Air Force of the Polish Army
Encyclopedia
Polish Air Force
The Polish Air Force is the military Air Force wing of the Polish Armed Forces. Until July 2004 it was officially known as Wojska Lotnicze i Obrony Powietrznej...
in the USSR between 1943 and 1947 created alongside the Polish People's Army , a subordinate to the Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
. It was the primary Polish air force formation within the Polish Armed Forces in the East
Polish Armed Forces in the East
Polish Armed Forces in the East refers to military units composed of Poles created in the Soviet Union at the time when the territory of Poland was occupied by both Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union in the Second World War....
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Formation
Setting up the first combat unit – the 1st Independent Fighter Squadron (1. Samodzielna Eskarda Lotnictwa Myśliwskiego) – started on July 7, 1943. As of July 23, 1943, their first training airfield was Grigoryevskoye, about 15 km south of MoscowMoscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
. On August 20, 1943, the Squadron was renamed as the Polish 1st Fighter Regiment, and on October 6, as the 1st Fighter Regiment "Warszawa" ("Warsaw").
On April 1, 1944, two more Polish units were formed at Grigorievskoye: the 2nd Bomber Regiment "Kraków" and the 103rd Independent Liaison Aviation Squadron. In June 1944 the 1st Fighter Reg. and 2nd Bomber Reg. were moved to Gostomel airfield near Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
. At the same time about 600 Poles were sent to Soviet aviation schools in Yegoryevsk
Yegoryevsk
Yegoryevsk is a town and the administrative center of Yegoryevsky District of Moscow Oblast, Russia, located on the right bank of the Guslitsa River southeast of Moscow. Population: 68,000 ; 56,000 ; 29,700 . It is known since 1462 as the village of Vysokoye...
, Chkalov, Buguruslan
Buguruslan
Buguruslan is a town in Orenburg Oblast, Russia. Population:...
, Sorochinsk
Sorochinsk
Sorochinsk is a town in Orenburg Oblast, Russia, located on the Samara River , northwest of Orenburg. Population: It was founded in 1737 as the fortress of Sorochinskaya . It had been known as the village of Sorochinskoye since the 19th century. It was granted town status and renamed Sorochinsk...
, Volsk
Volsk
Volsk is a town in Saratov Oblast, Russia, located to the northeast from Saratov, on the right bank of the Volga River, opposite the mouth of the Bolshoy Irgiz, the Volga tributary. Population:...
and Kinel
Kinel
Kinel is a town in Samara Oblast, Russia, located on the Bolshoy Kinel River near its confluence with the Samara River, east of Samara. Population:...
. On June 5, 1944, at the Headquarters of the Polish Army, an Air Force section was created to command existing Polish AF units. The first commander was Col. Józef Smaga.
On August 16 and August 17, 1944, the 1st and 2nd Regiments landed at their first Polish Air Base at Dys
Dys
Dys is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Niemce, within Lublin County, Lublin Voivodeship, in eastern Poland. It lies approximately south-west of Niemce and north of the regional capital Lublin.The village has a population of 1,200....
near Lublin
Lublin
Lublin is the ninth largest city in Poland. It is the capital of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 350,392 . Lublin is also the largest Polish city east of the Vistula river...
. At this time the AF of the PA was reinforced by the Soviet 611th Ground-Attack Regiment (later, personnel in this unit was partially replaced with Poles, and the regiment was renamed as the Polish 3rd Ground-Attack Reg.). A few days later, on August 19, all units were moved to airfields in Zadybie Stare and Wola Rowska
Wola Rowska
Wola Rowska is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Łaskarzew, within Garwolin County, Masovian Voivodeship, in east-central Poland. It lies approximately north-east of Łaskarzew, south of Garwolin, and south-east of Warsaw.-References:...
- near the front line.
On August 30, 1944, all three Regiments, reinforced by the Communication Company and Liaison Section, were combined into the Polish 1st Air Force Division (later renamed as the 4th Mixed Air Force Division). At that time, the new unit was equipped with 106 combat aircraft (Yak-1, Il-2
Ilyushin Il-2
The Ilyushin Il-2 was a ground-attack aircraft in the Second World War, produced by the Soviet Union in very large numbers...
and Po-2).
In September 1944, in the area of Kharkiv
Kharkiv
Kharkiv or Kharkov is the second-largest city in Ukraine.The city was founded in 1654 and was a major centre of Ukrainian culture in the Russian Empire. Kharkiv became the first city in Ukraine where the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic was proclaimed in December 1917 and Soviet government was...
and Kazan
Kazan
Kazan is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia. With a population of 1,143,546 , it is the eighth most populous city in Russia. Kazan lies at the confluence of the Volga and Kazanka Rivers in European Russia. In April 2009, the Russian Patent Office granted Kazan the...
, Soviet authorities started to form the Polish 1st Mixed Air Force Corps (at first with Soviet personnel, gradually replaced with Polish graduates of Soviet air force schools). The new Corps were equipped with 303 aircraft (Pe-2, Yak-9, Yak-3 and Il-2). On February 1945, the units were moved to Poland on airfields in Łowicz, Sochaczew
Sochaczew
Sochaczew is a town in central Poland, with 38,300 inhabitants . Situated in the Masovian Voivodeship , previously in Skierniewice Voivodeship . It is the capital of Sochaczew County....
, Łódź and Kutno
Kutno
Kutno is a town in central Poland with 48,000 inhabitants and an area of 33,6 km2. Situated in the Łódź Voivodeship , previously in Płock Voivodeship . It is the capital of Kutno County....
.
In late August and the beginning of September 1944, the 103rd Independent Liaison Aviation Squadron, cooperating already with the 1st Polish Army
First Polish Army (1944-1945)
The Polish First Army was a Polish Army unit formed in the Soviet Union in 1944, from the previously existing Polish I Corps as part of the People's Army of Poland . The First Army fought westward, subordinated to the Soviet 1st Belorussian Front, during the offensive against Germany that led to...
, was joined by three more units of this type: 3rd Squadron, in coordination with the 2nd Polish Army, and the 4th and 5th Sqns., subordinated to Communication Command of the Polish Army.
