SOVIET AERONAUTICS IN THE ANALYSIS OF ROMANIAN INTELLIGENCE SERVICES (SEPTEMBER 1940 - JUNE 1941)

Abstract

The Romanian i ntelligence services have closely monitored the Soviet forces that occupied Bessarabia and northern Bukovina in June-July 1940. Between September 1940 and June 1941, special attention was paid to Soviet aviation (aerodromes, aviation units, types of aircraft, doctrine, etc.) located on Romania's borders. On June 22, 1941, when the conflict between Germany and allies (including Romania) and the USSR began, the Romanian army had pertinent information about the Soviet armies in Bessarabia and Bukovina, especially about the air force. These data were used by Romanian-German forces to take by surprise the Soviet aeronautics and annihilate them.