Soviet Air Forces Order of Battle 1 May 1945

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A Soviet Air Forces Ilyushin Il-2 ground attack aircraft Il2 sturmovik.jpg
A Soviet Air Forces Ilyushin Il-2 ground attack aircraft

Following is the organization of the Soviet Air Forces (Voenno-Vozdushnye Sily) on May 1, 1945. The primary source for this list is the Boevoi sostav Sovetskoi armii (Combat Composition of the Soviet Army) list for 1 May 1945.

Soviet Air Forces aerial warfare branch of the Soviet Unions armed forces

The Soviet Air Forces was the official designation of one of the air forces of the Soviet Union. The other was the Soviet Air Defence Forces. The Air Forces were formed from components of the Imperial Russian Air Service in 1917, and faced their greatest test during World War II. The groups were also involved in the Korean War, and dissolved along with the Soviet Union itself in 1991–92. Former Soviet Air Forces' assets were subsequently divided into several air forces of former Soviet republics, including the new Russian Air Force. "March of the Pilots" was its song.

Boevoi sostav Sovetskoi armii is an official Second World War Soviet Army order of battle published in five parts from 1963 through 1990 by the Voroshilov Academy of the General Staff and Voenizdat.

Contents

Leningrad Front

Courland Group of Forces

15th Air Army

5th Bomber Corps
  • 4th, 5th Guards Bomber Aviation Divisions
14th Fighter Corps
  • 185th, 315th Fighter Aviation Divisions
Other units
  • 284th, 313th Night Bomber Aviation Divisions
  • 214th, 225th, 305th Assault Aviation Divisions
  • 99th Guards Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment
  • 187th Fire Correction Aviation Regiment
  • 699th Transport Aviation Regiment
  • 97th Aviation Regiment of the Civil Air Fleet
  • 87th Night Bomber Aviation Squadron
  • 336th Fighter Aviation Division
  • 1639th, 1683rd, 1685th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment
Subordinated units and groups
  • 1003rd Separate Medical Evacuation Aviation Regiment
  • 281st Assault Aviation Division
  • 275th Fighter Aviation Division
  • 13th Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment
  • 199th Communications Aviation Regiment
  • 1583rd, 1674th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiments

3rd Belorussian Front

1st Air Army

Normandie-Niemen French Air Force flying squadron

The Normandie-Niemen Fighter Regiment (French: Régiment de Chasse Normandie-Niémen - is a Fighter unit of the French Air Force, which has adopted different formations and designations since 1942. Originally formed as Groupe de Chasse Normandie 3 in 1942, then redesignated as a Regiment in 1944, then given four different squadron numbers, and later two Regiments designations respectively.

3rd Air Army

11th Fighter Aviation Corps

  • 5th Guards, 190th Fighter Aviation Divisions

Other units

  • 3rd Guards Bomber Aviation Division
  • 314th Nighter Bomber Divisions
  • 211th, 335th Assault Aviation Divisions
  • 259th Fighter Aviation Division
  • 6th Guards Assault Aviation Regiment
  • 11th Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment
  • 206th Fire Correction Aviation Regiment
  • 763rd Transport Aviation Regiment
  • 87th Separate Evacuation Aviation Regiment
  • 399th Communications Aviation Regiment
  • 1556th, 1557th, 1558th, 1604th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiments

2nd Belorussian Front

5th Guards Tank Army 1943-1991 unit of the Red and Soviet Armies

The 5th Guards Tank Army was a Soviet Guards armored formation which fought in many notable actions during World War II. The army was formed in February 1943. Until the aftermath of the Vilnius Offensive in July 1944, it was commanded by Pavel Rotmistrov.

