REMEMBRANCE IN TIME - Index of

226
Remembrance in Time
Following a denunciation, the rebellious sailors were arrested and prosecuted, in total
about 24 people. The trial took place at the court martial of the Third Army Corps. Eight
defendants were sentenced to death, including Cimpoieru George and all the others to
hard labor. During the appeal trial in ConstanŃa, one of the defenders of the sentenced
sailors was the same Iacomi Dorin. Court Martial of ConstanŃa commuted the death
sentences and hard labor for life with imprisonment for fewer years xvi .
In the period following the end of the war, the Danube Flotilla received three monitors
coming from the former Austro-Hungarian Fleet as spoils of war, which were named after
the three Romanian provinces returned to the natural boundaries at the end of the war;
ARDEAL, BUCOVINA and BASARABIA xvii .
2. Romanian Navy actions during the evacuation of Basarabia
On June 26, 1940, the Soviet Union has sent to Romania an ultimatum through which
our country was forced to cede Basarabia and northern Bucovina. In these conditions, all
Romanian naval forces have adopted measures to strengthen the surveillance system to
prevent an enemy attack. On May 27, Rear Admiral Alexander Gheorghiu, commander of
the Danube Flotilla has raised the state of alert of all the subordinate forces in the
Bessarabian ports and order the evacuation of the military units, administration and
refugees. To perform this complex task, the Navy and Air Ministry gave him in support
all the available vessels and port authorities. The monitors have provided coverage at
Vâlcov, Chilia Nouă, Ismail and Reni xviii .
The evacuation started on 28 June, being mobilized all civilian ships, tugs, barges and
boats, state or private companies owned, which together with warships had made river
crossings with land troops, weapons and ammunition xix .
During the evacuation there were numerous incidents that the Romanian sailors have to
solve promptly. Were about 25 000 people, mostly Hebrew, which made troubles at
Tulcea and GalaŃi, and requiring passage on the left bank of the river Prut. Their transport
was carried out on August 29 and 30, from GalaŃi to Reni and Tulcea to Ismail xx .
A special situation was created in different towns such as Chilia, Ismail or Vâlcov.
There, authorities and security forces left their posts, so the police role was supplanted by
Romanian sailors, who often used the small armament fire to enforce the order. On June,
29, at Ismail a local soviet committee was established and armed groups of civilians fired
on the retreating Romanian army with the sailors responding properly and the evacuation
ends around 12.00. Also, Reni was occupied by Soviet troops on the morning of June 30;
the Romanian ships were evacuated to GalaŃi. The Soviet army disregards the deadline
specified in the ultimatum so that a large quantity of arms, ammunition and archives left
by Romanian troops was captured xxi .
As the Soviet army act unpredictable and inconsistent with the ultimatum, to ensure the
Danube three marines battalions had been deployed to Periprava-Chilia, Sulina-Sfântu
Gheorghe and Tulcea, with the task to respond to possible enemy crossings in Danube
Delta. Also, to emphasize freedom of navigation on the Danube, the Danube Flotilla
ordered to tug GIURGIU to navigate from GalaŃi to Tulcea, although the Soviet
authorities asserted that there is no recognizing for the international status of the river.
After July 4, the shipping was resumed, disregarding enemy threats xxii .