On October 31, 1944, all Polish aviation units were subordinated to the newly created Command of the Air Force of the Polish Army with Maj. Gen. Teodor Połynin.
At the beginning of November, the next units were created: the 12th Medical Aviation Regiment, 13th Transport Aviation Regiment, 17th Liaison Aviation Regiment, and the first Polish Aviation School in Zamość
Zamosc
Zamość ukr. Замостя is a town in southeastern Poland with 66,633 inhabitants , situated in the south-western part of Lublin Voivodeship , about from Lublin, from Warsaw and from the border with Ukraine...
with Józef Smaga as commander, promoted to the rank of Bryg. Gen.. The new school started teaching on January 2, 1945. Polish pilots were also trained in the 15th Independent Reserve Air Force Regiment, formed on November 28, 1944.
In December 1944, the AF of the PA took over control from Soviet Air Forces in the 7th Air Base Area. Two more aviation units reinforced the AF of the PA in March 1945. Those were the 6th Independent Transport Aviation Squadron formed at Okęcie Airport
Warsaw Frederic Chopin Airport
Warsaw Chopin Airport is an international airport located in the Włochy district of Warsaw, Poland. Poland's busiest airport, Warsaw Chopin handles just under 50% of the country's air passenger traffic....
, conducting missions for the Temporary Government as well as the Headquarters of the Polish Army, and the 14th Independent Air Reconnaissance and Correction of Artillery Fire Regiment.
Combat missions
The Air Force of the Polish Army went to combat at the last stage of the Lublin-Brest Offensive. Between August 23 and September 2, 1944, the 1st Air Force Division supported the 1st Polish Army on bridgeheadBridgehead
A bridgehead is a High Middle Ages military term, which antedating the invention of cannons was in the original meaning expressly a referent term to the military fortification that protects the end of a bridge...
s near Warka
Warka
Warka is a town in central Poland, located on the left bank of the Pilica river , with 11,035 inhabitants . It has been situated in Grójec County, in the Masovian Voivodeship, since 1999; previously it was in the Radom Voivodeship from 1975 to 1998.Warka obtained its city charter in 1321...
and Magnuszew
Magnuszew
Magnuszew is a village in Kozienice County, Masovian Voivodeship, in east-central Poland. It is the seat of the gmina called Gmina Magnuszew. It lies approximately north-west of Kozienice and south-east of Warsaw....
by making 66 combat flights. After September 10, 2nd Bomber Reg. received an order to support an attack in the direction of Praga
Praga
Praga is a historical borough of Warsaw, the capital of Poland. It is located on the east bank of the river Vistula. First mentioned in 1432, until 1791 it formed a separate town with its own city charter.- History :...
district of Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
, but due to bad weather the regiment didn't take part in the battle. On the following night, between September 11 and September 12, the 2nd Regiment attacked 19th Panzer Division
19th Panzer Division (Germany)
The German 19th Panzer Division was created from the 19th Infantry Division and was formed on 1 November 1940.In July 1941 it moved to the central sector of the Eastern front until December 1942 when it was transferred south...
in the area of Nowe Bródno dropping 70 50-kg bombs, 1819 bombs of smaller weight and 51 flare
Flare (pyrotechnic)
A flare, also sometimes called a fusee, is a type of pyrotechnic that produces a brilliant light or intense heat without an explosion. Flares are used for signalling, illumination, or defensive countermeasures in civilian and military applications...
s during 50 flights.
After capturing Praga, the 1st Air Force Division supported the attack of Polish 3rd Infantry Division in the area of Czerniaków
Czerniaków
Czerniaków is a neighbourhood of the city of Warsaw, located within the borough of Mokotów, between the escarpment of the Vistula river and the river itself....
, from September 15 to September 19, and after September 19, attacked German artillery in the area of Ujazdów Park, Botanical Garden, Łazienki Park, Pole Mokotowskie
Pole Mokotowskie
Pole Mokotowskie is a large park in Warsaw. Part of it is called "Józef Piłsudski Park."...
, Siekierki
Siekierki
Siekierki is a neighborhood in the Mokotów district of Warsaw, Poland.There is an PowerPlant Siekierki....
and the Warsaw University of Technology
Warsaw University of Technology
The Warsaw University of Technology is one of the leading institutes of technology in Poland, and one of the largest in Central Europe. It employs 2,453 teaching faculty, with 357 professors . The student body numbers 36,156 , mostly full-time. There are 17 faculties covering almost all fields of...
. During the Warsaw Uprising
Warsaw Uprising
The Warsaw Uprising was a major World War II operation by the Polish resistance Home Army , to liberate Warsaw from Nazi Germany. The rebellion was timed to coincide with the Soviet Union's Red Army approaching the eastern suburbs of the city and the retreat of German forces...
all units of the 1st Air Force Division made 609 flights. Within this number, 442 flights were made by the 2nd Regiment - 259 of them were attacks on German positions (the regiment dropped 50 tons of bombs) - and 183 were supply flights for fighters in Warsaw (33 tons of food and 72 boxes of weapons and ammunition). At the same time the 103rd Independent Liaison Aviation Squadron operating from Soplicowo made reconnaissance flights for the 1st Polish Army.
In the next stage of the war, between November 1, 1944, and January 13, 1945, the 1st AF Division, renamed as the 4th Mixed AF Division, took part in preparation for the Vistula-Oder Offensive
Vistula-Oder Offensive
The Vistula–Oder Offensive was a successful Red Army operation on the Eastern Front in the European Theatre of World War II; it took place between 12 January and 2 February 1945...
. In 201 flights, it collected data about the locations of German forces in the area of the 1st Polish Army's planned attack, to the outer limit of 80-120 km behind the front line. Apart from that, each regiment of the division had its own separate tasks. The 1st Fighter Regiment was fighting against the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
's air reconnaissance while the 2nd Regiment between November 1 and 3, made 130 flights bombing German positions in the areas of Sadów
Sadów
Sadów is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Koszęcin, within Lubliniec County, Silesian Voivodeship, in southern Poland. It lies approximately north-west of Koszęcin, south-east of Lubliniec, and north of the regional capital Katowice.The village has a population of...