4th Air Army

5th Bomber Corps

  • 132nd, 327th Bomber Aviation Divisions

4th Ground Attack Corps

  • 196th, 199th Bomber Aviation Divisions

8th Fighter Corps

  • 215th, 323rd Fighter Aviation Divisions

Other units

  • 230th, 233rd, 260th, 332nd Assault Aviation Divisions
  • 229th, 269th, 309th, 329th Fighter Aviation Divisions
  • 325th Night Bomber Aviation Division
  • 47th, 164th Guards Reconnaissance Aviation Regiments
  • 204th, 209th Fire Correction Aviation Regiments
  • 213th Separate Evacuation Aviation Regiment
  • 184th Communications Aviation Regiment
  • 844th Transport Aviation Regiment
  • 69th Civil Air Fleet Regiment
  • 1550th, 1559th, 1584th, 1601st, 1606th, 1607th, 1655th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiments

1st Belorussian Front

16th Air Army

3rd Bomber Corps

  • 183rd, 241st, 301st Bomber Aviation Divisions

6th Bomber Corps

  • 113th, 326th, 334th Bomber Aviation Divisions

6th Assault Aviation Corps

  • 197th, 198th Assault Aviation Divisions

9th Assault Aviation Corps

  • 3rd Guards, 300th Assault Aviation Divisions

1st Guards Fighter Aviation Corps

  • 3rd and 4th Guards Fighter Aviation Divisions

3rd Fighter Aviation Corps

  • 265th, 278th Fighter Aviation Divisions

6th Fighter Aviation Corps

  • 234th, 273rd Fighter Aviation Divisions

13th Fighter Aviation Corps

  • 193rd, 283rd Fighter Aviation Divisions

Other units

  • 188th, 221st Bomber Aviation Divisions
  • 2nd, 11th Guards Assault Aviation Divisions
  • 1st Guards Fighter Aviation Division
  • 240th Fighter Aviation Division
  • 282nd Fighter Aviation Division
  • 286th Fighter Aviation Division
  • 9th Guards, 242nd Night Bomber Aviation Divisions
  • 176th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment
  • 16th, 72nd Reconnaissance Aviation Regiments
  • 93rd, 98th Fire Correction Aviation Regiments
  • 226th Transport Aviation Regiment
  • 62nd Guards Civil Air Fleet Regiment
  • 325th, 1560th, 1581st, 1597th, 1609th, 1610th, 1611th, 1612th, 1974th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiments

The 240th Fighter Aviation Division was a fighter aircraft formation of the Soviet Air Forces during World War II. It saw its most eventful actions during that war, and in 1949 became the 119th Fighter Aviation Division.

Subordinated units and groups

  • 6th Separate Evacuation Aviation Regiment
  • 919th Communications Aviation Regiment

1st Ukrainian Front

3rd Guards Tank Army

The 3rd Guards Tank Army was a tank army established by the Soviet Union's Red Army during World War II. The 3rd Tank Army was created in 1942 and fought in the southern areas of the Soviet Union and Poland, then in Germany and Czechoslovakia until the defeat of Germany in 1945. Postwar, the army served as occupation troops in East Germany, went through several name changes, and was finally deactivated in 1969.

2nd Air Army

4th Bomber Corps

  • 202nd, 219th Bomber Aviation Divisions

6th Guards Bomber Corps

  • 1st, 8th Guards Bomber Aviation Divisions

1st Guards Assault Aviation Corps

  • 8th, 9th Guards Assault Aviation Divisions

2nd Guards Assault Aviation Corps

  • 5th, 6th Guards Assault Aviation Divisions

3rd Assault Aviation Corps

  • 307th, 308th Assault Aviation Divisions, 181st Fighter Aviation Division

2nd Fighter Aviation Corps

  • 7th Guards, 322nd Fighter Aviation Divisions

5th Fighter Aviation Corps

  • 8th Guards, 256th Fighter Aviation Divisions

6th Guards Fighter Aviation Corps

  • 9th, 22nd, 23rd Guards Fighter Aviation Divisions
  • 11th, 12th Guards Fighter Aviation Divisions

