REMEMBRANCE IN TIME - Index of

Olimpiu Manuel GLODARENCO et al.: The Operations of the Romanian River Forces… 229
To coordinate the actions between units of the Danube Delta and the 10th Infantry
Division, and as to strengthening of these forces, was established in Tulcea, a battle group
consisting of two monitors, four fast patrol boats and a group of underwater weapons. Its
task was to install mine barrages to ban Soviet vessels crossing from one area to another
and help with its mobile forces the land forces action, acting also as Tulcea area defense
reinforcements.
Campaign on the Danube was divided into two distinct periods, namely:
• Period I, until the Soviet withdrawal from Bessarabia - July 22;
• Period II, after the Soviet withdrawal from Bessarabia.
On June 22, 1941, war broke out at 3.15. Navy operations orders were sent by special
courier on 18, 19 and 20 June.
Even before the war began, the Danube Flotilla ships had made real warfare xxx . On the
night of June 20, a dam consisting of 16 mines was installing, placed on two lines, at mile
76, on the Danube. The mines were from the WW I stock, having the ignition from ashore.
The following night, on June 21, more precisely on the morning of June 22, at 2.30, 5
and 6 armor fast boat made an operation contamination with magnetic mines in the old
hermitages (km 4.4 to 4.5) being launched me on two lines 10, the distance between me
100 meters.
At 03.15, the whole artillery, from GalaŃi way down to the sea, opened a lively fire on
Soviet positions, while executing some inroads on the left bank, which were rejected by the
enemy. The hammer of fire lasted 45 minutes, and the Soviet reaction was insignificant
across the Danube front. The fire duel was intermittent. The heaviest bombardments were
carried out in three areas: GalaŃi – Cotul Pisicii to Reni - Giurgiulesti, Tulcea - Ismail and
Chilia - Vâlcov. Of these sectors, only in Chilia, after all indications, our disposition was
attacked by the Soviets with the intention to take over the whole Chilia Delta, to cut the
communication between Tulcea and Sulina, to rush into Dobrogea in order to overthrow, if
possible, the Romanian front from Măcin – Brăila to Prahova Valley. In this sector, for three
days without interruption, the entire area was heavily bombed by enemy’s aviation and
artillery xxxi . On June 26, after an artillery preparation made by concentrated fire of five
batteries, two of them heavy caliber, against Chilia Veche, at 03.00, the Soviet troops landed
on the Romanian bank, being aided by eight fast patrol boats. Overwhelming superiority of
Soviet troops made our forces to retreat with heavy losses. Strategic reasons made the
Soviets not to exploit the success of this action xxxii .
In the GalaŃi - Reni area was executed artillery firing by the Romanian monitors upon
the Soviet positions, mainly in order to estimate the enemy forces strength and their
disposition. The firing frequency was high, many times with one or two duels daily. Each
time, the Soviets responded with the artillery placed at Giurgiulesti and on monitors upon
GalaŃi and our ships. The results of these bombardments were insignificant. The artillery
firing was more consistent in Tulcea - Ismail area although the artillery pieces there were
few in numbers. The Soviets systematically bombed Ceatalchioi and Lascăr Catargiu,
villages which were held by them for short periods of time xxxiii .
On June 27, at 10.03, three Soviet fast patrol boats of the Ismail steamed to Ceatal to
enter the Danube, but Romanian fast patrol boats, hull number 1 and 3, engaged them and
made them to withdraw, one being burned, the other two retreating to Ismail xxxiv .
Because of their combat actions on the land front, the Soviets withdrew the river forces
from Reni – Isaccea area to Ismail during the night of July 8. On that night, at 22.00,
taking advantage of a thick fog, the Soviet monitors succeeded to leave the Cuhurlui Lake