From one of the German after-action reports:

Concerning the Soviet Offensive in the Don Bend 19-22 November 1942

“On 17 November, the 22. Panzer-Div. arrived on the left wing of the
Romanian 3d Army with around 30 tanks instead of its total of 120. A part
of the remaining 90 tanks lay along the route of march, while the balance
would not start because mice and rats had eaten through the electrical
cables. On the 19th, the Soviets launched a massive attack with 600
tanks, which over the next few days increased to around 1,200 tanks.
Against this force stood the Romanian Armored Division and the 22.
Panzer-Div. with a total of some 140 tanks, mostly obsolete Skoda R-2s.
Both divisions were encircled, but succeeded in fighting their way out. It
was here that the Romanian 1st Armored Division lost 80 tanks, of which
30 were destroyed in combat, while the remainder were lost through
mechanical breakdown and lack of fuel. Of the 40 tanks saved, only 4
were capable of further action; the balance needed to be overhauled.”

[Source: German Liaison Detachment 130 with the Romanian 1st Armored
Div. (DVK 130 beim Konigl. Rum. 1. Panzerdivision) after-action report to
the German Army Mission in Romania (Deutsche Heeresmission Rumänien)
in NARA WashDC: RG 242 (T-501 roll 288/0239; roll 289/0258)].

From a historical study:

“During the night of 19/20 November, the Romanian 1st Armored Division
moved against the Soviet Tank Corps (in the area of attack of 26th Soviet
Tank Corps). Romanian tanks moved from the Perelasovskiy area towards
Serafimovichi and in the dark of night missed the spearhead of the 26th
Tank Corps, which was on the left flank of the Romanian 1st Armored
Division. As the Romanian tanks advanced toward Novocaricinskaya, the
forward elements of the 26th Tank Corps collided with the rear
replenishment column of the Romanian 1st Armored Division and captured
it. The Romanians therefore lost all possibility of obtaining fuel to keep
their tanks going. On the morning of 20 November, the 26th Tank Corps
destroyed the main rear depot of the Romanian 1st Armored Division
located in Perelasovskiy. Meanwhile, the 19th Tank Brigade of the Soviet
4th Tank Corps, which was advancing on the east flank of 26th Tank
Corps, was attacked by the tanks of the Romanian 1st Armored Division
advancing from the Zhirkovskiy area. The German 22. Panzer-Div. was
also engaged at this time, fighting with the Soviet 1st Tank Corps in the
vicinity of Pestchannyy, but was forced to retreat. According to Soviet
accounts, the Romanian and German tanks had severely disrupted the
advance of Soviet infantry and cavalry that were moving forward behind
their tanks corps.

The Romanian 1st Armored Division, now badly scattered and without
fuel, was forced to try and withdraw westward across the Chir River. On
21 November, following a disorganized 60 kilometer retreat, the
remnants of the Division crossed over the Chir at Petrovka and reached
the west bank in the Arzhavskiy area. The Division’s losses were high but
the majority of the tanks were lost due to a lack of fuel. The R-2 tanks
normally carried fuel for a range of 120 km over open terrain, but to
engage Soviet tanks, infantry and cavalry and then carry out a fighting
withdrawal and reach Arzhavskiy, the R-2s would have needed fuel for
another 60 – 100 kilometers. So the Division could only save a few tanks
by siphoning the remaining fuel from others and then disabling them.
During the next few days, the Soviet tanks reached the curve (bend) of
the Don and the front was gradually stabilized along the Chir River."

[Source: Bajtoš, Ivan. “Notes to Romanian AFV’s”. Unpublished,

handwritten manuscript, May 1983. 14 pages. This manuscript is based on
detailed research in Soviet and Romanian military studies, and interviews
with surviving participants. Steve Zaloga can vouch for the quality of
Bajtoš’ research because he has co-authored articles with him.]

Other Sources:

Kehrig, Manfred. Stalingrad: Analyse und Dokumentation einer

Schlacht. Stuttgart: Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt, 1974. This fine work has
several pages of details concerning the Romanian 1st Armored Division in
the events of 19-22 November 1942.

--Lorenz