in 1917 under ''Corpul de Munte'' designation.<ref name="forter">{{cite web|url=https://forter.ro/content/v%C3%A2n%C4%83tori-de-munte|title=Vânători de munte|language=ro|publisher=[[Romanian Land Forces]]|website=forter.ro|access-date=November 3, 2022}}</ref>
 ==History==
 ===Origins and World War I===
-In 1883, the Mountain Artillery was formed, with one battery assigned to each of the four Army Corps. In 1913 and 1915, two [[divizion]]s of Mountain Artillery were formed, each with 4 batteries. These were further integrated into the 1st Mountain Artillery Regiment in 1916, with the headquarters in [[Târgu Jiu]]. Another 8 batteries were added to the Regiment before Romania's entry in the [[First World War]].{{sfn|Suman|2014|pp=14-15}}
+In 1883, the Mountain Artillery was formed with one battery assigned to each of the four Army Corps. In 1913 and 1915, two [[Division (military)|divisions]] of Mountain Artillery were formed, each with 4 batteries. These were further integrated into the 1st Mountain Artillery Regiment in 1916, with the headquarters in [[Târgu Jiu]]. Another 8 batteries were added to the Regiment before Romania's entry in [[World War I]].{{sfn|Suman|2014|pp=14-15}}
-Despite several initiatives starting in 1889,{{sfn|Suman|2014|pp=14-15}} the first mountain troops were formed in 1916. Through Order no. 294, the Military School of Skiing was transformed in the "Corps of Mountain Hunters" (''Corpul Vânătorilor de munte''). It was organized in three battalions, each with three companies. In January 1917, the Corps was reorganized into the "Mountain Hunter Battalion" (''Batalionul Vânătorilor de Munte''). It consisted of 5 infantry companies, 2 machine gun companies and a [[wireless telegraphy]] section.<ref name="forter"/> Each company took a nickname: the 1st was nicknamed ''[[Tiger|Tigrii]]'', the 2nd ''[[Falcon|Șoimii]]'', the 3rd ''[[Hajduk|Haiducii]]'', the 4th ''[[Lion|Leii]]'', and the 5th ''[[Pandur|Pandurii]]'', while the 1st and 2nd machine gun companies were nicknamed ''[[Zmeu|Smeii]]'' and ''[[Balaur|Balaurii]]'' respectively. This tradition was kept until after the Second World War.{{sfn|Suman|2014|pp=16-19}}
+Despite several initiatives starting in 1889,{{sfn|Suman|2014|pp=14-15}} the first mountain troops were formed in November 1916. Through Order no. 294, the Military School of Skiing was transformed in the "Corps of Mountain Hunters" (''Corpul Vânătorilor de munte''). It was organized in three battalions, each with three companies. In January 1917, the Corps was reorganized into the "Mountain Hunter Battalion" (''Batalionul Vânătorilor de Munte''). It consisted of 5 infantry companies, 2 machine gun companies and a [[wireless telegraphy]] section.<ref name="forter"/> Each company took a nickname: the 1st was nicknamed ''[[Tiger|Tigrii]]'', the 2nd ''[[Falcon|Șoimii]]'', the 3rd ''[[Hajduk|Haiducii]]'', the 4th ''[[Lion|Leii]]'', and the 5th ''[[Pandur]]ii'', while the 1st and 2nd machine gun companies were nicknamed ''[[Zmeu|Smeii]]'' and ''[[Balaur]]ii'' respectively. This tradition was kept until after the Second World War.{{sfn|Suman|2014|pp=16-19}}
-The Mountain Hunter Battalion first saw combat during the [[Third Battle of Oituz]]. The ''vânători de munte'' companies were deployed at Cireșoaia and Coșna, where between 20th and 26th of August they fought against the [[XIII (Royal Württemberg) Corps#Württemberg mountain battalion|Württemberg mountain battalion]] of the [[Alpenkorps (German Empire)|German Alpenkorps]], winning the engagement. The Germans eventually managed to take the two peaks, but failed to break the Romanain lines further.{{sfn|Suman|2014|pp=16-19}} On 30 October 1917, the Battalion was transformed into a Regiment, and Prince [[Carol II of Romania|Carol]] was named as its honorific commander. From March 1919, the Regiment participated in the [[Hungarian–Romanian War]].{{sfn|Suman|2014|pp=20-21}}
+The Mountain Hunter Battalion first saw combat during the [[Third Battle of Oituz]]. The ''vânători de munte'' companies were deployed at Cireșoaia and Coșna, where between 20th and 26 August they fought against the [[XIII (Royal Württemberg) Corps#Württemberg mountain battalion|Württemberg mountain battalion]] of the [[Alpenkorps (German Empire)|German Alpenkorps]], winning the engagement. The Germans eventually managed to take the two peaks, but failed to break the Romanian lines further.{{sfn|Suman|2014|pp=16-19}} On 30 October 1917, the Battalion was transformed into a Regiment, and Prince [[Carol II of Romania|Carol]] was named as its honorific commander. From March 1919, the Regiment participated in the [[Hungarian–Romanian War]].{{sfn|Suman|2014|pp=20-21}}
