Constantin Cantacuzino (aviator)

Constantin Cantacuzino (nicknamed Bâzu; November 11, 1905–May 26, 1958) was a Romanian aviator, one of his country's leading World War II fighter aces, and a member of the Cantacuzino family.

World War II
In 1939 he won the national aerial aerobatics contest with his Bü 133 Jungmeister and in 1941 was named chief-pilot of the Romanian national air transport company LARES. Even though this was a comfortable and cozy job, he managed to get in the front line as a fighter pilot in the 53rd Fighter Squadron (equipped with Hurricane Mk. I). After the capture of Odessa, the Romanian Army reduced the number of front line troops. Bâzu was one of the reservists who were sent home. He retook his position at LARES. However he pulled some strings and managed to return to active duty in 1943. On 26 April 1943 he was remobilized and assigned to the 7th Fighter Group, which was equipped with the new Bf-109. On 5 May he arrived on the front line and was named commander of the 58th Fighter Squadron. On 29 June, he and his wingman engaged 4 Yaks, 2 La-5s and 4 Spitfires, while trying to protect 3 Romanian Ju-88s. His wingman was badly hit and forced to return to base. He continued the fight on his own and shot down 2 Spitfires. He was also damaged, but managed to escape and make a belly landing. Unfortunately, two of the bombers were destroyed. In July he flew both day and night missions, even though his Gustav was not equipped for low-visibility flying. Bâzu tried to stop the Soviet night bombings of his airfield. The Germans protested, considered him a little mad, so he eventually gave up the night missions.

On 27 July 1943, he shot down the VVS flying ace Nikolay F. Khimushkin (11 kills). Between 2 and 5 August he shot down 9 airplanes (4 Yaks and 5 Il-2s), raising his score to 27. On 5 August he was alone on patrol and he encountered a Soviet formation about 40-50 planes strong (Il-2s and Yaks). He realized that he couldn't defeat all of them, but he could cause them some problems. He dove into the Il-2 formation and shot down 2 of them before he was attacked by the Soviet fighters. He managed to shake them off and shoot down one. The day of 16 August was an excellent day for the pilots of the 7th Fighter Group. They scored 22 confirmed kills and 5 probables, with Cantacuzino shooting down 3 (2 La-5s and 1 Il-2). On 28 August he received the Iron Cross, 1st class.

In the autumn of 1943 Bâzu got sick and was interned in a hospital and was kept from the front so he could rest and recuperate. On 10 February 1944 he returned to active duty in the 7th Fighter Group, which was sent to the front with the Soviets in Moldova. On 15 April, there was a USAAF raid and cpt. av. (r) Cantacuzino and his wingmen attacked the bomber formations and shot down 6 Liberators (the prince got one himself). He continued flying missions against the Soviet Air Force and had a few victories.

In August 1944, Cantacuzino became the commander of the 9th Fighter Group, succeeding Captain Alexandru Şerbănescu, who died on August 18.

After 23 August 1944, when Romania quit the Axis, the Luftwaffe started bombing Bucharest, from airfields close to the capital, which were still in German hands. The remains of the 7th and 9th Fighter Groups were brought in to protect the capital. Bâzu shot down 3 He-111s on this occasion.

Cantacuzino was then given a special mission: to transport Lieutenant-Colonel James Gunn III, the highest ranking American POW in Romania, to the airbase at Foggia and then to lead back the USAAF airplanes that were coming to take the POWs home. He landed after two hours and 5 minutes of flight. He returned flying a Mustang because his Bf-109 Gustav couldn't be refueled. He needed only one flight to get used to it and dazzled the Americans with his aerobatics, which he couldn't help himself not to execute.

Cantacuzino was credited with 43 aerial victories (one shared) and 11 unconfirmed. According to the system in effect much of the war, his kill total was 69, highest in the Romanian Air Force.

After World War II
After the war ended, Cantacuzino was demobilized and returned to LARES. Times changed in Romania. The USSR imposed a communist regime that started confiscating private properties and imprisoning the old elite and all those who dared not to think like them. Bâzu lost all his land and soon his wife left him. In 1946 he married Nadia Gray. He managed to escape to Italy in 1947 and then he settled down in Spain. There he was helped by the Romanian community to buy himself an airplane, in order to earn his living at air shows.

Personal life
He was born in Bucharest. His father was Mihai Cantacuzino and his mother Maria Rosetti; they were both from old Romanian noble families. After his father died, Maria Rosetti married for a second time with George Enescu (Romania's best composer and a world class violinist). Constantin went to high-school in Bucharest. He loved motor sports and he could afford to practice them all the time. He was an excellent biker, winning several races, and driver. He set a new record on the Paris-Bucharest race. He also played tennis and was the captain of the Romanian ice hockey team at the World Championship in 1933.

He was the father of novelist Oana Orlea.

Units served

 * 5 July - 31 October 1941 - 53rd Fighter Squadron
 * 26 April 1943 - 31 May 1944 - 7th Fighter Group
 * 31 May 1944 - 9 May 1945 - 9th Fighter Group

Combat missions: 608