In the spring of 1942 he was assigned as a pilot to the 7th Fighter Group,[2] which fought with the German forces against the Soviet Union on the Eastern Front, including at the Battle of Stalingrad.

The Romanians' camouflaged positions and well-led defense stopped the Soviet tanks attacking the airfield for two days.

The Bf 109's 20 mm guns were used as antitank weapons on the ground (by lifting the airplane's tail on barrels), this being a unique case of airplane-tank duel.

[4] Using his ground combat experience, Şerbănescu organised his troops to repulse the Soviet attack on the airfield at Karpovka on 22 November 1942.

[6] On March 29, 1943, Șerbănescu was appointed commander of the 57th Fighter Squadron, equipped with the new Messerschmitt Bf 109G, and promoted to the rank of Captain.

Between June and August 1943 he shot down 28 Allied aircraft, and received the highest Romanian military decoration, Order of Michael the Brave, 3rd Class.

[8] During his entire piloting career, Șerbănescu was credited with 47 confirmed victories (and 8 probable) in aerial combat which, with eight unconfirmed, yielded 55 points in the Romanian scoring system, second only to Constantin Cantacuzino with 69.

[8] The 23 August 1990 issue of The New York Times took note of Alexandru Şerbănescu's emerging post-Communist rehabilitation, stating that he had been recently commemorated by the daily România liberă with a front-page article.

Having died fighting an enemy which enjoyed both technological and numerical supremacy, and not being "tainted" by any contribution to the campaign against the Axis, Şerbănescu became a legend among Romanians.

Each year, on 18 August, veterans, air force officers and aviation enthusiasts gather at his tomb to commemorate him.