, Dąbrowa, Łomianki and Dziekanów Polski
Dziekanów Polski
Dziekanów Polski is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Łomianki, within Warsaw West County, Masovian Voivodeship, in east-central Poland. It lies approximately north-west of Łomianki, north of Ożarów Mazowiecki, and north-west of Warsaw....
.
On January 14, the Vistula-Oder Offensive started, but due to cloudy weather, until January 19, only the 2nd Regiment took part in combat, bombing enemies' positions in the areas of Modlin
Modlin (village)
Modlin was a village near Warsaw in Poland near the banks of rivers Narew and Vistula. In 1961 it has been incorporated into the town of Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki.-See also:* Modlin Fortress* Battle of Modlin* Modlin Airport...
, Leszno, Błonie and Sochaczew
Sochaczew
Sochaczew is a town in central Poland, with 38,300 inhabitants . Situated in the Masovian Voivodeship , previously in Skierniewice Voivodeship . It is the capital of Sochaczew County....
. The 3rd Ground-Attack Regiment joined the battle on January 16, and under the cover of the 1st Fighter Regiment, attacked German positions in the area of Modlin
Modlin (village)
Modlin was a village near Warsaw in Poland near the banks of rivers Narew and Vistula. In 1961 it has been incorporated into the town of Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki.-See also:* Modlin Fortress* Battle of Modlin* Modlin Airport...
, Adamówek, Palmiry
Palmiry
Palmiry During World War II, between 1939 and 1943, the village and the surrounding forest was one of the sites of German mass executions of Jews, Polish intelligentsia, politicians and athletes, killed during the AB Action. Most of the victims were first arrested and tortured in the Pawiak prison...
, Dziekanów
Dziekanów
Dziekanów is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Hrubieszów, within Hrubieszów County, Lublin Voivodeship, in eastern Poland, close to the border with Ukraine. It lies approximately north of Hrubieszów and south-east of the regional capital Lublin.The village has a population of...
, Sieraków
Sieraków, Warsaw West County
Sieraków is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Izabelin, within Warsaw West County, Masovian Voivodeship, in east-central Poland. It lies approximately north of Izabelin, north of Ożarów Mazowiecki, and north-west of Warsaw....
and Kaliszki
Kaliszki
Kaliszki may refer to the following places:*Kaliszki, Łódź Voivodeship *Kaliszki, Masovian Voivodeship *Kaliszki, Podlaskie Voivodeship *Kaliszki, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship...
supporting the 47th Soviet Army. After the liberation of Warsaw the 2nd and 3rd Regiments were attacking retreating enemy troops while the 1st Regiment was defending Warsaw as well as reconstructed bridges over the Vistula
Vistula
The Vistula is the longest and the most important river in Poland, at 1,047 km in length. The watershed area of the Vistula is , of which lies within Poland ....
after the Luftwaffe attacks. During the first period of the Vistula-Oder Offensive the 1st Reg. made 221 combat flights, the 2nd - 107 and the 3rd Reg - 81. Apart from the combat, units of the 13th Transport Aviation Regiment delivered 4620 kg of weapons and ammunition and 176 officers to the western bank of the Vistula during 666 flights.
Due to the fast advance of Allied forces in the West, the 4 Mixed Division was moved to the Sanniki airfield, and later to Bydgoszcz. From there, aircraft of the division began the next stage of the Vistula-Oder Offensive against the Pomeranian Wall
Pomeranian Wall
Pomeranian Wall, Pomeranian Line or Pomeranian Position was a line of fortifications constructed by Nazi Germany in the Pomeranian lakeland region. It was constructed in two phases. In the years 1930-1935 it was constructed as a light defensive position in case of an attack from the Second Polish...
. First, the 3rd Regiment went into action. From February 4 to February 8, the regiment made reconnaissance flights over the Wall in the areas of Szczecinek
Szczecinek
Szczecinek [] is a city in Middle Pomerania, northwestern Poland with some 39,777 inhabitants . Previously in Koszalin Voivodeship , it has been the capital of Szczecinek County in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship since 1999...
, Wałcz, Górnica, Barwice
Barwice
Barwice is a town in Poland, in West Pomeranian Voivodship, in Szczecinek County.-Geographics:The town is located on the Baltic Uplands in Farther Pomerania at an altitude of about 150 to 180 meters above sea level within the upper region of the river Persante. 20 kilometers further south the...
, Czaplinek
Czaplinek
Czaplinek is a town in Drawsko County, West Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland, with 6,879 inhabitants ....
, Węgorzewo Koszalińskie
Węgorzewo Koszalińskie
Węgorzewo Koszalińskie is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Sianów, within Koszalin County, West Pomeranian Voivodeship, in north-western Poland. It lies approximately south-east of Sianów, east of Koszalin, and north-east of the regional capital Szczecin.Before 1945 the area...
and Białogard, under the cover of the 282nd Soviet Fighter Division. Between February 9 and February 15, the 3rd Regiment attacked German troops surrounded in the area of Piła during 141 flights, and collected data about the enemy during 62 reconnaissance flights. Later on February 15 and February 16, the 3rd and 1st Regiments were attacking the remains of German forces retreating from the Piła area to the rear of the 1st Polish Army near Tarnówka
Tarnówka
Tarnówka is a village in Złotów County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, in west-central Poland. It is the seat of the gmina called Gmina Tarnówka. It lies approximately west of Złotów and north of the regional capital Poznań....
. On February 19, those two units attacked ground targets in the area of Orla, Wierzchowo, Złocieniec and Szczecinek
Szczecinek
Szczecinek [] is a city in Middle Pomerania, northwestern Poland with some 39,777 inhabitants . Previously in Koszalin Voivodeship , it has been the capital of Szczecinek County in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship since 1999...
. Before that, on February 14, the 1st Regiment made reconnaissance flights over the airfield and eastern part of Piła. On February 20, the 3rd Regiment attacked rail transports in Szczecinek and Złocieniec. Apart from units of the 4th Division, the 103rd Independent Liaison Aviation Squadron also took part in the flights, bombing the fortifications of the Wall on the night of February 8 to February 9.
