The Actions of the Espionage Group Led by Vasile Chilian (1916-1917)

Abstract

In the year 1916, behind the Romanian-German battle-line, in the area under the jurisdiction of the German Army, there were both thousands of soldiers who wanted to pass beyond the battle-line towards the territory freed by the Romanian Army and lots of Romanians who, not being able to bear the cruel treatment applied by the Germans, wanted to arrive to the free Romanian area. Because the Vrâncean villages west of Putna county were under German jurisdiction, a group of Romanian patriots – Vasile Chilian from Vidra, helped by Stefanache Săcălus - the Mayor of Paulesti village, Toma Ion Cotea from Căliman-Vidra and Dumitru (Dumitrache) Pantazică from Tichiris – cocoordinated large spying operations which in a short period of time became a really large spying network, made up of tens of persons and acting in the mountainous area of Buzău and Putna counties. These operations had a double goal: to send a large amount of information related to the enemy, using all possible means: position, the troops’ structure, material endowment, offensive or defensive aims etc.; to help Romanian soldiers from the area under the jurisdiction of the German Army or those who escaped from the prison camps to cross the battle line.