 ===Interwar to World War II===
-[[File:Wizyta Naczelnika Państwa Józefa Piłsudskiego w Rumunii (22-347-8).jpg|thumb|Prince Carol (on the right) and honorary company
+[[File:Wizyta Naczelnika Państwa Józefa Piłsudskiego w Rumunii (22-347-8).jpg|thumb|Prince Carol (on the right) and the honorary company
 of the ''vânători de munte'' during [[Józef Piłsudski]]'s visit in 1922 at [[Sinaia]]]]
-In 1923, the first two ''vânători de munte'' divisions were formed: the 1st Division at [[Brașov]], and the 2nd Division at [[Bistrița]]. The foundations of training, rules and principles of fighting in the mountains were also laid out.<ref name="forter"/>
+In 1923, the first two ''vânători de munte'' divisions were formed: the 1st Division at [[Brașov]], and the [[2nd Mountain Troops Brigade (Romania)|2nd Division]] at [[Bistrița]]. The foundations of training, rules and principles of fighting in the mountains were also laid out.<ref name="forter"/>
-The Romanian ''vânători de munte'' saw action in [[World War II]] on the [[Eastern Front (World War II)|Eastern Front]] in some of the harshest battles — including the sieges of [[Siege of Sevastopol (1941-1942)|Sevastopol]] and [[Siege of Stalingrad|Stalingrad]] — where their performance lived up to their reputation: virtually all their commanders from brigade level and up received the [[Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross]], with general [[Mihail Lascăr]] being the first foreigner to receive ''Oak Leaves'' on 22 November 1942 (see [[List of foreign recipients of the Knight's Cross]]). The greatest single achievement of the ''vânători de munte'' was the capture of [[Nalchik]] on 2 November 1942, the farthest point of the Nazi Germany advance into the Caucasus. This victory earned Romanian Brigadier General [[Ioan Dumitrache]] the [[Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross]].<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=wm_YDAAAQBAJ&q=dumitrache&pg=PA1422 Spencer C. Tucker, ''World War II: The Definitive Encyclopedia and Document Collection (5 volumes)'', ABC-CLIO, 2016, p. 1422]</ref> After the [[1944 Romanian coup d'état|coup d'état of 23 August 1944]], the ''vânători de munte'' fought on the Soviet side, notably in the [[Tatra Mountains]].<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Axworthy |first1=Mark |title=Third axis, fourth ally: Romanian armed forces in the European war, 1941-1945 |year=1995 |first2=Cornel I. |last2=Scafeș|first3= Cristian|last3= Crǎciunoiu|isbn=1-85409-267-7 |publisher= Arms and Armour|location=London |oclc=32552622|page=64}}</ref>
+The Romanian ''vânători de munte'' saw action in [[World War II]] on the [[Eastern Front (World War II)|Eastern Front]] in some of the harshest battles — including the sieges of [[Siege of Sevastopol (1941–1942)|Sevastopol]] and [[Battle of Stalingrad|Stalingrad]] — where their performance lived up to their reputation: virtually all their commanders from brigade level and up received the [[Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross]], with general [[Mihail Lascăr]] being the first foreigner to receive ''Oak Leaves'' on 22 November 1942 (see [[List of foreign recipients of the Knight's Cross]]). The greatest single achievement of the ''vânători de munte'' was the capture of [[Nalchik]] on 2 November 1942, the farthest point of the [[Nazi Germany]] advance into the [[Caucasus]]. This victory earned Romanian Brigadier General [[Ioan Dumitrache]] the [[Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross]].<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=wm_YDAAAQBAJ&q=dumitrache&pg=PA1422 Spencer C. Tucker, ''World War II: The Definitive Encyclopedia and Document Collection (5 volumes)'', ABC-CLIO, 2016, p. 1422]</ref> After the [[1944 Romanian coup d'état|coup d'état of 23 August 1944]], the ''vânători de munte'' fought on the Soviet side, notably in the [[Tatra Mountains]].<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Axworthy |first1=Mark |title=Third axis, fourth ally: Romanian armed forces in the European war, 1941&ndash;1945 |year=1995 |first2=Cornel I. |last2=Scafeș|first3= Cristian|last3= Crăciunoiu|isbn=1-85409-267-7 |publisher= Arms and Armour|location=London |oclc=32552622|page=64}}</ref>