At this stage of the Offensive the 3rd Regiment made 391 combat flights (161 of them were reconnaissance flights), the 1st Regiment made 124 flights and the 2nd Regiment made 51 flights. The whole 4th Division destroyed over 300 wheeled vehicles, 21 locomotives, over 140 horse wagons, 163 railroad cars and much other military equipment. In this same period the Division lost six flying personnel and 5 aircraft (2 Yak-9, 2 Il-2 and 1 Po-2).
On March 1, the 3rd Reg. covered by the 1st Reg. attacked the German defence position on the southern edge of Bojursk in the area of Żabin
Zabin
Zabin may refer to the following places in Poland:*Żabin, Lower Silesian Voivodeship *Żabin, Masovian Voivodeship *Żabin, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship...
, and on Hill 156.6, in preparation for the offensive of the 1st Polish Army in that direction. Later on the same day the two units supported an attack of their land forces in the area of Wierzchowo, Żabin and Żabinek
Zabinek
Żabinek is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Wierzchowo, within Drawsko County, West Pomeranian Voivodeship, in north-western Poland. It lies approximately south-west of Wierzchowo, south-east of Drawsko Pomorskie, and east of the regional capital Szczecin.Before 1945 the area...
. For the next two days the units supported an attack of the 1st Polish Army with direct fire and reconnaissance.
During the Battle of Kołobrzeg aircraft of the 4th Division were relocated to Mirosławiec. Among encountered difficulties were cloudy weather and problems with fuel supply (especially with the B-70 gasoline
Gasoline
Gasoline , or petrol , is a toxic, translucent, petroleum-derived liquid that is primarily used as a fuel in internal combustion engines. It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. Some gasolines also contain...
used by the Po-2). Due to such circumstances units of the 4th Division were flying only between March 9-March 11 and March 13-March 15, (the 2nd Reg. equipped with Po-2 flew only on the night of March 11-March 12) while battle continued from March 5 to March 17. On those few days the 4th Division made 127 combat flights dropping 25 tons of bombs, sinking 1 transport ship and 4 barge
Barge
A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. Some barges are not self-propelled and need to be towed by tugboats or pushed by towboats...
s, and destroying 9 batteries of mortars, 3 batteries of field artillery, 8 batteries of anti-aircraft artillery and many points of German defence.
After the battle, between March 19 and April 8, units of the 4th Mixed AF Division patrolled the shore of Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
between Kołobrzeg and Dziwnów
Dziwnów
Dziwnów is a town in north-western Poland situated on the Baltic Sea at the mouth of the river Dziwna. Previously in the Szczecin Voivodeship , Dziwnów has been in Kamień Pomorski County in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship since 1999. The population is 3,031 .-Twin towns — Sister cities:Dziwnów is...
, and made reconnaissance flights over German positions on Wolin
Wolin
Wolin is the name both of an island in the Baltic Sea, just off the Polish coast, and a town on that island. It is separated from the island of Usedom by the Świna river, and from mainland Pomerania by the Dziwna river...
and Chrząszczewska Island. The 1st Regiment also protected positions of the 1st Polish Army from attacks of the Luftwaffe. This same regiment conducted reconnaissance flights over the Chrząszczewska Island V-2 rocket
V-2 rocket
The V-2 rocket , technical name Aggregat-4 , was a ballistic missile that was developed at the beginning of the Second World War in Germany, specifically targeted at London and later Antwerp. The liquid-propellant rocket was the world's first long-range combat-ballistic missile and first known...
launcher, later heavily damaged by the 3rd Regiment. Aircraft of the 2nd Regiment and 103rd Squadron patrolled Western Pomerania, tracking remnants of the German troops and giving coordinates
Geographic coordinate system
A geographic coordinate system is a coordinate system that enables every location on the Earth to be specified by a set of numbers. The coordinates are often chosen such that one of the numbers represent vertical position, and two or three of the numbers represent horizontal position...
to land forces.
The last great operation of the Air Force of the Polish Army in World War II was the Battle of Berlin
Battle of Berlin
The Battle of Berlin, designated the Berlin Strategic Offensive Operation by the Soviet Union, was the final major offensive of the European Theatre of World War II....
. On April 14, the 4th Mixed Division was regrouped to the Baranówko
Baranówko
Baranówko is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Mosina, within Poznań County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, in west-central Poland. It lies approximately south-east of Mosina and south of the regional capital Poznań....
airfield located 35 km to the east of the river Odra. On the night of April 15, just before the offensive, the 2nd Regiment attacked German positions near Bad Freienwalde
Bad Freienwalde
Bad Freienwalde is a spa town in the Märkisch-Oderland district in Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated on an old branch of the Oder river at the northwestern rim of the Oderbruch basin, east of Eberswalde, and northeast of Berlin, near the border with Poland...
, Neu Ranft, Neu Rüdnitz and Alt Reetz. On April 16, the Allied land forces began the Battle of the Oder-Neisse
Battle of the Oder-Neisse
The Battle of the Oder–Neisse is the German name for the initial phase of one of the last two strategic offensives conducted by the Red Army in the Campaign in Central Europe during World War II. Its initial breakthrough phase was fought over four days, from 16 April until 19 April 1945, within...
. In the morning of the first day of the operation the aircraft were useless due to thick fog over the Odra valley. In the evening, only a small group of Il-2's from the 3rd Regiment under protection of fighters from the 1st Regiment attacked German positions on the left bank of the river near Neu Rüdnitz. The situation was similar the next day, but on April 18 and April 19, air force actions were much more intensive. Aircraft of the 3rd Reg. gave close support to the attacking 1st Polish Army while pilots of the 1st Reg. fought with Luftwaffe and made reconnaissance flights for the 1st Polish and 61st Soviet Armies. The 103rd Squadron delivered written orders from the Soviet command posts to field commanders at the front and evacuated wounded soldiers on their way back. During this phase of battle Poles made 330 combat flights.
In the next stage of the final battle, between April 20 and April 24, the 4th Mixed AF Division provided air cover, especially during the crossing of the Alte Oder
Alte Oder
Alte Oder is a river of Brandenburg, Germany....
and Ruppiner Canal. At this time Il-2's attacked the German forces during the attack of the 1st Polish Army in the areas of Bernöwe, Oranienburg
Oranienburg
Oranienburg is a town in Brandenburg, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Oberhavel.- Geography :Oranienburg is a town located on the banks of the Havel river, 35 km north of the centre of Berlin.- Division of the town :...
