Grupul 1 Aeronautic

Grupul 1 Aeronautic together with Grupul 2 Aeronautic contributed to the Battle of Mărăști. On 15 August 1917, the airmen of the group carried out 18 reconnaissance, bombing missions, photographing the enemy positions on the front of the 2nd Romanian Army.[1]

In preparation for an offensive on the Oituz Valley, the airmen of Grupul 1 Aeronautic executed numerous reconnaissance missions between 3 - 7 September 1917, the fighter pilots of N.1 squadron continued patrolling the front-line, engaging aircraft of the Central Powers. On 8 September, airmen of the F.2 and N.1 squadrons engaged enemy aircraft over Târgu Ocna, Cireșoaia and Slănic. The next day, managing to shoot down 3 aircraft. Between 9 - 12 September, 18 combat missions were completed, with dogfights being carried out in 12 of them. Two enemy aircraft were brought down, while the reconnaissance squadrons managed to photograph the whole front between Cireșoaia-Cașin and the Coșna Hill.[1]

From 22 September 1917, Grupul 1 Aeronautic was composed of:[4]

• Escadrila F.2 and Escadrila N.1 - with the aerodrome at Borzești
• Escadrila F.6 - at Gârbovanul

From January 1918, Grupul 1 Aeronautic was commanded by Maj. Athanase Enescu. All squadrons of the group were located at Bacău.[5]

Following Order no. 275/1918, the squadrons of the group were moved to auxiliary airfields, closer to the front-line in Bessarabia.

In 1919, the N.1 and B.4 (ex-F.4) squadrons, part of Grupul 1 Aviație commanded by Major Ștefan Protopopescu, set their base at Chișinău, in order to support the Romanian troops of Grupul general Popovici. (Escadrila N.10, which was part of Grupul 3 Aeronautic, was also sent to the front, being based at Cernăuți. All 3 squadrons executed mainly reconnaissance and bombing missions.[1] The S.2 Squadron which was previously part of the 1st Group, was assigned to the newly formed 5th Aviation Group in Transylvania. It returned to the Group in 1920.[6]