Guards fighter aviation regiments of the Red Army Air Force, Navy and Air Defense

The first guards aviation regiments of the USSR Air Force appeared during the Great Patriotic War - in accordance with the Order of the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR I.V. Stalin on December 12, 1941 - they were six air regiments that distinguished themselves in the defense of Moscow and Leningrad.

According to the orders of the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR No. 308 of September 18, 1941 and the People's Commissar of the Navy No. 10 of January 18, 1942, units and formations converted into Guards were awarded Guards banners. Guards banners for corps and armies were approved by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated 06/11/1943, announced by order of the NKO USSR No. 232 dated 06/16/1943. Guards military ranks and the “Guard” badge were introduced by order of the USSR NCO dated May 28, 1942.

Guards air regiments were transferred to a new staff consisting of 3 squadrons and fully staffed with personnel and aircraft []. In addition, the Order of the NKO of the USSR No. 207 of 05/04/1943 provided for the mandatory assignment of personnel of guards units in the field, their transfer to other units and formations only with the permission of the commander of the Red Army Air Force; one reserve squadron was introduced into the regiment staff “to ensure the preparation of worthy replenishment "

There were no strict criteria for nomination to the rank of “Guards”: it depended not only on an objective assessment of the merits of a particular unit, but also on the “orders”. Many famous air regiments, which heroically served as part of the active army throughout the war, never became guards, and during the 3-4 weeks of hostilities against Japan, several air regiments of the Pacific Fleet Air Force were awarded a high rank... Gaps in the numbering of guards units suggest that for many The orders were not signed, which in no way detracts from the combat merits of the aviators of these units.

By September 1945, there were 15 separate guards air squadrons, 247 guards air regiments, 53 guards air divisions, 14 guards air corps. There were no Guards Air Armies of the USSR Air Force.

In the given full names of air regiments, we have somewhat departed from the order introduced by the USSR NCO Directive No. Org/2/2143n/s dated December 27, 1943, according to which the serial number of the unit or formation is first named; designation "separate"; indication of guards rank; belonging to the branch of aviation; honorary titles; government awards in accordance with their status, starting with the highest (the degree of the order was not indicated); aviation regiment, assigned name (for example, “named after B. Safonov”) [].

At first, the numbering of guards units was continuous for all branches of aviation of the Red Army Air Force: the serial number was assigned once, and the numbers of air regiments of bomber, attack, mine-torpedo or fighter guards aviation were not allowed to match.

The own numbering of guards units from 1 to 14 was observed in the Navy aviation. During the war with Japan, eight units of the Pacific Fleet Air Force became guards. Moreover, judging by the text of the relevant orders of the People's Commissar of the Navy, they retained their previous numbers (except for the 6th IAP of the Pacific Fleet Air Force). However, there is information that requires documentary confirmation that the sequential numbering was continued, and the 15th Guards.Shap, 16th Guards.Shap, 17th Guards.pbap, 18th Guards. The 20th Guards IAP and the 22nd IAP of the Pacific Fleet Air Force were transformed from the 37th Shap, 26th Shap, 34th Pbap, 50th Odrap, 52nd Mtap, 19th IAP, 61st IAP and the 6th IAP of the Pacific Fleet Air Force, respectively.

After the Great Patriotic War, no new transformations were carried out into guards units and formations, but there were cases of transfer of rank to other units in order to preserve military traditions, as well as changing the numbers of units and formations. A significant number of guards units and formations were disbanded in the first post-war years, the second wave of reductions took place in the late 50s and early 60s. Finally, during the reduction of the Armed Forces in the late 80s and with the collapse of the USSR, many found themselves outside Russian territory or disbanded.

As of mid-2002, a total of 20 guards units and formations remained in service with Russian aviation.

Guards Air Defense Fighter Aviation Regiments (GvIAP PVO)[27]

Guards Fighter Aviation Regiments of Naval Aviation (GvIAP Navy Air Forces)

PS See also the summary tables of guards air regiments in other sections - for attack and mine-torpedo aircraft, bomber and reconnaissance aircraft.

