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Operation Reunion
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Operation Reunion
Operation Reunion was a USAAF military operation aimed at repatriating Allied prisoners of war from Romania after the latter's change of sides in 1944. The operation was preceded by Operation Gunn, named after Lieutenant Colonel (Lt. Col.) James A. Gunn, which had the objective of establishing the connection between Bucharest and the 15th Air Force command from Bari. During the operation, more than 1,000 American, British, Dutch, and French prisoners were airlifted to Italy.
After Romania entered World War II on the side of the Axis, the Western Allies launched an air campaign over the country which was mostly aimed at destroying Romania's oil refineries that were supplying the Axis forces. Other bombing raids were conducted over railroad yards, factories, and communication centers. Failing to achieve its objective, the campaign was called off on 19 August 1944 ahead of the Soviet major offensive against Romania. From the start of the campaign until its end, Allied forces lost some 324 aircraft, with 2,500 aviators lost of which more than 1,000 were still held prisoner in Romania by 1944.
In the aftermath of King Michael's coup on 23 August 1944, the German troops from Bucharest were instructed by General Constantin Sănătescu, the new Prime Minister of Romania, to retreat towards the Hungarian border. However, when the retreating troops reached Băneasa on their way to Ploiești, General Alfred Gerstenberg, the commanding German general, ordered all remaining troops and the Luftwaffe units to return to Bucharest and occupy the airports of Băneasa and Otopeni. From there, the German airplanes began bombing the city.
As the German raids continued, the Allied prisoners were released from the Timișul de Jos and Bucharest POW camps and allowed to hide in the trenches outside, being also given some firearms to defend themselves. At the same time, a delegation of the prisoners requested General Racoviță, the War Minister, that they should be organized into a combat unit under Romanian command to fight the Germans. Following the request, around 900 POWs from Bucharest were moved to the barracks of the 4th Vânători Regiment, south of Ghencea. They were given carbines, pistols, as well as two trucks and two motorcycles with sidecars, and were organized into a battalion of four companies. The American POW unit was short-lived, however, as the commanding Romanian officers determined that the American airmen lacked the discipline and training required to fight the Germans. The American prisoners were however instructed to travel in open top cars, if possible, so that the population could see them and inform their German friends that American troops were in Bucharest. Several Americans were killed during the German raids and others were wounded.
During this time, the problem of repatriating the Allied POWs before the arrival of Soviet troops, who could have used them as bargaining chips, also arose. As the highest ranking American officer, Lt. Col. James "Pappy" Gunn, former commander of the 454th Bombardment Group who was shot down on 17 August, devised a plan to repatriate the American and British airmen.
On 24 August, Gunn met with Valeriu "Rică" Georgescu, a former collaborator with the British Special Operations Executive who was released from prison on the same day. Georgescu also managed to contact the Cairo command via radio and requested an urgent airstrike over the German troop positions at Băneasa and Otopeni. At the same time, Georgescu introduced Gunn to Prime Minister Sănătescu, General Racoviță, and Iuliu Maniu, the leader of the National Peasants' Party.
The airstrike on the Băneasa and Otopeni airports took place on 26 August. It was carried out by 228 B-24 bombers of the 15th Air Force, escorted by 151 P-51 Mustangs.
With the Germans cleared out and the bombing raids stopped, Rică Georgescu took Lt. Col. Gunn to the Popești-Leordeni airfield where they met with Captain (Cpt.) Constantin "Bâzu" Cantacuzino, Romania's leading ace and commander of the 9th Fighter Group. After discussions, Cantacuzino proposed that Gunn fly to Italy in a SM 79 bomber of the Royal Romanian Air Force. After obtaining the necessary permission from the Ministry of Air, Gunn departed aboard the bomber. However, the aircraft returned after a 30-minute flight as it had encountered problems with its Jumo 211 engines. Undeterred, Cantacuzino offered to fly Gunn to Italy himself with his Messerschmitt Bf 109.