, Kremmen
Kremmen
Kremmen is a town in the district of Oberhavel, in Brandenburg, Germany. It is located 15 km west of Oranienburg and 38 km northwest of Berlin. It is known mostly for its castle Ziethen. The local church contains an organ built in 1817 by Tobias Thurley.-External links:...
and Nauen
Nauen
Nauen is a town in the Havelland district, in Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated 38 km west of Berlin and 26 km northwest of Potsdam.-History:...
. During this phase of battle Poles made 305 combat flights including 72 of them by night.
On April 24, the Polish 1st Mixed Air Force Corps, commanded by Brig. Gen. Filip Aglacow, completed its relocation to airfields in the area of Myślibórz
Myslibórz
Myślibórz is a city in north-west Poland, in West Pomeranian Voivodeship. It is the capital of the Powiat of Myślibórz...
, but only the 2nd Ground-Attack Division and the 3rd Fighter Division because the 1st Bomb Division was still training in central Poland. Those two units increased the strength of the main group of the Polish Air Force almost four times up to four fighter regiments, four ground-attack regiments and one bomber regiment. On the first day only fighters from the 3rd Division took part in the battle covering units crossing the Hohenzollern Canal near Hennigsdorf
Hennigsdorf
Hennigsdorf is a town in the district of Oberhavel, in Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated north-west of Berlin, just across the city border, which is formed mainly by the Havel river.-History:...
during 41 combat flights.
Between April 25 and April 29, Polish aircraft discovered a threat from Army Detachment Steiner
Army Detachment Steiner
Army Detachment Steiner , was a temporary military unit, something more than a corps but less than an army, created on paper by German dictator Adolf Hitler on 21 April 1945 during the Battle of Berlin, and placed under the command of SS Obergruppenführer Felix Steiner...
. The most intensive day of combat between the Polish aviation 1st Army and Steiner's group was April 26. On this day the 2nd Division and 3rd Regiment made 412 combat flights attacking German troops near Löwensberg, Zehdenick
Zehdenick
Zehdenick is a town in the Oberhavel district, in Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated on the river Havel, 26 km southeast of Fürstenberg/Havel, and 51 km north of Berlin .-Subdivision:Zehdenick includes the following villages:...
, Bercksdorf and Nassenheide in support of units on the bridgehead over the Ruppiner Canal, while the fighters of the 3rd Division and the 1st Regiment made 128 combat flights on that day, fighting against the Luftwaffe that tried to help Steiner's Group.
After the destruction of Army Detachment Steiner all units of the 1st Mixed AF Division and two divisions of the 1st Mixed AF Corps supported the attack of the 1st Polish Army to the Elbe River. Polish land forces reached the river on May 3. On the same date, in the area of Havelberg
Havelberg
Havelberg is a town in the district of Stendal, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated on the Havel, and part of the town is built on an island in the centre of the river. The two parts were incorporated as a town in 1875...
and Wulkau
Wulkau
Wulkau is a village and a former municipality in the district of Stendal, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 January 2010, it is part of the municipality Kamern....
, Polish aircraft met with groups of P-51 Mustang
P-51 Mustang
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...
s of US Eighth Air Force
Eighth Air Force
The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....
in the air three times. On the next day the commander of the 1st Belorussian Front
1st Belorussian Front
The 1st Belorussian Front was a Front of the Soviet Army during World War II...
, Georgy Zhukov
Georgy Zhukov
Marshal of the Soviet Union Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov , was a Russian career officer in the Red Army who, in the course of World War II, played a pivotal role in leading the Red Army through much of Eastern Europe to liberate the Soviet Union and other nations from the Axis Powers' occupation...
gave an order to stop all combat missions of the air force except reconnaissance.
Apart from those main combat units of the AF of the PA other, smaller units like the 17th Liaison Aviation Regiment and the 13th Transport Aviation Regiment were making many flights transporting officers and supply. Also, the 12th Medical Aviation Regiment took part in an operation evacuating 1296 soldiers of the 2nd Polish Army to hospitals in Poznań
Poznan
Poznań is a city on the Warta river in west-central Poland, with a population of 556,022 in June 2009. It is among the oldest cities in Poland, and was one of the most important centres in the early Polish state, whose first rulers were buried at Poznań's cathedral. It is sometimes claimed to be...
.
Contribution of the Air Force of the Polish Army to World War II
The main task of the Air Force of the Polish Army was support to land forces. Here are the Air Force's statistics for this task:Ground attacks:
- 13,620 flights including 5,800 combat flights
- 1.300 wheeled vehicles destroyed
- 290 railroad cars destroyed
- 28 locomotives destroyed
- 25 tanks destroyed
- 4 aircraft destroyed on airfields
- 1 transport ship sunk
- 4 barges sunk
- over 400 field artillery batteries destroyed
- 25 mortar batteries destroyed
- 371 buildings burned
Air combat:
- 16 aircraft shot down in 57 battles
Casualties:
- 94 troops including 25 KIAKilled in actionKilled in action is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces at the hands of hostile forces. The United States Department of Defense, for example, says that those declared KIA need not have fired their weapons but have been killed due to...
, rest DOW (died of wounds), - 36 aircraft destroyed
- 24 aircraft damaged
Transformation
During the first days after the war, 67 of the oldest aircraft were immediately withdrawn from the service, for personnel safety. Those were mainly the Po-2s, Il-2s and Jak-1s. Another task was to reduce the number of active servicemen. The plan was to decrease the number of soldiers to 12,314, including the 3150 commissioned officers. The oldest privates, the non-commissioned officerNon-commissioned officer
A non-commissioned officer , called a sub-officer in some countries, is a military officer who has not been given a commission...
s, and about 300 Soviet officers that were serving in the Air Force of the Polish Army during the war, were first to be demobilized.
On 11 July 1945 Lt. Gen. Połynin ordered that all national marks on aircraft be changed to Polish chessboards. Up to this time all machines were painted like aircraft of the Soviet Air Force
Soviet Air Force
The Soviet Air Force, officially known in Russian as Военно-воздушные силы or Voenno-Vozdushnye Sily and often abbreviated VVS was the official designation of one of the air forces of the Soviet Union. The other was the Soviet Air Defence Forces...
with additional Polish chessboards on the sides of planes (the width of the Polish mark was between 300 mm and 350 mm so it was slightly bigger than marks used by the Polish Air Force in Great Britain).
