Teodor Greceanu - a forgotten ace.

Written by Victor Nitu.

Teodor Greceanu (in the center) in the row of top Romanian aces, from left: Constantin Cantacuzino (60), Ion Dicezare (5), Teodor Greceanu (27), Alexandru Şerbănescu (47), Ion Milu (45).

He was born on 13 May 1917 Bucharest. In 1939, he graduated second the School of Navigator Officers and in 1940 he receives his instructor license for the following categories: fighter, low-visibility flying, two-engine airplane pilot, instructor, acrobatics and night-flying. He was also licensed for balloon observer and glider piloting.

He first served in the 5th Fighter Group and then was dispatched in the spring of 1943 to the 7th Fighter Group on the front. On 6 May he had already reached the number of 5 victories. The airfield at Kramatorskaya was under attack by a large Soviet formation (18xIl-2 and 20xLa-5). Lt. Greceanu, slt. Naghirneac and adj. Chirvăsăuţă took off immediately. The latter was attacked at low altitude by Soviet fighters and broke formation. Naghirneac engaged the Il-2s, while slt. Milu and adj. Firu, who were already in the air took on some La-5s. Greceanu joined them and shot down one and Milu three. 

On 11 May he was in the 57th Squadron, under the command of cpt. Şerbănescu. He took part in the fighting on 18 July, which resulted in the shooting down of 15 Soviet planes and another 5 probable. He was on the list of happy pilots that day, along with Şerbănescu, Ignat, Dicezare, Agarici, Chirvăsăuţă, Mucenica and others. The next day he shot down a La-3 and on 23 July he got another Soviet.

On 28 July, Greceanu shot down a Soviet fighter, while protecting a bomber formation. Later that day he was on patrol with Şerbănescu and other two wingmen. They engaged four Soviets. Cpt. Şerbănescu shot one down, but others joined the battle. Greceanu got in a good position and fired on an enemy. The Soviet dived, but he followed him and fired again. White smoke started to come out of his right wing. After another of Greceanu's weapons burst, he blew up. Because there were too many enemies, Şerbănescu gave the order to retreat.

On 4 August lt. Teodor Greceanu shot down an Il-2 and on 13 August he added another kill to his record. Thus on 30 August he was one of the five pilots that received the "Mihai Viteazu" Order (the highest Romanian military honor), 3rd class.

On 13 February 1944 he was named commander of the 48th Fighter Squadron, from the 9th Fighter Group, which was commanded by cpt. av. Şerbănescu. On 10 March he shot down a Yak and on 25 April a P-39, after an engagement between 5 Romanian Me 109 Gs and 8 Soviet La-5 and four Aircobras.

On 20 May, 12xMe 109 G under the command of cpt. av. Popescu-Ciocănel was on patrol. They passed the enemy lines at 5000 m. Lt. Greceanu signaled that there were Soviet planes beneath them, on the right. Cpt, Popescu attacked first and shot a Yak down. Greceanu followed up, but missed. He got a new chance soon and this time the Yak went down in flames. The rest of the Yaks escaped, but the Romanian fighters caught up with a Pe-2 and adj. Panait destroyed its right wing from the first burst of the guns.

On 23 June, a formation of about 500 USAAF bombers and fighters attacked Ploeşti. In the dogfights with the Mustangs and Lightings, lt. Greceanu was shot down. He crash landed 13 km west of Găeşti. He was interned in a hospital where he spent over two months. After that he returned to his unit just in time to start the campaign against Germany and Hungary. He didn't score any new victories.

At the end of the war, lt. Teodor Greceanu had 20 confirmed kills and 16 probable and over 1000 hours of combat missions.

He took part in a large Allied-organized air show at Wiener-Neustadt on 1 June 1945, together with other Romanian pilots. He came with a Bf 109G6 produced by IAR Braşov and presented it there in flight as well as on the ground. 

In 1947 he was fired, because the new communist authorities needed people with a "healthy" past (and fighting on the Eastern Front wasn't). In 1949 he was arrested. Until 1964 he had seen almost all of the communist prisons and forced labor camps. He escaped once, but was recaptured. He was condemned to death twice, but his sentence was converted to life in prison. In 1964 he was set free, like all the other political prisoners. He died in December 1995 in Bucharest.

Bibliography: Vasile Tudor, "Un nume de legendă - Cpt. av. erou Alexandru Şerbănescu", Editura MODELISM, 1998; Ion Dobran, "Junalul locotenentului Dobran", Editura MODELISM, 1998; Cornel Marandiuc, "Cavalerii bimotoarelor de asalt", Editura MODELISM, 2000.

Sebanescu explaining a dogfight to Greceanu and others.

2002.08.15, (C) WW II Ace Stories.