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Operation Reunion
Operation Reunion was a USAAF military operation aimed at repatriating Allied prisoners of war from Romania after the latter's change of sides in 1944. The operation was preceded by Operation Gunn, named after Lieutenant Colonel (Lt. Col.) James A. Gunn, which had the objective of establishing the connection between Bucharest and the 15th Air Force command from Bari. During the operation, more than 1,000 American, British, Dutch, and French prisoners were airlifted to Italy.
After Romania entered World War II on the side of the Axis, the Western Allies launched an air campaign over the country which was mostly aimed at destroying Romania's oil refineries that were supplying the Axis forces. Other bombing raids were conducted over railroad yards, factories, and communication centers. Failing to achieve its objective, the campaign was called off on 19 August 1944 ahead of the Soviet major offensive against Romania. From the start of the campaign until its end, Allied forces lost some 324 aircraft, with 2,500 aviators lost of which more than 1,000 were still held prisoner in Romania by 1944.
In the aftermath of King Michael's coup on 23 August 1944, the German troops from Bucharest were instructed by General Constantin Sănătescu, the new Prime Minister of Romania, to retreat towards the Hungarian border. However, when the retreating troops reached Băneasa on their way to Ploiești, General Alfred Gerstenberg, the commanding German general, ordered all remaining troops and the Luftwaffe units to return to Bucharest and occupy the airports of Băneasa and Otopeni. From there, the German airplanes began bombing the city.
As the German raids continued, the Allied prisoners were released from the Timișul de Jos and Bucharest POW camps and allowed to hide in the trenches outside, being also given some firearms to defend themselves. At the same time, a delegation of the prisoners requested General Racoviță, the War Minister, that they should be organized into a combat unit under Romanian command to fight the Germans. Following the request, around 900 POWs from Bucharest were moved to the barracks of the 4th Vânători Regiment, south of Ghencea. They were given carbines, pistols, as well as two trucks and two motorcycles with sidecars, and were organized into a battalion of four companies. The American POW unit was short-lived, however, as the commanding Romanian officers determined that the American airmen lacked the discipline and training required to fight the Germans. The American prisoners were however instructed to travel in open top cars, if possible, so that the population could see them and inform their German friends that American troops were in Bucharest. Several Americans were killed during the German raids and others were wounded.
During this time, the problem of repatriating the Allied POWs before the arrival of Soviet troops, who could have used them as bargaining chips, also arose. As the highest ranking American officer, Lt. Col. James "Pappy" Gunn, former commander of the 454th Bombardment Group who was shot down on 17 August, devised a plan to repatriate the American and British airmen.
On 24 August, Gunn met with Valeriu "Rică" Georgescu, a former collaborator with the British Special Operations Executive who was released from prison on the same day. Georgescu also managed to contact the Cairo command via radio and requested an urgent airstrike over the German troop positions at Băneasa and Otopeni. At the same time, Georgescu introduced Gunn to Prime Minister Sănătescu, General Racoviță, and Iuliu Maniu, the leader of the National Peasants' Party.
The airstrike on the Băneasa and Otopeni airports took place on 26 August. It was carried out by 228 B-24 bombers of the 15th Air Force, escorted by 151 P-51 Mustangs.
With the Germans cleared out and the bombing raids stopped, Rică Georgescu took Lt. Col. Gunn to the Popești-Leordeni airfield where they met with Captain (Cpt.) Constantin "Bâzu" Cantacuzino, Romania's leading ace and commander of the 9th Fighter Group. After discussions, Cantacuzino proposed that Gunn fly to Italy in a SM 79 bomber of the Royal Romanian Air Force. After obtaining the necessary permission from the Ministry of Air, Gunn departed aboard the bomber. However, the aircraft returned after a 30-minute flight as it had encountered problems with its Jumo 211 engines. Undeterred, Cantacuzino offered to fly Gunn to Italy himself with his Messerschmitt Bf 109.
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