Flying Regiment 4 (Finnish: Lentorykmentti 4 or LeR 4) was a bomber aircraft regiment of the Finnish Air Force. The regiment was formed on 1 January 1938 and was active during the Winter War, the Continuation War, and the Lapland War. During the Winter War, the unit flew 423 war missions, of which 22 were strategic and photo reconnaissance flights with its Bristol Blenheim Mk.Is. 18 aircraft and 21 crew members were lost.
During the Continuation War the regiment was re-equipped with new Bristol Blenheims Mk.IVs, German Dornier Do 17Zs, Junkers Ju 88s, and Russian Ilyushin DB-3s, and Tupolev SBs. The unit could now mount some 50 aircraft in their largest raids. More than 4,000 missions were flown during the Continuation War. 65 aircraft and 165 crew members were lost.
During the Lapland WarLeR 4 flew 462 missions against the Germans, losing 7 aircraft and 16 crew members.
Keskinen, Kalevi and Stenman, Kari: Finnish Air Force 1939-1945, Squadron/Signal publications, Carrollton, Texas, 1998, ISBN0-89747-387-6
Keskinen, Kalevi & Stenman, Kari (2002). LeR 4: Lentolaivue 42, Lentolaivue 44, Lentolaivue 46, Lentolaivue 48. Suomen ilmavoimien historia. Vol.19. Espoo, Finland: Kari Stenman. ISBN951-98751-2-3.
Shores, Christopher F. (1969). Finnish Air Force 1918–1968. Aircam Aviation Series. Vol.S2. Canterbury, UK: Osprey Publications. ISBN0-85045-012-8.
Urho Sakari Lehtovaara was one of the top scoring Finnish Air Force aces. He was awarded the Mannerheim Cross on 9 July 1944.
Jorma Kalevi Sarvanto was a Finnish Air Force pilot and the foremost Finnish fighter ace of the Winter War.
No. 12 Squadron, renamed No. 12 Reconnaissance Squadron was a reconnaissance squadron of the Finnish Air Force during World War II. The squadron was part of Flying Regiment 1.
No. 14 Squadron, later renamed No. 14 Reconnaissance Squadron, was a reconnaissance squadron of the Finnish Air Force during World War II. The squadron was part of Flying Regiment 1 during the Winter War and Flying Regiment 5 during the Continuation War.
No. 22 Squadron was a fighter squadron of the Finnish Air Force during World War II. The squadron was part of Flying Regiment 2. It was to be equipped with new Brewster Buffaloes and Hawker Hurricane Is, but only the first Flight saw action during the war. After the Winter War, the squadron was attached to the new Flying Regiment 3 and renamed as No. 32 Squadron.
No. 24 Squadron, renamed No. 24 Fighter Squadron was a fighter squadron of the Finnish Air Force during World War II. The squadron was part of Flying Regiment 2.
No. 26 Squadron, renamed No. 26 Fighter Squadron was a fighter squadron of the Finnish Air Force during World War II. The squadron was part of Flying Regiment 2 during the Winter War and Flying Regiment 3 during the Continuation War.
No. 28 Squadron, renamed No. 28 Fighter Squadron was a fighter squadron of the Finnish Air Force during World War II. The squadron was part of Flying Regiment 2.
No. 42 Squadron, renamed No. 42 Bomber Squadron was a long-range bomber squadron of the Finnish Air Force during World War II. It was established in 1940. The squadron participated in the Winter, Continuation and Lapland wars as part of Flying Regiment 4, and was the only regiment in the squadron that exclusively operated Bristol Blenheim bomber aircraft. The squadron was abolished in 1952.
No. 44 Squadron, renamed No. 44 Bomber Squadron, was a bomber squadron of the Finnish Air Force during World War II. The squadron was part of Flying Regiment 4.
No. 46 Squadron, renamed No. 46 Bomber Squadron was a bomber squadron of the Finnish Air Force during World War II. The squadron was part of Flying Regiment 4.
No. 48 Squadron, renamed No. 48 Bomber Squadron was a bomber squadron of the Finnish Air Force during World War II. The squadron was part of Flying Regiment 4.
Flying Regiment 1 was a mixed regiment, incorporating both fighter, reconnaissance and communication squadrons, of the Finnish Air Force during World War II. The unit was disbanded in June 1941, but reformed from the Supplement Flying Regiment on May 3, 1942.
Flying Regiment 2 was fighter regiment of the Finnish Air Force during World War II.
Flying Regiment 3 was a fighter aircraft regiment of the Finnish Air Force. The regiment took part in the Continuation War and the Lapland War.
Flying Regiment 5 was a mixed fighter and bomber aircraft regiment of the Finnish Air Force during World War II. The regiment took part in the Continuation War and the Lapland War. The regiment was formed around the No. 6 Sqn, which previously had been subordinated the Finnish Navy HQ, and tasked with anti-submarine and maritime patrols. The No. 30 Sqn was a fighter squadron.
No. 17 Replenishment Squadron, was a replenishment bomber squadron of the Finnish Air Force during World War II. The No. 17 Sqn was part of Flying Regiment 4.
Gustaf Erik Magnusson was a Finnish major general and Mannerheim Cross Knight. He was the commander of the No. 24 Squadron and Flying Regiment 3 during World War II. He also flew 158 sorties as a fighter pilot and shot down 5 1/2 enemy aircraft.
Nils Edward Katajainen was a Finnish fighter pilot and a Mannerheim Cross Knight. He held the military rank of sergeant. He flew 196 sorties and shot down 35 enemy aircraft.
Erik Edward Lyly was a Finnish fighter pilot and ace in the Continuation War. He flew in the LeLv 24 and LeLv 34, the most successful fighter squadrons of the Finnish Air Force, often flying as a wingman for the most proficient Finnish ace Air Sergeant Master Ilmari Juutilainen. He achieved a total of 8 air victories during the wars. His highest rank during the war was Sergeant Master.
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