Also the structure was gradually changed. At the beginning of July 1945, the 2nd Night Bomber Regiment "Kraków" was rearmed changing the Po-2s to the Il-2m3s and renamed as the 2nd Ground-Attack Reg. "Kraków". The Headquarters of the 1 Mixed Air Force Corps and some auxiliary units were disbanded as of July 25, including: the 12th Medical Aviation Regiment, 2nd Saxonian Independent Headquarters Squadron, 3007th Field Post Office, 13th Transport Aviation Regiment, 1596th Regiment of Air Defence, 901st Company of Anti-Aircraft Machine Guns, 7th Technic and Technical Operationality Company, 22nd Company for Special Missions and the 5th Independent Camouflage Platoon. Meanwhile some names were also changed: the 15th Independent Reserve Air Force Regiment became the 15th Education and Training Aviation Regiment and the 17th Liaison Aviation Regiment became the 17th Mixed Aviation Regiment. At this same time, a few training units were created that prepared the officers to replace the veterans of World War II: the 16th Independent Company of Preparations and Education subordinated to the new Pilot's Officer's Air Force School (detached from the Officer's Air Force School), the 17th Independent Company of Preparations and Education subordinated to the other branch of the former Officer's Air Force School: Technician's Air Force School, the 2nd Independent Technical Airfield Company subordinated to the 483rd Airfield Service Battalion and the 2nd Independent Technical Airfield Company subordinated to the 513th Airfield Service Battalion.
Up to 25 September 1945, the following units were disbanded: the 4th Independent Liaison Aviation Squadron, the 5th Independent Liaison Aviation Squadron, the 1131st Company of Anti-Aircraft Machine Guns, the 5th Independent Photographic Company, the Section of Liaison Aviation of the 1st Armoured Corps, the 7th Field Laundry and the 7th Household Storage. Some units changed names: the 4th Pomeranian Mixed Air Force Division to the 1st Pomeranian Mixed Air Force Division, the 15th Education and Training Aviation Regiment to the 1st Education and Training Aviation Regiment, the 17th Mixed Aviation Regiment to the 2nd Mixed Aviation Regiment and the 7th Area of Air Bases to the 1st Area of Air Bases. In all other units, except training ones, the number of troops were decreased.
These were disbanded in October 1945: the 338th Company of Telegraph Builders, the 14th Independent Engineer Airfield Construction Battalion and all the Independent Engineer Airfield Construction Battalions.
These were disbanded in December 1945: the command of the 1st Area of Air Bases (some were subordinated to command units): the 3006th Cereal Storage, the 2003rd Main Air Force Field Storage and the 7th Field Military Household Storage . Also, the names of some units were changed: the 73rd Airfield Service Battalion became the 1st Airfield Service Battalion, the 74th Airfield Service Battalion became the 2nd Airfield Service Battalion, and following this rule: 129th Airfield Service Battalion was renamed as the 3rd Battalion, 130th as the 4th, the 483rd as the 5th, the 495th as the 6th, the 513th as the 7th and the 686th as the 8th. Also the 103rd Independent Liaison Aviation Squadron was renamed as the 9th Independent Liaison Aviation Squadron that was subordinated to the Internal Security Corps. In 6 December 1945 all units of the Civilian Air Fleet were transferred from the Ministry of Defence to the Ministry of Communication as LOT Polish Airlines
LOT Polish Airlines
Polskie Linie Lotnicze LOT S.A. , trading as LOT Polish Airlines, is the flag carrier of Poland. Based in Warsaw, LOT was established in 1929, making it one of the world's oldest airlines still in operation. Using a fleet of 55 aircraft, LOT operates a complex network to 60 destinations in Europe,...
.
In January 1946 the next restructurisation in the chain of command was started. All commands of divisions were disbanded, and all regiments were directly subordinated to the command of the Air Force of the Polish Army. Also disbanded were: the 4th Bomb Regiment, the 5th Bomb Regiment, the 7th Ground-Attack Regiment, the 8th Ground-Attack Regiment, the 2nd Mixed Aviation Regiment, the 9th Fighter Regiment and some other units of backup. Some regiments changed names: the 2nd Ground-Attack Reg. "Kraków" to the 4th Ground-Attack Reg. "Kraków", the 3rd Ground-Attack Regiment to the 5th Ground-Attack Regiment, the 10th Fighter Regiment to the 2nd Fighter Regiment, the 11th Fighter Regiment to the 3rd Fighter Regiment and the 3rd Bomb Regiment to the 7th Bomb Regiment. Also the 1st Education and Training Aviation Regiment was decreased to a Squadron.
In May and June 1946 military education was reformed. Military Pilots of the Polish Army School in Dęblin
Deblin
Dęblin is a town, population 19,500 , at the confluence of Vistula and Wieprz rivers, in Lublin Voivodeship, Poland. Dęblin is the part of the agglomeration with adjacent towns of Ryki and Puławy, which altogether has over 100 000 inhabitants....
was renamed as the Polish Air Force Academy, while a few schools of junior specialists, the 16th and 17th Independent Companies of Preparations and Education were replaced by the Independent Educational Company of Junior Aviation Specialists . Also one new unit was created: the Section of Liaison Aviation of Command of Polish Army. This unit had to secure communication between the command of the army and commands of military districts.
In December 1946 the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th Airfield Service Battalions were disbanded. At this same time the Temporary Storage of Preservation and Conservation of Reserve Aircraft was created.
In 1947 some storage was closed: the Storage of Airfield Equipment and Building Materials, the Storage of Fuel and Greases, 2nd Air Force Repair Workshops of type "C" and Guarding Company of Central Air Force Storage.
