Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => The Second World War => Topic started by: Wyrmalla on November 23, 2019, 04:52:36 PM
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I'm looking for information on Romanian use of Polish vehicles during the war. Specifically the 7TP tank.
The Romanians were known to use captured vehicles. Or rather next to anything they could get their hands on due to their lack of modern tanks. I can confirm that Polish armoured cars and the TKS tankette (as an artillery tractor) were fielded. After the Invasion of Poland 7TP tanks were driven into Romania (and the Soviet Union) to escape capture, but after that I can't find further information on what happened to them.
Were they likely scrapped, used for internal security duties or something else? The Romanians used the similar Soviet T-26 tank extensively, so the 7TP doesn't seem much of a stretch to be in use. Though as did they use such a variety of tanks that they had problems with replacement parts. That they apparently used Odessa "tanks" kind of makes me think they'd take every opportunity at sourcing armoured vehicles, but that's not a guarantee.
Elsewhere Beutepanzer.ru has 25 (!) pages of images of the 7TP in German service.
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I checked a couple of books on the 7TP I have and it seems none of them actually reached Romania - all 7TPs were either captured or destroyed (by the enemy or by their crews to prevent capture).
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The only Polish tanks that Romania used AFAIK were the Renault R-35s that crossed the border and were interned. Useful as the Romanians already had the R-35 in service.
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Right, that seems consistent with what I'd managed to source. Thanks, reading material's a bit light on the ground compared to the German and Soviet forces I'm already representing.
It being early in the war there wouldn't have been as much of a focus on capturing equipment - in particular as Romania hadn't joined the Axis at that point. Tsk, one could hope, but trump this one up to a wargamer wanting a nice looking tank over the historical record.
To that end I'll fill the slot with an R35 tank - upgraded with a 45mm gun, paired with an indigenous R1 tank, to fill out the light tank slots in my Romanian forces. I'd assume that everything would be used in their original colours - just with new markings (or from my reading, by 1943 barebones insignia) - and added white wash for the winter - unlike other nations which would repaint foreign vehicles with their own paint.
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The 7TP was actually a descent tank for the time period, so the Germans tended to use these. As stated, some R-35s from the Polish Army made it to Romania and these were pressed into service by the Romanian Army.