Other units

  • 208th Night Bomber Aviation Division
  • 98th Guards Separate Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment
  • 193rd Guards Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment
  • 118th, 203rd Fire Correction Aviation Regiments, 228th Transport Aviation Regiment
  • 4th Separate Evacuation Aviation Regiment
  • 23rd Regiment of the Civil Air Fleet
  • 1554th, 1555th, 1561st, 1577th, 1582nd, 1605th, 1613th, 1680th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment

4th Ukrainian Front

8th Air Army

8th Assault Aviation Corps

  • 224th, 227th Assault Aviation Division

10th Fighter Aviation Corps

  • 10th, 15th Guards Fighter Aviation Division
  • 321st Bomber Aviation Division
  • 8th Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment
  • 100th Fire Correction Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment
  • 678th Transportation Aviation Regiment
  • 212th Independent Evacuation Aviation Regiment
  • 200th Aviation Signals Regiment
  • 87th Guards Aviation Regiment of Civil Air Fleet
  • 1578th, 1603th, 1682nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment

2nd Ukrainian Front

5th Air Army

Subordinated units and groups

3rd Ukrainian Front

17th Air Army

Long Range Aviation (18th Air Army from December 1944)

Subordinated units and groups

Air defense forces (PVO) for state territory

A note regarding the use "Patrol Area of". The actual term used in the Russian OOB is ob'yekty, which literally means 'objects'. However, in the military sense it can mean structures, and targets. One possible interpretation that can be offered to better define the use in English is that the meaning here is of the actual "area of responsibility" of the unit in terms of installations, facilities, logistic networks and other possible locations that an enemy may select to attack. In this sense the meaning is more an area-related definition then a specific location, describing the operational activity of the air unit within the realm of its responsibilities.

STAVKA Reserve of Military High Command

7th Air Army

14th Air Army

18th Air Army

Reserve Front

Independent Formations and units of Reserve of STAVKA Military High Command

Military districts

Inactive Fronts

Transcaucasus Front

Subordinated units and groups

  • 492nd Assault Aviation Regiment
  • 25th Fighter Aviation Regiment
  • 167th Fighter Aviation Regiment
  • 149th Reconnaissance Aviation Squadron
  • 335th Long-range Reconnaissance Aviation Squadron

Central Asian Military District

Siberian Military District

Transbaikal Front

12th Air Army

Far Eastern Front

10th Air Army

  • 83rd Bomber Aviation Division
  • 253rd Assault Aviation Division
  • 29th Fighter Aviation Division
  • 254th Fighter Aviation Division
  • 528th Fighter Aviation Division
  • 7th Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment
  • 411th Corrective Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment
  • 344th Transport Aviation Regiment

Subordinated units and groups

  • 18th Aviation Corps
    • 96th Assault Aviation Division
    • 296th Fighter Aviation Division
  • 777th Fighter Aviation Division
    • 140th Reconnaissnce Aviation Squadron
  • 28th Fire Correction Aviation Squadron
  • 19th Bomber Aviation Corps
    • 33rd Bomber Aviation Division
  • 55th Bomber Aviation Division
  • 442nd Long-range Bomber Aviation Regiment
  • 443rd Long-range Bomber Aviation Regiment
  • 128th Mixed Aviation Division
  • 255th Mixed Aviation Division
  • 799th Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment
  • 19th Fighter Aviation Squadron

Coastal Group of Forces

9th Air Army

  • 34th Bomber Aviation Division
  • 251st Assault Aviation Division
  • 252nd Assault Aviation Division
  • 32nd Fighter Aviation Division
  • 249th Fighter Aviation Division
  • 250th Fighter Aviation Division
  • 6th Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment
  • 464th Corrective Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment
  • 281st Transport Aviation Regiment

Further Reading/Sources

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References

  1. "1-я воздушная истребительная армия ПВО" [1st Fighter Air Army PVO]. allaces.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 24 April 2016.