In 1946 the last Poles that were educated in Aviation Schools in the Soviet Union returned to Poland. Others rejoining the service between 1945 and 1947 included 205 pre-war officers and non-commissioned officers that returned from POW camps, and disbanded units of Polish Air Forces in Great Britain
Polish Air Forces in France and Great Britain
The Polish Air Forces was a name of Polish Air Forces formed in France and the United Kingdom during World War II. The core of the Polish air units fighting alongside the allies were experienced veterans of Invasion of Poland of 1939 and they contributed to Allied victory in the Battle of Britain...
including such famous pilots like Maj.
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
Stanisław Skalski.
On March 13, 1947, the Air Force of the Polish Army was renamed as the Polish Air Force , ending its transformation to a peacetime Air Force.
Despite reorganisation, some units (the 2nd Independent Mixed Air Force Regiment, 9th Independent Liaison Aviation Squadron, aviation sections of military districts and partially, units of the Air Force Academy) were used against Polish anti-communist guerillas
Cursed soldiers
The cursed soldiers is a name applied to a variety of Polish resistance movements formed in the later stages of World War II and afterwards. Created by some members of the Polish Secret State, these clandestine organizations continued their armed struggle against the Stalinist government of Poland...
and the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, up to 14 November 1947. Mainly Po-2 aircraft were used in those fights, in reconnaissance, liaison, propaganda and sometimes in ground-attack missions. Il-2's were also used in a few fights. Units of the Air Force of the Polish Army were also used in propaganda actions before the Polish people's referendum, 1946
Polish people's referendum, 1946
The People's Referendum of 1946, also known as the "Three Times Yes" referendum, was a referendum held in Poland on 30 June 1946 on the authority of the State National Council...
.
Organisation at the end of the war
- Command of the Air Force of the Polish Army (Dowództwo Lotnictwa Wojska Polskiego)
- 1st Mixed Air Force Corps (1. Mieszany Korpus Lotniczy)
- 1st Bomb Division (1. Dywizja Lotnictwa Bombowego)
- 3rd Bomb Regiment (3. Pułk Lotnictwa Bombowego)
- 4th Bomb Regiment (4. Pułk Lotnictwa Bombowego)
- 5th Bomb Regiment (5. Pułk Lotnictwa Bombowego)
- 2nd Brandenburg Ground-Attack Division (2. Brandenburska Dywizja Lotnictwa Szturmowego)
- 6th Ground-Attack Regiment (6. Pułk Lotnictwa Szturmowego)
- 7th Ground-Attack Regiment (7. Pułk Lotnictwa Szturmowego)
- 8th Ground-Attack Regiment (8. Pułk Lotnictwa Szturmowego)
- 3rd Brandenburg Fighter Division (3. Brandenburska Dywizja Lotnictwa Myśliwskiego)
- 9th Fighter RegimentPolish 9th Fighter RegimentThe Polish 9th Fighter Regiment was a fighter regiment established in 1944 in Malbork that was a part of the Air Force of the Polish Army...
(9. Pułk Lotnictwa Myśliwskiego) - 10th Fighter Regiment (10. Pułk Lotnictwa Myśliwskiego)
- 11th Fighter Regiment (11. Pułk Lotnictwa Myśliwskiego)
- 9th Fighter Regiment
- 1st Bomb Division (1. Dywizja Lotnictwa Bombowego)
- 4th Pomeranian Mixed Air Force Division (4. Pomorska Mieszana Dywizja Lotnicza)
- 1st Fighter Regiment "Warszawa" (1. Pułk Lotnictwa Myśliwskiego "Warszawa")
- 2nd Bomb Regiment (2. Pułk Lotnictwa Bombowego "Kraków")
- 3rd Ground-Attack Regiment (3. Pułk Lotnictwa Szturmowego)
- 7th Area of Air Bases (7. Rejon Baz Lotniczych)
- 7th Communication Company (7. Kompania Łączności)
- 7th Technic and Technical Operationality Company (7. Kompania Techniczno-Eksploatacyjna)
- 107th Wheel Transport Battalion (107. )
- 901st Company of Anti-Aircraft Machine Guns (901. Kompania Przeciwlotniczych Karabinów Maszynowych)
- 2003rd Air Force Field Storage (2003. Polowy Magazyn Lotniczy)
- 7th Household Storage (7. Skład Gospodarczy)
- 95th Field Office of the Polish National Bank (95. Polowa Kasa Narodowego Banku Polskiego)
- 23rd Independent Station of Oxygen Supply (23. Samodzielne Stanowisko Dostarczania Tlenu)
- 73rd Airfield Service Battalion (73. )
- 74th Airfield Service Battalion (74. )
- 129th Airfield Service Battalion (129. )
- 130th Airfield Service Battalion (130. )
- 483rd Airfield Service Battalion (483. )
- 495th Airfield Service Battalion (495. )
- 513rd Airfield Service Battalion (513. )
- 686th Airfield Service Battalion (686. )
- 2nd Saxonian Independent Headquarters Squadron (2. Saksońska Samodzielna Eskadra Sztabowa)
- 6th Independent Transport Aviation Squadron (6. Samodzielna Eskadra Lotnictwa Transportowego)
- 12th Medical Aviation Regiment (12. Pułk Lotnictwa Sanitarnego)
- 13th Transport Aviation Regiment (13. Pułk Lotnictwa Transportowego)
- 14th Independent Air Reconnaissance and Correction of Artillery Fire Regiment (14. Samodzielny Pułk Rozpoznania Lotniczego i Korygowania Ogniem Artylerii)
- 17th Liaison Aviation Regiment (17. Pułk Lotnictwa Łącznikowego)
- 6th Independent Regiment of Communication (6. Samodzielny Pułk Łączności)
- 1596th Regiment of Air Defence (1596. Pułk Obrony Przeciwlotniczej)
- 1st Independent Engineer Airfield Construction Battalion (1. )
- 2nd Independent Engineer Airfield Construction Battalion (2. )
- 14th Independent Engineer Airfield Construction Battalion (14. )
- 1763rd Air Force Hospital (1763. Szpital Lotniczy)
- Officer's Air Force School (Oficerska Szkoła Lotnicza)
- 15th Independent Reserve Air Force Regiment (15. Samodzielny Zapasowy Pułk Lotniczy)
- 27th Technical Air Force Storage (27. Techniczny Skład Lotniczy)
