Horia, Cloșca și Crișan Division

The Horia, Cloșca și Crișan division was created in April 1945 from Romanian volunteers, mostly prisoners of war, but also Communist activists such as Valter Roman. It was created by the Soviet Union at Kotovsk. Its first leader was General Mihail Lascăr, who had been taken prisoner in November 1942, during the Battle of Stalingrad.^[1] General Lascăr commanded the division from April 12 to September 12, 1945.

The division did not see combat in World War II. Under the firm control of Romanian communists and backed by Red Army troops, the HCsC Division was a key instrument with which the Soviets established complete communist control of Romania after the war against the wishes of the regular Romanian Land Forces. By 1947, the HCsC Division, along with its sister unit, the Tudor Vladimirescu Division, was motorised and partially equipped with tanks.^[2] In an army with practically no armour, this equipment gave the two divisions a significant advantage in mobility and firepower.

In late 1945 the division was reported to have been part of the 4th Army.

From 1954 the division's lineage appears to have been merged with that of the previous 1st Cavalry Division.^[3] The Independent Cavalry Division became the Inspectorate General of Cavalry in 1897, Divizia I Cavalerie Independenta in 1913, Brigada 1 Cavalerie in 1948, Divizia 59 Cavalerie in 1953, Divizia 91 Mecanizata "Horea, Cloșca și Crișan" in 1954, 6th Mechanised Division "Horea, Cloșca și Crișan" in 1956, Divizia 6 Tancuri "Horea, Cloșca și Crișan" in 1964.

In 1989, as part of the Fourth Army, its composition was reported as:^[4]

• HQ 6th Tank Division /Horea, Cloșca și Crișan/ -Târgu Mureș :
  • 2nd Tank Regiment -Targu Mureș : with T-55/A/AM2 tanks, TAB-71M and R-1451 apc-s, TABC-79 recon vehicles, MR-4 quad 14,5mm aa hmg-s, SR-114/-132, DAC-443T and -665T trucks, T-55T evacuation tanks, MTP-2/BTR-60 recovery apc-s,
  • 5th Tank Regiment -Turda : same as the 2nd
  • 6th Tank Regiment -Aiud : same
  • 4th Mechanised Regiment -Zalau : with TR-77 tanks, TAB-71/-71M apc-s, TABC-79 recon vehicles, SU-76 sp guns, ZiS-3 76mm field guns, Md.1982 120mm mortars, ?? TAB-71AR with 82mm mortars, AG-9 rr-s, MR-4 quad 14,5mm aa hmg-s, DAC-443T and -665T trucks, TER-800 evacuation tank, TERA-71L recovery apc-s,
  • 20th Artillery Regiment -Tarnaveni ??: with M-30 122mm how., D-20 152mm how., APR-21 122mm mrls, SR-114 and DAC-444 trucks, ATS-59G or TAR-76 arty tractors, TAB-71A-PCOMA command vehicles,
  • 166th Recon Battalion -Targu Mureș :with BRDM-2 recon vehicles and DAC-444T and SR-114D trucks,
  • 216th AA Artillery Battalion -Targu Mureș

In 1994 it was transformed into the 6th Army Corps "Horea, Cloșca și Crișan", and in 2000 into Brigada 6 Tancuri "Horea, Cloșca și Crișan".

Later the division appears to have become the 6th Tank Division and been based at Târgu Mureș.^[5]

References

1. ↑ Generali români in prizonierat
2. ↑ Axworthy, p. 215.
3. ↑ http://www.cuvantul-liber.ro/articol.asp?ID=534
4. ↑ http://www.worldwar2.ro/forum/index.php?showtopic=530&st=45
5. ↑ 'Romanian Army during the Cold War' via http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/europe/ro-sr-army.htm. See also http://www.hotnews.ro/stiri-presa_regionala_arhiva-1720612-brigada-6-tancuri-istorie.htm

Sources

Third Axis Fourth Ally, Mark Axworthy, London: Arms and Armour, 1995. ISBN 1-85409-267-7. http://www.itcnet.ro/history/archive/mi1998/current1/mi22.htm