 [[File:Romanian soldiers on eastern front 1941.jpg|thumb|On the [[Eastern Front (World War II)|Eastern Front]], 1941]]
-After the end of the war, one of the first measures taken by the [[Soviet Union|Soviet]]s in occupied Romania was to disband the mountain troops. Shortly after the [[Soviet occupation of Romania|Soviet occupation troops]] left Romania in 1958, the ''vânători de munte'' were re-established again as a distinct branch of [[Communist Romania]]'s [[Romanian People's Army|People's Ground Forces]].<ref name="forter"/>
+After the end of the war, one of the first measures taken by the [[Soviet Union|Soviet]]s in occupied Romania was to disband the mountain troops. Shortly after the [[Soviet occupation of Romania|Soviet occupation troops]] left Romania in 1958, the ''vânători de munte'' were re-established again as a distinct branch of [[Communist Romania]]'s [[Army of the Socialist Republic of Romania|People's Ground Forces]].<ref name="forter"/>
-There are currently two brigades operational, one subordinated to the [[1st Infantry Division (Romania)|1st Infantry Division]] (the [[2nd Mountain Troops Brigade (Romania)|2nd Mountain Troops Brigade "Sarmizegetusa"]]), and another one subordinated to the [[4th Infantry Division (Romania)|4th Infantry Division]] (the [[61st Mountain Troops Brigade (Romania)|61st Mountain Troops Brigade "General Virgil Bădulescu"]]). Mountain troops units participated in the occupation of [[Iraq]] and [[Afghanistan]].<ref>[http://www.rft.forter.ro/2010_1_i/05-alma/01.htm Forter.ro:La kilometrul zero al infanteriei]</ref>
+There are currently two brigades operational, one subordinated to the [[2nd Infantry Division (Romania)|2nd Infantry Division]] (the [[2nd Mountain Troops Brigade (Romania)|2nd Mountain Troops Brigade "Sarmizegetusa"]]),<ref>{{Cite web |last=Constantin |first=Gabriel |date=November 24, 2022 |title=Vânătorii de munte la exercițiul "Gordian knot 2022" din Grecia |url=https://isp.forter.ro/actualitate/1623/v%C3%A2n%C4%83torii-de-munte-la-exerci%C8%9Biul-%E2%80%9Egordian-knot-2022%E2%80%9D-din-grecia |access-date=January 11, 2024 |website=isp.forter.ro}}</ref> and another one subordinated to the [[4th Infantry Division (Romania)|4th Infantry Division]] (the [[61st Mountain Troops Brigade (Romania)|61st Mountain Troops Brigade "General Virgil Bădulescu"]]). Mountain troops units participated in the occupation of [[Iraq]] and [[Afghanistan]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.rft.forter.ro/2010_1_i/05-alma/01.htm |title=La kilometrul zero al infanteriei |language=ro|website=www.rft.forter.ro|access-date=19 January 2015 |archive-date=19 January 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150119203947/http://www.rft.forter.ro/2010_1_i/05-alma/01.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>
 ==Image gallery==
@@ Line 72: / Line 73: @@
 ==Bibliography==
-*{{cite magazine|last=Suman|first=Gheorghe|title=Vânătorii de munte|magazine=Tactică și Strategie|language=ro|date=2014}}
+*{{cite magazine|last=Suman|first=Gheorghe|title=Vânătorii de munte {{!}} Primul război mondial|magazine=Tactică și Strategie|language=ro|date=2014}}
 ==External links==
 {{Commons category|Vânători de Munte}}
-*{{in lang|ro}} [http://www.forter.ro/ro/arme/vanatori_de_munte/ Presentation of the ''vânători de munte'' on the Land Forces' website]
+*{{in lang|ro}} [http://forter.ro/ro/arme/vanatori_de_munte/ Presentation of the ''vânători de munte'' on the Land Forces' website]
 *{{in lang|en}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20091027104951/http://geocities.com/romanianspecialforces/vanatoridemunte.html Unofficial page]
 *{{in lang|en}} [http://www.worldwar2.ro/organizare/?language=en&article=29 "The Mountain Troops"]
 {{Romanian Land Forces}}
+{{Authority control}}
-{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2017}}
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Vanatori de munte}}
 [[Category:Romanian Land Forces]]
 [[Category:Mountain units and formations]]
+[[Category:Romanian Army units]]