- 953rd Quartermaster Storage (953. Skład Intendencki)
- 620th Air Force Ammunition Storage (620. Lotnicze Składy Amunicji)
- 338th Company of Telegraph Builders (338. Kompania Budowy Telegrafu)
- 6th Independent Radio Station of Ground Aircraft Service (6. Samodzielna Radiostacja Naziemnej Obsługi Samolotów)
- 18th Company of Ground Support of Flights (18. Kompania Ziemnego Zabezpieczenia Lotów)
- 5th Independent Camouflage Platoon (5. Samodzielny Pluton Maskowania)
- 5th Independent Photographic Company (5. Samodzielna Kompania Aerofoto)
- 22nd Company for Special Missions (22. Kompania do Zadań Specjalnych)
- 6th Aircraft Minor Repairs Workshops (6. Warsztaty Napraw Samolotów)
- 131st Aircraft Repair Workshops (131. Warsztaty Remontowe Samolotów)
- 54th Mobile Repair Base (54. Ruchoma Baza Remontowa)
- 17th Field Repair Workshops (17. Polowe Warsztaty Remontowe)
- 192nd Field Repair Workshops (192. Polowe Warsztaty Remontowe)
- 193rd Field Repair Workshops (193. Polowe Warsztaty Remontowe)
- 817th Field Repair Workshops (817. Polowe Warsztaty Remontowe)
- 1st Mixed Air Force Corps (1. Mieszany Korpus Lotniczy)
Units detached for cooperation with other commands:
- Cooperating with the Communication Command of the Polish Army:
- 4th Independent Liaison Aviation Squadron (4. Samodzielna Eskadra Lotnictwa Łącznikowego)
- 5th Independent Liaison Aviation Squadron (5. Samodzielna Eskadra Lotnictwa Łącznikowego)
- Cooperating with the 1st Polish ArmyFirst Polish Army (1944-1945)The Polish First Army was a Polish Army unit formed in the Soviet Union in 1944, from the previously existing Polish I Corps as part of the People's Army of Poland . The First Army fought westward, subordinated to the Soviet 1st Belorussian Front, during the offensive against Germany that led to...
- 103rd Independent Liaison Aviation Squadron (103. Samodzielna Eskadra Lotnictwa Łącznikowego)
- Cooperating with the 2nd Polish Army
- 3rd Independent Liaison Aviation Squadron (3. Samodzielna Eskadra Lotnictwa Łącznikowego)
- Section of Liaison Aviation of the Armoured Force Command of the Polish Army (klucz łącznikowy przy dowództwie wojsk pancernych WP)
- Section of Liaison Aviation of the 1st Armoured Corps (klucz łącznikowy przy 1. Korpusie Pancernym)
Civil Aviation subordinated to PAF Command:
- 18th Regiment of Civil Aviation Fleet (18. Pułk Lotnictwa Cywilnej Floty Powietrznej)
- 19th Regiment of Civil Aviation Fleet (19. Pułk Lotnictwa Cywilnej Floty Powietrznej)
- 7th Independent Squadron of Civil Aviation Fleet (7. Samodzielna Eskadra Lotnictwa Cywilnej Floty Powietrznej)
- 8th Independent Squadron of Civil Aviation Fleet (8. Samodzielna Eskadra Lotnictwa Cywilnej Floty Powietrznej)
- 13 civilian airports
Aircraft (data as of 1 June 1945)
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Aircraft! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Origin
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Type
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Versions
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|In service
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Notes
|-
| Polikarpov Po-2
Polikarpov Po-2
The Polikarpov Po-2 served as a general-purpose Soviet biplane, nicknamed Kukuruznik for maize; thus, 'maize duster' or 'crop duster'), NATO reporting name "Mule"...
|| || Liaison/Night Bomber || || 197 || 215 at the end of May 1945
|-
| Ilyushin Il-2
Ilyushin Il-2
The Ilyushin Il-2 was a ground-attack aircraft in the Second World War, produced by the Soviet Union in very large numbers...
|| || Ground-Attack
Training || Il-2M/Il-2m3
UIl-2 || 142
19 || 158 at the end of May 1945
|-
| Yakovlev Yak-9
Yakovlev Yak-9
The Yakovlev Yak-9 was a single-engine fighter aircraft used by the Soviet Union in World War II and after. Fundamentally a lighter development of the Yak-7 with the same armament, it arrived at the front at the end of 1942. The Yak-9 had a lowered rear fuselage decking and all-around vision canopy...
|| || Fighter || Yak-9M
Yak-9T
Yak-9U || 119 || 130 at the end of May 1945
|-
| Petlyakov Pe-2
Petlyakov Pe-2
The Petlyakov Pe-2 was a Soviet dive bomber aircraft used during World War II. It was regarded as one of the best ground attack aircraft of the war and it was extremely successful in the roles of heavy fighter, reconnaissance and night fighter...
|| || Dive Bomber || || 100 || 107 at the end of May 1945
|-
| Yakovlev UT-2
Yakovlev UT-2
|-See also:...
|| || Training || || 39 ||
|-
| Yakovlev Yak-1
Yakovlev Yak-1
The Yakovlev Yak-1 was a World War II Soviet fighter aircraft. Produced from early 1940, it was a single-seat monoplane with a composite structure and wooden wings....
|| || Fighter || || 18 || 29 at the end of May 1945
|-
| Yakovlev Yak-3
Yakovlev Yak-3
The Yakovlev Yak-3 was a World War II Soviet fighter aircraft.Robust and easy to maintain, it was much liked by pilots and ground crew alike....
|| || Fighter || || 14 ||
|-
| Lisunov Li-2
Lisunov Li-2
The Lisunov Li-2, originally designated PS-84 , was a license-built version of the Douglas DC-3. It was produced by the GAZ-84 works at Moscow-Khimki, and subsequently at GAZ-33 at Tashkent-Vostochn. The project was directed by aeronautical engineer Boris Pavlovich Lisunov.-Design and...
|| || Transport/Passenger || ||6 ||
|-
| other || || || || 32 ||
On 1 June 1945 16,288 troops served in the People's Air Force, including 3,381 commissioned officers, and 902 civil workers. In addition, 1893 soldiers including 417 commissioned officers served in the Civil Aviation Fleet, subordinated to the Air Force.