Sources:

• Levshov P.V., Boltenkov D.E. A century in the Navy: Aviation of the Russian Navy (1910-2010). Directory. - St. Petersburg, Special issue of the almanac "Typhoon", 2012. - 768 p.
• All Stalin's fighter regiments. The first complete encyclopedia / Vladimir Anokhin, Mikhail Bykov. - M.: Yauza-press, 2014. - 944 p. — (Air Force Elite Encyclopedia. There has never been such a book before!).
• Rychilo B., Morozov M. Guards aviation regiments 1941-45. — World of Aviation, 2003, No. 2.

NOTES

1. Increased salaries were established for the personnel of the guards units: for commanding officers - one and a half, for privates - double []
2. This order was subsequently changed more than once. []
3. during the Great Patriotic War []
4. enemy aircraft shot down/destroyed at airfields []
5. Own aircraft losses: combat - those shot down in air battles, anti-aircraft artillery, those that did not return from a combat mission, destroyed at airfields / non-combat - plane crashes, accidents written off due to wear and tear []
6. including those killed in air battles, those who did not return from a combat mission, those killed in plane crashes, from injuries, etc. non-combat losses []
7. two balloons []
8. In addition, 1064 combat missions were flown during the Soviet-Finnish War, without any losses; during the Korean War - the air regiment made more than 700 combat missions and fought more than 30 battles. []
9. 12 enemy balloons were destroyed. In addition, during the Korean War, pilots of the air regiment shot down 36 confirmed American aircraft and 11 alleged aircraft. []
10. The regiment's own losses during the participation in the Korean War were 4 aircraft. []
11. During the conflict in Korea, the air regiment lost 3 pilots. []
12. 25 aircraft - written off due to wear and tear []
13. 6 balloons were shot down in air battles []
14. Transferred to the jurisdiction of Moldova. []
15. In January 1992, it became part of the Ukrainian Armed Forces []
16. Transferred to the Armed Forces of Uzbekistan, renamed the 61st IAP []
17. Transferred to the Armed Forces of Belarus, currently exists as the 116th GvShAB []
18. During the Second World War, pilots of the air regiment made 456 night flights []
19. During the Korean War, the air regiment flew 138 combat missions and fought 8 battles. []
20. In the Korean War, pilots of the air regiment shot down 14 enemy aircraft and 13 more - presumably. []
21. In Korea, the air regiment lost 2 aircraft. []
22. In Korea, the air regiment lost 2 pilots. []
23. Transferred to the Kazakh Air Force, the air regiment currently exists. []
24. Took part in the Korean War as part of the 324th IAD 64th IAC, shooting down 107 enemy aircraft. []
25. The air regiment lost 15 aircraft in the Korean sky. []
26. The air regiment lost 5 pilots during the Korean War. []
27. The division of air regiments between the KA Air Force and the Air Defense is conditional, since during the Great Patriotic War many units were transferred from the Red Army Air Force to the Air Defense and back - approx. M. Bykov []
28. number of enemy aircraft shot down/destroyed at airfields []
29. combat/non-combat []
30. combat/non-combat []
31. in addition, 4 enemy balloons were shot down []
32. at the end of 1943 []
33. at the end of 1943 []
34. dogfights []
35. Data as of 04/01/1944 []
36. Data as of 04/01/1944 []
37. On 01/01/1992, the air regiment came under the jurisdiction of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. []
38. The data is as of 08/01/1943. []
39. The data is as of 08/01/1943. []
40. As part of 133 IAD 64 IAC took part in the Korean War, 18 enemy aircraft were shot down, 7 were damaged. []
41. 4 aircraft of the air regiment were lost in the Korean sky. []
42. In Korea, 4 pilots of the air regiment were killed. []
43. As part of 97 Air Forces, 64 Air Forces took part in the Korean War and flew 2,418 combat missions. []
44. 95 air battles were carried out in the skies of Korea. []
45. 40 enemy aircraft were shot down in the skies of Korea, 10 were damaged. []
46. Another 10 aircraft were lost in Korea. []
47. In the Korean War, 2 pilots of the air regiment were killed. []
48. number of enemy aircraft shot down/destroyed at airfields/ships sunk []
49. combat/non-combat []
50. combat/non-combat []
51. for the first two years of the war []